Interdependence in East Greenland - Day 3
After another hearty lodge breakfast, it’s time. Five nights in the raw, untamed wilderness are calling. But first? Capping off our gear check and paddling out across the fjord. We suit up! Waterproof layers, booties, PFDs, spray skirts locked in, warm beanies tugged low, and pogies (gloves made out of dry suit material) snapped onto our paddles. Matt, the lodge owner, gives us a quick boat shuttle to bypass a wind-whipped stretch that might give our crew a big sweat. Off the boat, British guide Teresa takes the lead with Jukku by our side.
The moment the boat drops us off and pulls away, reality hits me: This is it… Just us, the wild, and the open air. We’ve been dreaming, planning, and waiting for this moment for months. For one quick second, panic spikes, a sharp, quiet "what did I get myself into?"—and then the sheer, breathless beauty of the landscape takes over. Panic is gone. The game is on, let’s go!
The paddle turns out to be pure bliss. Quiet, rhythmic, steady. The sky is as blue as it gets, and the wind stays low, giving us hours of smooth gliding. We pull up on a gravelly beach for a quick breather, jump back in, and push toward our prize: the glacier ahead. Lunch tastes extra sweet with a wall of ancient ice in front of us, and then it’s one final push on the water to our night-one beach camp.
Landfall! John meets us by boat with the gear haul, but there’s a hitch! My dry bag got left behind at the lodge. No panic, just solution mode: Jukku instantly steps up, hitches all the kayaks to his boat, and heads back with Teresa to retrieve it. As the day ends the fog makes a move onto us. In a few minutes we can’t see a thing.
I am cold and I put aaall my layers on. 8 of them! plus a pair of gloves, a (red) beanie and a down blanket around my legs.
short sleeve merino tshirt
long sleeve merino base layer
mid layer with a hood
wind breaker
puffer down jacket
waterproof jacket with a hood
long parka
While they’re on the run, the rest of us scout the tundra for flat ground. Soft, mossy carpet underfoot. We already know tonight’s sleep is going to be good. John gives us the rundown on setting up the expedition tents. It’s methodical work, but we pitch all seven as a team, getting every stake secured against the elements.
Lisa
Bethany
Lisa (Mel in the back)
John
Jukku
By the time the camp is set, John has a steaming pot of chili con carne ready to recharge us. Dinner conversation is electric. We pepper John with a million questions, eager to soak up every ounce of his wilderness wisdom. Before turning in, we lock down the night roster: polar bear watch. Everyone takes an hour shift in the dark to keep camp safe. Jukku takes the first shift, John takes the morning shift (with breakfast prep duty attached!), and I nab the 12:30 to 1:30 AM slot.
Alarm set, I crawl into my tent, unwinding in a whole tent to myself after an epic first day. Tomorrow, the big boots come out for a full day of hiking.
