7 August 2014 Risk Assessment 101

Today was a day about decisions. Last night, the team decided that we would be doing an all day hike to a glacier in the distance. The hike would take us over multiple steep glacial moraines and onto a glacier. Our goal of the hike was to collect vegetation at different locations as well as samples erratics perched on the bedrock outcrops.

As tempting as this hike sounded, I needed to assess my personal limits. I am not completely confident with my footing and balance on steep inclines. I decided that I would chat with Jason in the morning and let him know that I opted not to join them.

I explained my concerns with Jason this morning and he was extremely receptive. Before I gave him the final word, he wanted to assess the landscape with me and hear my feelings. By the end, I decided that I would try to join them with a plan B and C in my back pocket if I became uncomfortable.

As we took our water ferry across Gnat Lake (the inflatable boat) I found myself excited, anxious, nervous but also confident because I had an alternative.

As we worked our way up the glacial moraines I was surprised that I kept going and going. It was difficult hiking, but still do-able. By the time we reached the top of the first moraine I was blown away by the scenery ahead of me. I was also treated with Greenland blueberries - the sweetest treat one could imagine. After some sample collecting, we started to make our way to the glacier edge. The terrain was unsettled and rock hopping was difficult because the boulders had not yet settled into place.

That first step onto the glacier was exhilarating! Before long, we were hiking across the glacier being aware of the streams of water flowing downhill. Eventually we reached small rivers of melted glacial water cascading down through the glacier. i have never seen a blue color more beautiful in my life. At one point, we stopped to fill our water bottles with true Glacial Water - cool, crisp and refreshing.

After a bit of looking around, we decided to descend off of the glacier. Going down was much quicker than going up. Eventually, we reached terra firma (however not as firm as one would expect) and began to hike along part of the glacier that was calving. I had just mentioned how the ground felt like quicksand when 'whoosh' both feet went straight down. By the time I pulled myself out of the mud, my lower half was caked with glacial sludge… I had been christened. As we reached the top of the last large moraine we were created with a caribou watching us with curiosity. As we stood there, the caribou went through a series of antics trying to communicate and get a sense of the situation. At one point he was within 4 yards of the team. Eventually, feeling not threatened, he left.

We continued our trek back to base camp with only one last hurdle for me - rock hopping in glacial streams. As the team learned, I am not a graceful rock hopper, but I made it over eventually.

You might notice that there are no pictures attached. In the chaos of the decisions of the morning, I grabbed my camera but not the battery or card. Therefore, today was a day that I was to take in the big picture, grow from my experiences.

Lessons learned: know your limits, communicate, communicate, communicate, and persevere. The awards are out of this world!