Cruise to Woodfjorden.

I was given the opportunity again this year to join the course I work with at UNIS on their field work cruise. We sailed with the boat Lance again this year and went up to the North West tip of Svalbard. Along the way we stopped at Ny Ålesund, nothing was open and everyone was still sleeping at 9:00 on a Saturday, so we just had a short little walk around and then sailed further into the fjord where I saw my first iceberg! It wasn't a very large one (not very tall) but it was still a significant chunk of glacier ice and it was awesome! We did a little bit of touristing and sampling in Kongsfjorden and Krossfjorden, then a little bit more touristing and sampling in Magdalenefjorden before making it around the North West tip of Svalbard.

We tried to find ice in Raudfjorden again this year, however it was all pretty soft ice and not very strong enough to have the boat freeze in. So instead we sailed further along the North coast to Woodfjorden and found some amazingly beautiful, perfectly flat fjord ice. This is where we spent the next two days.

We saw about 6 bears in total while we were stuck in the ice but they were all pretty far away, there was a mom with two cubs in the fjord when we arrived but they left the area within the day and were only seen as specks in the binoculars. Only once did we get some close up polar bear action when a male was walking across the fjord and came about 150m from the ship. None of the bears in the area really showed any interest in us. 

We had a great blue bird day on our second day of field work on the ice. I spent the day ice fishing with one of the girls doing some field work for her thesis. We didn't catch anything but it was still pretty rewarding to sit on the fjord ice at 79˚ North and fish in the sunshine. Some of the crew members even came out and brought us coffee and cookies. We were a little spoiled!

I organized for us to do a polar plunge, ice bathing, again this year and it was a pretty big hit. There was only one person from our group who didn't join in and we were able to convince the Captain of the ship to join us. It was really cold again, and I have another diploma, but I'm pretty sure this time we were a little further south than last year. The Captain was taking pictures of us jumping in through the ice hole and I have a great shot. I look really excited whereas everyone else is making a face of regret and worry. It was a great time and then we got to have a hot tub after so it was all worth it. You have to earn the hot tub, right?

After our field work was done on the fjord ice we sailed up to Moffin island just past 80˚ North, and we saw so many walrus. This island is known as the Walrus island because it's where they all hang out. The island is perfectly flat and covered in snow and the waters around it are very shallow, and a beautiful colour. There was no wind while we were stopped above 80˚ North just watching the Walrus bath in the water and lounge in the sun, it was a pretty special moment. We couldn't get too close (definitely not as close as Oskar has braved) because the ship was too big and the water is very shallow there, but we could still see lots of them form a distance. I can most certainly confirm that they smell big time!

Then we sailed home with some barely choppy water. Although many of the group were getting sea sick, I was hoping for some rougher waters, if only for a little bit!

The first iceberg I've ever seen, so cool.

Science in action.

 I actually sat on top (not just inside, but actually on top of) the crows nest while we were sailing in this fjord so that I could set up some UV sensors. I have no idea why I didn't bring the camera with me, because it was really high up and I had some amazing views.

 Amazing day of ice fishing, though no fish were caught :)

 This is the hole being cut in the ice for our little dip.

 It was a little difficult to will myself to do this again, but I did win best jump!

 

 

 

 Moffin (walrus) Island

We had Visitors!

This weekend Kristine and Didrik came up for a visit. It was so great to have visitors again and to get to see the two of them. After such a packed weekend I'm a little zonked and am having a difficult time concentrating at work when I know my bed is at home, empty and soft, but I'll make it through the day.

Having bought Didrik's entrance into the Svalbard ski marathon again this year for Christmas, we thought it would be fun to enter ourselves and Kristine into the half marathon, so we could all be a part of it. Oskar begrudgingly agreed to join in, but made it clear this was not his idea. I think he came around when he realised how much I stink at cross country skiing and there was no chance I would beat him. :)

The marathon was such a great time and I was really surprised at how little I hurt that night and the next day, I guess I should have worked a little harder. Though I think my first time ever skiing 21km went over quite well. We had pretty great weather and the wind wasn't too bad, once we reached the half way food station though we were pretty happy to be there. It was a long trip up a hill with people coming back from the full marathon racing down the hill next to us, (a man even fell they were speeding by so quickly), so the peace and quiet and chocolate biscuits were very well received. In fact we stopped at both snack tables just to make sure we weren't missing out on anything! The trip back to the finish line was a really nice down hill, easy going ski and the sunshine came out for it.

We had a little nap time when we got back home and then headed to Huset, with some friends we made last year at the marathon, and had an amazing 6 course meal with a few bottles of wine and a very large bottle of champagne.

On Sunday, a little rough around the edges from the night and day before, we headed to Basecamp to go on our dog sledding trip. It was a massive group of tourists who we were grouped with so it was a little overwhelming but we had such a great time. The dogs were stinky and lovable and were so excited to go on a trip. We were only out for about an hour but those dogs ran fast and were pretty tired by the time we got back. I really enjoyed the experience and I can't wait to do it again!

It was a little sad to have Kristine and Didrik leave because it's a long time now before we have any visitors or are going on any trips down to the mainland, but it had been a pretty action packed weekend and I think we all needed a little rest.

Thanks so much for coming up!

 Ski waxing is very serious business.

 As I said. . . very serious business.

