We planned this trip FAR in advance, basically when we returned from our trip to Alaska, so we were both wondering if anything would be able to live up to 15 months of anticipation. I still have no idea how the trip exceeded our expectations, but it did. If you follow our blog, you know that we shot over 4000 images as well as a lot of HD video that I haven't even touched yet. This page represents some of our favorites in an effort to document the spirit of this amazing trip (ptarmigan, fox, and hare pics below).
We chose Frontiers North Adventures, a Canadian-based tour operator who operates "The Tundra Buggy Adventure." The way I understand it, there are are two tour operators with permits for the Churchill Wildlife Management Area - Tundra Buggy Adventures and Great White Bear. If you book with anyone else, they are contracting with one of these two tour operators.
We did a lot of research and all tours are not equal. The most important thing to us was how much quality time we would have observing the bears. We chose a "photo specialist" tour which meant fewer people on the buggy and that we would also have a professional photographer on board to answer questions about things such as how the heck to get a decent image of a white animal in white snow. Our tour was also based at the Tundra Buggy Lodge which, while not the Ritz Carlton of the sub arctic, allowed us more time on the tundra and therefore more opportunities to see the bears. This was not a cheap trip, but in hindsight we definitely made the right decisions.
Churchill is known as the "polar bear capital of the world" because each fall a large concentration of bears congregate there waiting for the ice to freeze so they can go out to hunt. Though the bears are wild animals and sightings aren't guaranteed, during the peak season the odds are pretty good. We booked the second to the last tour of the season, dreaming of nice snowy backgrounds and hoping that the ice wouldn't freeze early (as soon as it freezes, the polar bears leave to hunt).
We flew non-stop from Chicago to Winnipeg on United frequent flyer tickets. On arrival in Winnipeg, the thorough Canadian customs officer asked all sorts of questions about the specifics of our polar bear trip, and if we were carrying firearms. We're not used to traveling with checked luggage, and were a bit distraught when the last bag arrived on the carousel and ours were nowhere to be seen (only to discover that they had been placed in an "oversized" area - which is odd because they were both under 50 pounds and were much smaller than most of the other suitcases we saw).
We spent the first night at the Four Points Sheraton, which is conveniently attached to the Winnipeg airport (hint, use the bridge on the 2nd floor to avoid going outside entirely). This seemed to be a popular departure point for polar bear tours, as there were seven listed on the welcome board when we arrived. Our room was a suite with a separate sitting area which was more than ample for the one night stay (hint #2, the odd numbered rooms overlook the parking lot so they might be a little quieter). The first evening we met our tour group for a welcome dinner and were relieved that people seemed generally agreeable since we'd be in a confined space with them for the next five nights :)
The following morning we brought our luggage to the lobby and had a buffet breakfast before departing. This was the last we saw of or luggage until we arrived at the Tundra Buggy Lodge later that evening (we were told in advance to keep our carry on stuff and dress warmly for the day in Churchill). The 18 passengers on the photography tour boarded a charter bus and were transferred to another part of the airport, where we joined a few other tour groups and boarded a Nolinor charter 737. Because it was a charter we didn't pass through security and (gasp) were allowed to bring water bottles on the plane (and if we would have had them, liquids or gels in excess of 3 ounces and more than one quart-size, clear plastic zip-top baggy full !). We were living large - it was like flying back in the 1990's ! Note, this wasn't a standard 737, it had more headroom which meant that the overhead bins were smaller.
An hour and a half later, we descended the stairs onto the frigid tarmac in Churchill. We re-grouped in the one room airport terminal, met our tour leader Dan Cox, and boarded a school bus for a town tour. Our first stop was the infamous polar bear jail. Due to the town's zero tolerance policy, bears that wander into town are treated to a 30-day food-free stay here before being returned to the wild. They are easy to see out on the tundra because they have a green spot on their backs. When bears are captured (whether in jail or for study) they receive a lip tattoo and ear tag for identification, and their information is recorded by the Canadian Wildlife Service who has data on 80% of adult bears in the area.
Polar Bear Jail
Bear Trap
Churchill
Our driver did a heroic job maneuvering the school bus in what we'd call a blizzard in Chicago, and we were all good sports exiting the warmth of the vehicle at the various viewpoints. On our way into town we spotted our first polar bears - two of them - about 500 yards off the road.
