Who wants to take a walk? - Arctic Circle Trail
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wrote on 13 Jun 2020, 01:47 last edited by taiwan_girl
Who want to take a walk along the Arctic Circle?
The arctic circle trail is a trail that is entirely above the arctic circle in west Greenland.
i had this on my list to maybe do this this summer, but have obviously decided not to. Maybe summer 2021 or 2022. The plan was to do probably in mid August. Would like to still do it but who knows. For sure, have never done anything this extended (and of course, I was not planning on going by myself), but I think it is doable.
Quote from a website
âGreenlandâs Arctic Circle Trail is often listed as one of the best long-distance hikes in the world. The trail stretches up to 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the edge of the ice cap to the fishing town of Sisimiut on the West coast.
Depending on fitness levels and the specific route chosen, it can take anywhere between 7-12 days to complete. Spread along the trail are some basic wooden huts for bad weather, but packing a tent is recommended.
Only about 1000 people hike the trail every year, so while you may run into other hikers, itâs possible to go days without seeing a fellow human. The normal hiking season is from June to August.âFrom my research, it is not a high technical hike, the difficulty is that between the start and finish, there is absolutely nothing there, so you have to be self sufficient for the whole time. Seems like it would be very cool to do!!!
Here are some pictures (not mine of course, but taken from a website).
For any hiking people on this forum board, below is my basic equipment that I have now. Things may change, but I have been pretty happy with the below so far used on shorter hikes:
Backpack Deuter ACT SL Lite 60 + 10
Sleeping Pad Klymet Static V Insulated
Sleeing Bag Kelty Cosmic 20
Emergency GPS Garmin InReach
H2O Filter Sawyer Squeeze (though I have read that all water is safe to drink direct)
Tent REI Passage 2
Stove Jetboil Minimo
Gaiters Rocky Mountain High Trail
Trekking Poles Leki CristalloWe could have the furthest north piano forum party ever!!! 5555
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wrote on 13 Jun 2020, 02:55 last edited by
Sure TG, let's do it!
Hope it's OK to bring an offroad motorcycle. Looks perfect for that, and nothing sounds better than the whine of a 2-cycle, blue smoke wafting gently through the pristine air.Done deal. Everyone that wants to go, let's meet by the tree.
(Seriously, looks beautiful and would be one heck of a life experience, done with friends would result in lots of wonderful memories)
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wrote on 13 Jun 2020, 04:14 last edited by
I. Would. Be. Most. Down.
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wrote on 13 Jun 2020, 06:26 last edited by Klaus
Wow, you make the coolest vacations, TG!
What about food? Do you have to take all food with you? What about emergencies?
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wrote on 13 Jun 2020, 08:02 last edited by
I have never taken a hiking vacation before, but would love to do this. 2021 or 2022? That should give me enough time to get in shape for 2 week hike.
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wrote on 13 Jun 2020, 12:07 last edited by
Remarkable vistas. Weather is great for hiking that time of year, too.
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wrote on 13 Jun 2020, 12:31 last edited by
Beautiful.
Do they let you shoot anything?
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I have never taken a hiking vacation before, but would love to do this. 2021 or 2022? That should give me enough time to get in shape for 2 week hike.
wrote on 13 Jun 2020, 16:10 last edited by@Friday said in Who wants to take a walk? - Arctic Circle Trail:
I have never taken a hiking vacation before, but would love to do this. 2021 or 2022? That should give me enough time to get in shape for 2 week hike.
The PCT is right there! You gotta do at least part of it!
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Wow, you make the coolest vacations, TG!
What about food? Do you have to take all food with you? What about emergencies?
wrote on 13 Jun 2020, 16:58 last edited by taiwan_girl@Klaus Have to take all your own food.
You can make your own "freeze dried" food. It is not too bad. The problem with this hike is how much to carry. 1 kg per day? Probably a bit less.
