<--- Previous Story: Coppermine canoe trip

We begin just a stone's throw from the edge of the ice cap. A helicopter has landed us here at 3,000 feet. The peaks to the east are covered in glaciers and fresh snow. After the helicopter leaves, we are left alone in the immense stillness of rock and ice - a feeling that we relish.

Our first and only hill. We estimate 30 minutes to the top. We are excited about this first climb because it will take us up onto the ice cap plateau.

The sleds are fairly heavy, and on this ascent they are difficult to pull. The early evening begins to chill as the sun drops lower in the sky, but our exertions keep us warm. It feels great to finally be on our way.

With only the blue sky meeting a white horizon, we have nothing for scale, nothing to show our progress.

Four hours and 2,000 feet later we reach the top of the hill.

At 9:30 PM we call it a day and pitch the tent. I remove the baskets from the ski poles and use the ski poles as stakes. I also use my skis as stakes. Finally, I pile snow on the snow skirt.

The temperature plummets and everything freezes solid. In the morning we work for an hour digging the ski poles and skis out, and removing the rock-hard snow off the skirt.