Heading north!... Again!

Yesterday I left London for yet another visit to the Arctic!  While we were gone, the students at Ataguttaluk  Elementary School (hopefully) used their instruments to gather atmospheric data.  This visit we will assist the children in analyzing their data and drawing conclusions.  Unfortunately, Niall was not able to come on this trip, so I am here with Ashley (again), Jonathan, and Anthony.

This morning the four of us flew from Ottawa to Iqaluit.  During the flight, I saw (what I think is) a lenticular cloud.  After landing in Iqaluit, I was initially surprised at how much snow there is--last June, Resolute Bay and Eureka (significantly more north than Igloolik and Iqaluit) had very little snow.

Possible lenticular cloud spotted during Ottawa to Iqaluit flight.

Iqaluit, May 24 2013.

Resolute Bay, July 1st 2012.

When we got to the Iqaluit airport, we walked to the museum since Anthony had never been. We started to walk back when we realized it was only 40 minutes until our plane left, so we sped up. After 10 minutes of half-running in 5 lb boots, we jumped into a cab. $24 later we were back at the airport with just enough time to buy some postcards before our boarding call. “Now calling all passengers travelling to beautiful downtown Igloolik…” I reached into the front pouch of my backpack—where’s my boarding pass? Better yet, where is my passport? I frantically rummaged through the bag’s little pockets. “Last call for passengers going to Igloolik…” Well, if I lost it, I lost it, I guess I’ll just go reprint my boarding pass.

Iqaluit museum.

One of the pieces in the museum that I really liked.

Mary, who now works at the grocery store but used to work at the hotel, picked us up from the airport and drove us to the hotel.  Since the cab of the truck wasn’t big enough for five, the four of us sat in the covered cab, bumping along the dirt road.

As we walked through the restaurant (it separates the hallway to my hotel room from the front door), I saw a lot of students I recognized.  All of them smiled and waved at me and at least half of them said, “Hi Mel!”  I felt like a celebrity.  It is great to be remembered, though.  It will probably help in the classrooms later this week.

When I got to my room, I tore open my backpack to find my old boarding pass folded into my passport, which was tucked neatly into a zippered pocket.  After the wave of relief of not having to replace my passport and supper with the other three, we ended the day with a few games of Euchre.