As for emergency, that is why I have the emergency GPS. However, from what I have read, you could be up to 24 hours from getting a help to your location. The Garmin InReach has a emergency locator button that works off satellites so covers 100% of the globe.
Fortunate, that you are not doing mountain climbing, etc. The topographic terrain is not super difficult. There are some river crossing that can be pretty fast flowing, and that is one reason if I do go, later in the summer season would be better as ice melt is less. (And mosquitos are less too!!)
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@Klaus Have to take all your own food.
You can make your own "freeze dried" food. It is not too bad. The problem with this hike is how much to carry. 1 kg per day? Probably a bit less.
As for emergency, that is why I have the emergency GPS. However, from what I have read, you could be up to 24 hours from getting a help to your location. The Garmin InReach has a emergency locator button that works off satellites so covers 100% of the globe.
Fortunate, that you are not doing mountain climbing, etc. The topographic terrain is not super difficult. There are some river crossing that can be pretty fast flowing, and that is one reason if I do go, later in the summer season would be better as ice melt is less. (And mosquitos are less too!!)
wrote on 13 Jun 2020, 17:50 last edited by@taiwan_girl said in Who wants to take a walk? - Arctic Circle Trail:
@Klaus Have to take all your own food.
You can make your own "freeze dried" food. It is not too bad. The problem with this hike is how much to carry. 1 kg per day? Probably a bit less.
As for emergency, that is why I have the emergency GPS. However, from what I have read, you could be up to 24 hours from getting a help to your location. The Garmin InReach has a emergency locator button that works off satellites so covers 100% of the globe.
Fortunate, that you are not doing mountain climbing, etc. The topographic terrain is not super difficult. There are some river crossing that can be pretty fast flowing, and that is one reason if I do go, later in the summer season would be better as ice melt is less. (And mosquitos are less too!!)
What kind of food do you like to take? For me the longer the hike the less fancy I get.
And yeah, although emergency GPS devices are a Godsend, you're still out in the middle of nowhere; best to look after yourself. Do you bring any personal protection?
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wrote on 13 Jun 2020, 17:59 last edited by
That sounds wonderful, TG. You have to send pics as you go. I'll enjoy so much reading about your progress
from my nice comfortable chair.But seriously, this sounds like a life-changer. I bet for the rest of your life, you will divide whatever happens to you as happening "before the hike" and "after the hike". And even more important, I bet you will look at any number of events and/or personal happenings differently as a result of it.
I hope you're able to do it!
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wrote on 13 Jun 2020, 18:04 last edited by Mik
Only animals to worry about are the musk ox. I doubt you would want to lug around a
cannonrifle big enough to stop one. -
Only animals to worry about are the musk ox. I doubt you would want to lug around a
cannonrifle big enough to stop one.wrote on 13 Jun 2020, 22:37 last edited by@Mik said in Who wants to take a walk? - Arctic Circle Trail:
Only animals to worry about are the musk ox. I doubt you would want to lug around a
cannonrifle big enough to stop one.Nah, a .300 magnum will do it. I used to know somebody who had one...
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Only animals to worry about are the musk ox. I doubt you would want to lug around a
cannonrifle big enough to stop one.wrote on 14 Jun 2020, 01:58 last edited by@Mik said in Who wants to take a walk? - Arctic Circle Trail:
Only animals to worry about are the musk ox. I doubt you would want to lug around a
cannonrifle big enough to stop one.There was a post on the trail group that polar bears were spotted near the trail in Sept. 2019, the first time in something like 25 years.
I also learned a new rime about when meeting a bear:
if its black, fight back
if its brown, lay down
if its white, say good night!!!!
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wrote on 14 Jun 2020, 02:32 last edited by
It all tastes like pork.
A 200 pound bear carcass resembles human after you skin it out and take off the head. Interestingly enough, a taxidermist will not guarantee a bear skin, since if not done exactly right, the hair can "loose" on the skin, causing patchy spots...
