ᐱᖃᓗᔭᖅ - piqalujaq - iceberg

Some time in the middle of June, Darlene and I went for a long walk upriver. It was a "hot" day that resulted in a sunburn for me. We enjoyed the sound of the rushing river as the water crashed around the large chunks of ice along the shore and in the shallows. Every now and again a large piece of ice would break off and float down river to the ocean. Tents were starting to pop up all over the tundra and we watched as families drove to their sites with vehicles full of camping equipment, fishing gear and excited kids.

Caribou skull on the tundra

Huge chunks of ice along the Sylvia Grinnell River

Candle ice

Darlene breaking apart the candle ice...wearing a highly fashionable safety vest. It sounds like breaking wine glasses tinkling when you pull it apart.

Candle Ice: A form of rotten ice; disintegrating sea ice (or lake ice) consisting of ice prisms or cylinders oriented perpendicular to the original ice surface

Stunning remnants of a frozen winter along the river's shore

This particular piece was nearly 4 feet tall

Inuit tents are set up all along the shore. The ground is too hard for tent pegs, so the ropes are tied to large rocks. Families live out on the land all summer long.

Cool formation that is slowly melting away