Extra Stops

We didn’t get very far from Kirkenes before discovering an irresistible anchorage at Ellinghamma. The calm, windless conditions made the decision to stop easy and after getting Snow Dragon settled we headed for shore. Though Ellinghamma was part of the mainland, it had an island like feel. After watching the sunset from the summit we made our way down a steep wooded gulley.  

With a long sail ahead of us we left early the following morning. Our plan had been to go directly back to Vardo but strong headwind persuaded us to stop at Vadso where the brightly painted houses and purple fish processing plant gave the town a cheery feel.

We spent a calm night until the wind picked up the following morning, pinning Snow Dragon to the high dock. We were concerned that the stantions would be damaged if she healed over and hit the dock. Since we could not move until the wind dropped, we went in search of extra tires to pad the dock. We posed our problem to some friendly fishermen who drove to the local filling station and returned with six large tires, giving Snow Dragon plenty of extra padding. Once the new tires were in place, we were able to have one more wander around town before dark.

With limited space on board, our souvenirs tend to be utilitarian. In Vardso we found a blue ceramic butter dish that made its way back to Snow Dragon’s galley. Even the smallest towns in Norway have had fantastic kitchen stores. Though the butter dish was made in France, it will always remind us of Vardso.

After spending two nights in Vadso we headed back to Vardo to pick up Snow Dragon’s new anchor windlass motor. That had been ordered from California by e-mail while we were in Svalbard. It was then collected by a friend and mailed to us in Norway. The sailing conditions were great and were able to make good time arrive during business hours. After worrying that its arrival would be delayed by customs, we were relieved to find the motor waiting at the post office. 

For more photos please click on Ellinghamma & Vadso Album

One Town, Two Countries

We had a beautiful moonlit sail and arrived in Kirkenes at first light, after a wind shift made our original anchorage unsafe. The granite rock and fall leaves glowing in the morning light, were a picturesque introduction to the area. The silver birch covered hills were an exciting sight, they were the first trees that we had seen since leaving Norway in early June. After a short nap to recover from our impromptu night sail, we walked around the town before going for a hike.

Kirkenes is a border town and its strong ties with Russia can be felt throughout the community. Besides frequent buses to Murmansk and street signs being in Russian and Norwegian. Most of the vessels that filled the harbor were Russian ships in port for a refit.

Russian fishing vessels

While hiking we saw several people picking mushrooms and inquired which ones were safe to eat. With our new local knowledge we picked a few for dinner. They were delicious but Frances had a bad reaction to them and spent the following day feeling miserable. Wild mushrooms continued to be a source of temptation on our hikes but a quick reminder of the side effects have prevented Frances from giving them another try.

When time permits, we like to land travel around areas that we find particularly special and Kirkenes was one of them. There was no real savings by taking the bus so we opted for the freedom of a rental car. We drove to the Sami museum at the head of the fjord. The museum was well put together and we were surprised how similar the Sami artifacts were to the Viking’s.

Before returning to Snow Dragon we drove to a lush farming area beside the Pasvik river whose deepest point marks the Russian-Norwegian border. Norwegian boats that cross the poorly marked line, face either a reprimand from the Russians or a fine from the Norwegians. On the Norwegian side there were tidy farms while the Russian was woodland and industrial buildings. The area near the river was rich with bird life including a flock of cranes, that stopped for a short rest in one of the fields before continuing their migration.

Looking across the Pasvik river into Russia

Getting Snow Dragon out of Kirkenes took a lot of patience and muscle power. As Krystina cranked the winch to bring the anchor up, she realized that the chain had wrapped itself around something. After motoring around in circles to untangle the chain, we discovered that the anchor was snagged. A local diver offered to help but we assured him that that we would be able to get it up. With an image of a sunken Russian war ship playing through our mind, we were surprised when the anchor came up with only a heavy mooring chain attached. The diver returned to check on us just as we were about to remove the chain and was impressed that we were able to resolve the problem ourselves. 

For more photos please click on Kirkenes Album. 

Visiting The Border

Full moon coming into Ytre Smastraumen

We arrived at our anchorage, Ytre Smastraumen, just after sunset. The bay turned out to be deeper than specified on our chart and after exploring every inch, we decided that anchoring deep was our only option. A full moon and clear skies made it possible for us to take our time while we looked for a good spot.

The landscape had changed since leaving Vardo. The hills were bubblier and more complex. Our hike on the hospitable granite hills made our trip east well worth the effort. Aside from the pleasant terrain, there was a high density of cranberries, blueberries and nagoons, which we stopped and picked in the rain.

