nature, Photography

Looking Back Once More

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Once more, here is a “looking back” post containing pictures from years ago; photos that aren’t necessarily great but that are important to me.

Skaha Lake, Penticton, in January, 2017.

I spent the month of January preparing for my new job which was due to start in February in Northwest Territories. As spring began to arrive in Penticton, I was about to enter into a much different weather world!

Outside Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, February, 2017

When I left Penticton, the temperature was 2C (35.6F) but I arrived in Yellowknife, the capital of Northwest Territories, to a frigid -41C (-48.1F). Luckily there was no wind. A 43 degree temperature difference meant that some careful packing was required but after many years of travel, army life and search and rescue challenges, I knew what to expect.

Northern sunset outside Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, February, 2017.

Within weeks of my arrival, an Inuit seamstress agreed to make a traditional parka for me, one that was longer than most and was roomy enough for several layers underneath. I was so thankful for it during my entire time there!

Yellowknife’s ice road, 2017
An elaborate snow castle built on the frozen lake, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, 2017.

My northern adventure was just beginning.

Happy Monday.

37 thoughts on “Looking Back Once More”

    1. Thank you very much, Jo. Years ago when I was in the military I was posted to Alert which is on Ellesmere Island. It’s the most northerly, continuously inhabited community in the world. Although that had been many years before, my body remembrance of the cold was still there, so I knew how to prepare.

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    1. Actually, Phil, that parka was so warm that I didn’t need any layers beneath it, just a long-sleeved shirt. I was always toasty, even when it was colder than -41; I experienced -50 and environs a couple of times!

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  4. Ahhhh, memories of cold. That must have been a bit of a shock at first, but as they say, its a dry cold. The furthest North I lived was in Manning, not quite the same, but when I was still at home near Fairview, we had a solid week of near -50C. Never fun, but we had animals to tend to. -31 here today. Hope your day today is warmer. Happy Monday Lynette. Allan

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    1. Thanks, Allan. Exactly, it’s a dry cold! When you have to get out in it doing things that require some time, then you really get the importance of good outer wear and making sure to drink lots of fluids. It’s definitely hard work, particularly in those temperatures! We are at -2, the sun is shining and the wind has disappeared; we’re supposed to be in plus territory by the weekend but we’ll see. Stay warm!

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    1. Thank you very much, Maggie. I wouldn’t be able to now, either. For starters it takes such a lot of energy to cope with that kind of cold and then there’s the fact that my internal temperature regulator is ageing (like the rest of me) and tends to some unpredictability!

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    1. Yes, it was unbelievably cold for long stretches but that parka was amazing! It turned out that I didn’t need to wear much more than a long-sleeved shirt underneath as it was so warm and comfortable.

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    1. Thank you very much. The Arctic and subarctic can be extremely cold as you would expect but once you’re established you get used to it and how to live within it, too. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t want to take that on now – I’m retired! 😊

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      1. Enjoy your retirement, Lynette, I went that way in 2016. I do remember not feeling as cold once my body adjusted, kind of odd, it’s like jumping in a chilly pool or crick, you eventually adjust!I went swimming during our Florida trip, first time in many years…

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      1. The experience is far away — but it has helped shape who you are now, so it is still in you, and with you. (We dance with our past… Oh, I sound so pretentious! But I do think about it, about this dance and how it resonates.)

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        1. Indeed it has, Penny. M and I do dance with our past and how we aren’t what we used to be before the northern experience. I still consider how the true northerners saw us southerners as temporary, a means to an end, people who don’t get that they don’t understand … this was really brought home to me today when Poilievre, in hood and mitts, announced that a CF base should be built in Iquauit – did he even think to consult at all? Probably not.

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    1. There are a number of them in NWT; they are official roads maintained by the Highway Dept usually from about December to March or April, depending on the weather. I understand that climate change has had some impact on these roads as it’s not getting cold enough in some cases for safety.

      Yes, I still do have that wonderful parka! It’s usually too warm for this area but I’m getting it out to guard against that cold wind coming off the lake!

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  12. That’s quite the drastic change in temperature! And it seems like it’s quite a different lifestyle and approach to dealing with the cold in Yellowknife compared to Penticton. Good call on the traditional parka!

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    1. It sure was! The cold in the north goes on for so long – at least six months – that it’s like a living thing; it’s so much more a part of life. Any plan that involves going outside has to take into account proper preparation for the cold. That parka was totally amazing. I thought I would need layers underneath but it turned out that I only had to wear a long-sleeved shirt.

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  13. That sunset is amazing. Temperature change for sure! Do you still have the traditional parka? I was just talking about their amazing design when we were skiing yesterday and how warm they keep you. Bernie

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    1. The northern winter sunsets are spectacular, riding as they do along the horizon. Yes, I still have that parka. It’s too warm for this climate although I’ve considered wearing it during that nasty cold wind we on and off keep getting. The one I have is very light-weight but very warm; as it turned out I didn’t need layers underneath it!

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