Northern sky

Sunday morning started out like every Sunday should. With brunch.

Inspired by this recipe, we made BaconCakes. Sweet and salty and the perfect remedy for the previous night's antics.

The day was looking clear so we went out for a bit of a hike around Whale Cove. We left the house and headed out back, away from the town (really a hamlet).

If you hike up the rock behind Hailey's house you'll come to the Whale Tail of Whale Cove.

Stopping to test out Hail's new tripod...

watch the dogs scamper with their found bones...

and admire the great Hudson Bay.

We also picked wild cranberries. I had no idea cranberries grew in Nunavut but they do and they're delicious! It was almost hard to stop picking them because you knew you'd find another big bunch around the next rocky knoll.

The sky was turning grey and our hands getting cold so we stopped our gathering and continue the walk.

The sky in Nunavut is a wonder to me. I've been to place like Big Sky in Montana and the vibrant skies of the Caribbean but the sky in Whale Cove is beautiful in its own way. The colours seem bright and crisp even on grey days. And the way the sky meets the land or water has a way of making you feel very small in a big world - even in a town of 400 people.

The sky seemed to change with every snap. I hope the next time I visit I will get to experience the colours of the Northern Lights. 

Our walk left us hungry so we whipped up a snack.  Refueling on fresh-from-the-oven cranberry muffins and tea.

How good do those look?!

We spent the rest of the afternoon being cozy on the couch with lots of cuddles from the two pups.

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Out on the land

This was my first glimpse of the hamlet of Whale Cove.

 The town is colourful and quaint with hydro lines snaking through the gravel streets. The sky was grey and a cold mist was coming down but catching a glimpse of the Hudson Bay was breath taking. Growing up learning about the great Hudson Bay in history class and finally seeing it in real life was incredible.

I arrived late in the afternoon and with the weather as it was Hails and I caught up over homemade pizza and a movie.

Saturday morning we spent with the two pups - Niya (which means 'sister' in Inukitut) and Qimmik ('dog' in Inukitut). The doggies played while Hails and I made pumpkin scones.

After scones and coffee Hails took me out on the land.

I've seen Inukshuk along highways in Ontario but seeing them on the Nunavut tundra was spectacular.

What I think is red moss pops in the brown and grey landscape.

The road we followed seemed to go forever. The Inuit use the road for hunting and to get to their cabins. Hailey and Alex have visited a friends cabin before - they sound like a cottage only they aren't necessarily on a lake. Without electricity or running water it sounds like a dream - a chance to really unplug.

Hailey's back yard is more tundra. Little lakes and grey rock - perfect for hikes with the pups.

Our adventures left us hungry so Hails and I made plates of sushi for dinner. We made a sesame-peanut butter sauce for the sushi and it was a revelation!

We finished Saturday off by playing the entire game of Cards Against Humanity with Alex and his brother Charles.

Not many people can say they've been out on the tundra. The land left me speechless - it is so beautiful and there is nothing else like it. You can see for miles and the expanse left me feeling so small - like a drop in an ocean. Living in Toronto, you'd think that the biggest city in Canada would leave you feeling like that little drop but it was being out on the land, with no one else around but my sister that left me feeling like a blink, a fleeting moment in the world.

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Flight to the north

I took a weekend trip to Nunavut in September.

I had a late night work event on Thursday so with only 2.5 hours of sleep I boarded the first plane of the trek north.

Before spreading out across my empty row on Air Canada I watched the sunrise over Toronto.

After a quick power nap, I landed in Winnipeg for the first time!

With only about an hour or so to kill I grabbed a quick breakfast at T.G.I. Friday's. Definitely nothing to write home about but it sufficed...

The second leg of my journey took me from Winnipeg to Rankin Inlet, NU. I'd been warned about possible delays, detours and cancellations due to unpredictable weather in the north but I was lucky and we landed in Rankin with no issues.

My first glimpse at the Nunna - so much space!

I had a few hours to kill in the tiny Rankin airport so I charged my phone, read my book and people watched. I fell in love with these Inuit baby carriers called amauti! And this little girl was too precious!

The flight from Rankin Inlet to Whale Cove is only about 20-25 minutes - basically hopping over a whole lot of water.

I was mesmerized by the mix of land and water. You just don't see that much empty space anywhere 'down south' in Ontario!

Touch down in Whale Cove! Whale Cove is such a small community that jets are unable to fly into the airport and the runway isn't paved.

Stepping out of the First Air plane the wind whipped about and showered me in a cold drizzle but I didn't mind. That first breath of clean, crisp air was heaven!

The airport in Whale Cove is even smaller than Rankin's (it's basically a portable!) so I had no trouble finding my luggage (brought from the plane to the trucks waiting for their passengers) or my sister!

I took plenty of photos so more from my Whale Cove experience later!

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