“You prospectors for Trump?” asked the short Czech guy with the pack as big as he was and a white buff with wolverine prints on his head. Ray and I both emphatically say no but we are met with suspicion. We did not tell him we were geologists. It is bad enough being Americans right now.
President Trump last week declared he wanted to buy Greenland then cancelled a trip to Denmark when the Danish Prime Minister said the idea was absurd. This all just happened right before Ray and I came here. Of course Trump can’t really buy Greenland (see https://www.lawfareblog.com/why-trump-cant-buy-greenland) but it does have extensive minerals and natural resources that are ripe for exploration (see https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-greenland-gold-rush-promise-and-pitfalls-of-greenlands-energy-and-mineral-resources/).
We only knew one person from the USA that had been to Greenland before we went on this hike and no one we know ever talks about coming here. Now it is all over the news. Great timing right?
Up until we met the Czechs, our 3rd day on the Arctic Circle Trail had been a perfect Arctic day. It had been clear and cold last night so it was a little hard to get out of our sleeping bags. We didn’t get as early a start as we are used to, starting down the trail at around 7:15am but it was sunny and crispy clear. Both of us initially had cold hands that took a while to warm up even with gloves on. It definitely got below freezing last night.
But the sky is so clear and with the brilliant fall colors and the warming sun, we are soon in wonderland practically skipping through the arctic muskeg and bogs.
We finally got to the end of Lake Amitsorsuaq which we had been hiking past for most of yesterday and headed up a low pass between Lake Amitsorsuaq and Lake Tasersuaq.
Soon we are distracted and down on our hands and knees picking rock cranberries, crow berries and blueberries which brighten our breakfast for the next few days.
The blueberries are definitely a week or two past their prime and the few we collect are drying out and a little wrinkly. But the crow berries and rock cranberries are hitting their prime.
I wonder about the critters that eat them. There are no grizzlies, black bears, coyotes, or other smaller critters except for arctic foxes out here. The blueberry bushes are abundant and cover large areas of the tundra. Who eats them? We see a flock of ravens and wonder if they eat berries. Is that why the blackish berries are called “crow” berries?
It is late morning when we run into the two guys from the Czech Republic giving us a hard time about President Trump. They are the first people we have seen today. We have hiked about seven miles and are just about to drop down to the Kangerluatsiarsuaq Bay which has a beautiful sandy beach.
“Just tell him it’s a desert” says the second guy from the Czech Republic. Ray and I chuckle at this comment with a picture of the Sahara desert in our minds. Actually, though, his comment is close to the truth. Much of northern Greenland is classified as an arctic desert with less than 10 inches of precipitation per year, and an average mean temperature in the warmest month of 50 degrees Fahrenheit or less. Close to the ice sheet, where we started our hike, is also considered a polar desert.
Here, though, as we get closer to the ocean and more distant from the ice sheet, it is too warm with more precipitation to be considered a desert. Here we are in the subarctic zone.
The rest of the day we spend climbing up several cliffs and reach a high area on a ridge that has been hydrothermally altered with extensive faulting. The geology is complex and fascinating here. It is in this area we find the pink sapphires that are not of gem quality but gem stones nevertheless.
By mid-afternoon we reach the Ikkatooq hut. It is cozy and small but can hold 6 people. It is also well-taken care of, fairly clean and no one else is here.
We discuss going on a few more miles or stopping here. We have hiked 14.8 miles so far today and there is a large river crossing about 3 miles ahead. We discuss pros and cons of crossing the river today or tomorrow. We know we will be getting our feet wet and decide it would be better to cross in the morning where there is a higher likelihood of getting our shoes and socks dried out. Besides, we like this cabin.
Daily Data and Feature Map
August 30, 2019
14.8 miles today
55.1 total miles total
1710 feet ascent
1095 feet descent
People seen on the trail: 4 new (all from Czech Republic) and Felix and Nina from Germany whom we have been leapfrogging along the trail with for the past 2 days.
Canoe Center Amitsorsuaq Lake to Ikkattooq Hut
Hi!
I am so thrilled after reading your article.
I just returned from greenland, myself. And i did enjoy every bit of it.
But what you explain here… I simply miss being in your company for this greenland excursion.
I d be returning to greenland in the year to come, as i d love to explore it more!
I will be going back to! It gets into your soul. Greenland is a special place.
The colors are amazing just a little over a month after we hiked. The timing of the Trump spot of bother.Uggh.
So true! Colors – yes. Being American – not so much!
A fault in fold, then hydrothermally altered making sub-gem quality sapphires. A Trumpeting intrusion. To me it all sounds rather synchronous. And that the Czechs would feel comfortable playing with you speaks to how wonderful and embracing this beautiful land you walked through must be. And how approachable you two are while in your Wildwood weeds. I am honored to be your nearby neighbor, or at least during the rare times that you are home!
Thanks Chuck! You would really enjoy the geology on the Arctic Circle Trail. It is beyond amazing 😉 !!