On Frozen Pond

On Monday, I had my first outdoor Arctic adventure. I went for a hike with Mark and Sophie--or rather Mark and Sophie took me for a walk on the tundra. We just did a little circle near town that took us out into the hills and back for a couple of hours. It was nice to get out and see a bit of the land, even if it is a stone's throw from home. I found some caribou antlers and took one for my office. Everyone laughed at me--silly kudlunah--but it's made for good decor!

The coolest part of the day was walking across frozen ponds. I surprised myself in that (a) I did it and (b) I did not fall down. The ponds have all these wild frozen bubbles in them caused by the separation of oxygen and hydrogen on freezing. It's pretty trippy and I will eventually get some photos so you can see. You can even see to the bottom of the pond!

I also crossed a frozen river. I do not recommend standing still when you do that and hear a little bit of cracking. It's counterintuitive, but you have to keep moving! (as Mark and Sophie put it). No worries. The river was really a creek. And I am still here. :)