Day 3 on the Tundra - And Halloween to boot!

 Armed with the information that we had seen more than most guides see in a season on the tundra, I was hopeful but satiated already when we ventured out with Lorne for our final day on the tundra. 

Spirits were high! It was Halloween and NatHab commissioned kids to make each rover a jack-o-lantern! It appeared no matter how good yesterday was, everyone here was determined to make today just as special in it's own way...

Brace yourself... Lorne LET ME DRIVE a little!!! Did I just die and go to heaven?!

(It's ok you need video proof... I almost don't believe it myself now.)

And did I mention our guide, Garrett was all costumed up and today we were being lead across the tundra by a walking, talking hotdog! Maybe he attracted more bears that way? Who am I to judge :-)

It was not as windy as yesterday. Sure it was cold and fingers left too close to the window for too long felt the sting of winter coming, but OMG was it worth it.

I got lucky enough again to photograph these gorgeous animals who survive and maybe thrive under unimaginable pressure and against all odds. The cuddles within a family, playtimes with friends, curiosity toward us; No Youtube vid, bear tracking website, PB documentary had prepared me emotionally for the love, joy, wonder and connection that I felt here.

At the end of day 3 on the tundra half the passengers were out like a light as we traversed the misery mile on the way back to the rover base camp.  Mark and I made a quick visit to the famed Northern Store before walking-curfew was upon us, to verify for ourselves that this place sold everything you could think of. Yep... from snowmobiles to furniture, liquor, groceries, souvenirs and clothes... Even optimism could be found here!

Then we did a quick tutorial/presentation with Garrett about photo editing before chowing down dinner.

 But the day was not over... 

It was Halloween and our own personal hotdog (Garrett) had plans that involved being a mobile candy-giving vehicle through town. Halloween in Churchill is special. An armed troop sweeps town and establishes a perimeter before dark. They maintain a patrol all night long and that allows kids and adults alike to walk without fear of they themselves becoming a Halloween snack for a polar bear. 

If you've never found yourself watching (aiding and abetting) a guy dressed as a hotdog, luring kids into a short white bus under the cover of darkness, then you've missed out on the type of giggles that almost make you pee yourself. 

Just one more way that Nat Hab has exceeding expectations in Churchill. I just love our little group... passengers, drivers and guide, all invested in having fun and making the most of every minute. Invested in making sure we ALL have the best possible experience!

Day 2 on the Tundra

 I had high hopes for 3 things today; mom and cubs (closer), sparring (closer) and bear on rover.

'Tis true, some people on our trip kinda wondered outloud if I should be asking the universe for so much again. It was said that I should "save some for tomorrow"... but that's not how I roll. If we are lucky enough to get good sightings today, there is honestly no harm in throwing it back out there again for tomorrow too. 

Much like love, wishful thinking and eternal optimism don't involve taking taking a slice of the finite pie and leaving less for others. There is always enough to go around.

Boy was it Cold today - with a capital C for good reason. The forecasters promised a windy afternoon and they were not wrong. Freezing with a wind gusting to 100km/hour meant even a minute on the back deck of the rover was painful to exposed skin and drafty bits.

I sported merino base layers, ski pants, fleece, down and that giant parka. There were times when 3 hoods wrapped my head - over the hat I never took off! There was also a time when I was the only one braving the back deck to capture a bear visiting the rover behind us. I know right!? Neither of us would have ever guessed that little ol' me would be the last one standing out there! Only my fingers were painful. Inside my insulated boots my electric socks kept up and inside my pockets little rechargeable hand warmers waited to quickly warm my gloved hands back to a temperature more suited to a live body.  I was good! 

What a successful day! Beyond successful. It was surreal, magical and marvelous; 21 unique bear sightings, 2000+ pictures and a rover full of giddy and grateful passengers. At no time did I feel that I couldn't move over and give someone else the view out my window... or that they wouldn't do the same thing for me. My cup and my heart did floweth over. My batteries were dead, memory cards full and eyes exhausted. I was SO content. This day fed my mind, heart and soul. I ran out of OMG's and Awwww's... and sat quietly in the rover all the way back into town.

It was hands down, one of the best days of my life... the highest and best use of precious time, spent with fellow travelers who 'get it' on the most fundamental level. Who value the smallest of magical moments and unique experiences and truly understand the privilege of being here.

In recent memory it tied only with that day in Antarctica where all the animals showed up for pictures at just the right time: 

https://dallice.blogspot.com/2022/12/dec-30th-neko-harbour.html

I almost forgot... which is weird because of how impacted I actually felt by this, but later in the evening we were invited to a private talk/presentation by Sandra Cook; local artist, indigenous woman and a deeply human soul who beautifully expresses emotions visually and with story-telling.

Sandy's own father was a victim of the "Residential School" policy that stole indigenous children from their families and took them far away to teach them to be ... less who they were, punished them for being their true selves and in many cases, abused them until they could never be recovered emotionally, physically or mentally. To this day, the graves of missing indigenous children are still being discovered at Residential Schools all over Canada. The program did not end until the 90's!

She shared her own story of growing up with a father who "loved them in the best way he could" according to her German mother. And of finally discovering well into her own adulthood that he was a stolen child, damaged and silenced. It's a devastating and incredibly powerful story of pain and torture, rejection and anger, realization and forgiveness. One of many local stories that spurred a strong movement to embrace and love those whose childhood was robbed and left them "coping" the best they could - with substance and behavioral issues. Recognizing the generational trauma and getting out in front of it has become pivotal to this community and Sandy's art, installed without permission and unapologetic, stands testament to that effort, all over town.

I felt so very grateful that NatHab included this type of education and inclusion into our trip. Up here, pretty isolated from the rest of the world, the people are strong and resilient, they are stewards of the environment and feel deeply connected to the animals. Without them, this trip would not be possible. Without them our experience would be a series of pretty, but very 2-dimensional pictures and the emotional connection I need to process the photos into something I "felt" at the time, would be missing.