Well, today was the day! I was driven to the “launch” where the tundra buggies travel back and forth to the tundra so I could catch a ride on a “foremost” out to the Tundra Buggy Lodge. The foremost is one of the service tundra buggies that carries supplies back and forth to the lodge. It is really tall with huge wheels, and what a ride!
The journey was bouncy and reminded me of traveling on rural African roads, only these roads were covered with snow. The landscape was amazingly beautiful…stark and white and breathtaking. Just last week there was no snow…only dirt on the tundra. This is very late for the winter to begin in this area. But, six inches of snow fell yesterday, and it is beginning to snow now with more predicted overnight.
It wasn’t long before my first bear sighting…and then another…and another! What beautiful creatures they are. Two cubs were sauntering behind their mother, and other bears were walking around by themselves. Other tundra buggies were stopped to observe bears, and we watched them for a while before continuing on so as not to disturb the bears while the tourists on the buggies were outside on the buggy decks taking photos.
So, the Tundra Buggy Lodge stays in one location, and then during the day, some of the tundra buggies detach and drive out on the tundra to find bears. The buggies then return to the lodge at lunch and again at dinner. Tundra Buggy One is the research buggy in which I am riding with the scientists, and they often stay out all day, taking their lunch with them.
Once I arrived at Buggy One, I was so excited to meet my new PBI family of friends–Don (Dr. Donald
Moore of the Smithsonian National Zoo), Tom (Dr. Thomas Smith, Brigham Young University), Geoff (Geof York of the World Wildlife Fund), and B.J. Kirschhoffer (Tundra Tech Guru of the Arctic). After introductions, we immediately departed for the tundra and parked by a sleeping bear. This particular bear spent the rest of the afternoon sleeping on a bed of kelp, waking occasionally to yawn and stretch and look around, then he went right back to sleep. We didn’t travel any further because we all had work to do.
So, the remainder of the day was spent testing videoconferences, webcasts, iChat A/V, and much more in preparation for the live broadcasts we are conducting this week. Like all technology endeavors, there were some issues. But, with the help of B.J., the “Tundra Techie Guru,” we were able to resolve them! Hooray for B.J.!!
After the sun went down, we drove Buggy One back to the lodge where we ate dinner (it was delicious) with some very interesting and friendly guests at the lodge. We then watched one of the naturalists give a presentation on polar bears which was extremely interesting.
So, after a fabulous day traveling the tundra, riding in a tundra buggy, seeing my first polar bear in the wild, and making great new friends, it is time to crawl into my bunkbed and go to sleep. The wind is blowing and rocking the buggy, snow is falling, and bears are huddled down somewhere outside my window. What an amazing place to spend the night and dream of furry white bears snuggled down in soft, downy snow. This truly is a winter wonderland!
