Showing posts with label Polar Bears of Churchill 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Polar Bears of Churchill 2008. Show all posts
The Polar Bears Are Here!
Enjoy a virtual trip to the Canadian subarctic! For a collection of just "some" of my favorite photos from our November 2008 polar bear adventure, check out the Eismeisters of Churchill gallery. If you are curious about our accommodations on this trip, check out the Tundra Buggy Lodge gallery. For photographs of life on the Tundra Buggy that we used to look for bears and other wildlife, check out the Buggy Life gallery. For video footage of life at the Tundra Buggy Lodge and roaming the tundra on a buggy, see this clip. Specific behavioral galleries are at Nursing and Playing and Dancing on the Tundra. If you have not had enough, you can also check out the Pictorial Journal galleries. In addition to providing a day-by-day chronicle of our trip, many of these galleries contain sequences of photos that tell stories about the bears we saw on the tundra. And finally, click here for video footage of some of the bears we saw during our four days on the tundra.
What in the World is a Tundra Buggy Lodge
November 2008
For our polar bear adventure, instead of staying in Churchill and making daily buggy trips to the tundra, we decided to stay at the Tundra Buggy Lodge (TBL) operated by Frontiers North Adventures (FNA). There is also a similar operation by another company, but we went with FNA primarily because initially we wanted to go to Cape Churchill. As it turns out, the waitlist for Cape Churchill was too long, so we switched to the Tundra Buggy at Polar Bear Point instead. (The same mobile lodge; transported to Cape Churchill for the end of the bear-watching season.)
As might be expected, the lodge experience is more expensive than staying in Churchill, but for us, it was worth it – not just for the experience of being with the bears all the time, but because it cut down on the amount of driving back and forth that we would have otherwise had to do.
Map of the tundra showing Gordon Point and the location of the TBL at Polar Bear Point.
We were transported from Churchill to the buggy launch site via a re-purposed school bus. We then boarded our buggy for the 1½-hour ride out to the lodge site near Gordon Point. This transport buggy was assigned to us for the duration of our lodge stay.
This is what a Tundra Buggy looks like - some liken it to a big sardine can on wheels.
Upon arrival at the lodge, one of the staff boarded the transport buggy to give us some quick tips on bunkhouse living. She then called out names and we boarded in the order of our assigned cubbies in the bunkhouse (sort of like boarding an aircraft starting from the rear) – this was great in terms of alleviating chaos in the narrow aisle running down the center of the bunkhouse.
The TBL - the red box shows the location of our bunks; note the bear in the lower left corner.
The lodge consists of two bunkhouses, a lounge buggy, a dining/kitchen buggy, and several utility modules. The buggies are strung together, with open decks allowing passage between them. The open decks have solid lower walls and bars on the top half to allow for safe bear-viewing. At no time are guests allowed on the ground. The transport buggy docked with the open deck of the bunkhouse to enable boarding of the vehicle. In our case, two groups shared the lodge, but each group had its own buggy for sightseeing – about 20 people (including driver and group leader) per 40-pax buggy.
The bunkhouses consist of small cubbies – upper and lower – on either side of a narrow aisle. I didn’t specifically measure my cubby, but the length looked to be about 6 ft long and the width about 3 ft. Each cubby has a thick, velcroed privacy curtain. I found the mattress to be comfortable enough during our 5-night stay (didn’t hear anyone complaining).
The interior of bunkhouse #2 and Mui relaxing in my cubby.