After our nice hike we returned to find our dinghy floating eighty feet from shore. When the tide came up, the log that she had been tied to floated away. Luckily we had used a stern anchor and there was no danger of loosing her. Since Frances had made the decision to tie to the log, she felt obligated to brave the cold water and fetch our only way back to Snow Dragon. 

Snow Dragon sailing toward the Russian border

Before moving on to Kirkenes, Snow Dragon had to have a closer look at Russia, four miles to the east. We knew intellectually that the border would not be dramatic but it still was surprising to see the same gentle, bubbly hills continue. The only indication that we did not want to cross without proper paper work were the Norwegian and Russian guard stations on opposing sides.

A gentler reminder was the 19^th century stone church which the Norwegians erected to mark their territory. The only surprise was the nice sandy beach beside the church. Thirty knots of cold wind prevented any thought of sunbathing on the white sand and we turned around after coming within a half mile of the sea border.  

19th century church

For more photos of Ytre Smastraumen and the Russian Border please click on Border Album.

Short Stay, Warm Welcome

Hills behind Indre Haven

Our delayed arrival in Kongsfjord meant that we had no time to explore the area. The sun was setting behind small, shapely hills as we dropped anchor north of Indre Haven. The brief calm conditions forecast for the following day meant we needed to keep moving which meant leaving the anchorage early. As we left for Vardo we consoled ourselves with the thought of stopping at Indre Haven on our way back. 

The calm conditions ended up being more suitable for motoring than sailing. We were able to make good time and arrived in Vardo in the early afternoon. The town turned out to be a delight, the fishermen welcomed us to their dock and Snow Dragon felt at home alongside the local fishing fleet.

Snow Dragon at the dock in Vardo

Snow Dragon’s charm paid off and our freezer was quickly filled with king crab and haddock. With just the two of us on board it took awhile to get through our new stock and a few recipes were created along the way. Our favorite is crab and fennel in cheese sauce but crab cakes are a close second.

King crab is not native to Norway, as it is in Alaska. They were introduced by the Russians from Kamchatka and the crabs have been slowly making their way down the Norwegian coast. This unintentional “gift” from Russia has been viewed as a curse. As with any unnatural introduction, the crabs have been a source of negative impact on the environment, eating everything they can find. The king crab populations has grown rapidly and eradicating them is not an easy or viable solution. So the Norwegians will have to live with their new friends and make what profit they can off of them. 

Frances with king crab legs

For more photos of Indre Haven and Vardo please click on 

Vardo Album.

Nordkin Stops

Mehamn, a small fishing town located midway down the Nordkin Peninsula, was our first town stop once we returned to Norway. The people went out of their way to make us feel welcome. They were excited to see Snow Dragon in their harbor and invited us to stay as long as we would like.

The harbor was well protected and we found a nice shallow, out of the way anchor spot. With our anchor windlass out of action, it was even more attractive to find reasonable depth.   

Snow Dragon was still well stocked with food even though we had not been near a grocery store in over two months. It was nice not feeling the need to find the nearest store. We took out time wondering around town and picked blueberries before even thinking about buying groceries.

We only spent one night in Mehamn on our way east. Our aim was to explore the area near the Russian border and get back to Tromso before winter set in. The distances weren’t great but contrary winds and rough sea slowed our progress.

Our intention on leaving Mehamn had been to make it to Kongsfjord on the next peninsula. Wind on the nose and vicious sea made us rethink things. We ended up seeking protection in a small pool at the head of Risfjorden. The area was surrounded by a handful of holiday cabins, the remnants of an old fishing community.

While waiting for more favorable conditions we ventured ashore. The hills were full of wonderful vegetation, small ponds and a few reindeer. There were also the remains of the power polls that used to provide electricity to the community. Only one of the cabins was inhabited during our stay. With no road access and no electricity, it felt very remote.  

For more photos of Mehamn and Risfjorden please click on 

Mehamn Risfjorden Album. 

Svalbard Route

To give you a better idea of where our Svalbard posts took place we have included a hand drawn map with our route below. Along with a map key that  shows the corresponding posts.  

