My dad recently sent me this article:
It’s about how a recent flood in Auyuittuq National Park has caused it’s closing; the flood was brought on by climate change. Auyuittuq park is basically a giant icefield, so if the water melts, the park is toast. This flood wiped out the only bridge in the park, meaning that you can no longer get up to the heart of the park. It may sound strange, but this park is totally inaccessible without that bridge. I know, because I was there in 2002. Here’s a photo of me on the bridge (I’m the yellow speck in the middle):
Notice all the giant rocks that are there-and how they’re all gone in the image above. Must have been one hell of a flood. Here’s another shot with dad on the bridge:
[As an aside, a few years later my dad found himself hiking in Bolivia – where they had exactly the same bridge. It turned out it was a gift from Parks Canada]
The fact that the park is closed is a true tragedy. It’s one of the most rugged and beautiful places I’ve ever been. And sadly, now it’s closed indefinitely. Here are a few shots of it; they’re the closest you’re going to get any time soon:
That’s dad in the middle with Mount Thor in the background (the sheer face). To get up this far, you need to hike through a meandering valley:
Part of the charm of the park is that there are glaciers everywhere:
They’re the fringes of an icefield that is a few hundred square kilometers in size. It would literally stretch from Oakville to Oshawa and Aurora to Lake Ontario. Here’s a shot from Google Maps; the “A” is Pangnirtung. It’s over an hour’s boat ride from the entrance to the park:
Here’s one last shot. Let’s hope that the park opens again soon – I, for one, want to go back.
