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Explore Polar Bear Alley - polar bear blog, polar bear tours, polar bear infoand polar bear pictures. Plus some good Churchill news and gossip, travel advice, links and a psychic husky.

The truth and gossip about Churchill's polar bears. Biology of western Hudson Bay bears, climate change stuff and polar bear photo gallery. Includes our famous Polar Bear Attack page!

Tourist's guide to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada includes hotels, tours, trip planning and some survival tips.

Churchill's monthly newspaper published occasionally. Churchill news, history, wildlife, poems and the ever popular BayLine Girl.

Inspired by Churchill, Lost City Chronicle is a collection of remote destinations and travel stories.

Glimpse into the future through the eyes of a gifted Siberian Husky.

Links to polar bear tours, polar bear sites, churchill links and stuff that polar bear alley thinks is neat.

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No Knuts is good Knuts...

Polar Bear Blog - February 23, 2008 - Winter is Okay... I guess

Its amazing how quickly you can forget a cold snap. Temperatures have risen enough (still between -15 and -30C but that's fine with me) to allow for snowmobiling and snowshoeing without grinding your teeth or staring at your feet, hiding from the windchill. Winter is all of a sudden kind of nice in Churchill.

Doing daily trips these days to chop ice from Stygge Lake behind the cabin, bringing sled loads to fill up our water barrel or just snowmobiling on a seemingly never-ending mission to mark a trail which I end up losing seemingly every day. For some reason, I thought heading to town on a snowmobile for the day and returning after dark. It is surprising how easily you can accidentally plow into a 15' tall snowbank of willows at 2am and how quickly panic rises when you realize you are hammering through a maze of gnarled branches and the snowdrifts are somehow now at eye-level. But, then again, all's well that ends well, so what the hey...

Snowshoeing is a little easier, naturally, again to Stygge Lake and again to a willow-laden snowbank. This time, there's a nice hard crust so its maybe my version of mountain climbing, hiking along the tops of ancient willows, fifteen or twenty feet about the edge of the lake. There are a couple spots where the airport buildings are hidden by trees and you can fool yourself into thinking that the antenna towers and old rocket launchers are spindly trees and all of a sudden you are five hundred miles from anywhere. That's something else for an afternoon 'coffee break' from the laptop...

Polar Bear Blog - February 20, 2008 - Lunar Eclipse

Just waiting on the lunar eclipse tonight, somewhere between 8 and 9pm, I think. Next one is 2010 and by then, I'll be full on into preparations for the Mayan end of the world in 2012 so I better head out and catch this one. More on the eclipse here...

Plus, Saturn is supposed to be following the moon across the sky. As in, 'What's that bright star in the sky? ...That's Saturn. ...Oooh, I see. Wow, that's Saturn...' Hopefully, it clears up a bit, snowing right now and clouds have gloomed up the sky but that's okay, its -15C and that's minus fifteen not fifty, so that's good.

Thought I would put the snowmobile trail in to town today but for some reason, I have this mental block towards my GPS. I just won't carry it and I am not sure why, it would make life a lot easier. I've got about half the trail pretty much down in my head and then there's one spot where I sort of drift off into a new trail every time I've tried it. I took an axe as my survival kit today, maybe GPS tomorrow. Should have things nice and packed and marked by May though...

Lots of tracks between here and town, ptarmigan, least weasel and other random rodents, probably poking around this morning looking for food in the nice weather. There were signs of my wolf following the hydro line closer to town and, of course, signs of foxes; tracks and otherwise. There is a great looking silver fax living near Goose Creek these days and at least one or two traditional red foxes kicking around, hopefully staying away from the community trapline. For now, they're using the snowmobile trail more than us, apparent by the pee marks underneath my axe marks on each of my lobstick trees.

Polar Bear Blog - February 19, 2008 - Red Aurora

There must have been a good solar storm this weekend. Around 11pm last night, there was throbbing red aurora over Hudson Bay. I don't think I have really seen aurora like that before where the purple looks red and there is only a sliver of green, if any at all. Usually, it is quite the opposite. All of that while the moon was shining bright, lighting up the landscape, pretty impressive even if I was in a bad mood.