We stopped briefly at the post office so we could get our passports stamped with the souvenir Churchill polar bear stamp, and also stopped at the liquor store across the way as the Tundra Buggy Lodge only provides wine with happy hour. After a group buffet lunch at Northern Nights, we had the rest of the day to ourselves. We were supposed to go on a helicopter tour, but it was canceled because of the weather.
It was brutally cold and windy, so we kept our explorations to a minimum. We needed to buy some filler for our photo bean bags so we headed to the Northern Store - Churchill's one and only grocery store. We found a giant bag of rice, and I decided to stock up on some extra chapstick given the howling wind and freezing temps.
Andy couldn't resist
After much searching I found the lip balm locked in a display case with other sought after items such as Nair and batteries. And of course, there was one key and the keymaster had the day off :) The helpful clerk suggested we try the hospital, located in "The Complex" just a few blocks down the road. Intrigued (and also lured by the potential of internet access at the attached library), we hoofed it up the street to retrieve the skin protectant at the town's only pharmacy.
We spent the rest of the afternoon holed up in the Frontiers North office with some other folks from our tour group.
We departed the office around 4pm for a 30 minute drive out to the Tundra Buggy launch site. To minimize impact when traveling across the tundra and to keep a safe distance from the wild polar bears, the 13 foot tall Tundra Buggies ride atop tires that are over six feet tall. The launch site consists of an elevated platform that the buggies back into, enabling passengers to board through a gate in the back deck. The interior of the buggy looks a bit like an oversized school bus with seating for 40, though our "Photo Specialist" tour was limited to 18 to give us plenty of room to move around and store our gear. The buggy had a propane heater that did a relatively good job of keeping the buggy at a comfortable temperature (though I never took off my parka or shed one layer or my goofy hat). There was also a "bathroom" (drop toilet/whatever you want to call it) on the buggy, which was a must considering we were out in the buggy from 8-4 all day. The back of the buggy had an open deck that I ventured on to a few times, but it was just too darned cold to stay out there more than five minutes at a time.
Buggy Launch Site
Tundra Buggy
Buggy Interior
The tundra buggies do not travel at warp speed (nor should they), so the journey from the launch site to the lodge takes about an hour and a half. And NOW you see the advantage of staying at the Tundra Buggy Lodge (instead of in Churchill) 1) you wake up on the tundra and avoid the half hour drive from Churchill to the launch site and 1.5 hour drive from the launch site out to the area where the bears are, and 2) bears (and other wildlife such as arctic fox) are constantly around the lodge so you see them when you wake up, when you are having breakfast, when you are walking back to your bunk, etc.
Tundra Buggy Lodge
Bunk house interior
Dining Car
The lodge is comprised of two bunkhouses that sleep around 20 guests each, a lounge car where we would have happy hour and lectures after dinner, a dining car, and a car or two for the staff. The cars are linked together, and the tundra buggies for daily use back up to the lodge and you board from there so your feet never touch the ground until you are back at the launch site.
Each bunkhouse had a single hallway with upper and lower bunks on either side. Each bunk had a small window, a shelf, a net for storing things, a light with an electric outlet, and a velcro curtain for privacy. Underneath the lower bunk there was room to store luggage. There were two bathrooms and a shower for each bunkhouse. I imagined that there would be issues with 20 people sharing the facilities, but instead the issue was that our buggy twice ran out of water on our five night stay. The staff was able to divert some from the kitchen so we could brush our teeth, and a few showers in five days is fine out there. This trip is definitely not for those who are high maintenance :)
The dining car consisted of tables for four (seat yourself wherever you like), although for some odd reason there was not enough seating in the dining room so each night a few guests ate at a special table in the lounge. We'd warned the tour operator ahead of time that we can not eat onions and they went above and beyond to accommodate us (which is a good thing too because I have onion issues and let's just say that they were fond of onions).
Our Bunks
Dan - Pro Photographer & donut-heater extraordinaire
Bean bag for buggy ledge is essential
Days would begin around 6, when someone in the bunkhouse would start moving around or a bear would bang on the bunkhouse wall and cause a commotion. Coffee was available in the lounge car and breakfast was served around 7. Breakfast included cold items such as fruit, yogurt, and granola and the hot items varied from eggs, to pancakes, to croissant sandwiches (all yummy). Feeding the bears is prohibited, but I am almost certain that the smell of breakfast lured them to the lodge in the morning because there was always a lot of bear activity at this time. After breakfast we would gather our gear and board the buggy for our daily tour of the tundra. (One observation was that we were never waiting on anyone in our group of 18 - everyone was always where they were supposed to be, when they were supposed to be - hooray!).
