Tagged With "Arctic"
Comment
Re: Ultimate outdoor vacation: a year without walls
I love being out of doors, including some time roughing it. But I also love showers, a nice meal and a comfortable bed. Glad to know there's adventuresome folks out there!
Comment
Re: August 23, 2017: Wolf Creek Pass - Colorado
I know it's high up, but there is still an awful lot of snow up there. What time of year did you take the photos, Samantha?
Comment
Re: August 23, 2017: Wolf Creek Pass - Colorado
Hi there DrFumblefinger, it was the middle of May! Crazy huh? lol
Comment
Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov. 16, 2014: American Golden Plover
That's fascinating! I never thought about the color differences during migration...what a difference it must be for, say, a North American birder in South America!
Comment
Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov. 16, 2014: American Golden Plover
Yes, Arctic birds are common in southern USA, Central and South America and further north during migration. But to see them in their beautiful breeding colours, you need to go to the Arctic in spring or early summer. This plover had already changed to grey by mid-August.
Comment
Re: Canada protects arctic area; new national park soon
I like the idea of trying to keep some of this ecosystem prestine. But I suspect it will be the least visited national park in the world. And maybe that's for the best,
Comment
Re: Russian dogs get a patent on smelling cancer and explosives
Fascinating. I would have thought the Russians would have trained a dog like this to find stashes of hidden vodka!
Comment
Re: Finishing North of the Arctic Circle
That's an exciting conclusion to fascinating travel tale! Most of us will never get to visit remote parks like Gates and Kobuk Valley, but you've certainly given us a sense of what it's like to go there. Your entire quest, to visit the 59 National Parks in the USA has been fun, exciting, and for me inspirational! Thank you for sharing some of these adventures on TravelGumbo. You may get tired of getting asked this, but "what will you do for an encore?"
Comment
Re: Finishing North of the Arctic Circle
I'm not likely to get there, but I appreciate the sight, and the realization that there is so much "world" out there that is different from mine. You've made a great tour all around!
Comment
Re: Finishing North of the Arctic Circle
Thank you for sharing this journey with us. Hope to see what's next for you on TG!
Comment
Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Sept. 29: Reflections on Reykjavik's Tjornin
That's a great photo, Pheymont! Guess I'll have to add Iceland to my trip of destinations -- after Portugal, that is!
Comment
Re: The Dempster Highway: a Drive to the Arctic Coast of Canada
This is amazing! I'm far too adventureless to attempt a trip like this, but your pictures and descriptions make me wish I were there. And to think, before your piece on Tuktoyaktuk, I had never even thought of the expression "Arctic Coast!"
Comment
Re: The Dempster Highway: a Drive to the Arctic Coast of Canada
It sounds like a great adventure! Thanks for sharing it with us. This road trip has been on my bucket list for some time, but sounds like it's worth delaying until the road to Tuk is completed. I've heard fall is a nice time to go. Not only is the tundra vividly colored, but there are no mosquitos (frozen to death by evening frost). Know any downsides to this, Tom?
Comment
Re: The Dempster Highway: a Drive to the Arctic Coast of Canada
Originally Posted by DrFumblefinger: It sounds like a great adventure! Thanks for sharing it with us. This road trip has been on my bucket list for some time, but sounds like it's worth delaying until the road to Tuk is completed. I've heard fall is a nice time to go. Not only is the tundra vividly colored, but there are no mosquitos (frozen to death by evening frost). Know any downsides to this, Tom? Yes, I would wait until the road is finished. I had to fly from Inuvik to Tuk and return by...
Comment
Re: Tuktoyaktuk: A village on the Arctic Coast of Canada
Thank you so much for this article, and for taking part in TravelGumbo. This is one of the most fascinating blogs I've ever read, about a place and a people I knew almost nothing about. Their relation to the permafrost and the rest of their environment is fascinating, and the Pingos...well, the idea of hills that are not hills, or not made of earth and rock...wow!
Comment
Re: Tuktoyaktuk: A village on the Arctic Coast of Canada
VERY interesting. This is the only way I'll ever know about such a place, having given Canada a try and come running back to California after 2 winters. Note I count my time there in winters. But nothing like this in Montreal.
Comment
Re: Tuktoyaktuk: A village on the Arctic Coast of Canada
Thanks for this post, Tom, and I also appreciate your involvement with TravelGumbo. A few questions. The town seems too small for even basic tourist services. Did you just camp, or was there someplace you could stay? Also, a question about waste water. With permafrost, how is this drained from the homes so that it doesn't freeze in the pipes?
Comment
Re: Tuktoyaktuk: A village on the Arctic Coast of Canada
And those of you who enjoy wildlife photography, visit Tom's website. He's got some fabulous pics on it.
Comment
Re: Tuktoyaktuk: A village on the Arctic Coast of Canada
Originally Posted by DrFumblefinger: Thanks for this post, Tom, and I also appreciate your involvement with TravelGumbo. A few questions. The town seems too small for even basic tourist services. Did you just camp, or was there someplace you could stay? Also, a question about waste water. With permafrost, how is this drained from the homes so that it doesn't freeze in the pipes? The town has a few places for accommodations including bed & breakfast places and two grocery stores but...
Comment
Re: Tuktoyaktuk: A village on the Arctic Coast of Canada
Hi Tom. I live in the UK. We're not lovers of cold weather, but we did have a night 10 months ago when it fell below freezing for a few hours. Some say "Global Warming" but I say the Jet Stream got stuck in its usual "Summer" position and Caribbean winds kept us warm. We don't have a mosquito problem here ( 200 miles north of London) but I'm curious to know. Are there any noticeable changes to your weather ? Longer summers or wetter winters ? I remember studying the shifting Polar Ice Caps...
