Cambridge Bay, Nunavut Day 2 – Out on the Land

by | Oct 28, 2010 | Travel

A trip on the land was in store for us on our second day in Cambridge Bay. We loaded up the qamutiks with gear and kids and headed out for a day on the land. Tents were set up at the half way point and this is where some of the elders stayed behind with the high school students from Kiilinik High School to prepare lunch while the Stratford group ventured farther out to find the caribou.

Our group didn’t quite make it. Unfortunately Annie’s machine wasn’t powerful enough to carry her load which included me, two students (Robbie and Shane), Ms. McNair (the principal) and Fink. We’ll blame the weight on the qamituk, not the passengers.

For the most part of our trip we either pushed the qamituk or sat on it and waited for help (pictured below), told jokes and ribbed each other who would get eaten first if it came down to a matter of survival.

We didn’t see the number of caribou that the other groups did (the groups that were able to get pulled another 5 miles further), but we did see some.

When we got back to the tents, we were treated to cups of caribou stew made only an hour earlier from caribou chunks cut off a leg that was packed amongst the soup pots and knives, and the best bannock I’ve ever had in my life.

I have to say, it felt good to get out of that qamutik, walk and straighten out my spine which I was sure had compacted by at least two inches.

Bedtime came early, like 8:45 pm early. I hauled my weary bones to bed and fell asleep to the whizzing engine noise of skidoos ferrying their passengers up and down the snowy streets of Cambridge Bay.