1. Hornsundfjord: Getting Acquainted With the Arctic

2. Barentsburg: Welcome to the USSR. I am Where?

2-3. Barentsburg-Longyearbyen: Pretty in Orange

3. Longyearbyen: The Big City

4. Pyramiden: Ice, Ice and More Ice, Perfect Town 

& Revenge of The Sea Ice

5-7. Scansbukta & Trighamma: No Post

8. Prince Karls Forland: Nap Time

9. Engelsbukta: Unusual Events

9-10. Engelsbukta-Blomstrandhamma: Whiteout

11. Ny Alesund: Last Stop

12. Magdalenefjord: The Harsh But Fragile Arctic 

& New Friends, Memorable Places

13-14. Danskoya: Farewell Fair Weather

15. Liefdefjord: A Taste Of Winter

16. Woodfjord: Cold Disappointment, Interesting Location

17. Mushamna: Remote Anchorage Complete With Company 

18. Moffin: No Post 

19. Sorgfjord: Turning Point

20. Murchisonfjord: Surprising Vardes

21-24. Hinlopen Strait: Final Attempt & Unexpected Overtime

24-25. Barentsoya: Bones and Flowers

26. Edgeoya: Beautiful Island, Strong Wind 

Four additional Svalbard posts not included above are Heading North (getting ready for Svalbard), North Across the Barents Sea (Norway-Svalbard), Sailing Across the Barents (Svalbard-Norway), Beyond the Photos (Svalbard Paintings)

Beyond The Photos

Frances painting at sea off Bjornoya

Besides photographs, watercolor paintings are another way that Snow Dragon’s travels are recorded. Frances endeavors to paint in every anchorage and in Svalbard she came close to meeting her goal.

Engelsbukta

To view more of Frances' paintings please click on Svalbard Paintings Album or check out her website francesbrann.com to view paintings from previous trips.

Sailing Across The Barents

The gentle bobbing off the southern tip of Spitsbergen turned into violent slamming when the wind and sea picked up, before returning to gentle bobbing. Eventually the wind stabilized and Snow Dragon settled into comfortable sailing but not before needing her engine to motor out of the strong current off of Bjornoya that was pushing us backwards.

Conditions in the Barents are always changing and thanks to a very good friend, we had daily Norwegian weather reports emailed to us that detailed wind strength and direction. As well as being able to pull in regular weather faxes on the SSB radio, that show the big picture. Knowing what winds were forecast helped us plan our course.

Our night watch schedule is generally informal. We aim to do three hour watches but often do longer ones depending on conditions and how we’re feeling. When watches are not active with sail and course changes or traffic, our time is spent reading in between regular checks for other vessels. What we read depends on the conditions. If it is rough, it needs to be something light.

The pilothouse is the most stable part of Snow Dragon and our favorite place to stand watch, hangout or sleep when underway. There are sleeping options on both sides so even when the boat is heeled there is usually a comfortable place to sleep.

Food is very important on a passage. We will usually make a meal in advance to get us through the first day while we adjust to being at sea. Some of our favorite underway meals are cauliflower cheese and leek and potato soup. By the third day we are usually eating normally and during our Barent’s crossing enjoyed sausage with red cabbage and mashed potatoes.

Our calorie needs vary radically during ocean crossings and we like to keep energy bars on hand for when conditions are demanding and we need to refuel quickly. Hydration is essential and we always have bottles of water with electrolyte within reach. Though our favorite form of hydration is tea and we are always coming up with inventive ways to keep the teapot from taking flight while underway.

As we headed south, wildlife was more pronounced than it had been during our trip up to Svalbard. Before loosing sight of Spitsbergen, a humpback whale appeared briefly and fluked. We found whales to be a rare sight in Svalbard and cherished this distant encounter.

Just south of Bjornoya, white beaked dolphins made a midnight appearance. And later that morning we saw our fist sunrise since May, brighten the horizon. Followed by an impressive sunset later that evening. After three months of twenty-four hour sun we were now being gently reintroduced to night.

During our last full day at sea, a migrating sandpiper hitched a brief ride. He appeared to be foraging for food and Krystina put some sesame cracker crumbs out on deck for him to snack on. Adjusting sails without disturbing the sandpiper was tricky but he did not seem to mind the brief interruption.

Six days after leaving Edgeoya, we made landfall at Oksefjord, on Norway’s Nordkinn peninsula. Fall was evident and we returned from shore with wild flowers and blueberries. Unfortunately, the fjord funneled the wind and chop directly into our anchorage, making us eager to move on after spending a couple days recovering from the passage.

For more photos of the passage please click on Passage Album. 

Blog Notice

Photos have been added to Farewell Fair Weather, Last Stop, New Friends, Memorable Places and Harsh But Fragile Arctic. A missing post, Whiteout, has also been added. 

