Questions & Answers Week 07
Every week Team GoNorth! answers ten questions related to the module topic from student explorers -- so stay tuned and submit YOUR questions!
We use dogs for many different reasons. Some of them are...
First of all you get much closer to the land when you travel by dog team, You see things - like wildlife - you will never see from a snow machine.
You also get closer to the people. The areas where we travel traditionally used dog teams as their primary mode of transportation. When we pull into communities with the dog teams we are always welcomed, because we come by dog team. The Elders love to see the big dogs again, and so do the students!
We also travel in places - wilderness - where it is not possible, way more difficult or dangerous to travel by vehicles.
The good thing about dogs is they never break down! We travel in very remote areas, often where you can not get a lot of help, there are no "gas station" around the corner to fuel up or get a new engine. As long as you love your dogs and make sure they are well feed, they just keep trucking.
The areas in which we travel - like the tundra - also tends to be very fragile. We leave less impact by traveling by dog teams.
Finally we find that the Polar Huskies are very important for our education programs. We all seem to learn better when guided by the dogs!
I love the dogs! But with all the trouble you have been having getting the dogs into Chukotka, why do you use dogs rather than vehicles?
Britney
Lakseshore
7th Grade
our computer lab
No, we have never been lost so we were not able to find our way. But we have been in situation, where we have decided to make camp to analyze if we were where we thought, and which way to continue.
While we are traveling we make very sure we constantly know where we are on the map, using our compass and vision; as well as if necessary our GPS (global positioning system). We have tried that the GPS told us wrong information, that we miscalculated our compass and that we had to back track.
Check out Compass in the A to Z section, for more on navigation.
Have you ever gotten lost on an expedition?
Tyler
As you can read on the Windchill page in the A to Z section there are 4 degrees of frost bites, the mildest being a "frost nip".
On a 3 month expedition Paul and Mille did in 1992 they had a British team member "Martin Hignell". On the expedition one day Martin froze the tip of every finger on his right hand severely. He had a 3rd degree frostbite. But he was very lucky - he still has all his fingers today.
If you get severely frost bitten it means you can't work as hard as part of the team because you have an "injury". So, we are embarrassed when we get frost bites. It is a pride to be so good at taking care of yourself while out on the expedition that you avoid frost bites!
Has anyone's toes or fingers ever frozen? (literally)
Matt
We are very rarely riding on the sled.
Most of the time you will find us on skis next to the sled. We have what is called a "tow-rope" on each side of the sled. Each rope is attached to the front end of the sled, and is the full length of the sled going back to the handlebar of the sled. We hang on to this rope with one hand, and onto the handlebar with the other hand, while we are skiing in between. Now, it is called a "tow-rope", but we are not suppose to be towing. We ski to keep the pace. This keeps us warm, we are helping by "moving" our own weight, at the same time we can steer the sled.
If not skiing, you can find us running or walking next to the sled. Or pushing on the sled if we are in difficult conditions. Or out in front of the dogs on snow-shoes if we are traveling in deep snow.
If you're not riding on the sled, what are you doing?
Noel
Our skis are indispensable in getting us from one place to another -- and keeping up with the dogs in the deep snow. They aren't heavy duty mountaineering skis, and yet they aren't flimsy, either. They are shaped much like a telemark ski, providing rigidity and, hence, stability. Much like the skis keep us moving, our mukluks keep us warm. So, we have special bindings on the skis, perfect for the foot of a mukluk. As for waxing...it wouldn't be much use on the trail. A frozen wax is useless. We don't use climbing skins but rather fishscales. The middle of the base of each ski is not smooth like the rest of the ski. It is rough, marred with little indentations, allowing us to get traction when we need it most.
I love to downhill ski!!! What kind of skis do you use on the trail? Are they like heavy duty mountaineering skis? Do you have special boots to ski in, or are your bindings set up to work with the mukluks? How about waxing...do you have to wax 'em up or do you use climbing skins?
Ryan
