We had a day off paddling today. JFs, back was sore this morning, the forecast was for moderate headwinds and we felt like we’ve been go go go the last few days, not having time to stop and enjoy the landscape. So today was about relaxing and exploring. A lone male caribou with a magnificent rack was the first thing we saw outside the tent this morning and we saw many more on our wanderings around the tundra. Sat on a rocky hill we scanned a vast plain of lichen and moss with a scattering of ponds and lakes, and rocky promontaries. We usually spotted the antlers first. Some unseen ducks started squawking loudly, and a pair of loons landed in a pond with a big splash and started wailing in a way I’ve never heard loons vocalize. I love the evocative trill they usually make, but this was like a cat wailing, and made you think they were in deep distress.

We tried fishing in a big lake but it seemed landlocked and very shallow so we suspected there were no fish living there. That’s our excuse anyway!

We’ve devised a way of knowing whether we’ll be surrounded by a swarm of mosquitos or not
If the olive oil is frozen then it’s too cold for our blood thirsty friends and we can go about our daily business without constantly swatting.

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