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At the top of Pangnirtung Pass are Summit Lake and Glacier Lake. Each of these lakes is
approximately 4 or 5 miles in length. Rather than hike along the boulder fields, clamber
over moraines, and wade through cold streams, we decided that it would be much easier to
walk on the frozen lakes.
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| Glacier Lake.
Looking down the length of Glacier Lake, towards Summit Lake, we saw that the entire lake
was still frozen solid. It was early July, and daytime temperatures were about 60 F (17 C) -
much warmer than we had anticipated.
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| Onto Glacier Lake.
Although the lake was frozen solid, the ice had broken up and melted along the shoreline.
We got a 4 AM start to beat the heat of the sun, and then used several floating chunks of
ice to ferry ourselves from the shore onto the frozen lake surface.
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| Crossing Glacier Lake.
Once we were onto the frozen lake surface, the hiking was straightforward. Once the sun
rose a bit higher in the sky, it became quite hot, with the white ice reflecting both heat
and light back at us. The triangular outline of Mt Thor can be seen in the distance.
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| Mt Asgaard.
Mt Asgaard is one of the most recognizable features in the Park. It is surrounded by
glaciers, but can easily be reached with a bit of caution later in August when the
snow has receded and exposed the crevasses, so that one can safely go around them.
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| The Backpack.
On an extended hike, this is your best friend and your worst enemy. Without all the
supplies and equipment inside it, you wouldn't survive long out here; but, at 90 lbs
(40 kilos), it was painful shouldering it each morning. The basic contents included 3
weeks of food, tent and sleeping gear, clothes good to several degrees below freezing,
ice axe and crampons, and loads of camera gear.
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| Sunset.
Once you're past the Arctic Circle, you have 24 sunlight. I've gone 3 continuous weeks
wearing my sunglasses, morning, noon, and night. But once you're into mid August, the
sun starts dipping below the horizon, and with a bit of luck you can get some interesting
lighting. This is the town of Pangnirtung.
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