The Wreck of the Ithaca- A Trip to the Sea Ice

Brian and I were fortunate to be invited to travel out to the sea ice with our North of 58 learning vacation. First of all, it was decided that we needed warmer clothing. Sorry LLBean, but not quite the level we needed for this trip and another all day outing that we would be making. We both were outfitted with Canada Goose jackets and these boots that could take us to the North Pole, I think. The best thing about the jackets is that they have a wonderful hood with real fur that repels moisture, and it extends way out in front of your face. There is a wire in the hood which allows you to shape it. Before you know it, you have your own little micro climate right inside your hood. This photo is from the next day, but you get the idea.

Here we are in our Canada Goose jackets.

 We traveled in two komatiks (sleds) pulled behind snowmobiles. Six of us in one sled and 4 in the other. It was about a 30 minute trip over some bumpy terrain, but absolutely worth the ride. Actually, the ride was an exciting adventure too, with every inch of our bodies covered up. 

This is one of the komatiks we took on our trip to the ice.

This photo shows both snowmobiles and komatiks.

Out on the ice, we came to the Ithaca, a 280 foot shipping vessel that now sits 12 miles east of Churchill out on tidal flats. It was built in 1922 in Quebec and had at least 6 names during its colorful history, which included some time in Mussolini's fleet. Its rudder broke in an 80 mile an hour gale on September14th of 1960. This is Brian's birthday, and he would have been turning 13. At that time, the Ithaca was carrying iron ore from Rankin Inlet to Montreal. I believe that they must have been aiming for the port in Churchill because of the storm, but ran aground. The tidal flats stretch for miles, so it would be easy to misjudge this in a storm. Judging from the condition of the vessel, it doesn't have too many years left as a tourist attraction. Some of us have Disney World and some of us have old wrecks.

That's me, with Brian's shadow.

Not too many more seasons for this ship!

This was one of my favorite shots. It looks like it is still sailing the seas

The Ithaca was really a bonus. I mostly wanted to see the sea ice. I had done a post quite a while back on the sea ice at the town landing. This had a much different feel to it, and we were much farther out. I had barely walked out 30 feet on my last visit to the sea ice. It was a gorgeous day, but brutally cold. I was surprised my little camera did so well, as the back viewfinder was all frosted up. Every time I took a glove off to take a photo, my fingers felt like they were instantly freezing. Leanne, one of the staff with us, insisted that I find my glove liners as she didn't want to see anymore bare hands. At one point I saw her standing a distance away. I approached to see if she wanted us, but she said that she was just keeping an eye on us. It was just like recess duty, but this time I was the kid!

Mike, our director, assured us that the ice was safe, and I know he is correct in this. The tide would be coming in underneath the ice, but we need not worry as it was very shallow. Well, I did not experience any of this, but some of the folks in closer to the shore (or maybe with less padding on their ears) heard all kinds of moans, cracks, etc as the tide water came in under the ice. One woman had a crack develop right under her foot, and she sank down to her thigh. She was a trooper, so I guess it happened to the right person! The photo below shows a crack that I had found at the back of the Ithaca.

This is a crack in the ice, directly behind the Ithaca

Here sits Brian, having a frustrating moment with frosted eyeglasses and drained camera batteries.

Our visit to the sea ice is one of the memories I will treasure from this trip. Just as it is hard to explain the experience of the aurora, the sea ice holds a completely different magic as you stand alone in such a vast, harsh, and achingly beautiful landscape. Our astronomer friend Roger calls it the Lure of the North, and I believe it will be the title of our memory book.

Jamie, the woman who stepped through the ice, shared this poem with me about the Ithaka. It has always had special meaning for her, stressing the importance of the journey more than the destination. I hope you will click on the link and read the poem Ithaka