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Enjoying Ice

By July 31, 2017No Comments

Another placid day in Carl Ritter Bay! After breakfast (vanilla pudding and oatmeal), we paddled out to a large ice floe on theĀ other side of the bay. It was glorious. After our month of incredibly windy weather, we are rejoicing in the calm. Calm is also good for filming,Ā which we did a lot of today.

When we got out to the ice floe, Chris deployed his wave buoys. This was the first chance that he has had to do this,Ā to safely paddle up to a large floe and leave the two buoys he has been carrying around this whole time.Ā Tomorrow, our task is to find that same floeĀ again.

While hanging at the floe, a posse of Ring Seals visited. They were so curious, sticking their heads up out of the water, seriously checking us out ā€“Ā for hours. And that was before we fired up the stove and started in on grilled cheese. True confession here: I broke ranks and had a grilled peanutĀ butter/hot cocoa sandwich: think desperate attempt at a Nutella substitute. Yum!

And then, on the way back to our camp, with the sunĀ hanging low on the horizon, the water without even a ripple, the silence was broken by the heavy breathy rustling of a walrus. This walrus wanted us toĀ know it was there. It followed us for a bit, never getting too close, but close enough to make me a bit nervous. Walrus are the one animal that polar bears are wary of.

And now, it is night. We just finished a dinner of cheesy noodles. Chocolate Pudding is waiting for us to mix in withĀ our oatsĀ tomorrow. After thirty days in the wilderness, we are excited about any new combination.

-Diana