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August 11, 2001 - First day at Aylmer Lake
The alpha male wolf was spotted by the guides
the first afternoon. Caribou in the area alerted us to his
presence by dashing out from the willows and gazing in the
wolf's direction. We confirmed it was the breeding male by
his raised leg urination when he scent marked and by the new
radio collar. He dropped out of sight but his signal was strong
in that direction for the rest of the day.
Three trip participants spotted two white
wolves, several caribou and five musk oxen from the plane
just a few miles from the lodge.
Around the camp, we saw arctic hare, caribou
and sik-sik. The first day's weather was a breezy but sunny
60 degree day.
Last year's particpants watch for wolves from neary one-half mile away.
August 12, 2001 - Early sounds of wolves heard today.
Two members of our wolf search team
were awakened at 3:00 this morning by the howls of a lone
wolf greeting the arctic dawn. After a hearty breakfast, the
trip leaders took off in a light plane to see if they could
pick up signals from some of the radio-collared wolves in
the area. No signals were heard, but three wolves were spotted
a long distance from the lodge.
After the plane returned, we split
into two groups. One group motored down the lake in boats
to look for wildlife and to explore some ancient native home
sites and to see the hunting blinds used by aboriginal people
for over 3000 years.
Others in the group joined two of the
leaders in the search for wolves in the vicinity. Some people
scanned the landscape with binoculars and spotting scopes
while the leaders combed a broad area on foot with radio-tracking
equipment. Five people hiked to a ridgetop and howled in hopes
of a response from the wolves.
The hard day's work didn't pay off,
but the beauty of this place makes it worth the effort. The
weather is exhilirating - warm sun and bright blue skies followed
by overcast and light rain.
Trip
participant Debbie Hinchcliffe hides among the rocks of an ancient hunting blind.
August 13, 2001 - Excitement mounts as wolves are seen!
What an exciting day! Not only was the weather
beautiful, but our search for the wolf pack in the vicinity
of the camp was rewarded by some sitings of individual wolves!
After breakfast, we headed out in the boats
to check out the den site in a sandy area near the shore of
the lake. We weren't expecting to find any wolves there, but
as the lead boat approached the beach, three wolves suddenly
scrambled to their feet. Immediately we retreated to minimimize
the impact of our unexpected visit. After beaching the boats,
we hiked to the observation point we used last year to watch
the pack. On the way, one wolf's head popped up from behind
some boulders. Our trek up the hill was accompanied by the
haunting sounds of the wolves howling.
Clearly we were under scrutiny, and this became even more evident
when we discovered one of the wolves watching us from the
slope of a ridge opposite our observation site. The wolf stared
intently in our direction for nearly fifteen minutes before
it disappeared over the skyline to the opposite side of the
ridge. We hiked out to that point with the radio tracking
equipment where one of the trip leaders picked up a string
signal from the breeding male. The trip leaders believe the
wolves may have chosen a spot nearby as a rendezvous site
for the pups. Tomorrow's assignment will be to hike the 2
1/2 miles back to the ridge to see if we can determine where
the pack is spending the summer. Four people saw an animal
in the distance that we think was a wolverine. This is especially
thrilling as wolverines are solitary and elusive.
August 14, 2001 - Caribou
and sik-sik are all that are seen today, but hopes remain
high for more wolf sightings.
The game of hide and seek continued today
with the wolves hiding and the humans seeking. Everyone enjoyed
helping the trip leaders put together the clues to the wolf
pack's whereabouts.
Since all of the group but one person saw wolves yesterday, we were
especially motivated as we set out after breakfast to pinpoint
the location of the pups at the rendezvous site. Twenty-knot
winds whipped up froth on Rocknest Bay as we motored along
the shoreline in a misty rain. After a quick look around from
a hilltop overlook, we shouldered our backpacks and headed
out just as the the clouds parted to reveal the intense blue
of the arctic sky. Curious caribou paused in their grazing
to watch as we trekked along, and sik-siks (ground squirrel)popped
out of their holes to perch on rocks and cheer us on with
a happy wiggle of their tails. A friendly raven joined us
after lunch, swooping over our heads and landing on boulders
to greet our group with loud raucous squawks.
Our Canadian trip leader's sharp eyes spotted
a well-disguised covey of rock ptarmigan in a rubble of stones
and undergrowth. Later we saw two more of these lovely birds
dressed in their brown summer camouflage. The invigorating
all-day hike gave everyone a healthy windburn and a huge appetite
for another wonderful camp dinner. Although the wolves were
too elusive to spot today, we all have a keen appreciation
of how much patience and persistence are required by field
work. We are optimistic about what tomorrow's efforts will
bring. Dave sends his best to all.
This raven joined us after lunch Tuesday
August 15, 2001 - "Over the next ridge!"
