Blizzard of Oz - THE SEQUEL

I want to throw out some Monty Python reference, but I'm afraid I was never enough of a fan to remember more than a few lines from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" badly translated into French.  (As an aside, if your partner doesn't learn their lines and writes them on the back of their sheild, do not (and I repeat DO NOT) cut off their sheild arm first as it leads to prolonged and embarassing attempts at improve in a language that is not your first language and further more if you want to refer to someone as a chicken (like a coward) the proper translation is not to shout "Poulet, Poulet" although it may make your French teacher laugh.) The reference is something to do with "nobody expects the Spanish inquistion", but I"m not sure if that is right... anyone can feel free to correct me.

This is the rarely "seen" view from our rarely uncurtained window of the house directly behind us at about 5 pm.  The blizzard warnings have been describing this one as a dangerous storm which is worrisome as they rarely use any creative adjectives or give advice about what you should or shouldn't do and the warning all but called for people to stay inside.

While the warning did not seem to apply so much to Baker Lake with winds of only 50 gusting to 70 km/h, with sufficienct snow to make this pretty poor visibility - we have been getting winds more like 70 gusting to close to 90 km/h - and its pretty much white out conditions.

The Trek Accross the Frozen Barrens to get Water for Coffee

Yeah... Snow is really that high

Crawling through hip high loose snow - glasses completely fogged at this point

Crawling up and out of the well - not exactly dignified, but effective

Everyone needs a picture where the drifts as tall as them nearly

Me and the drift

We both know that tomorrow is going to be bad enough without showers, but without coffee is a non-starter.  I'm just hoping that I can get a shower before leaving for the Science Fair and camping out in a School for the weekend.  We ran out of water around lunch time, totally catching this girl guide off gaurd.  Normally I will put a large jug of water in the fridge at the beginning of a blizzard, but we got water yesterday morning and a sewage pump out, so I was actually surprised to run out that early and that quickly.

So, now that the visibility is much better we decided to check out the world post blizzard and get enough water to make coffee in the morning and brush our teeth from the school (and more importantly stock the fridge for breakfast program since I'm on duty tomorrow morning).  I think as an adult, you know that you are doing okay, if you still love playing in the snow.  There was a lot of falling, crawling, and giggling - but we made it there and back with a couple of nalgene bottles of water and now I'm just doing a few last things before heading to bed.

6:24 pm - Sustained Winds @ 91 km/h - and we are out of water!

There will be no easy way out the front door

This is the stairs up to the front door, fortunately the back door stairs are clear.

This is a view of Jonah Amitnaaq Secondary School - still not visible

This building is nearly buried by a drift - litterly next door to our building

Heavy Machinery in the Mist - this is just the forestry student in me leaking out - not as cool as a feller-buncher or a harvester

The Old Sanavik Co-Op - I think I can make out windows and a faded bright ball in the sky looks like a sun, maybe....

Pale dot might be the sun - view west from the back door...

Now that you are totally sick of seeing pictures of nothing - I probably won't take to many more.  Sadly, we ran out of water.  So... once again... remembering how much we take running water for granted.

Still Piqhiqtuq

Well, visibility is up from 0 km, but the windspeed is 91 km/hr sustained.  Still can't see much outside. 

11:15 am - Sustained winds of 82 km/h - Ides of March Blizzard

Old Sanavik Co-Op - 44 m

Jonah Amitnaaq Secondary School from the 12-plex door - Ummm where is the school - you can just faintly make out the power lines half way there - less than 100 m away

Shed  looking west - less than 10 m away - note you can no longer fully make out the buildings right behind the shed

Even worse shot of the Old Sanavik Co-op - Look down a few pictures - I'm wondering how much Tyvek will be left on this building after this storm.

I think I can safely say this is the worst visibility that I've ever seen.  This has definitely been the year of the blizzard - I've heard count of this being the 14th weekday of blizzard conditions.  If you add a number of weekend blizzards and Christmas holiday blizzards to that... we are going to easily surpass the average of 20 days of blizzard conditions in Baker Lake.  We are known as the blizzard capital of Canada for a reason.  

