Baffin Island: Day 1

Word Count: 9,024

Summary of Events:

Yukon and his friends loaded everything into the helicopter and set out for Baird Peninsula. Upon arriving they unpacked their things and settled down to have supper . . . only to realise that the coolers containing their food were nowhere to be found. His friend who piloted the helicopter went to go back to Iqaluit to get the food, only to have the helicopter fail. After some work his friend determined that the failure was something he couldn't fix without parts from Iqaluit, leaving the group to decide whether they wanted to wait to be found or head back on foot . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

""I though we came here to have fun, though," Ryan said. "Walking for three weeks doesn't sound like fun to me."

"I don't know about you," JT said. "But all things considered, I don't feel like I could have all that much fun either way: hoping that someone will bring us our food or come find us when we're done, or having to go for a three week walk after we spend two weeks here."

"We wouldn't want to wait two weeks before setting out for home," Yukon said.

"But if we tried to stay here and have fun for two weeks, considering the situation, I wouldn't want to have to be looking forward to a wait of unknown length or a three week walk," JT said. "I don't think any of us are in the mood to just have fun anymore."

Everyone around the fire shook their head.

"So then we're presented with the options: do we just want to wait here, spending our days hunting for our meals, waiting for someone to show up either with our food or to convey us home; or do we want to start heading home?" Yukon asked.

"I don't think we should head home straight away," Josh said. "I mean, there is the possibility someone's seen our food."

"Yeah, but still," Yukon said.

"I say we should wait at least two days before setting out, just in case someone has seen our food," Josh said. "And if someone arrives with our food then we're set and we stay here for the rest of the time — because we'd tell them about what happened and they can bring us the part and then we'll be able to go home — and if not, then we go home."

Yukon shifted his jaw.

"That sounds reasonable," Alex said.

Ben nodded.

"I mean, we should give it a chance," Ryan said. "After all, I don't really want to go for a big long hike if we don't have to."

"Exactly," Kyle said.

"Why should we wait two days?" Yukon asked.

"Well, because there's the possibility that someone's seen the food today and will bring it to us tomorrow," Josh replied. "However, there is also the possibility that Dad will only notice it tomorrow morning, and because he'll have the trip with the researchers he probably won't be able to bring it to us until the day after."

"If it's not noticed in two days then it's not worth waiting around for," JT said.

Yukon shifted his jaw again.

"Exactly," Josh said. "We'll probably end up eating more hunting than the food we prepared for the trip than we prepared for the trip by that point."

"Are we sure it will only take three weeks?" Ben asked.

"Yes," Yukon replied. "I looked at my topographic map, and the terrain isn't all that rough along the route we'd take. I mean, there are some difficult bits, but they shouldn't really slow us down all that much. At most it'll take us a month.""