Yesterday was my first down day of 2008, I'm into the crunch time for the newspaper and the books and I'm starting to want to throw my laptop out the window. Too many things 68% done... I think.

Still very cold here today but its a nice, clean, clear day - better for everyone's psyche... Can't believe its almost the end of February... starting to hear some old-time Churchillians talk about how they don't remember that many, if any, winters being this cold for this long. I, for one, am hoping that in thirty five years, I can say that we never had another winter like od'eight and then maybe I'll tell a story about a greenland shark or about the times when we all thought the bears were going to disappear.

Polar Bear Blog - February 18, 2008 - Need a Boost

Bad gas has struck again. Truck won't start this morning. Maybe I didn't plug it in well enough but then again I grabbed a brand new, warm car battery from the cabin, plopped it into the truck and while there was enough juice to turn the engine over, it just wouldn't take. Word is that the Tank Farm up here mixed too much of the 'bad gas' in with the good gas and now there is not enough octane in it to provide a good spark.

To this, we are recommended to add octane booster for an extra $5 every fill, of course, this leads me to the question why the tank farm has not done this already? And then this leads to the question, why are we paying $1.50 per litre for good gas mixed with bad. Just doesn't seem right when you are standing outside your house at 5am running a propane heater into your engine compartment and still can't get the truck started. I mean winter is tough enough as it is without human assistance. At least, my coffee maker still works...

Polar Bear Blog - February 17, 2008 - Wolves Around

Heading into Churchill yesterday, I was lucky enough to spot a wolf ambling his way around the edge of town. He crossed the road just in front of me, casually heading towards the railway tracks where he stopped, turned and gave everyone a good look.

With a wealth of lemmings around last year and a lot of caribou this winter, a lone, young wolf near Churchill probably means that the population is large and healthy. This is bad news for the polar bears up here. Wolves work in the spring to separate cubs from mother polar bears when they leave the den and head to the coast and this probably happens a lot more frequently than recorded. This year, more wolves means more hunting groups. Add that to the severe cold and this could be a challenging spring for bear cubs.

Polar Bear Blog - February 15, 2008 - The Bright Side of Blizzards

So, it sounds like the arctic sea ice is on the increase this year. After hitting a record (since 1979) low in 2007, this is good news for polar bears (probably a hard sell for people in China and Afghanistan who have been dying from record cold temperatures). I have heard reports that there may be up to 10-20cm more ice buildup this year.

According to the Cryosphere Canada website, 'As of January 1, 2008 Environment Canada analysis indicates sea ice cover over the Northern Hemisphere has recovered to near normal extent. However, much of the thick multi-year ice in the eastern and even central Arctic Ocean has been depleted and replaced with thinner more newly formed first year ice.' Visit State of the Canadian Cryosphere for a current sea ice map. Also a map of the most recent thirty year trend of global sea ice can be found here. For info on last year's sea ice patterns, here's a good link to the NASA site.

Its not unexpected, of course; this is what nature does - as soon as 208 was declared 'the Year of the Polar Bear', I started thinking that nature would have something to say. In fact, don't be surprised if the ice doesn't leave Hudson Bay until well into August and freezes again in early November (especially now that Cape Churchill trip 1 is no longer offered and tours are running at Gordon Point until November 18th). But who knows really...

Its warming up a bit here - relatively speaking - there's even talk of -7c next week, so that's good, mothers and cubs should be coming out of their dens fairly soon and heading for the sea ice. We don't want -50C at that point as extreme cold is a factor in polar bear cub mortality as much as climate change.

So now that we are starting to get back into polar bear season in one form or another, a friend of mine just sent an article over by Dr. Ian Stirling and Dr. Andrew Desrocher. It is appears in Wildlife Conservation magazine and is essentially a rebuttal to the non-climate change articles and Inuit perspective on polar bear populations. Regardless, it is a very nice summation of polar bear ecology and their current status in relation to a warming climate. Read the article here.

And, of course, just for fun, I have to end things with an op-ed about bears, its sounds a little too Conservative redneck for me but then again it might not be too far off from what polar bears are really saying to each other.