More Photos from the Ides of March Blizzard -

Jonah Amitnaaq Secondary School < 100 m away

Old Buildings beside the 12-plex - 20 m away

Back stairs of the 12-plex

Old Sanavik Co-Op Building - 44 m

So, I'm getting pretty impressed.  I'm not sure if this is the worst visibility that I've seen in 4 years, but its pretty intense.  Piqhiqtuq or Piqsiqtuq means "there is a blizzard".  I think that applies today.

A few more terms from the Inuktitut Living Dictionary

Strong Wind - Nakkialivuq
It makes a great sound of strong wind - Sulutsugittuq
Wind - Anuri
Snow Storm - Apusimatiqtuq
Snow makes a squeaky or Crunching sound underfoot - Atairranaqtuq
Snow Drifts - qimutjuk
Drifting Snow - Natiruvaaq
Snow, Blowing - Piqsiqtuq (same as blizzard)
Falling Snow - kangniq
Something that the wind removes the snow from - Salittutuq
Do gymnastics in a snow house - Ujautaqpuq
Fine powder snow blowing along the ground - Natiruvaatuq
Abandoned Snow House - Illuvikkaku

According to Environment Canada we got 2.2 cm of snow on Tuesday, 6.8 cm of snow on Wednesday. Winds at 9 am - 78 km/h gusting to 91 km/h. Visibility = 0 m
Winds at 10 am - 71 km/h, Visibility = 0 m

Fairytale Sport Somewhere near Ballestrand

Just flipping through photos looking for some good geology pictures when I found this little gem of a spot which made me wish I could go hiking.  Norway is really a beautiful place.

Warnings

Its not all that often that Environment Canada posts warnings in 15 out of 25 sites.  They are all for blizzards.... this is one mother of a low pressure system heading north and bringing snow and wind with it.

Ides of March Blizzard 2012 Part 1

 

 

I'm going to assume that I'll have more "less impressive" pictures later once the 80 + km/hr winds have had some time to pick up snow and the temperature drops.  This has inspired me of a new way to talk about transportation of particles by rivers and erosion by wind.

Snowmagedeon Cometh

 

So... Please note.. we are getting 8 snow-flake snow today... and tommorrow we are suposed to get extra-rediculous winds which should result in 0 km visibility and drifts the size of small houses.

I'm sure there have been blizzards this bad before, but I think this has the potential to be worse than anything I've seen.  I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow, although if its like this at all.. they'll be pictures of violently swirling snow and not a lot else.

The Old Co-op's New Clothes

They've been working on rebuilding the old Co-op into an office building.  Its pretty much been stripped and gutted, but they haven't gotten to the point where they put the new skin on the building.  It appears to be chilly in just its "underclothes" or Tyvek.

Of course, if I was to go out and try and take the same picture right now, the temperature would be -18 C instead of the -36 C it was yesterday morning - and I wouldn't be able to see the building, let alone the moon.  We look like we are in for a doozy of a blizzard with a possible 15 cm of snow tomorrow and temperatures of -4C (Nearly unheard of in these parts in March.) I've barely been able to see the outline of the radio station (about 50 m away) all morning.

I'm just hoping that we make it out on Friday for the Science Fair.  I've been looking forward to it for months and I know the students are excited to go.  

I See a Pink Moon Arising

Well, I got up too late to see if there were amazing Northern Lights - as it was nearly sunrise and already light out, but there was a pink moon hanging just above the horizon to the southwest of town and I thought I should share it for my mom's sake.  She likes pink.

Otherwise, we are into Science Fair Phase 3 and I'm wishing that I'd gotten a few more hours of everything in this weekend, particularly sleep.  Still, its the brightening time of year and wind not withstanding, they are predicting temperatures of -8 C for Wednesday or Thursday - and lots of snow - so not much chance of seeing the nothern lights.  Looking forward to going for hikes once the weather gets better.

"Happiness is a box of new crayons" socks

How to beat the winter blues? Knit up a pair of rediculously brightly coloured wool socks and then go "splash" on your cosmically peaceful yoga-mat lake in the middle of the living room.