Inside each cubby is an electrical outlet, a reading light, a narrow shelf that runs the length of the buggy wall, a mesh hammock-shelf hanging from the ceiling, a small mirror, and a window. The shelves are more than sufficient to store belongings. There is ample storage under the lower cubby as well; this storage is shared with whoever is in the top cubby. In the center area of the bunkhouse, there are two washrooms (flush toilet/sink) and one shower (with sink). By the way, we each had our own bath and face towel provided by the lodge. There was liquid soap in the washrooms; liquid soap and shampoo in the shower. We were asked to keep our showers short to conserve water, but to use plenty of water to flush. Our bunkhouse ran out of water twice – but it turned out not to be too big of a problem since it was late at night. The staff drained water from the kitchen module to provide us with enough water to brush teeth, flush toilets, etc. until the water delivery was received the next day. The shared washroom/shower situation was not a problem (this from someone who has never stayed in a shared-facilities environment before). The only time there seemed to be a queue for the washrooms was in the morning and when we returned from our day on the tundra, but even that wasn’t a huge deal. Some of us showered in the morning, others at night. Mui and I took advantage of the lull when we returned from the tundra to take our showers – most everyone would immediately go to the lounge, leaving the bunkhouse to those few of us who were downloading photos and such. It was the perfect time to shower without having to worry about anyone waiting to be next. We’re also early risers – the only ones up around 5:00a – giving us first dibs on the washrooms. One thing I was surprised by – and should not have been; each module of the mobile lodge is on wheels after all – was the slight swaying motion when the wind was particularly strong or when a bear reared up and planted his huge paws against the side of a module. No big deal – felt like I was on a ship at times. We were lucky with our bunk placement – on the starboard side when facing towards the lounge/dining cars. This side did not get the wind and the bears tended to be on this side as well. Our bunks were up against the linen closet where the extra blankets were stored, so we did not have noise from the washrooms to contend with, and our position in the center of the bunkhouse also meant no drafts from the doors opening and closing at either end. The lounge car served as a place to socialize. It was also where the evening lectures were given and where the morning coffee was set up for early risers. Wine and appetizers were provided during “happy hour” (if you want beer or hard liquor, you need to bring your own – the liquor store in Churchill is in the same building as the post office). There was a post-dinner lecture every night except the night we arrived at the lodge – digital photography 101 (given by Daniel Cox, our group leader); life in the high Arctic (given by Dave Reid, the leader of the other group – he lives on Baffin Island); how to give back and be Arctic ambassadors (given by JoAnne Simerson, a Polar Bears International [PBI] Advisory Council Member from the San Diego Zoo); introduction to the work PBI does and inspirational photo presentation (given by Daniel Cox). Each of these presentations was interesting in its own way. They were kept short since everyone was tired after a day out on the tundra. Sometimes, the presenter was interrupted by a wildlife sighting – Arctic fox running around the lodge, bears trying to peek inside the windows, and such – adding a bit of additional interest to our evening.
The food was good, home-style cooking. Mui and I found the portions to be just right, but they might have seemed a bit on the small side to some. Breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, English muffins, brown toast, grilled tomatoes, croissants, pancakes, etc. (Not everything everyday.) The homemade granola cereal was as good as I had read. There was also cut up fruit and yogurt available. We queued up and Julie, one of the lodge staff, served up the hot items. Dinner was sit-down, served by the staff. We had pasta with meat sauce and garlic bread; salmon with mashed sweet potatoes; elk kabobs; chicken Kiev with rice and corn; prime rib with mashed potatoes and vegies; etc. It was all quite good and topped off with delicious desserts that ranged from chocolate cake, to sautéed bananas with caramel sauce, to lemon ice cream, to lumberjack cake. A note re: food allergies. The staff did a yeoman’s job of accommodating people with dietary restrictions – just make sure you alert them in advance so that they can be prepared accordingly; no grocery stores nearby.
The kitchen is at the far end of the dining buggy.
Daily Routine – On average, our day at the lodge went something like this – wake up around 6:00a (coffee, tea, hot chocolate available in the lounge); breakfast at 7:00a; board the transport buggy for a day on the tundra at 8:00a; search for bears and other Arctic wildlife in the area around the lodge (no need to go too far since the bears were congregating in the area to wait for the freeze up); beverages and lunch on the buggy; back to the lodge around 4:00-4:30p (light is almost gone by then); social hour; dinner around 6:00p; lecture around 7:30p; main lights out in the bunkhouse around 10:00p.
Before I end this entry, a bit about our mode of transport on the tundra.Our Tundra Buggy driver/guide was Chris. He was terrific – good sense of humor and excellent knowledge of bears/bear behavior. He really helped to make our experience as great as it turned out to be. He was able to sight bears from quite a distance and position the buggy such that we had good, up close sightings. Since we were a photography group, he was conscious of light conditions and kept that it mind when positioning the buggy (especially on the last day when the sun finally came out). He was also very conscious of the well-being of the bears – if a bear seemed stressed by our presence, he did not pursue it, and he kept his distance when bears wandered onto the old army trails that the buggies drive on.
