Trip Report - by Daniel J. Cox, Interpretive Guide

It was the first year, out of the nearly 20 I've been coming to Churchill, that we spent only one week out at the Cape. A changing climate has made it necessary to shorten the Cape Churchill trip but our abbreviated adventure meant our time there was even more special and an event to cherish.

2008 was one of the darkest years I can remember as far as light goes. There were bears galore however so we were never short on photographic subjects. Along with the polar bears we had spectacular opportunities with the willow ptarmigan and even a couple of arctic fox made an appearance. An additional bonus was about half way through the week, on the same day, within fifteen minutes of each other, we had a gyr falcon and a snowy owl to photograph. They were both sitting on the gravel esker near the coast and each gave us nearly ideal photo opportunities. I’ve never even seen a gyr falcon in Churchill let alone have the chance to take its picture. Or I should say others had the chance to take its picture. Many of our guests shot some very beautiful images.

As is almost always the case, our last morning at the Cape dawned bright and clear. We were fortunate to have one half morning shooting in beautiful warm rays of the sun. I’ve always wondered why, each season, this beautiful light appears on our last day. Interestingly there is good reason for what seems like bad luck. As the cap of ice conceals the murky dark waters below it closes off the massive moisture machine of the Hudson. Gone are the billowing clouds of steam that rise constantly into the icy atmosphere. With the cloud maker capped, blue skies prevail and the warmth of our heavenly sphere know as the sun casts its low angle rays across the tundra landscape.

The Cape trip ended with many bears still hanging around. It was the warmest year at the Cape I had ever experienced. Hopefully it wasn't long after we pulled the camp and headed back to Churchill that the ice froze solid and the bears began to hunt. It was another amazing season at Cape Churchill.