We never had far to drive before finding a photo-worthy scene. In addition to polar bears, we spotted arctic fox, willow ptarmigan, and arctic hare.
We would stop mid-morning for a coffee break, which once included donuts from Churchill's famous Gypsy's bakery warmed on the in-buggy furnace.
Most of the time our breaks included great views of sparring bears, or a nearby bear snuggled up in a snowy den. We quickly became spoiled :) honestly I thought it was going to be hours of driving around and seeing a few bears all week rather than non-stop bear action.
After our snack, we would explore some more before stopping for lunch around noon to 1pm. There was always freshly made soup (a highlight), make your own sandwiches, and more fresh-baked cookies (the white chocolate chip were my favorite). Sometimes there would be more cookies available for our afternoon coffee break too :)
Buggy full of photographers
Proximity to Bears
Me on the back deck of the buggy
The days went surprisingly fast, and before we knew it we were losing light and it was around 4pm. When we would return to the lodge each evening , I'd start the ritual of downloading/recharging/etc. It was at this point that I figured out we needed a better digital workflow for travel - making a first pass at the "keepers" in smaller batches would have been less daunting than returning to 4000 images to go review.
Happy hour usually began at 6 and consisted of the aforementioned boxed red and white wine and snacks such as chicken wings, egg rolls, and various dips.
Dinner was usually around 7 and during our stay included bison bolognese, elk kabobs, chicken kiev, fish, and a roast. We definitely did not go hungry. After dinner each evening the lounge was transformed into a presentation area for lectures on various topics. By far my favorite part of any of the lectures was when David Reid (the guide for the 18 person Nature-focused tour group sharing the lodge with us) was presenting a slide show of images from Baffin Island and a polar bear poked his head up near the window where he was leaning and scared the bejesus out of him.
We had four full days on the tundra and were rewarded with some remarkable sightings - times with 8-10 bears within sight, bears right up against the buggy, more sparring than we could have imagined, a cub chasing ptarmigan, and a precious moment with a mom nursing her two cubs. A while back I read a trip report that organized daily thoughts by senses, so that is how I will end this trip report.
Day One - From Winnipeg to Churchill to the Tundra Buggy Lodge
Sight - our first polar bears - two on the side of the road in Churchill and another two walking near the lodge as we approached in the tundra buggy, an Inuit woman shopping for groceries carrying her child in a traditional Amauti,
Sound - whistles from the gymnasium that adjoined the library where we used the internet, howling wind, muffled hum of snow machine engines (and the realization that they are used for purposes other than recreation)
Smell -
Touch - the sting of ice pelting my face as we walked around Churchill
Taste - bison bolognese with garlic bread for dinner and carrot cake for dessert
Day Two - First day on the Tundra
Sight - sparing polar bears, completely camouflaged arctic hare, ptarmigan , arctic fox darting by the buggy during evening talk
Sound - clunky heater thing that kept me up all night, Andy blurting out "ARCTIC FOX" during the evening talk, bunkhouse snoring
Touch - cross breeze from the porthole thing in my bunk, being bundled in numerous layers, hand warmers inside my gloves
Taste - eggs with bacon, mid-morning doughnuts from gypsies warmed on the furnace, asparagus soup,
Day Three - Second day on the Tundra
Sight - sparring males, moms with cubs, hopping arctic hare, being able to see inside a polar bear's nose when they stand up on their hind legs to see inside the buggy
Sound - the shriek from David when a polar bear banged on the side of the lodge where he was leaning during his nighttime presentation
Smell - lunchtime onions - not only a tupperware container full of raw ones but more a fresh scallion mayonnaise too
Touch - warmth from sleeping in a North Face Denali jacket, taking my first shower with plenty of hot water, polar bears thumping on the side of the lodge
Taste - eggs and sausage, oatmeal cookies at coffee stop, mushroom soup, onion-laden elk kabobs
Day Four - Third day on the Tundra
Sight - camp literally crawling with bears in the morning, two arctic fox sightings, noticing the complete lack of color
Sound - boxed wine being opened, and the sound the plastic bladder inside makes when trying to squeeze out just one more glass
Smell -
Touch -
Taste - pancakes and bacon, tomato soup, white chocolate chip cookies, chicken kiev
