Stay at Eureka Weather Station

We had to stop proceeding into snowy, precipitous mountains; we were picked up by Twin Otter and transported to Eureka.

Ohba checking the slope angle of a mountain (before the pickup)

Ohba returning from the research of the mountain

Due to a large slope angle, it was very difficult to march into the mountain (before the pickup)

Stepan and Ohba go route searching (before the pickup)

Ohba returning from the route search

The team had to stop as the deep snow and the steep mountains blocked their way (before the pickup)

Eureka is a Canadian Government's weather station. Al the base manager of the station let us stay and use facilities here until we are ready to continue the expedition.

This area is famous for arctic wolves. Al showed me the pictures of the wolves he took around here. To my surprise, these white wolves wonder around this building, sometimes even look into the windows. And they don't have any problem approaching human in 1m distance. They have the similar looks of Eskimo dogs and they are very friendly to human like domestic dogs. Their behaviors looked far from those of wild animals. However they are said to sometimes kill and feed on one another. So they have not really lost their instinct as a wild animal. They do not attach human. I have a respect for them who for a long time have been living in this arctic environment.

The history of Eureka started in 1947 when it was built as a Canadian Government's weather station. It is situated around 80° N 86° W in the middle of a S-shaped Eureka Sound which is extending north and south. To be more precise it is located north west of Fosheim Peninsula.

Trees have been found near Eureka. It tells that long time ago the surroundings were woods. Al at the weather station showed us a display of related materials. There are two kinds on display in glass cases: one that is almost fossilized and another that is still remaining as tree. He also showed us pictures where photographed are the remaining root of the trees about 30cm to 50cm in diameter lining up like a tree-line road. What a surprise. Now a barren wilderness this tundra world once was verdant woods filled with greenery. I can't help but feel the length of earth history.