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While
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Start:
Churchill, Manitoba on the southern border of Nunavut, Canada
Finish: Grise Fiord, northernmost
village of North America
Distance:
2500 + miles
Duration:
February - May, 2001
Temperature:
Somewhere between -60 and + 20 F
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On
February 12, 2001, team Arctic Blast and 20 polar huskies will
depart from Arviat (Arq-viat), the most southern settlement in
the new Canadian Territory of Nunavut. Via the magnetic North
Pole the team should reach Grise Fiord (Gree-sa-fee-ORD), the
northernmost inhabited village in North America, by the end of
May. The distance traveled will be approximately 2,500 miles,
which is the same as pulling a sled from Washington D.C. to Los
Angeles, California... or from Copenhagen, Denmark to Morocco in
Africa! |
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ENVIRONMENT |
The
temperatures will hover between -60 and +20 F (- 50 and - 5
C). On Hudson Bay in February, the team will only
have about 5 to 6 hours of daylight. Day length will
increase quickly as the team travels north and by the end in May enjoying 24 hours daylight
in the Arctic midnight sun. |

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The barren
treeless terrain of the high arctic, features an abundance of
ice-capped mountains and glacier-crowned fiords, offering some
of the most spectacular scenery in the western hemisphere.
Crossing through mountain passes, the team will most likely
find themselves in waist deep snow, whereas on the sea they
will be traversing pans of solid and broken ice, open leads,
and pressure ridges. |
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ARCTIC
TREASURES |
The
Arctic Blast 2001 explorers will venture into extremely remote areas, never
before brought into the classrooms with such vivid detail. |
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- Arviat
The
Southernmost settlement of Nunavut this historic village
is still identified on most maps by its former name
Eskimo Point. An important trading post since the late
1600's, it was early on influenced by western culture and is
today particularly proud of its traditional knowledge.
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- Whale Cove [Tikirarjuaq]
Untouched,
it's people are still traditionally connected to Nature - relying on subsistence living, following the rhythms of
the seasons.
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- Rankin Inlet [Kangiqliniq]
The
gateway to the area west of Hudson Bay and regional center
for the Kivalliq region with deep roots in mining. Sitting
on the large inlet, it is known for severe wind storms
forcing the team onto the tundra.
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- Baker lake [Qamanittuaq]
At
the geographical center of Canada, Baker Lake is Canada's only inland
Inuit community. It is the place of unique traditional living
and historically very different from anywhere else in the
Arctic. This is the last re-supply point for more than a month!
The team will have to follow a sparse, ancient Inuit trail
from here.
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- Taloyak [Spence Bay]
Taloyak is in the heart
of the Northwest passage and the most northern community
of the Canadian mainland. It is a small community largely
sustained by the abundance of seal in the area, and the
always nearby, polar bears. This section contains
the longest haul and most
mountainous part of the trip and leads to the dreaded Lancaster
Sound.
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- Lancaster Sound
As
the historic entrance to the Northwest Passage, it's
shifting ice and open water is a startling challenge for
the expedition.
This area contains the high Arctic's greatest concentration of
wildlife. Polar bears, walruses, ringed and bearded seals,
thousands of beluga whales, hundreds of giant
bowheads, and pods of rare narwhals sporting six foot long
(2m) ivory tusks make it an arctic marine oasis like no
where else on Earth.
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- Beechey Island
This
historic island is host to the mysterious remains of John
Franklin's doomed 1845 expedition. One hundred and twenty
nine men died at this spot.
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- Resolute [Qausuittuq]
Home
to major weather and research stations, it is the jumping
off point for most North Pole-bound explorers.
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- The Magnetic North Pole
The
point from which the Earth's magnetic field radiates.
Conventional compasses can no longer function because of
the strong magnetic force.
From here, the team and their cutting edge communication
equipment (Thrane
& Thrane) will beam the first ever live
transmission. Classrooms around North America will
have access to the broadcast.
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- Grise Fiord [Aujuittuuq]
Our
final destination!!! Grise Fiord, population 104, is the
northernmost village of North America. It is nestled in a spectacular area of mountains, glaciers,
and fiords and is one of the most scenic villages in all of
the arctic.
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