Rained out!

Well, my wish for no rain was spit back in my face.
We arrived in JMR after a SLOW morning and a little mishap of the fire extinguisher back of the truck going off and us having to unpack and clean everything. Eventually we arrived and set up our tents on the bank of the Mackenzie.
We had our Protected Area Strategy meeting, got deadly hats that I informed Glen we needed to wear all the time! He was not pleased... but he did it anyways :)
Friday we set off into the bush with Mike, and our two community pals, Billy and Ernest!
We hiked  into to Gargan Lake from the highway, took about an hour and a half the first time in. There had been a major storm there over May Long and knocked over tons of trees! We spent that first trek clearing windfall, re-routing the trail and blazing trees. Eventually we made it to a little cabin on the lake and had lunch. We then proceeded to walk right back out again and portage in a canoe! 
We returned the next two days and got the hike in down to about 45min. Not too shabby. We paddled around there, saw two beavers and found a bunch of flakes. All in all a good couple days, and it only rained at night! Until.... Monday. Monday was a downpour, and freezing! We went and had hot showers at Sambaa Deh, where I literally just stood under the hot water - forget the washing of the hair. The rest of the day/night we sat in the car and played cribbage. That night Tom, Albert (a visiting archaeologist from Switzerland), and Todd (a PhD student from U of A) all showed up. 
The rest of the week we paddled around Ekahli Lake looking for new sites, and trying to stay dry from all the freakin' rain! It wasn't so bad with the rain - that's a lie, it was pretty shitty,  all my clothes were damp and it got really cold - but it was worse working in the wet dirt. That was what sucked. 
We did find new sites though! Though we joked that Albert must have gotten a real sense of appreciation for Swiss archaeology - we would sift through endless shovel tests only to come up with three or four flakes a day! Mean while in Switzerland he excavates entire pile dwellings and ice patches in the Alps from neolithic times to now! How boring hahah.
The rain was persistent and when Tom and Albert left on Friday, Glen made the ultimate decision that if it was raining on Saturday, we'd leave. Very counter-productive working in the wet dirt... and so it goes that Friday was our best day!

Famous microblade

We got a tow over to Sanguez Lake from Ernest and Billy,  they had a kicker on their canoe, so we held on to their gunnels and were pulled over! We spent the morning at one site, digging holes and finding nothing, so after lunch we went to another place where BAM Todd found a surface flake! We did a couple holes which yielded like 6 flakes- major break through. Then Todd hit the motherload, a shovel test with like 20 flakes and a microblade (my favourite tool :)). But then it started to rain, and rained most of the night.
So we packed up and came home Saturday, and plan to head back out around then end of July when the water table willbe a little lower.

Please no rain.

Well, it's that time of year again! Field season!
Last week Glen and I drove out to Yellowknife River to do some brief reconnaissance for our up coming work with the Yellowknives. It was kinda of disheartening. The area which had been used for generations, continued to be used into modern times and the area was bulldozed and covered in gravel - potentially ruining any accurate stratifications.
Anyways, we walked around, did a couple shovel tests which revealed hardly any organic soils and a crap ton of glacial lake sediments. Bad news. But we were only there to scope it out, we go full throttle in July!
Tomorrow is another big day. Glen and I hit the road again for Jean Marie River!
We are working with the community on the cultural inventory for the PAS again this summer, which I am pumped for. What I am not pumped for is the bugs. Dear lord. I took Corona swimming tonight, and as soon as we passed the old rec hall at Con, we walked into a wall of bugs. Puke. I cannot even begin to imagine what will be in store for us in the Dehcho.
We're walking into Gargan Lake on Friday, setting up camp there for the weekend, walking back out on Monday to meet Tom, a visiting archaeologist (Albert) from Switzerland and a PhD student (Todd) from U of A. We'll all then camp at Ekhali Lake, where Glen and I were surveying last summer and fall.

Hopefully, we'll have some deadly finds, gorgeous weather and good time, with minimal bugs :)

To Pang and back

Pang was fantastic.
We made it up Duval, dined atop amongst all the inuksuit. Dad never joined us, but it was nice. The snow wasnt facing the sun, so we could walk on it with no problem, unlike when we were coming back from the river and dropping though every couple steps.

The view was great.
Obviously would have been nicer if it was clear, but the weather was not on our side. It never got above 1c, but realistically, if it had been any warmer, it might have been too warm to walk, and pretty sloppy. The only thing I would have liked to change would have been the wind. Honestly though, it was only unbearable on Monday. The other days it was pretty manageable.

We walked out towards the sound, and the landscape that away looks like a giant had been playing marbles with the boulders and didnt clean up - boulders scattered the slope. So cool, massive ones  too!

