A polar bear track in the Haughton Crater.
Polar bears are a constant concern in the Arctic, although none had been seen in the crater in summer for years. This changed in 2007 when a bear came between the team and base camp. The group changed its course to let the bear pass, but the bear also changed its course! After a few intense moments, the bear reared up, had a good sniff and headed in another direction. As a rule, the team always has two shotguns on hand, and everyone has bear spray. At night, an alarmed bear fence circles the sleeping tents.
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The Expeditions
Two Arctic Summers
The large kitchen/work tent is pitched away from the small, yellow sleeping tents.
Hot, hot, hot! The summer of 2007 was unusually warm on Devon Island, in Canada's High Arctic. The field team led by Canadian Museum of Nature palaeontologist Natalia Rybczynski could sometimes wear their T-shirts, and there was no precipitation. For almost a month, it was unusually sunny—every day and every night. (The sun does not set there in summer). The sun remains low on the horizon, so sunglasses are a must.
Natalia Rybczynski excavates more Puijila bones.
In 2008, the field team encountered more-normal Arctic weather, including cloudy days, cold rain and sleet. As the temperature dropped, walking around was sometimes as much for keeping warm as looking for fossils!
Camp Life
The sleeping tents.
During both field seasons, the camp site was next to a stream that provided water for washing, cooking and drinking. One large tent doubled as a kitchen and work tent. Each team member had a personal tent.
The site was ideal because it was dry. Also, a nearby stretch of ground was suitable as a landing strip for a Twin Otter plane. (The only way in, or out!)
Mealtime for Mary Dawson, John Gosse and Travis Mitchell in the kitchen tent.
Each day started with breakfast and a radio call to the Polar Continental Shelf Program base camp in Resolute, on nearby Cornwallis Island. A similar call was made at the end of the day around dinner time. PCSP is a Canadian government programme that provides logistical support to Arctic research expeditions. Radio contact with PCSP was not only reassuring, but essential for making arrangements and sharing information, such as about weather.