Comment
Re: Tuktoyaktuk: A village on the Arctic Coast of Canada
I don't know much about global warming. I suspect that pollution contributes to it, but these things also happen on their own as we know from ice ages and warming periods in the past. I have noticed long periods of warm weather but then it gets cold again. I have read that the Arctic ice is melting but this coming winter is predicted to be very cold here in Canada. Although I have travelled in the Arctic, I have not spent enough time there to observe any climate changes. There are scientists...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, December 10, 2014: Black Arctic Ground Squirrel
Ground Squirrels are fairly common in western North America. Many people call them gophers but this is not correct. A gopher is an animal that lives underground and stays there. Most people have never seen one. Ground...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov. 16, 2014: American Golden Plover
The American Golden Plover is a stunning bird. The face and belly are jet black with a pure white strip running from the forehead, around the back of the face and down the neck. The back of the bird is a mottled pattern of black,...
Blog Post
Arctic Tern Colony, Long Nanny, Northumberland
Ian Cook shares a gallery of photos and detailed natural history of this fascinating bird, which has the world's longest migratory routes.
Blog Post
August 23, 2017: Wolf Creek Pass - Colorado
Join Samantha for an excursion to the San Juan Mountains, and to this scenic pass on the Continental Divide.
Blog Post
Russian dogs get a patent on smelling cancer and explosives
Got you with that headline, right? But it's not a joke. The Russian airline Aeroflot has a K-9 unit that has received a patent concerning technology developed from studies of how dogs smell, and which has enabled training of dogs to better...
Blog Post
Finishing North of the Arctic Circle
Pointing out that Gates of the Arctic and Kobuk Valley National Parks are tough to get to would be a gross understatement. We tried last August without success. Airplane problems derailed our efforts to get to the wilderness parks. ...
Blog Post
What's hot in the Arctic? A giant sauna!
What's being billed as the world's largest sauna, holding 100 visitors, has been set up on a beach in northern Norway, inside the Arctic Circle, for the SALT festival of art, music and architecture on Sandhornøya Island, near...
Blog Post
Canada protects arctic area; new national park soon
Bathurst Island, at center of this NASA satellite photo, is new park site Canada's Environment Minister, Leona Aglukkaq, announced a new bill last week, taking the first step to establishing Canada's 45th National Park in Canada's Arctic...
Blog Post
Crystal Cruises, with new owners, expands luxury offerings
First step in Crystal's expansion: Crystal Esprit luxury yacht sails this December. Photo: Crystal Cruises Crystal Cruises, presently a two-ship, all-luxury line is planning a burst of expansion in every direction, with...
Blog Post
Ultimate outdoor vacation: a year without walls
Photo: Instagram A Norwegian couple has just finished the real outdoorfolks' dream: they've spent the last year in Norway's Arctic regions, sleeping in tents and improvised shelters, and living off the land. The couple, Elise Theoline...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Sept. 29: Reflections on Reykjavik's Tjornin
Winter skies create dramatic reflections on Reykjavik’s Tjornin (the name means “lake” or “pond.") Tjornin is in the center of Reykjavik’s history and development with many government buildings around it, as well as...
Blog Post
Tuktoyaktuk: A village on the Arctic Coast of Canada
Tuktoyaktuk is a village on the coast of the Arctic Ocean in Canada. It has a population of about 950. About 80% of the population are Inuvialuit (formerly known as Eskimos but they have reverted to their original name instead of the one that...
Blog Post
The Dempster Highway: a Drive to the Arctic Coast of Canada
Most of Canada is well-travelled by tourists and not off-the-beaten path. But there is one highway in Canada that is remote and relatively few Canadians go there. That is the Dempster Highway. It stretches some 736 km (457 miles) from Dawson...
Blog Post
Street View? In the Faroe Islands, it's Sheep View
A tiny territory of rocky islands in Arctic waters takes matters into its own hand to get its roads and byways into Google Street View.
Blog Post
September 24, 2019: Arctic Watershed, Ontario
DrFumblefinger visits the Arctic watershed marker, situated in northwestern Ontario.
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, March 21, 2014: The Lighthouse of Kjeungskjaer, Norway
Situated on a small strip of land in the northwest of Norway, seen as you sail past on the way to the Artic Circle, is the gloriously striking red Kjeungskjaer Lighthouse that marks the entrance to the Sea of Fro at the mouth of the...
Blog Post
'The GPS told me to...'...another lost story
A dog-sled team had to be sent out to rescue two tourists in Norway's Arctic north after their GPS sent them down the shortest line between two points. The only problem is that the shortest route between Garga and Masi has been closed since the...
Topic
Concerns about the rising number of cruise visitors to the Arctic
Cruise lines sell the chance to see Arctic wildlife and claim they can do so without causing harm. However, many Inuit and other indigenous people who have inhabited the Arctic for millennia are deeply worried. Tourists buy souvenirs and bring income but also a growing threat of sewage and heavy fuel oil pollution as well as the disturbance and destruction of wildlife, such as ships striking whales in narrow channels. Shrinking sea ice is allowing larger cruise ships to venture farther into...
Comment
Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, December 10, 2014: Black Arctic Ground Squirrel
Great photo. And I like a man with a mission!
Comment
Re: arctic cruise ships
Read more about the concerns that the cruise industry is ruining the Arctic
Comment
Re: Arctic Tern Colony, Long Nanny, Northumberland
Perhaps the best arctic tern photos out there! Beautiful!
Blog Post
Lofoten Islands, Norway
Judy Barford shares photos of a visit to one of Norway’s most picturesque archipelagos.
Blog Post
Arctic Cathedral, Tromsø, Norway
When darkness falls the unusual outline of this church is clearly visible from all parts of Tromsø, thanks to strip lights.