Paddling again in Upernavik July 28 2011 Kayak Travel Notes

Gail Ferris

gaileferris@hotmail.com

 

The tent took weather well.  Nobody was on the water from last night. 17:30 now everybody is on the water clouds are dispersing high cumulus there is a cool breeze from the west.

I read the instructions to the GPS which says to press the enter button and hold until the way point is registered – hope that works?

I changed the CD disk in my Mavica camera.  I am keeping the cameras in bed with me because they are starting to loose their charge when they become cool – it is just amazing how rapidly the charge drops. In this cold equipment not worth it.

There are too many mosquitoes warm and sunny 20:30

I am dozing while all sorts of boats are going by on a Thursday of all days!

 

 

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My Write-in-the-Rain pen is still working after all these years. 

I should scan all my notes so that I can read them better when I put them into my computer.

12:50 I went for a paddle to the north farthest point is labeled AREA after waypoint 13 there is a problem with this GPS.

BP at 4:30 (16:30?) step up climb in 20 hours showing some nasty cumulus clouds over Sandersons.  I took a photo and I wonder what this will develop into.  It is clear overhead to Aappilattoq with wind blowing here from the glacier to the east.  My island is calm but at the AREA the wind was blowing at a steady 10 knots when I was in my kayak.

It is starting to cloud in from the west indicating another storm is on the way.

 

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I took a photo of Campanula on the north island but there are too many mosquitoes.

I took an interesting photo of red dirt in a clear iceberg showing dirt in clumps melting and dropping down in the water. 

This water is looking somewhat dusty due to the rock flour particles or dirt from icebergs being shed into the water column.

These icebergs are arriving frequently a new set every day at this island.  the water here is becoming enriched so rapidly that the mussels are surrounded with this rock flour allowing only the last half inch of the mussel shell to project above the layer of rock flour.

 

 

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cluster of campanula

 

 

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clouds over Nutarmiut

It is starting to cloud in from the west which means another storm is on the way in from Baffin Bay.

My new tent took the previous rainy weather well by not leaking.  It shed the water nicely.

Nobody is on the water from last night!

17:30 now everybody is on the water and the clouds are dispersing, high cumulus clouds a cool breeze from the west.

 

 

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nasty clouds coming photo taken from my kayak

 

 

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photo taken while I am paddling note cloud touching the mountain top, not a good omen for weather.

 

 

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Sandersons from my kayak

 

I took an interesting photo of red dirt which is loaded with hematite, iron minerals, in a clear iceberg showing dirt in clumps melting and dropping down into the water from my kayak to show the effect of dispersing rock flour on the water that ice from the icecap can have.  The water is dusty with rock flour.  This rock flour suspension provides very important nutrients for much of the marine seaweeds micro and macro plankton and shellfish. 

I have seen in this area especially large seaweeds.  The closer they are to the glacier calving areas the larger the sea weeds.

Hear at Gina’s island are endless beds of mussel beds surrounded and nearly covered with this red-brown colored rock flour.

 

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dirt melting out of ice

 

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dirt particulates dispersing from the ice

 

 

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I read the instructions for the GPS, press enter and hold to enter a way point, hope this works!

I changed the CD disk in my Mavica camera.  I am keeping my cameras in bed with me to keep them warm the huge batter charge is lost in cold equipment.

Too many mosquitoes.  It is warm and sunny 20:10 I am just dozing but there are all sorts of boats coming by on a Thursday of all days?