The mystery deepens! Where is the breeding
female and where are the pups? The possibilities are intriguing,
but only the wolves know for sure. Meanwhile, as we hike across
this magnificent landscape, our search slogan has become,
"Over the next ridge!"
This morning after breakfast, two members
of the group loaded a boat with fishing gear and headed out
to catch tomorrow night's dinner. The bay and lake are home
to huge lake trout. "Catch and release" is the sport here,
but a few fish are kept once a week for the lodge guests.
The rest of the group set out on a hike around the end of
Rocknest Bay. We headed up a boulder strewn rise, some of
us stopping along the way to gather blueberries. At the top
of the hill, we paused to take in the panoramic view of the
lodge and cabins in the distance and to snap some pictures
of one another.
The terrain changed from dwarf willows and
birch in the spongy tundra to solid footing as we climbed.
Tiny lakes and pools like blue gems sparkled in the morning
light as we walked through a canyon opposite a sheer rock
cliff. Suddenly just ahead we heard the piercing cries of
birds, and quickly we crouched behind a boulder with our binoculars
raised. High above circled a pair of rough-legged hawks alarmed
by our proximity to their nesting area. We remained at a respectful
distance watching them ride the wind currents.
During the afternoon a plane with radio tracking
equipment searched for the radio-collared female and the pups,
but no signal was picked up. The breeding male and several
yearlings were observed from the plane, however, and they
seem content to remain in the area. Tomorrow we will resume
our search with binoculars and scopes from the hillside nearby.
August 16, 2001 - Cold nights,
warm days, caribou seen but wolves remian elusive.
Last night the temperature dropped and the wind gusted
against our snug cabins. This morning we dressed in our
warmest gear, but by mid morning, the sky was a cobalt
blue and we were shedding extra layers of clothing in the
warm sunshine.
We split into two groups to see if we could
catch a glimpse of the breeding male and the five yearlings
that have been spotted with him. One group headed down Rocknest
Bay to check on the whereabouts of the collared male. His
signal was strong, but he and the juveniles did not appear.
A bull caribou caught the group's attention as it swam across
a narrow channel of water at a place called "The Narrows."
The caribou are beginning their slow drift to the south as
autumn in the central arctic approaches. The wolves here will
remain in this area as the caribou start their annual migration
to the winter ranges, but in early September, they will follow
the caribou.
The second group of wolf searchers headed
north on Rocknest Bay, and after beaching the boats, we hiked
to the vantage point overlooking last year's rendezvous site.
We watched the caribou grazing and sometimes trotting along
with their graceful ground-eating strides. Two curious yearlings
approached within 50 feet of our viewing spot, but no wolves
were sighted. Three of our group members who have anti-freeze
instead of blood flowing through their veins went swimming
late this afternoon when we got back to camp. They each insisted
the swim was refreshing and invigorating, but we noticed they
needed a hot shower and a walk in the sunshine before they
stopped shivering!
The search for the missing breeding female
continues from the air with a telemetry-equipped plane. Meanwhile,
we will search for another pack whose territory is across
Aylmer Lake. If this pack is located, we hope to find a vantage
point from which we can observe them without disturbing them.
August 17, 2001 Northern Lights,
Caribou and Wolves - enough to make you want to stay!
Today began at 12:30 a.m. when our Canadian
trip leader banged on the cabin doors yelling, "Northern lights!"
We tumbled out of bed, pulled on warm clothes and stumbled
outside for the light show. The aurora here in the central
arctic is visible even in summer. Some of us huddled in sleeping
bags as we watched the gauzy green curtains sway against the
backdrop of the night sky.
Daylight found us making plans for our
last foray in search of the wolves. The best guess is that
the breeding female has taken off with the pups and is out
of radio tracking range. The breeding male is still in the
area, however, and so are several of the yearlings. Last night
after supper, we saw a big white wolf trotting casually along
in the flat plain below a lookout we had chosen for the evening
scan with binoculars and scopes. Two peregrine falcons swooped
and dived like fighter jets above us as we brought the boats
ashore. Today we went back to that same high rock outcropping
and sat in the sun and light wind watching the caribou grazing
on the tundra below. Occasionally they would pause in their
browsing and dash madly away, racing the shadows of the clouds
along the ground. The insects descend on them when the wind
dies down, and the caribou flee in frustration from these
biting hordes.
Two of the trip leaders trekked all
day with some of the fast hikers in the group. They found
three wolf-killed caribou carcasses, one of which was probably
less than 24 hours old.
Three people in the group flew this
morning to the arctic circle 160 miles north of the camp.
From the air they saw musk oxen and three wolves. They landed
on a nameless lake in an area where snow still lingers on
the north-facing slopes. Tomorrow we return to Yellowknife
for one night where we will stay before boarding our flights
for home.
The mystery of the location of the pups
and the breeding female will remain here in this remote land
- truly one of the earth's last best places.
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