Beautiful Island, Strong Wind

The west side of Edgeoya was spectacular and unpredictable. Shortly after arriving it began to rain. The rain quickly turned into sleet and settled as snow at higher elevations. By midnight the snow was fifty meters from sea level but the morning sun melted all traces of winter’s brief appearance.

Unusually little swell allowed for an easy beach landing and we were able to explore the area. From lush green terrain to basalt cliffs and flat rock with fossils, the landscape varied throughout our hike. On top of the mountain we found a tripod with scientific instruments and six ptarmigan, almost invisible in their brown summer plumage. There was no haze and we had a clear view of the glaciers and ice caps thirty-six miles away on Spitsbergen’s east coast.

On the way down we encountered two curious reindeer who showed no sign of being disturbed by us. In between mouthfuls of grass they wandered closer. Their antlers were still covered in velvet and they were close enough that photographing with a macro lens was not a disadvantage.  

The following day the wind started to pick up and by the time we decided to put more anchor chain out, it was blowing fifty knots and our anchor snubber had snapped from the force. On deck it was difficult to see and impossible to communicate. The wind drowned out our voices and the spray felt like sharp needles on our minimally exposed skin. In the process of letting out more scope, we destroyed our anchor windlass motor. Which meant that until we got back to civilization, the anchor would have to be pulled manually.     

Quest, an expedition ship came into the anchorage next to us, we called them on the radio and asked if they had a weather update. They informed us that wind would drop later in the evening and the captain recommended that we not move as there were 2.7 meter seas once outside the shelter of the island. The weather fax that we pulled in listed no gale warnings even though we had over forty-five knots of sustained wind. After thirty-six hours of strong wind and little sleep, conditions began to improve and we were able to get the dinghy on deck in preparation for moving. Our anchor was holding but the violent snatching made it impossible to sleep until the wind reduced to a sensible level.      

We left Edgeoya with the intention of going to Hornsund to visit the Polish Research Station before heading back to Norway. While Snow Dragon bobbed off the tip of Spitsbergen in little wind, we pulled in a weather fax and noticed good conditions for crossing the Barents Sea. It was now the end of August and solid weather windows were becoming rare. Though it would have been nice to see our friends at the Polish Research Station, we were not about to pass up the opportunity to cross the Barents with favorable wind.

For more photos of Edgeoya please click on Edgeoya Album. 

Bones and Flowers

The tidal current was against us when we entered Freemansund late in the evening. Instead of fighting it, we anchored on the northeast side of the passage and took the opportunity to explore the island of Barentsoya while we waited for the tide to turn. Before going to bed we made a quick shore trip and were surprised by the lush vegetation.

On the way back to the dinghy we discovered a polar bear skull and spine. The light was not great and we returned to shore the following morning to photograph the vegetation and polar bear remains in better light. An injured reindeer on the hill above got up briefly to check us out but soon returned to its resting position. The limp in his hind leg looked serious and it appeared unlikely that he would make it through the winter.

Back on the boat we sat down to have lunch. As we were looking out of the pilothouse window enjoying the view, a large male polar bear walked across the area where we had been photographing an hour before. To our surprise he walked right past the injured reindeer, obviously more interested in where he was going than finding food. Though his pace was casual, he covered ground quickly with his long stride.

That evening we transited Freemansund with a favorable tidal current and anchored in Sundbukta on the southeast side of Barentsoya. Submerged rocks and surge made getting to shore the following morning difficult but we eventually found a protected beach to land on. The hilly terrain provided poor creature visibility and we kept to the shore, minimizing our chances of surprising a polar bear. Neither of us had any desire to get a closer look at the sizable bear that we had seen the previous day.  

The ground was scattered with whale bones that had washed ashore from whaling stations in the vicinity. Their bleached white color and size made them easy to spot amongst the green and gold vegetation. Slabs of brown rock, kept us out of the mud and made for easy movement while we walked amongst the remains.

For more photos of Barentsoya please click on Barentsoya Album. 

Unexpected Overtime

By day three of our transit down Hinlopen Strait, we were feeling confident about making it through. After spending the previous two days trying to gain ground against the wind, Snow Dragon found herself enjoying a nice northerly breeze and was happily sailing downwind with little ice to worry about.

The view was humbling as we glided along Valhalifonna Glacier with its vast ice cliff staring down at us. Over four miles long, Valhalifonna was one of the most impressive glaciers that we have seen. Even the fog that began to set in could not detract from its powerful presence.