Ours was a photography group as I noted earlier; we were led by Daniel Cox. There were 18 people in the group and it was invaluable having a buggy to ourselves. Dan gave us tips on photography in a white-on-white environment – very useful; we all came away with photos that are better because of his guidance. I don’t have the specific measurements, but we found the buggies roomier than anticipated – especially since we were at half-capacity passenger-wise. Seats on either side can accommodate two people, but we each had a seat of our own, with plenty of seats remaining empty. A wide aisle runs through the center. There is an open deck in the back (just a solid lower wall; no bars around the top half), which I used occasionally, but for the most part, I stayed inside and used the windows for photography – it was relatively warmer in there, even with the windows down. I found the high-sides of the open deck a hindrance when the bears were too close (I am 5’2”) and it was easier for me to stand between the seats inside or perch on the back of a seat when necessary. People in the group were really good about sharing window space (you did not have to stick with the window by your own seat). There was a propane heater in the back of the buggy that kept the interior downright cozy. It was a place to thaw out frozen fingers and toes and served as a place to warm up sandwiches if you so desired. Also in the rear of the buggy was a potty (not a flush toilet) that was available for use whenever the buggy was stationary. There was no running water, but there was plenty of wet wipes and gel hand sanitizer available. When on the tundra, we took a break mid-morning for hot beverages and cookies. Lunch was around the noon hour – but depended on sightings. Chris always found us a good spot with ongoing bear activity and we took our time with lunch, which consisted of delicious homemade soup (tomato with roasted garlic; cauliflower; asparagus) and make-your-own sandwiches and wraps. Lunch was concluded with hot beverages and cookies – the oatmeal raisin ones were my favorite, but most people seemed to especially enjoy the white chocolate macadamia cookies that were served one day. I was happy to see re-usable plates, cutlery, and cups rather than paper, plastic, or foam. We even re-cycled our beverage cups (just for the day) – used tape to put our name on the cup. (The dishes were washed at the lodge at the end of each day.) I could go on and on about our experience at the TBL. Instead of more words, however, let me end with these shots of two of the bears that visited us at the lodge on a daily basis.
The Eismeisters of the Churchill Tundra
November 2008On November 13, well before sunrise, our Frontiers North Adventures (FNA) group was bused to the far side of the Winnipeg Airport where our Nolinor charter flight to Churchill was awaiting us. While we waited on the bus, the luggage was loaded onto the plane. Then, the bus entered the secure zone and took us right up to the Boeing 737 for boarding. No security checks, no boarding cards — it was as easy as pie.
An hour and a half later, Churchill was welcoming us with overcast skies, blowing snow, strong winds, and very cold temperatures. On our way into town, we were given a short interpretive tour that included a visit to the 'polar bear jail' and some scenic stops. We weren't able to see much because of the bad weather, but the tour sure gave us an appreciation for the conditions the inhabitants of Churchill have to endure in the winter. We didn’t wimp out. At each stop, we got off the bus to brave the elements and see what we could see despite the blowing snow. Though they were at a distance, we saw our first bears in the wild during one of these stops.
After a group lunch in town, we were free to wander around on our own. Mui and I were scheduled to do a helicopter tour, but it was cancelled due to weather conditions, so we spent the time until our departure for the tundra wandering in and out of the gift shops and checking out the stores that are frequented by the town's inhabitants. We left the museums for the last day of our trip when we knew we would have more time in town. Before returning to the FNA office, we stopped in at Gypsy's for hot chocolate and yummy pastries.
This inukshuk is not an original; it was built for a festival honoring the Inuit culture.
Hudson Bay view from behind the Community Center.
Churchill townscape - the brown building houses the post office and the liquor store.
We transferred out to the Tundra Buggy Lodge (TBL) in the early evening – first, a ½-hour school bus ride from town to the tundra buggy launch site; then, an approximately 1½-hour ride on a tundra buggy to reach the TBL. (I’ll write about the details of the lodge in a separate post.) As we pulled up to the lodge, a welcoming committee of two bears was greeted by cheers from within the buggy.
For the next four days we roamed the tundra in search of bears and other wildlife. It was cold on the tundra (very cold by our standards) – around minus 31F [minus 35C] at its coldest during the day (with windchill), and the wind was brutal. Our layers of clothing and heavy boots kept us warm, and any discomfort we might have felt was forgotten when we found ourselves in close proximity to the bears. The weather was overcast with some light snow and quite a bit of wind at times. Towards the end of our third day, the skies started to clear and we had beautiful, sun-filled, blue skies for our last day.
We didn't have to search too hard or too far for the bears. We saw sleeping bears, walking bears, sparring and dancing bears, and nursing bears. We saw adults, sub-adults, and cubs. We saw single bears, families, and groups. All in all, we saw over 50 bears in very close quarters (standing-up-against-the-buggy close in some cases); lost count of the ones that were distant and with which we did not interact much.