Polar Bear Blog - February 14, 2008 - One Dead Truck for Valentines

Still minus fifty plus windchill, and still a pseudo-blizzard, and still cabin-bound, a little moreso now that the truck has officially blown up. On the other hand, my road is still there, the road to town not as much but mine is doing okay, so that's something.

Yes, this is the time of year that starts breaking your brain out at Camp Nanuq, only so many kidney punches you can take from winter but such is the price of living in paradise, I suppose.

So, to delay the inevitable snow shovelling and wood cutting and credit carding, I've been writing the first chapter of Only In Churchill. Its called Trapper Town and recounts a lot of the stories of the men that lived out on the land around Churchill - when I say 'around', I mean within 200-250 miles... There are some incredible stories of basic survival and considering these guys used to run the equivalent of today's Hudson Bay Quest just to come in for the Christmas dance, just some pretty incredible stories. One of my favourites is Windy Smith, describing the feeling of waiting out a blizzard to the editor of the Taiga Times in the late 60s...

First thing you do is unsnap the dogs and, believe me, you’re lucky if you can see them. Ordinarily, I tied them up but in a big blow they pick out the highest spot they can find and curl up there. A dog won’t leave you in a big blow.

Having released the dogs, standing in the same place, I would build up snow blocks around me and fishion myself a crude shelter. I’d not dare move from that small dwelling during a blizzard. The wind, the snow, the fury of it all would make it extremely difficult to find my way back should I ever wander from it. If a man loses his shelter the dogs are no help. They are almost always silent in a storm. They curl up and want to be left alone. Like everything else, they are afraid in a storm. I know what it is to feel a flutter inside – a flutter of fear.

When the blow is upon me, I want to get cased in. I want the security of a little shelter and yet I can only take three days of that. After three days, I must move my shelter, even if it is only three feet. Madness is not far away amid such fury, loneliness and fear. The sound of the storm is something to hear. If only the sounds could be captured, the horrible sounds to be heard in a big blow and then put to music, good heavens what a composition that would be!

I’m frightened in a big storm, crouched up there waiting for a change. I’ll never doubt that the odd trapper had finished himself when the storm has been blowing at its wildest.

Well, I'm not quite there yet but 12 hours a day of CBC Radio is getting me a lot closer. Of course, if this winter keeps going the ways its going, this is probably good advice for the upcoming Hudson Bay Quest race teams (March 29) or the Canadian Rangers exercise leaving next week.

Polar Bear Blog - February 11, 2008 - Bad Weather and Bad Gas

Our weekly blizzard is here again, although this one might just be a 'winter storm', given that I can see the trees across the lake. Either way, its a good day to interview dog mushers. I am putting together the next newspaper and every time I try to get some 'soundbites' about the Hudson Bay Quest, the mushers are heading out on training runs, so my new strategy is to head out in the midst of a blizzard/winter storm and track them down for some tea and chat.

These days, dog teams are looking pretty appealing in Churchill. Word on the street is that we have another shipment of bad gas in town, the latest rumor that it was destined for Newfoundland, rejected there, so it came back and was mixed in with our gas. Of course, another theory is that this is just the gas that Nunavut rejected a couple years ago, and I am sure there are other theories out ther too, after all, it is Churchill. Whatever the case, something is wrong, vehicles all over town are sputtering and choking, not to mention that gas mileage has gone through the roof.

I suppose history will repeat itself and by the time somebody does something about it, most of the gas will be gone and we'll have a few meetings and then things will carry on as usual until we get another batch of bad gasoline in a few years... maybe we could organize a community festival around it or something...

Polar Bear Blog - February 8, 2008 - Polar Bears Saved Again

I want to start this blog with 'good news for polar bears' but I am kind of confused. Yesterday, the province of Manitoba designated the polar bears as 'Threatened' under its Endangered Species Act. It seems that this designation is aimed at protecting mothers and new born cubs from encroachment by tour operators, setting limits on the distance that vehicles can approach these bears.

