The following is a copy of NinerCat's post on MINI2 from February 26.
Hey Everybody!
Wanted to say to everyone who went on the Arctic/Hudson Bay Run that I really had a great time hanging out with you all and going on this adventure. You are one fun bunch!!
There were so many things that made this trip unique, not just the ultimate destination.
The caribou. The Otter, the hurling in the Otter, the quilted, foil-lined blankets that served as fusilage insulation in the Otter, and the plywood floor. Those poor caribou! Racing along with their mouth open, wondering, "What the heck is that big, loud thing chasing us around our nice, serene, snowy ice-plains between the trees!! Run for your lives!!" (Not to mention that our National Geographic moment was followed by some decidedly not-so-National Geographic dinners! NHRef! JoCary!)
-31F!! (I didn't quite make the 105-degree temperature swing Blake did, but I came back to a balmy 56F --> a respectable 87-deg. diff.) The nut in the shorts is right, it wasn't as cold as I thought -31 was going to be. (You all have just heard a minor miracle -- me saying -31F wasn't so cold.) BUT. It was still freakin' cold! A few additional seconds exposure of those fingers or toes or eartips or nose meant frostbite for sure! Dude, have your kneecaps turned black & rotted off yet??
Yellow snow. I actually had my first experience seeing, live, someone's name written in the snow (after completion, however, thank you very much). Good thing you didn't fall into that snowbank!
Using the road and the parking lots as a skating/sliding rink for shoes, boots & cars. Donuts!!! (Yes, very wide-open, empty parking lots!)
Unbelievable experience of the flipping, topless MINI and having DuctTape and LokiDucky walk away, apparently unscathed from the crash itself. What a testament to the MINI engineering that even the windshield structure didn't break, although it was flexed full horizontal in the landing. And a testament to the softness and depth of the snow, too, definitely.
(Coming back home to read the posts of interest and concern of those who couldn't make it; am sure everyone's good wishes were felt by all.)
And, let's not forget the rest of our collective luck in not meeting any need for sudden moves on the ice/road.
Seeing the end of the road. Or, at least the sign for, presumably where it happens, buried under ice & snow.
Crossing an ice bridge, onto an island, plowed for ski-doo parking, and leaping out of our cars and over the snow-dunes and gallumphing onto the frozen James Bay -- the southern Arctic Ocean!! DuctTape's right -- stoopid grins all around, like a bunch of giddy children we were.
Great picture of us, NoNo. The camera-timer/keystone cops perfect comic timing just addedd to the side-splitting, face-splitting laughs. Still can't believe the camera that slipped off the edge of the bottom of the boat hull only to land right-side up and facing the right direction just in the knick of time to snap the picture. Did that shot turn out?
Being pulled out of hip-deep snow (fortunately well clear of the yellow stuff) by NoNo and a gentlemen who wishes to remain anonymously grouchy....
And, yes, NoNo, losing a couple pounds despite the humoungous meals 3X a day. Must be all that shivering!
And, a truly awesome, in all senses of the word, experience.... the Aurora Borealis. To see those waving curtains of constantly changing light appear and grow, lengthen and multiply, long sinuous ones, and short swirly ones, across the sky over our heads. A spiritual moment. Even for a jaded old lawyer like me.
Saved some experiences for next time, too -- ski-dooing, mushing ride, .... and ....
I can't believe we didn't get the world's best snow-ball fight going!!
Special thanks to NHRef for volunteering to subject himself to a total stranger's company for 4 days of 12-hour driving, plus the rest of the activities. Especially a weird chick from -- eek -- California.
I hope to remain in touch with the new friends and fellow adventurers I met on this wild & crazy ride....
Thanks for the memories, y'all.
My stoo-pid grin is still planted firmly in place.
NinerCat