In February, we appreciate every clear and sunny day. Yesterday, Ingkasi and I went out dog sledding – into the sunshine! Let me take you with us, just for a moment….
After some time, as we turn away from the trail and continue uphill, the dogs slow down. Even at -20 degrees celsius, I can feel the sunshine, slightly warming my face.
It`s time to stop and have a look around.
Ingkasi is looking for Polar Bears, and finds a female with 2 youngsters on the sea ice, far away. Too far to capture trough my camera!
The dogs still have lots of energy left when we turn around!
At some point in the afternoon, the warmth of the sunshine seems to be gone. Then, I usually hide inside of several layers of hats and hoods, to stay warm.
The dogs have no such problems. Their thick coat protects them perfectly from this harsh environment.
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Today, we went out again. It`s always encouraging to spend time with my powerful four-legged friends!
This time we headed towards Kap Hope.
Outside Ittoqqortoormiit 
I’m so so jealous. Chris
I understand 🙂 but this made me think – maybe it would make you feel better, if I would write about the many blizzards we had this winter, that kept us inside our small house for many hours! Well, at least I have mentioned it now :-).
Danke für die Vorschau, Ruth! 😉
Gern geschehen 🙂
Thank you so much for that photo essay. It’s very strange to me seeing no grass or trees. My beagle is very much excited to get out with her nose constantly to the ground. You don’t walk a beagle. It’s nothing but stop-and-go all the time. Stop-sniff-and go repeatedly.
Years ago I read Winter Dance by Gary Paulsen chronicling his maiden 1,180 mile Iditarod race. I found it fascinating but not something I would ever want to attempt. I can dress well for the cold but don’t really enjoy it. I can’t say I enjoy the excessive heat and humidity I sometimes live in either though.
Keep the photos coming please. I would enjoy seeing an essay around the arrival, unloading and distribution of goods from the seasonal cargo ships sometime if you would.
Thanks you for sharing your thoughts, and suggestions! As for me, I fell in love with winter and snow when I learned to go backcountry-skiing and winter camping in Norway, in my 20`s ! It was such a fun challenge and made me happy, to be out in nature. It is much colder to sit on a sledge though, as we do in Greenland, then skiing or doing other activities in the cold. But layering usually works well 🙂
My first cold camping experience was in the Boy Scouts. Apparently our adult leaders were not too qualified. We pitched our tent with a gap between the bottom and the ground. The wind blew in with snow all night. We were warm in out sleeping bags but snow in the tent is no fun. I know what you mean about being active in the cold. It does make a difference keeping your blood circulating well. As I have aged, I have less tolerance for cold than I used to have. Around here in the lower midwest, many people don’t understand the concept of layering. They just throw on a big thick coat and don’t have enough trapped air insulating them. Down is a true miracle. What do you use on the inside that has the insulating loft of down?
Do you get much sun in February?
Yes, we do – it gets dark around 5-6 pm, so we have long days already. I have to do some more research on your other question, though!
Enjoying the sun after a long winter must be amazing. How many minutes of sun is added to each day this time of year?
I love your blog. I feel like I am experiencing it too! I am thinking with so many dogs it must be very expensive to feed them? Or is food mainly from hunting?
Hi Christina, sorry for such a late reply – well, yes, it is expensive to feed the dogs. But then, if I lived somewhere else, I would probably use that same money on fuel for a car, or public transportation – which I don`t have too, in Ittoqqortoormiit. The dogs are my transportation, for more then half of the year 🙂 . Professional hunters, like my husband, do feed them mainly from hunting. But he is also buying dog-food in addition to that. I buy most of the food my dogs consume at the local store.
Hi Ruth, Ingkasi!
This is a great blog you have for viewers around the globe, amazing photos.
I work for a company, Ray Fine Enterprises, you can check out the link provided. We are located in Canada and we represent a few big Canadian Brands. We have partners located in Greenland and are always looking for new culural contacts/reference users to either help promote our stuff and/or stand in for us at big events like the Arctic Winter Games for example.
E-mail me if you are interested in chatting! We would love to have you on board with us in the future.
Paulina
Hi Paulina, thank you for your message! I did have a look at Ray Fine Enterprises homepage. It would be interesting to connect with you!
Ruth
I am coming to visit Ittorqortoormit in the first week of April for two weeks dog sledding it with Nanu Travel, any good advice???
So exciting! The weather forecast looks very good right now, so I would simply say – Enjoy – and don`t forget to bring your sun glasses and some sun cream 🙂
Oh it was u then I saw down the frozen bridge with the fresh Nanu cuts!!! I didn’t take fully ur advice & got me eyes sun burnt!!! u might remember?!?!
Unfortunately the last Nanu was taken a day before we left!!!
And unbeknown to u there were a group of German tourists too…and I think increasingly u will see them a lot…
May have to find u on the next trip instead of Nanu Travel as u guys seems like fun!!!
Cheers & enjoy the coming spring!!!
Hi again – for some reason I can`t comment directly to your second comment. Yes, it was Ingkasi and me, talking to you down by the bridge 🙂 I hope your eyes are back to normal by now… You are welcome to contact us, if you consider coming back to Ittoqqortoormiit another time. Take care 😉
I won’t survive an hour in that weather for sure even on a ton of curry. 🙂
You knever know, until you´ve given it a try 🙂