As far as I know, only one operator, Wat'Chee Lodge, runs tours in the denning area and their operations fall within Wapusk National Park, which already has strict rules for tour operators and is under Federal jurisdiction anyway. (Note to fellow journalists: The Tundra Buggies do not go anywhere near newborn cubs or the denning area.)

It also outlines that polar bear maternity dens will be protected on crown land and private land. This again is confusing since there is virtually no private land up here, except for some lots in town or owned by the Port of Churchill. Not to mention, that between Wapusk National Park and the Churchill Wildlife Management Area 90-95% of the maternity denning area is already protected.

In fact, when you combine Wapusk National Park (Federal), Churchill Wildlife Management Area (Provincial) and Cape Tatnum Provincial Wildlife Management Area (Provincial), there are over 25,000 km2 of protected polar bear habitat in Manitoba. That is amazing when you think about it, even if the WMA's protections are pretty loose - the recent uranium claim near Churchill is mostly within the Churchill Wildlife Management Area and covering the edge of some denning territory.

So, I am just not sure what this 'Threatened' designation actually accomplishes. But it worries me. I am in the appeal process for my ecolodge/arts centre land-use application and it is located on the coast of Hudson Bay. I am asking for five acres near Camp Nanuq, pretty far away from the denning area or any mother and newborn cub activity. It would be a bitter pill to swallow if the new 'threatened' status first victim is an environmentally friendly building housing a non-profit arts centre (again).

It also worries me to think of all the designations coming up around Churchill. Now, the woodland caribou, Ross's gull and polar bear are all listed in some form or another. On the surface, this is a good thing, I am definitely in favour of protecting wildlife, but as a small-scale tour operator, I just want a chance to build a life in Churchill! If these designations are ever given teeth, I'd be surprised if we don't 'save' small business right out of Churchill!

Polar bear fever marches on...

Polar Bear Blog - February 7, 2008 - Transcendental Meditations on Blizzards and Blue Smoke

Well, $2.7 billion of oil lease was given out in the Chukchi Sea yesterday but I'm more concerned with blizzards than bears today. There's another storm on the way, seems to be one a week this winter, intermingled with -40 plusses. Although, we are getting hard-pressed to still claim that the prevailing winds are from the northwest. The last blizzard started due north, ending due west while this one is starting from the south and just changed to northeast this morning. This must be worrisome for our trees, wondering if they are soon to be fully stripped bare instead of just one-sided.

Regardless, I should have expected this, as I just cleaned the last bit of my driveway (the lake in front of our house) last night, so now that I am back to square one (almost), its time for another battle to start. Tough to fight snowdrifts when they keep flanking you.

Despite all of these blizzards, a lot of tundra is still exposed; the snow windswept beyond the treeline. During a brief reprieve from -40s, I snowmobiled to town yesterday. Its an excellent commute, leaving you feeling rejuvenated, almost a little workout both on the muscles , especially when the snowdrift drops off unexpectedly, and on the eyes, searching for a trail that isn't there.

And while the barrens are still bare, so too is the bay in a sense. Most days, you can see 'smoke' out on the bay, the evidence of open water, a lead, not too far from Churchill. Hard to believe that this is evidence of thinner ice, what with the 'good ol' days' temperatures we have had lately, more likely a sign of changing wind directions and weather patterns. Regardless, its a nice break from the endless white on the horizon.

Polar Bear Blog - February 4, 2008 - Showers and Stuff

THIS JUST IN... new polar bear cub at German Zoo is... wait for it... mostly sleeping!!! Stay tuned for more details as they become available!

As for me, I too am mostly sleeping but the usual winter projects are also in full swing. Woodcutting, road making and maintaining, book writing and shower and website building. The shower is about two days away from completion - just painting the Flexrock coating and its Irish Spring days from now on - of course, after that the website should be up and fully running with a few new features including the Lost City Chronicle and a psychic Husky.

Trouble is, for now, I think the Churchill super flu has got me. The Churchill super flu is a combination of international colds and flus that tourists bring in each year and 'bear season' after 'bear season' combine to create one major 'bug'. Entries might be sporadic for a bit, as my brain is feeling a little clouded these days. I'm going to sleep.