News from the dogs

The training for next winter officially started at August 15. By now I am doing 13 kilometer runs, whit two days on, and one day of. The weather has been good for us the last weeks, cold and gray weather. Just how i like it while training. And training we need. I have now officially signed up for the 1000 kilometer long Finnmarksløpet, and its just to hope that we will reach the start, which is the first finishline. I have 14 dogs in training, and need at least 12 to start. But hopefully I will get all 14 to the start.
There is also two new members in the dog family. Pelle, born in June, and Herman, born in May. They spend their days playing in the puppy pen or running around in the woods on small trips. More news will be posted through the season, so stay tuned.

Coppermine River 2007

What is there to be said about it. I don't really know. We paddled a river, intersected by some lakes, we got some fish and we saw some wildlife. How some people are able to write books on their trips I don't know, I find it hard to write some lines about it. But I guess I have to try.
On the 7 of July 2007 (07.07.07 a total coincidence) we flew out from Yellowknife whit a charter plane. After about one and a half hour we landed on Lac de Gras in the late hours of the evening (about 670km from Kugluktuk, our final destination). Although its July, the last remains of the arctic winter can be seen. Most of the lake is cowered whit ice. Its only in the outlet there is some open water. And there we landed (Oh, who are we? Its Arild, on his eleventh canoe trip in Canada, Svein on his first, Robert on his second, Lotta on her first and me on my third. OK, then you know who the crew is). The weather was great, no wind and the late evening sun hanging low in the never ending horizon of the tundra. The bugs were out, and the fish were, by some, reason hiding.
Next morning, before the others had got up I went fishing, and on the third throw a nice 2,5 kg Lake Trout was landed for breakfast. At the same time Robert had gone fishing as well, and got a 7 kg Lake Trout on his firs throw. And that was the largest we got this time. After putting together our folding canoes from Pakboat and Ally, we set of for the first rapids. First rapid was short and fun. But one boat got the line a little wrong, and someone had his first flip over in 11 years, and for his paddling partner, a flip over in his first rapid ever. Perfect start. We were ready for 4 weeks of fun.
The first days saw us through a mix of lakes and fun stretches of river between them. Some nice rapids, most of them we paddled, one portage and some short stretches of lining when it was to shallow to paddle. The Lake Trout fishing continued to be good. If we did not get some in three attempts it was a bad spot for fishing.
On day 6 we came to Obstruction Rapid. This is a long and big rapid. We ran the firs part, nice and easy canoeing. The mid section was to wide and shallow to paddle, so we lined/waded it. The third part was BIG fun, and by far some of the biggest water I have done in a canoe.
After the big fun comes the long silence, or something like that. Anyway, Obstruction Rapid was the beginning of Point Lake, a 120km long lake. This is actually a really nice place on earth. Slabs going down into the lake made good campsites, the fishing was good, and the weather warm and sunny. And the bugs did not bother us to much. Our biggest fear on Point Lake was to get a headwind, but we never saw it. So life was good. After Point Lake we entered Redrock Lake.
On a point, overlooking the lake there was a fish camp or something like that. A float plane indicated that it was someone there, so we went to shore. There we met Max Ward and was invited for coffee and lunch. This was not a regular commercial fish camp, but a private lodge for Max and those he invite. It was like walking into a world we had forgot long ago. We were walking on a soft carpet and washing our hands in warm running water. Eating fresh baked cookies from the kitchen, and being served lunch by a waiter! It was almost a relief to hit the lake again, back in the canoe, a world I new. We turned down the offer to spend the night there, and was happily frying fish in our lavvo in the evening.
After Rocknest Lake it is river for the last 400 km down to Kugluktuk. The first part, about 80km, is some fun rapids, fast moving water and some small lakes. Then there is 130 km whit slow moving water down to Big Bend. From there it is fast river and funny rapids.
The first part is some major rapids and some fast moving river in between. One of these rapids had to be portaged, it was to obstructed to paddle. The rest was just plain fun. The long stretch of slow moving river was a dull and slow part. We had headwind, the fishing was bad and it was cold. There were days whit out fish for dinner, but we lived ok on rice and pasta and a large supply of spices.
After Big Bend the river pick up speed, the Arctic char is plentiful and we saw quite some wildlife, including two wolfs, a lot of Rudolf (caribou) and moose. The Arctic Char is a strange friend. When he is there, we normally got enough to over eat for lunch and diner for a couple of days, and then it would be days we did not meet him.
There is some named rapids on this part of the river (Rocky Defile, Muskox, Sandstone and Escape), and we were eager to see what they looked like. But as everything else, what is written is not what you find in reality. We found some really fun rapids, but not nearly as difficult as described. Never trust what an American write, they use the words different from us.
The last rapid, and a mandatory portage, is Bloody Falls. In 1771 Samuel Hearne and his Indian guides came down the Coppermine and at the last rapid they came over a group of Inuits camped there. The Indians and Inuits were historic enemies, and the Indians massacred the Inuits, hence the name of the falls.
Here at Bloody Falls we spent out last night. One should think that this was a night for thinking back on the trip, contemplating the last moth. I don't know what the others did in their head, but for me it was just an other night. I know its not the last time, I will be back soon, so why think too much?
One last thing. After every one of my trips to Canada people ask me if met many bears. I just have one answer to that: Did Santa come to your house last Christmas? I think there is a bigger chance to meet the real Santa than a real bear. What people think to be bears is in fact someone who has dressed up like a bear, just like some like to dress like Santa i December.