After the wall of ice and fog came the bird cliff Alkefjella. Birds filled the air around their favored nesting place. While others stopped for a rest on the drift ice which was becoming more prevalent as we continued south. Scanning the cliff, we saw an ambitious polar bear climbing the steep rock in search of eggs. The snow had almost disappeared from the cliff face and the intense green that took its place made it easy to spot the white bear. 

Towards the end of our day the terrain changed to dark, spiky volcanic rock. From an aesthetic point of view it was nice to see the dramatic change in landscape but the random variation in the contours continued underneath the water. Not only is good holding difficult to find with an uneven bottom, sudden dramatic changes in depth make looking for a spot potentially hazardous in an incompletely charted area.

We made several abortive attempts before finding consistent depth in the lee of the island Von Otter Oya near Hinlopen Glacier. After setting the anchor at midnight, we stayed up for a few hours to enjoy the bright sunlight and to unwind from the previous twelve hours of great sailing before going to sleep. Everything seemed peaceful but thirty minutes after we went to bed, a loud bang shook the boat and Krystina got up to find several ice sheets pushing against Snow Dragon. Frances immediately went out to pull the anchor and Krystina could hear the ice pushing up underneath Snow Dragon’s bow as she stowed the chain in the forepeak.

Anchorage at Von Otter Oya, shortly after leaving. 

Getting the anchor up from underneath the ice turned out to be the easy part. Our first instinct was to analyze the situation and come up with a course of action but when Krystina glanced over her shoulder and saw fog rolling in from the north, moving quickly become our only option. The last thing we needed was to be in a whiteout with ice pushing us towards land and not be able to see a lead through. 

Using her engine, Snow Dragon plowed away from the island before visibility decreased. Once a safe distance from land, she began picking through ice under sail. Our senses were on overload trying to listen for other ships and find leads. After five hours we sailed out of the fog and though the density of the ice was greater, it was much easier to see where we needed to go.

Frances managed to get a short nap but Krystina’s was cut short when Snow Dragon got stuck in the ice while under sail. She had firmly nestled herself into a large ice sheet that turned out not to be breakable. Though turning the engine on and reversing detached Snow Dragon from the ice’s embrace, it became evident that both of us needed to be on deck. One behind the wheel and the other scoping out leads from the foredeck, trying to differentiate between solid and breakable ice. Candy, copious amounts of tea and the concentration demanded by the task at hand, helped keep us awake. 

Though sleep was a constant thought, it did not prevent us from appreciating our surroundings. The sky was alive with color. Amongst the blue, bands of yellow and orange brightening the horizon. While the fog helped to emphasize Svalbard’s subtle beauty, drawing our attention to intricate, sculptural detail in the ice that confronted Snow Dragon. 

After twenty hours of pretending to be an icebreaker, the ice became manageable and we began looking for another anchorage. The north side of Barentsoya looked like a good spot. Shortly after settling in, the ice drifted down on us, leaving no choice but to keep moving.

We spotted Antarctic Dream, an expedition ship, and called them on the radio to see if they had a current ice report. They did and according to the latest ice chart, Hinlopen Strait and Freemansund were open water. Snow Dragon had been in ice up to eighty percent in Hinlopen and Antarctic Dream just to the east, was in fifty percent ice. After exchanging our views on the accuracy of the ice chart we continued to head for Freemansund, the passage between Barentsoya and Edgeoya, not knowing what we would find.

Forty hours after leaving our anchorage by Valhalifonna Glacier, we finally found a spot near Freemansund, on the east side of Barentsoya where we could safely stop and rest. Before dropping anchor Frances got the net out and retrieved a few small pieces of ice from the water for celebratory drinks. After toasting Dick Koopmans, for designing an amazing boat that always exceeds our high expectations, we enjoyed our much needed rest.

For more photos of Hinlopen Strait please click on Hinlopen Album. 

Final Attempt

After removing the kelp from our anchor we began making our way to Hinlopen Strait. Getting out of Murchisonfjord was an excellent warm up for the conditions we were likely to face in Hinlopen. The mouth of the fjord was packed with ice and Snow Dragon had to break and push her way through. There was not a lot of room to adjust our course due to islands, under water obstacles and seals laying out on the ice that we did not want to disturb.

The seals did not seem bothered by Snow Dragon’s presence and we would occasionally break our concentration on the ice to watch them nap or wiggle around on their chosen resting place. As Frances was watching one of the seals she saw a dark shadow and almost simultaneously the seal jumped in the water as a polar bear appeared. The bear leaped in the water after its prey but was unable to catch up with the slick seal.       