We also went down to a little "island" that mum used to play on forever when she was a kid, as she put it, many adventures were enacted on it. Then we made our way out on the tidal flats. The tide was out so we walked out to the real ice. The rocks and mud were speckled with clams and barnacles, and it smelt like the ocean, even though it was only ice.

Dad left on Monday because he was worried about not getting out in time today to make his connections south tomorrow. Good thing. Mum`s flights got cancelled on Tuesday, Canadian North didnt make it in on Monday either, or today for that matter. Turns out they never make it in, First Air makes it in everyday day, Canadian North is super hit or miss. I changed my flight and came out with mum yesterday on First Air (they made it in when CN said the weather was bad in Pang?)

Anyways I'm glad I did! Thomas and Patricia came by the hotel to say goodbye, then I went out with Pat to see James - not my little James any more! Met his little panik,oh my she's adorable! She spent the afternoon with Patricia and I, all I wanted to do was squeeze her!
Long story short - awesome trip! Planning to return in September!

The old goat

Well my first two days  here have been splendid! Yesterday mum, dad and I just wandered around the hill behind my uncles for the afternoon - a little cloudy, but still nice. Not cold, probably 1c, and hardly any wind. Still snow, but no big deal. Pretended I was a caribou crossing all the various snow patches across the hill, trying not to sink up to my waist in it. Mum and I did pretty well.

Wont budge.

I'm loving all the boulders here. They're so spectacular! The force that was needed to move all those boulders, and they are massive! And there are so many, it's not like one random boulder across a vast espanse, its like hundreds littering the land.
Anyways, after our little walk we made our way over to mums friend Hannah's. I showed her the liners I had made from copying the ones she made for us all way back when. She was pleased, but said they looked too small... of course they do, I have mini feet.
Inspired by her praise, I came back to start sewing my duffle liners for the seal skin mitts I'm going to make when ITI gets their act together back home and has more seal skins in stock... I digress - I worked on the liners and hope to have them finished so I can show them off to Meeka when I pass back through Frob on Wednesday.
Today we set off down the Duval River - so many boulders! It was a nice little hike up the river, we started off at 71m above sea level (asl) and made our way over rocks and hummocks, which was crawling with spiders! I'm so glad there are no other creepy bugs here, blah.

Water!

Mum and I stopped for a little water break, dad objected, he had a smart tea break - the water wasnt that great.
Soon after dad returned back along the river, so mother and I ventured up, reaching eventually 389m asl.  The farther up we went the more snow there was. Down in the river valley there was no snow, or only in the deep crevasces, up there it was vast snow and still heavily skidooed across.
Dad left us radios, so we tried to check in with him, only worked when I was up on one of the massive bouders... from there we decided to to turn around and head back to town. We were promised BLTs when we got back to the house.
We stopped for a little tea break with a lone inuksuk and then followed the skidoo highway back down.

I also just dropped down as I was taking a photo of mum falling through

BAD idea, the snow was so rotten, we keep walking then suddenly drop down to mid thigh through the snow. Hah, pretty funny at the time, every couple steps we'd sink and just giggle away.That small stretch probably took us an hour alone to cross because we kept having to stop and empty our boots after pulling each other out.
After four or so hours we made our way back down the hill to uncle Jeffs, where we were served BLTs on our arrival :)
Tomorrow I'm hoping to go up Mt. Duval, but the forcast is changing rapidly and now it's nothing but clouds forcasted for the rest of the week. This means terrible photos - clouds blocking the views :( and that there will be tons of snow to make our way over again. Not that I'm too concerned about that. Just the lack of sun which would help with the melting and the pretty photos...
All the more reason to come back! As we were hiking we covered so many berry fields that went unpicked last year. No one picks berries better that me! (I like to think, obviously there are much better seasoned pickers than myself). So I'll have to come back in the fall! Or realistically next summer.
Fingers crossed for clear skies tomorrow.

Amisuualoo

In Iqaluit now! Spent the night with two of my favorite cousins - plying darts and dancing. I <3 them.
Took off this morning from YK, had a layover in Rankin and then arrived in YFB. Turns out Thomas was going to pick me up, but 3G phones dont work here. Sad thing is that I knew that! I just assumed that I could make my iPhone non-3G. Big mistake! After some miss-communication I ended up at Meeka's for supper. My annana, inuktitut for mother, showed me all her fabulous sewing. How I would kill for a week learning how to sew with her. Instead I am resolved to sewing on my own, then calling her on Wednesday when I pass back through to gain her approval. I know I will, but it's different sewing with some one against having them approve it...  Her daughter Becky made us supper and showed us these awesome films she's made - check them out! They've gone viral in the Inuk world, and the real world too!
After supper I went back to the bar, Patricia join us and we danced/darted the night away. Sadly she informed me that her grad is at 2pm tomorrow and my flight to Pang is at 3pm! Curses! I called but because my flight is "already in progress" I cannot change it - fingers crossed for the weather going down in Pang for the day tomorrow! I would LOVE to go to her grad tomorrow. Instead I'll be preparing myself for hiking Friday. Bring on Mt. Duval!
Sadly my photos from today wont load... 

