Up here, we drive across frozen lakes. Temporary roads are created, ploughed and come complete with signs. There is a government department in charge of these winter roads, as they are called.
Below is a photo taken from one of our drives on the Yellowknife – Dettah road.
Yellowknife – Dettah winter road.
Using these roads is an interesting northern experience that can’t be duplicated in most other places in the world.
If you’re interested, here’s a winter road website.
With temperatures of -42C and wind chills of -52C, it has been interesting. And I understand that a lot of North America has been whacked by a polar vortex, so apparently there’s lots of cold to go around. Polar vortex – doesn’t that sound vicious? But here, cold in February? That’s normal.
I’m used to dressing warmly – a heavy, long parka – and walking to work, but the windy conditions the last couple of mornings – with gusts up 70K – have been, well, glacial.
My eyelashes have been frosting up within seconds.
I dare not expose my cheeks, chin or nose. They might freeze and break off.
Taking a deep, unprotected breath might sear my lungs. That actually happens, by the way. If I breathe in too much cold air without some sort of scarf buffer, I will start to cough.
Going bare-handed, even for a few seconds, produces instant skin cracks. Ouch!
But, there are good things. My coffee thermos keeps my homemade mocha really hot, even though the outside of it gets really cold during my walk.
My parka is stellar.
The winter sky is a crystalline arch.
And, this weather makes me totally appreciate spring, summer and autumn. 🌸