Summer Plans

When looking out the window its not looking much like summer. Clouds hanging low, rain and +8c. Perfect for training dogs, but not for summer activities. I am not complaining, we have had two weeks of warm and sunny days and nights. Its just what its like living up here, its part of the charm.
Hey, what am I doing? Talking about the weather?? That is not the objective of this entry. I was just going to drop some lines about my summer plans. In two weeks its back to Canada again for some weeks of wilderness canoeing. This years trip is going to Coppermine River in Northwest and Nunavut Territorie. Over there, waiting for us is good fishing, big lakes and a wild river, running over the tundra and through the arctic forests. Its four weeks out there on our own, in close contact whit the subarctic nature. I will be back here after the trip whit a report and hopefully some good pictures. Until then have a good summer.
Posting some pictures from an earlier trip to Dubawnt River in 2003.

Powder Valley

Hidden behind high mountain and guarded whit bad road conditions is Powder Valley. Here, in this hidden skiing paradise, you can still take your skis on by the road (about 250 m above see level). In a normal year you can ski here from November and at least to the end of May. If I am not much mistaken there will be skiing conditions here well out in June this year. To day there was wet snow for the first 200m, and after that it was hard snow up to 700/800m. From there it was POWDER all the way to the top at about 1400m. What more to ask for? And this is in the middle of May!
The local guru, Aadne Olsrud, was really happy that me and Jørn Henriksen came along and got him out. He really had to do some office work, and did not have time. But when the sun finally pokes out from behind the clouds there is nothing to do but go skiing.
The name of the valley and the mountain? I don't know if I want to tell, its such a good place and hardly any one else in the mountains. This mean that we almost always have the first line in the best snow. Ok. Its Tamokdalen, and to days mountain was Istind, a part of the Rostafjellet massive

Skiing at last and last(?) trip whit the dogs

After the Friday 13th trip I have at last got some more time for skiing. On Sunday me and my brother was on Alapen, a mountain right up from where I live. High up it was no signs of spring, it was winter full time. Something I can like. It means there will still be good skiing for a long time:-) The rout down, on the west side of the mountain is not that steep, but as far as I know
it has not been skied before.
The weather has not been the best the last weeks, cold, rain and snow and windy. This, unfortunately means not good skiing weather. But I hope for some ski days during the weekend.