YXP bound

Next big trip coming up! I'm heading to Pangnirtung!
Initially it was to go hiking with my mum and visit my uncle there, but he had to go South for an operation. We're still going, but I wont be getting any shooting lessons from uncle Jeff, nor will we have any other company while there :(
We have to over night in IQ which will be nice, Thomas wont be around, but I'll get to see Patricia and have supper with Meeka. Nathaniel will be south with Barb and Bradaen - Barb's having a baby next Wednesday. Hopefully I can get some sewing ideas from the stores there! I'll definitely be hitting up the weave shop in Pang.
I'm  pumped for the hiking, there will still be a lot of snow on the ground, but that's ok! We're going to make it up Mt. Duval one day, follow the river another, hopefully head over to Kingnait, and possible out to the sound. I will not be heading into the Park, everyone seems so shocked when I say that. Seriously, there is so mych more to the place than the Park. Been there/done that.
I really hope the weather agrees - last time I tried to make it into Pang I got weathered out in Iqaluit the whole time. Not that it was bad, I had a blast and a half with Patricia and Thomas! But I really am just hoping for nice spring hiking :) It's been pretty steady around 0c for the past week - fingers crossed!!

San Francisco

Arrived in San Fran on Thursday night, walked around and had sushi for supper. It was goood. I've only ever had sushi at home, so this was a treat! It came covered in roe which I wasn't expecting, but thoroughly enjoyed. We also accidently ordered random veggies tempuraed, which was also really good, minus the catelope, man I do not like cantelope. But that's besides the point.

Full House

We did one of those standard big city bus tours, and it was so sunny out that dad and I both burnt our faces! We took the bus all over - I'm amazed at hoe visually appealling San Fran is, and it's all clean! The houses are so colourful, they actually remind me of parts of St. John's, and therefore I could see myself living here. Ha. I really think that this city is nice though - similar to my admiration of Budapest. Not for for historic reasons, but visual.
The bus tour took us to the Japanese gardens (did you know that San Fran invented the fortune cookie for a fair!? - I know its nothing related to the Japanese gardens) the fisherman's warf where we saw sea lions, to the Full House houses, across the golden gate bridge and just all around the downtown core.Once I again I want to say how pretty this city is!
Last night we went to an Oakland Atheltics game, their homeopener against Seattle. They lost bad.

The game however reaffirmed my descision that if I ever moved somewhere that had a home team in a pro sport I would try and get season tickets. I think baseball is boring, but watching in person is always a good time. Dad even got me a hat to wear for the night :) Plus I got to rack up two new teams to my MLB viewing record. Pus I like how everyone is so into their team and all decked out in their team clothing/colours.
Today we road the cable cars - pretty much like the bus. Maybe if I had road in the open part, or stood on the edge, I would have enjoyed it a little more? It just felt like an old crowded bus. Walked around the warf area again. Checked China Town, which I enjoyed! They had paper lantern things strung across the streets, the buildings were brightly coloured and everything was cheap! I got a beautiful scarf, and I probably could have bought more... but I restrained myself.

Floating sushi

Lunch consisted of more sushi! Thought dad would want Chinese food, since we were in China town (and I feel like it would be great here - I equal San Fran to the American Van City). Anyways, it was a sushi bar that had floating boats from which you could pick which ever ones you wanted as they floated by, I loved it! They selection wasnt as varied as at home, but... it was more fun to eat! There was also random jello and hotdogs in  dough floating around too. I spent the rest of the day shopping - terrible thing to say, but there were great deals! Thank you Easter.
Speaking of Easter, it's not a holiday in the states. Both Good Friday or Easter Monday. I find this super strange considering how religious America is and because just today I heard people preaching on the side walk about how Jesus is my friend and He will save me and that the American public is going to hell in a hand basket. Blah blah blah.
All in all this was a fantastic trip. I would love to come back here, and I must say that as of right now I think it is better than NOLA. Maybe it's just the weather, or I felt like I did more, or that it is just prettier. I dont know. But I'm sure glad I came :)