(Here are a couple of images to whet your appetite. See the Polar Bears Are Here post for a link to the galleries.)
In addition to bears, we saw Arctic fox, Arctic hare, and several flocks of willow ptarmigan. A couple of people saw a gyr falcon whiz by and land on the roof of one of the lodge buggies, but later efforts to find the falcon proved futile.
Our trip to see polar bears in the wild was a FANTASTIC success! Having a bear sleep under my window at the TBL every night was a very special experience. I'd wake up at night, look out, and there he'd be, curled up in the snow. He'd wake up when the smell of the breakfast bacon started emanating from the kitchen, come even closer to check things out, often rearing up on his hind legs for a closer sniff at those of us who happened to be on one of the open decks between the buggies. By the third day, a mum and cub were also making frequent visits to the lodge. On our last morning, before we departed the lodge, a pair of bears sparring not far from the lounge buggy made us wish we were not leaving. (I should note that although the bears might have found the smell of cooking food enticing enough to come to the TBL to check things out, there was NO feeding of the bears to keep them coming around.)
We were very lucky with our bear sightings – especially since early on it looked like the freeze up was happening a little earlier than anticipated (which would have been a boon for the bears, but could have been a disaster from our standpoint since the bear watching season was pushed out a bit later this year). A southerly wind apparently pushed the ice that had formed in the bay around November 10 back out into the open water, so when we arrived, the bears were still around Gordon Point.
On our first day on the tundra, the bay was slushy grease ice, with some pancake ice. By the next morning, there was a narrow strip of solid ice along the shore. By the third day, it was ice all the way to the horizon with lots of bears testing it. By the fourth morning, there were even more bears on the ice and fewer bears on land in our vicinity. Nonetheless, we had several memorable sightings at close quarters on that last day, including a momma bear nursing her cubs in the most beautiful photographic light we could ask for. It was a terrific way to end our time on the tundra.
We left the TBL early in the morning on November 18 and headed back to town. This time, we had a beautiful day to explore Churchill – clear skies and sunshine, but boy was the wind brutal (the locals would beg to disagree with that assessment; as one person put it, “it’s not bad until you find that you can’t stand up when the wind is blowing”). We appreciated the opportunity to see Churchill in a different light. Our FNA group dispersed and everyone did their own thing, but we did get together mid-day for a group lunch. Mui and I checked out a few gift shops, but mostly we spent time at the two museums – the small one at the Parks Canada Interpretive Center located inside the VIA rail station (where there is a mock-up of a polar bear den) and the Eskimo Museum. And of course, we stopped at Gypsy's and the Seaport Inn for hot chocolate and yummy pastries.
This inukshuk is not an original; it was built for a festival honoring the Inuit culture. We also visited the Community Center. We went up to the second floor for a beautiful view of Hudson Bay and later found our way outside to see the same view from the ground. Noting that there were polar bear alert signs in this area, we did not wander too far from the Community Center. However, seeing that there was a tour bus near the inukshuk at the edge of the Bay, we could not resist a quick stroll in that direction for a few photographs. By then, the light was fading fast – not to mention our camera batteries, as well. That, combined with the thought that there might be a bear or two lurking behind the boulders, had us hot-footing it back to the FNA office in the falling dusk.
Hudson Bay view from behind the Community Center.
We left for the airport around 5:00p. Can’t say that the logistics worked out smoothly for the return trip. First, no one told us that we had to check-in with Nolinor – remember, there was no such thing when we boarded the flight from Winnipeg on the 13th. Second, we weren’t told that we’d be sharing the aircraft with any groups other than the one with which we had shared the TBL. Not a problem in and of itself, but having to reform boarding lines caused some harsh words to be exchanged. Third, there are no jetways from the terminal to the aircraft, meaning that those of us at the end of the boarding queue ended up waiting in the freezing cold while passengers already aboard clogged the aisles as they tried to make up their minds as to which overhead bins to use. Finally, having a Boeing 737-full of people (literally; there wasn’t an empty seat on the plane) descend on the Sheraton Four Points caused long, long lines to form at the check-in desk. I’d say it took Mui and me about an hour to finally get into our room. Although FNA has everything well in hand for the actual Tundra Buggy Lodge stay, there is room for improvement with the return trip logistics.
Mui and I didn’t let the logistics problems sour us on the fantastic adventure that preceded our return to Winnipeg. Besides, a long, hot shower (we were asked to keep our showers at the lodge short to conserve water) soothed our frayed nerves in no time.