Its Saturday afternoon and I've spent a good part of today discussing the coaching change for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Hoping its a good change, but recognizing that it was the only card left to play at this point. I guess we'll see. I'm looking forward to the game, but I'm nervous what it'll mean next year. Being a Leafs fan works best with a lot of unrealistic optimism and faith - and I'm sticking to that game plan until mathematical probability rears its ugly head. Stanley Cup here we come!!!! Until such time as I'm forced to revise my outlook to "Stanley Cup, here we come next year"

Beyond that - it is still cold and wintery outside - but the wind has gone done that and with it the wind chills. Its bright and crisp outside and its nice to have longer days.... if only one didn't need so many hours of sleep, just think of the things that you can get done.

Flowers in an Alpine Meadow, Pretty Close to Heave if you Ask Me

Taken in Late July or Early August - this display of wildflowers blew us away. Hiking from Healy Creek to Sunshine

Things I Miss About Summer

This is my bike. This bike has been on trips greater than 30 km in a dy and to the pool and just in general when I wanted to get around. Its shiny and its blue and the breaks and gears work and I bought a kick stand for it anyways, even though apparently the bike shop thought that was a dumb idea for a mountain bike. Right now, its about -54 C with the wind chill, and it woud be too cold to even think about going for a bike ride. Additionally, several months worth of snow don't leave the best riding conditions. But one day, it will be summer, and I will be able to play outside without a belaclava and my hood up. I'll be able to wear sandals instead of insulated rubber boots and plant impatients in my mothers garden. I'll be able to take pictures of flowers in alpine meadows and splash in the puddles made of by rain. I'll play disc golf and hike in the woods (sometimes in my sandals) and watch thunder storms. I'll eat food that was cooked on a barbaque and go to a farmers market. I will hopefully go camping and maybe even backpacking. I'll have to wear shorts and t-shirts and sunscreen and I'll complain about how hot and humid it is. I'll somehow track down a copy of the Command Sisters CD.

I love winter and I love the different sounds snow makes depending on how cold it is. I love the peacefulness of a winter night on the tundra and the friendliness of people in a smal town. I love my parka, but looking at the weather today, I don't want to get bundled up and go outside... I would rather dream of summer in our cozy little apartment and look wistfully at the picture of my bike and look forward to riding it again.

Balmy Days in Iqaluit at the Teacher's Conference

After a few tense hours when the weather looked to interfere, we did make it to Iqaluit for the conference. It was exciting and great to change locations for a few days, although as always, I'm glad to return to my home community and not tempted to move to the capital. Its just that one of the things I love about Baker Lake is just how friendly people are. I've been here long enough that I recognize most folk and know many quite well, and most people say hi regardless. Its the kind of place where if you wave to someone, even someone you don't know well, they'll wave back. Not so much in the capital - perhaps it was in part because an entire herd of strange teachers had inudated the town and that there are almost always numerous people there only on business. I did run into a guy who went to Lakehead at the same time S. and I did. He even knew a number of mutual friends... so go figure, small world. I did not however, get a chance to meet my relatives (by marridge at any rate) while I was there. The blizzard on Monday caused us to miss out Tuesday sessions - which was a shame because some of my coolest sessions were on Tuesday, although I got a chance to have sessions with one of the groups later in the week due to another session being cancelled.

The sessions were great. I learned lots of new science ideas and how to sew an Ookpik out of seal skin. Being in Iqaluit was great, especially with an unusually warm swatch of weather that lasted the entire week. I know some of my southern readers will laugh when I say that -14 C with light breeze is warm - but it is... I'll be lucky to see more than the odd day of weather that warm between now and the beginning of May. Gee, its been known to be -30 C the first week of May even. So, I took advantage of it and did a lot of walking. The picture above was taken with my hood down (see really warm) out in Apex where I was staying facing accross the bay. The main part of town is tucked in behind the hills, and just out of the picture on the right side. Unfortunately, I am having problems with my pedometer, the battery seems to be running out of juice quicker than it used to and even though I made my 10000 steps a day up until Friday, I failed to make it Saturday, Sunday and Monday. So, hopefully today, I'll be back to going the distance.

Hopefully, I'll be back to blogging regularly. I've just been lazy about taking pictures this year. I don't tend to go anywhere knew or interesting when its really cold and even I have my limits on the number of sunset and sunrise pictures taken from in front of my building. No promises, but hopefully, a little better than once every 5 months.