Dirty Dozen

12 adventureous people from all corners of the earth joined me for 3 nights and 3 days out on the Sub-Arctic Tundra.

They gave away the luxuries of staying in the Churchill township and instead slept on a Tundra Buggy. It may sound like 'roughing it' to some, however as we dined together in our warm and cosy dining buggy, and slept in what some people named their 'cubby hole' the luxury was re-instated as a curious sub adult polar bear pressed his nose against the very window we slept beside or dined beside.  This kind of encounter makes the 'roughing it' all worth while.

The Tundra Buggy lodge is a series of buggies which have been renovated into a accomodation facility. It is made up of 2 sleeping buggies, a lounge/bar buggy, a dining buggy which includes the kitchen where delightful food is cooked and created and 2 buggies for food stores and staff accomodation.  Guests generally stay for 2 to 3 nights and spend the days out on the tundra in a 'normal' tundra buggy.

The lodge is situated on a section of land which juts out into the Hudson Bay, where the ice tends to form first due to near by fresh water rivers which flow out into the bay.  The bears have always gathered here eagerly awaiting the ice and therefore it is a classic spot for our lodge to be placed.

Although the lodge can house 38 guests, myself and 12 delightful companions had the place entirely to ourselves.  We spent 3 days indulging in the delight of what the tundra had to offer.  A dear old bear whose thought to be 18 years old named Dancer arrived on scene.  He is easily identified by the scares he possess on his snout which is usual in the adult male bears who spar and playfight with one another.

Two sub-adult males rumbled with eachother constantly during the days that we were out and about. Like dogs playfighting they wrestled and boxed for hours with only short breaks when they collasped on a cold snowy surface to cool down.

We also came across an unexpected seal kill. Along the coast, inaccessible to buggies was a gathering of 11 bears.  Some were drenced in blood from head to toe (literally) having spent hours feasting on the unfortunate seal that was caught on the dry at low tide.  A mum and her two cubs tried to get in on the action.  Mum was brave enough to invite herself to the buffet and tore off pieces of flesh which she kindly delivered to her cubs that waited patiently and nervously a few meters away. 

It was entertaining to observe the bears who had already begun testing out the ice which had recently formed on the fresh water ponds that surround this area. Not quite frozen solid, bears walk ed on these ponds, their legs spread wide in an attempt to spread their body weight.  At times their backend would fall through causing them to have to drag their backsides through the water using their strong, broad paws and claws like an ice axe.

It was overcast for most of our stay so the Northern Lights did not show themselves. Arctic foxes and Arctic Hairs stayed hidden but the Red fox appeared numerous times around the lodge and along the trails we drove. I return in two days time with a new group of adventurers and out at the lodge we will be for Halloween. 



Happy Halloween to all of you!