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@Friday said in Who wants to take a walk? - Arctic Circle Trail:
I have never taken a hiking vacation before, but would love to do this. 2021 or 2022? That should give me enough time to get in shape for 2 week hike.
The PCT is right there! You gotta do at least part of it!
wrote on 14 Jun 2020, 07:27 last edited byOnly single day hikes on the PCT for now. And you have to stay local. So, we'll see....
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It all tastes like pork.
A 200 pound bear carcass resembles human after you skin it out and take off the head. Interestingly enough, a taxidermist will not guarantee a bear skin, since if not done exactly right, the hair can "loose" on the skin, causing patchy spots...
wrote on 14 Jun 2020, 11:14 last edited by@Jolly said in Who wants to take a walk? - Arctic Circle Trail:
It all tastes like pork.
A 200 pound bear carcass resembles human after you skin it out and take off the head. Interestingly enough, a taxidermist will not guarantee a bear skin, since if not done exactly right, the hair can "loose" on the skin, causing patchy spots...
The things you learn here...
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@Jolly said in Who wants to take a walk? - Arctic Circle Trail:
It all tastes like pork.
A 200 pound bear carcass resembles human after you skin it out and take off the head. Interestingly enough, a taxidermist will not guarantee a bear skin, since if not done exactly right, the hair can "loose" on the skin, causing patchy spots...
The things you learn here...
wrote on 14 Jun 2020, 12:50 last edited by@George-K said in Who wants to take a walk? - Arctic Circle Trail:
@Jolly said in Who wants to take a walk? - Arctic Circle Trail:
It all tastes like pork.
A 200 pound bear carcass resembles human after you skin it out and take off the head. Interestingly enough, a taxidermist will not guarantee a bear skin, since if not done exactly right, the hair can "loose" on the skin, causing patchy spots...
The things you learn here...
I'll give you another, one Aqua is better at than I...It's not always easy to judge the size of a bear. Fastest way I know, is to look at the ears. Big ears, little bear. Little ears, big bear.
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@George-K said in Who wants to take a walk? - Arctic Circle Trail:
@Jolly said in Who wants to take a walk? - Arctic Circle Trail:
It all tastes like pork.
A 200 pound bear carcass resembles human after you skin it out and take off the head. Interestingly enough, a taxidermist will not guarantee a bear skin, since if not done exactly right, the hair can "loose" on the skin, causing patchy spots...
The things you learn here...
I'll give you another, one Aqua is better at than I...It's not always easy to judge the size of a bear. Fastest way I know, is to look at the ears. Big ears, little bear. Little ears, big bear.
wrote on 14 Jun 2020, 16:17 last edited by Aqua Letifer@Jolly said in Who wants to take a walk? - Arctic Circle Trail:
@George-K said in Who wants to take a walk? - Arctic Circle Trail:
@Jolly said in Who wants to take a walk? - Arctic Circle Trail:
It all tastes like pork.
A 200 pound bear carcass resembles human after you skin it out and take off the head. Interestingly enough, a taxidermist will not guarantee a bear skin, since if not done exactly right, the hair can "loose" on the skin, causing patchy spots...
The things you learn here...
I'll give you another, one Aqua is better at than I...It's not always easy to judge the size of a bear. Fastest way I know, is to look at the ears. Big ears, little bear. Little ears, big bear.
Yeah, I think it works on the same principle as puppy paws: it's the proportion that helps you size it up.
By the way, Larry was completely correct about black vs. brown bears. Black bears are more or less fine unless you piss them off or you come across a mama. Brown bears can just be fuckers. I'm glad I've never seen one.
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wrote on 14 Jun 2020, 20:29 last edited by
What an amazing destination!
@taiwan_girl I may have missed this in the thread, but what is the longest hiking trip you´ve had to pack for?
I have the REI Passage 1, but kind of wish I got the 2. The 1 is just wide enough for my sleeping pad/bag, and I really would like to have a little more room to fit my dog.
