Quick Summary
This dispatch covers Caleb and Henry's three-week Baffin Island packraft leg from Clyde River to Pond Inlet — fjords, glaciers, close encounters with narwhal pods, bowhead whales, and a polar bear, plus the mid-trip mishap of losing a paddle and whittling a driftwood replacement that carried them 100+ miles. They close by weighing wind-driven feast/famine rationing against the approaching equinox, and note they're skipping Arctic Bay to head inland toward Igloolik to explore Baffin's interior before darkness sets in.
Words and Photos by Caleb McDaniels @calebjmcdaniels and Henry Penfold @hpenfold
What a lovely few weeks we have had! It feels like we left Clyde River just yesterday, yet somehow another three weeks have passed, and we have reached Pond Inlet.
Leaving Clyde River, we quickly entered a series of fjords lined with towering cliffs and glaciers flowing down to the shore. As we wound through the deep recesses of this fjord system, we were frequently accompanied by fulmars dancing over the water and spotted several snowy owls watching over their valleys. With warm, sunny days and ripe bilberries to pick, it felt like the height of summer.
In one fjord, we spent several hours paddling among hundreds of narwhals. As we quietly drifted in our packrafts, they seemed almost oblivious to us, surfacing all around and several times coming within a few feet before diving. Pods of narwhal frequently passed us in long trains, tusks breaking the surface. Two groups came so close we nearly collided. We also encountered several bowhead whales slowly cruising through the fjord.
A few days later, we paddled past a walrus hunting for murres. At one point, it launched itself almost clear of the water in pursuit of a bird.
About halfway through this section, we had our first real excitement of the summer: a bit of lively river paddling followed by some river swimming and a lost paddle. After searching the river and fjord to no avail, we gathered driftwood to make a replacement. Several hours of intensive whittling yielded a surprisingly serviceable paddle, and over the next few days we paddled over 100 miles with no major issues. At times we experimented with a tandem packraft constructed with long wooden spars. This rig took a while to assemble in the morning but moved quite swiftly in calm conditions.
We also had our first day of negative progress when we decided to bail on a long crossing due to incoming wind and strong currents. Making camp two miles behind where we had started was a novel and rather humbling experience.
We have continued to cycle through somewhat comical periods of feast and famine, rationing or gorging, depending quite literally on how the wind blows. A stiff tailwind can double our progress while a headwind can stop us in our tracks. We generally start each section eating conservatively, but by the end we are stuffing ourselves with multiple dinners each night.
As we rounded a point just ten miles south of Pond Inlet, we passed a well-fed polar bear standing majestically on some rocks, white fur shining brightly in the sun.
The sun has begun to set, but there is still plenty of light throughout the night. In just five weeks we will reach the equinox, though, so the darkness and cold are coming! We have decided to cut Arctic Bay from our itinerary for time reasons, so from here we will head inland, traveling directly to Igloolik. We are sad to be leaving the magnificent mountains and fjords of the east coast behind, but excited to spend a few weeks exploring Baffin’s interior.
All the best,
Henry and Caleb
We're proud to support Caleb and Henry on this incredible trip and honored they trust our gear to help make it a reality. Read Part 1 HERE, Part 2 HERE, Part 3 HERE, Part 4 HERE, and more about Caleb's style of adventure and research HERE.