Yesterday I was on what is probably my last trip whit the dogs for the season. I started in Øverbygd, aiming for Dividalen. The trip took me through high valleys, over lakes and through high plateues. The main reason for this trip was to look after my tent, that I forgot on the Friday 13th trip. After 5 hours I got to were the tent actually was. Good. Then a good rest and starting out again at 3 in the night. The conditions are perfect for sledding in the mountains now. You can go everywhere you want, you don't need a trail at all. I would have liked to stay up there longer, but this weekend the plan is to go to Tromsø and do some skiing there and visit some friends there.
Hope to come back whit more skiing pictures later.

Friday 13

Never start a trip at Friday the 13 if you are not inn for a challenge. But that is what I did, although I was not looking for a challenge, but a nice and easy trip. Whit me I had two young French men, Antoan and Thomas. The plan was to go from Jukkasjärvi to Devvdes via detours. On Friday the 13 we met Espen in Jukkas, to were he came whit 40+ dogs and some tourists. We took whit us 20 dogs and started out. On Saturday everything started well. The morning air was nice and chilly and everything looked OK. But that was before we took of the beaten Swedish snowmobile tracks and crossed the border to Norway and lake Leinavatnet. The lake was 12 kilometers of water on top of the ice. So at the end of the day we had wet feet's, it was above 0 and blowing. At the shore of lake Altevetne we set camp and tried to dry our shoes and socks.
My hope was colder weather during the night and a easy run on in the early hours of the morning. But no. It was raining during the night and the snow was getting rotten all around us. But we started out, heading towards lake Irgas in Dividalen. But first we had to run through some more water. Luckily we had a snowmobile trail we could follow through the forests. Whithout it it would not have been possible to get anywhere. Hitting the lake it was of course water again. But we got were I wanted to go, put up the camp, slept in the sun and tried some ice fishing.
Next day again early start, but still wet lakes and rotten snow. The worst was lake Darfall whit about 20 cm of water on top of the ice. After a short visit to the Swedish trail system it was back over the boarder and over to Skakterdalen. But here, whiteout any trail it was really hard work for the dogs. They broke through the snow and was more or less floating on their bellies. At the worst spots I had to help them break trail. After some kilometers of this I ordered stop and rest for the dogs.
What I had planed to be a nice trip whit a lot of detours now was more about getting home before the snow turned into spring slush. Again I was hoping for a cold night, although I was beginning to give up hope. But at last we got it. When putting up the camp for the night(day, afternoon, whatever, who cares abut time?) I suddenly realized that I had forgot my tent in Dividalen. So I had to spend a windy night in my sled while the boys had a nice night in their tent. At 4 in the morning we started out, it was blowing and snowing. GPS weather! But who cares? I don't as long as its hard snow and fast going. A little before 8 in the morning we found our self at the parking lot at Devvdes. It was still snowing, and since we got back it has been nice cold nights, perfect for roaming around whit dogs. So, what to learn? Never start out on Friday the 13!

Time for trips

After a winter of training and race preparations, now its time for the long camping trips whit the dogs. Since last week of March I have been guiding for Norquest
The trips goes from Dividalen to Kiruna in Sweden, and we spend 6 days out in the wilderness, camping in new spots every night. Well, not exactly true. The second trip we were stuck at our tent camp at Devvdes for three nights due to hard wind in the mountains. So we never made it over to Sweden, but got some bad weather experience on day trips up into the nearby highland.
To morrow I start on my third, and last, week trip for the spring season. I am going whit the son of a French friend of mine and a friend of him. We start from Kiruna, and are going to end up in Dividalen some time next week. Its kind of fun just going around, deciding from day to day were to go. There is about 17 hours of day light here now, so what time of the day we move does not mather that much. Often its best to move in the colder hours of night, and then sleep when its nice and warm in the middle of the day.
After this trip I hope to spend some time skiing the nearby mountains. I have to admit that I am looking forward to something else that looking at the end of dogs all the time. So, hopefully I will soon be able to post some nice pictures of mountains and skiers.