DRIFT Travel Dec 2016

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KK anchored opposite Quttinirpaaq National Park headquarters, Tanquary Fjord, Ellesmere Island glaciology, wildlife biology, so no matter what the question, someone knew the answer. Most important, the goal of the expedition team was to get us off the ship as much as possible. We spent the first several days exploring Northeast Greenland National Park, the largest national park in the world – larger than British Columbia - and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then we continued on south, exploring all the fjords, glaciers, archaeological sites (both Thule and Norse), Sirius patrol stations and communities, from Ittoqqortoormiit to Tasilaq, Nuuk, Kangerlussuaq and Qaanaaq, that we could access as we traveled along the coast. We had two types of shore excursions, both preceded by a helicopter flight to check for bears and hiking routes, and then a few of the expedition team, appropriately armed, going in to set up a perimeter or to take groups hiking. If the weather was calm and a beach accessible, we would go ashore by zodiac (no docks here) and then go off in groups (chargers, who go for distance and elevation, medium walkers, and contemplative meanderers who are more interested in examining the landscape around them than going for distance.) I belong to the latter. The chargers may see more muskox, but we probably come out ahead with lemmings, wheatears and ptarmigan. Alternatively, the team would find us a nice open spot, usually elevated and with good vantage points and fabulous views of glaciers, fjords and ice, to fly us to, so we could meander at will while the gun bearers kept watch. In either case, I would often find a spot to just sit, experience the near total silence (something nearly impossible at home), observe the wildlife and just absorb the stunning landscapes around me. Because of the near-24-hour daylight, if an amazing opportunity presented itself, we could be off in zodiacs or helicopters at nearly any hour. In the end, this is an expedition, and ice and weather, and of course our Captain, are ultimately in charge. Greenland is 80% covered by an ice sheet with an average thickness of 1500 meters. Around the periphery of the ice sheet are innumerable glaciers, flowing inexorably downwards. Over millennia, the landscapes have been 20 . <strong>DRIFT</strong>TRAVEL.COM
carved by the glaciers, revealing a geologist’s dream of a country, ancient rocks exposed by the irresistible power of the ice. As a glacier melts, vast quantities of rocks of all sizes are deposited in a jumbled heap along its edges and at the front. Huge rocks are left on the landscape randomly as the glacier retreats - and the glaciers are definitely retreating. As we sailed south along Greenland’s coast, we did see glaciers reaching tidewater, but many more just visible on the mountainsides. We could tell areas which had been recently glaciated by the presence and extent of lichen on the exposed rocks. Lichen grows very slowly, so the size of the patches on rocks can be an indication of when the ice retreated, and can easily be decades or hundreds of years old. Although we were far above the treeline, there were still trees. Arctic willow and birch are most common, but they grow along the ground rather than upright, and can also reach ages of many decades. Like their upright cousins to the south, these trees also change color in the fall, producing vivid splashes of red and orange across the landscape. As I walked over the tundra, I found myself Aerial view of lake on glacier, Scoresbysund Icebergs at Ilulissat with ground vegetation TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 21
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DRIFT Travel Dec 2016

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