5th August 2023
We have arrived in Iqaluit on the southern end of Baffin Island. I refrained from buying a cool cotton tee shirt in Ottawa as I wrongly assumed that the temperature would drop as we move northwards. I am now roasting in my expedition thermals. This place feels more like Texas than Baffin Island. If the tide is up tomorrow morning, I might even go for a swim. Ignoring the blazing sun, there are telltale signs of getting nearer to the Arctic.
There are a few skidoos and sledges mingling with the boats awaiting the winter snow. Iqaluit is a huge place with a population of 8,000. That came as a bit of a shock. It will be our last large settlement until we reach Nome in Alaska.
Will has now successfully got Integrity through the ice into Resolute. We will fly to Arctic Bay, then on to Resolute, tomorrow. I really hope it is colder up there or I will need to trim my trousers into shorts and cut the sleeves off my merino tops. One thing for certain, there is still too much ice to attempt to sail towards Gjoa Haven but we are hopeful a gap will appear soon.
Posting may get sporadic from now on as wifi will be hard to find. I’ll see what I can do.
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