When we're traveling, we normally prefer early flights – tend to have fewer flight delays that way. But for our return to DC on November 19, we chose a noon flight out of Winnipeg with the express purpose of resting up after our time on the tundra. This turned out to be a really good decision. We took our time getting ready for our travel day, had a late breakfast, and walked over to the airport around 10:30a (the United counters open two hours before flight departure). I had used the hotel’s free internet access to check-in and print boarding passes already and found checking in our luggage to be quick and painless. We then went through US customs with our luggage in tow. Once we were cleared, we dropped off our bags with the airport reps at the luggage conveyor belt and went through security. In 10 minutes or less we were at the gate. As with our flights on the 10th, both legs of our return trip went smoothly and we were home by 8:30p – no airline delays, no lost luggage. A great way to end a truly great adventure.
Click here for a video of some of our polar bear encounters.
Our Polar Bear Adventure Starts in Winnipeg
November 2008
Visiting Churchill, the Polar Bear Capital of the World, located on the shores of Hudson Bay, has been on our ‘must do’ travel list for quite some time. We realized that dream earlier this month.
Our travels will eventually take us to Churchill.
November 10 was our travel day. We flew from Washington, DC to Winnipeg (via Chicago) for a three-night stay before joining our Frontiers North Adventures (FNA) group. Both United flights were on time and the air travel was hassle free.
Upon arriving in Winnipeg, we checked into the Sheraton Four Points at the airport. The hotel is connected to the terminal via a skywalk – very handy in the winter. We asked for a room overlooking the Winnipeg skyline in the distance — not so much for the view, but rather to ensure as little noise as possible from airport operations. Our strategy worked!
November 11 – Remembrance Day – dawned overcast, but by the time we had picked up our rental car and driven into downtown Winnipeg, the skies had cleared. While it was quite cold, and there was snow and ice on the sidewalks, the sky was blue and the sun was out. It turned out to be a really beautiful day, in fact.
On the way to downtown Winnipeg, we stopped at the Legislative Building, hoping to go on one of the public tours. Unfortunately, the building was closed to visitors due to Remembrance Day. It turns out that was the case for most of the places in town, although some opened around 1:00p.
We spent a good bit of the morning at the St Boniface Cathedral – a little eerie since only parts of the exterior walls remain. (The cathedral has burned down multiple times, most recently in 1968.) There was a poignant Remembrance Day ceremony near the gates. Not wanting to intrude on the solemn occasion, we watched from a distance. Next, we headed to The Forks for a quick bite of lunch before going for a walk along the riverfront promenade, which was covered in snow and ice. Negotiating parts of the path was tricky, but we enjoyed ourselves tremendously and the walk was exhilarating.
The Winnipeg skyline, looking across the Red River from the Tache Dock.
From the end of the Red River pathway, we took a meandering walk towards the center of town. Seeing that most of the stores on Portage Avenue were closed, we cut our foray into Winnipeg's shopping district short, returning to The Forks for another brisk walk, this time on the path along the Assiniboine River. A quick look-see at what remains of Old Fort Garry and a "cuppa" hot tea at the historic Fort Garry Hotel concluded our day of sightseeing.
St Boniface from the Red River pathway at The Forks.
We went to the Gasthaus Gutenberger for dinner. Excellent food – delicious soup to warm us up and great schnitzels (big portions). We split one order between the two of us and were comfortably sated, with room left over for a very yummy dessert – the Black Forest Cup (think chocolate sundae with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and lots and lots of cherries). We brought the evening to a close with a return visit to St Boniface Cathedral for some nighttime shots.
St Boniface Cathedral
November 12 dawned overcast and remained that way all day. At least it didn’t get any colder than it had been on the previous days - about 34F [1C]. We spent the day at Assiniboine Park – more specifically, first at the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden and later at the Assiniboine Zoo.
There was a lot of snow on the ground at the sculpture garden, but we did not let that deter us from exploring the grounds. From there, we headed to the zoo, which we pretty much had to ourselves. We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting the animals that were in their outdoor habitats. While there, we caught a glimpse of Debby, the world’s oldest polar bear, nestled amongst the boulders in her exhibit. (Little did we know then that we would return to Winnipeg a week later to hear that she had been euthanized in our absence [old age; multiple strokes; failing organs]).
I enjoyed all of the sculptures, but the whimsical bears were my favorite.
Musk oxen mum and calf at the Assiniboine Zoo.
That evening, we joined our FNA group for dinner at the hotel.
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