17 January 2007: Fairbanks

Today we tested the 5 new snowmobiles. We went with two people from where I (Matthew Sturm) work. They were Art and Stephanie. The maintain a set of data logger stations out on the Tanana Flats. In addition to Art and Stephanie, Jon Holmgren and Dan Solie went along. The temperature was about -10°F but it was mostly sunny. There was lots of new snow...perfect for testing the new machines. They performed well, motoring through deep powder with ease. It was also a good test of clothing, too. We all found a few deficiencies we will need to rectify before the big traverse. Below is picture of sunrise . . .at about 11 AM! Just reminds you that it is still January and Fairbanks is not too far below the Arctic Circle.

17 January 2007: Toronto

Keeping your feet warm and dry is an obvious priority when you’re travelling on the land in the north. With this in mind, I came to the conclusion that after years of faithful service, it was time to retire my boot liners. They have kept my feet in good condition from North Bay, Ontario to Churchill, Manitoba, to Daring Lake Northwest Territories. But after years of use, they are no longer up the task – in recent years I have started to notice a couple “cold spots” (left big toe, for instance). So I placed a call to the manufacturer – Baffin Technology in Stoney Creek, Ontario. Much to my disappointment, I found out that my boot (The Baffin Impact) is no long manufactured. I’m a big fan of these boots, and the outers were still fine, it was just the liners that needed replacing.

(Side note: The Baffin Impact is cold rated to a ridiculous -100 C. I’m not sure how this is determined, but I suppose it’s reassuring to know that should I ever find myself in minus 100 C conditions, at least my feet will stay warm. I’m not sure about the rest of me, but apparently my feet will be okay!).

So here’s my plug for Baffin Technology – their customer service was excellent, and they agreed to fabricate two new sets of boot liners, and ship them to me. So as of this week, I am re-stocked with the now obsolete Baffin Impact boot liner. I’m sure my feet will thank me somewhere on the land this April.