Once in Hinlopen we were happy to find the west side fairly clear. We were relieved to be finally heading down the straight but knew that at any point the ice conditions could change and force us to retreat. The wind was light and coming from the south. After tacking back and forth between the ice and not covering a lot of distance we decided to look for an anchorage.

Anchoring was a big unknown. We had scanned our charts, marking several possibilities but there are few official anchorages in Hinlopen and areas near the shore are rarely charted. In the end we found a nice uncharted bay with good holding.

Taking advantage of the calm conditions, we changed the fresh water pump and the alternator for the engine. The alternator was wearing out belts and had not been charging. Unfortunately the new parts did not resolve the charging problem but did reduce the wear on the belt which prevented the more serious problem of the engine overheating. This left Snow Dragon dependent on her generator as the only viable source of power.

A southerly breeze picked up the following morning and though it was not a favorable wind direction, Snow Dragon continued to work her way south under sail. The ice remained light on the western side of the passage but since we were tacking we came close to the heavy ice on the east side. When the wind died, we dropped anchor beside Valhalifonna Glacier with waterfalls cascading down its ice face and a sliver of sandy beach in the foreground.

Surprising Vardes

Our exploration at Murchisonfjord on Nordaustland was inspired by a varde, that peered down over our anchorage at Kinnvika.  Frances has a theory that vardes, Norwegian for cairn, are lonely and need company.  Or at least that is what she tells Krystina to convince her that going up a steep mountain is a good idea. Somehow the story about lonely piles of rocks needing a surprise visit never fails.

With our plan in place we had to wait long enough to make sure Snow Dragon was happy in her new ice filled anchorage. By the next morning we were confident that the ice was harmless and we set off for shore. Aware that the bay could potentially fill with more ice, we left our dinghy near Snow Dragon instead of going across the bay.

We didn’t get very far before another varde caught our attention. This varde looked particularly lonely sitting on its hill and we decided to pay a visit even though it was in the opposite direction of our intended route. It gave us a good view of the northwest corner of Nordoustland which was still surrounded by drift ice, making it easy to imagine the less than 600 miles of sea and ice that separated us from the North Pole. 

It was too windy to eat lunch with the varde so we headed back down and found a nice spot near a salt water lake that was out of the wind but still gave us decent polar bear visibility. Up to this point the terrain had been fairly easy and only slightly deteriorated to more uneven rock as we continued. With shades of red and yellow remaining evident in the landscape throughout our hike.  

As we made our way to the spine of the mountain, Krystina sensed something coming towards us and spun around. It was an arctic fox running up to us at full speed. The fox stopped just a few feet away and danced around. It was highly unusual behavior for an animal that is normally very shy. Frances stood there staring in disbelief while Krystina calmly rationalized the situation. At this point it was not clear what the fox’s intentions were or whether or not it was rabid. Krystina got a flare out of her pocket in case the fox needed encouragement to leave and reminded Frances that she might want to take some photos. 

The fox looked healthy and was either curious or had been fed by people. It was difficult not give it food but we knew that feeding it was the wrong thing to do. Instead we enjoyed its company until the fox grew tired of us and ran back towards the old scientific research station at the head of the bay.

After the fox left, we continued up to our inspirational varde where we ate our remaining sandwich and got a good look at the north end of Hinlopen Strait. We could see that the past two days of southerly wind had cleared most of the ice on the west side and decided that we would make an attempt the following day. 

On our way to leave, we caught sight of another varde, further out on the point. This time we tried to be reasonable, after all we had already walked a long way and our remaining food supply consisted of two caramels and a couple dried apricots. However, our sensible reasoning soon gave way to, “what the hell” and we altered course once again to accommodate another varde into our afternoon stroll.    

This one overlooked the ice scattered Murchisonfjord and a spectacular large ice cap that peaked through the snow patched mountains. As an added bonus our path down took us past another varde, giving us one more look at the tempting lead down Hinlopen. Mosquitoes prevented us from lingering and we briskly walked back down to avoid being bitten.

Four vardes and fifteen miles later, we made it back to Snow Dragon who was surrounded by sea ice. Before we could contemplate how we were going to get on board, the ice sheet at her stern politely moved out of the way just long enough for us to the pull the dinghy up and Snow Dragon spent another peaceful night with the ice gently moving around her. 

 For more photos of Murchison please click on Murchisonfjord Album.