 We were pretty thrilled about the snack table.

My little weekend on the mainland.

Up here Norway is referred to as the mainland. We are an island, we're governed by Norway, so yes, Norway is our mainland. However it was brought to my attention by my friend Shannon that I make it sound as though it is a ferry ride away when in actuality it is "an ocean away." Some other people shared the same opinion Shannon, so you're not alone.

I was lucky enough to get to spend a weekend away from Longyearbyen and see some trees, pavement, people I didn't recognize, and I got to ride public transit, drink coffee from a cafe I had never been to before, and sit in a car for more than ten minutes of driving. It was exhilarating!

I spent the weekend at Oskar's family's summer cabin in Kjerringvik and we had such an amazing weekend to open the place up for the season. We had blue skies and sunshine and nearly 11 degrees. I couldn't have asked for more. I got to spend time sitting in the hot tub under the stars (we don't have those anymore up here), and sitting in the sunshine with my sleeves rolled up (we can't do that up here yet). I ate good food, and I had fantastic company,  I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.

Oskar and I bought a new camera, so we're hoping to have some really great quality photos from Svalbard for you soon. I was able to play around with it for a little bit while in Norway so here are the first shots from our new camera.

The camera has some really cool functions, I was just playing around with them. This is neat though eh?

Family nap time and this was Ollie's choice of bed.

Not-quite-midnight sun.

On Friday it will be midnight sun for the first time this year but this week has had some amazing sunsets. We're often up and driving around between 10 and 11:30 at night this past week because of some work stuff, so it's been awesome to see the last few sunsets before it stays up all summer.

It seems like Oskar doesn't mind the light, but even with tin foil on our window and dark curtains I was still having problems sleeping. So the other week while Oskar was away, I covered all the wholes in the foil on our window and I plan to make our curtains thicker. That should make our bedroom a nice dark cave to sleep in!

These were taken between 11 and 11:45 the other night. It's so very gorgeous.

Vårsolbukta for Easter

So, here we are again... Back in town after yet another wonderful adventure, and once again, along with our friend Henning who came for a easter visit from Norway. This time to our new apartment, where we actually have a guest bedroom!

We have been planning a week long ski/snowmobile trip with Henning since the last trip we were on together this summer. We were originally thinking of tenting it, but as luck has it, a few days before Henning arrived the lottery for the cabins that are out for borrowing was up, and we got a cabin for the second part of easter. This meaning, we didn't need to take turns sitting polar bear watch during the night, and basically making sleeping arrangements a whole lot easier. With Jessica getting sick the day before we were leaving town, it was extra nice to know that we would be able to get a weeks worh of good night sleeps.

We had never been to the cabin before, and it was an exciting trip in crappy, windy, cold weather to get there, over glaciers and sea ice, in prime polar bear territory, with sledges stretched to the limit of their weight capacity. We ended up teaming up with another group we met half way there, thinking we could just follow them (they were going to a cabin close to the one we were going to) but instead it ended up beeing them following us. I can easily say it was the best snowmobile trip of my life. We had so many if's and maybees before we went, and the weather was constantly keeping us on edge wether or not we should turn back. But sea ice after sea ice crossing, glacier after glacier crossing we were making our way slowly towards our goal (we drove 140 km, not at top speeds I might add). Only a few kilometres from the cabin, the wind picked up and it was so strong it was actually hard to sit on the snowmobile. Just as we were coming through the last morraine, only a couple kilometres away, our snowmobile turned on us, screaming for gas and cooling fluid (filling gas from a jerrycan in 17m/s wind is harder than you think).

We spent a total of 4 nights in the cabin, touring on skis around the cabin, climbing mountains and sunbathing in snowsuits during the day, eating great food, drinking wine and hanging out with our neighbours at night. Weirdly enough, there was a cabin only 300 meters away. Apart from them the closest people were aprox. 100km away at Isfjord radio.

On our way home, we stopped by Isfjord Radio to say hi to our friends, drink coffee and listen to the sound of a flushing toilet! It was a fantastic way to end the trip, although you always feel a little strange sitting in your wool underwear with your dirty hair, drinking coffee in a beautiful lounge!

The next day Henning came with me to work, transporting 500 kg of food and wine to Isfjord Radio, we got to spend the night and as payment we got a free 7 course dinner with wine from Huset (thanks!!!).

Once again we had an awesome trip with, and enjoyed very much Hennings' company. While he was here this time we are already started planning our next adventure; sailing down the swedish coast for a week. Can't wait for summer!

Finally we made it to our humble cabin, "Camp Millar" i Vårsolbukta (Springsun bay)

Found a great place for taking a morning swim... if anyone had wanted to take one...

Arctic fun...

Great skiing down a 50' gulley. In the background you can see the Birkeland Peninsula. (best looking peninsula i have ever seen!)

Finally reached the summit, after 700 meters of vertical hiking with our skis on our backs.

Our view from the summit... the mountain you see in the background is where we ended up going the day after.

Jessica enjoying the evening sun

Amazing views everywhere we looked.

On easter morning we took off and built ourselves a good old snow couch, and took some walks from there to the surrounding summits.

With high fever and a really bad cough, Jessica made it to the summit.

Any single ladies out there, on the summits, looking for a hunk?

Pleasant return coming back home to our little town