ARCTIC CIRCLE TRAIL_2014
DAY 2: HUNDESO TO KATIFFIK
We woke up around 6:30am. For breakfast we had huevos rancheros, scrambled eggs with bacon, and tea. Alain, Veronique, and Klaus left between 7:15-7:45am, while we took our time packing up and headed out at 8am. The winds had calmed down but the morning air was chillier than yesterday. We were 15-30 minutes behind Klaus for most of the day but shared a break and hiked portions of the trail with him.
The entire day was overcast with the sun peaking through the clouds briefly for 5 minutes. Today was the first day of the ACT with significant elevation gain, but it was still rolling hills compared to other alpine environments. We stopped twice to eat bars, nuts, and beef jerky. Near the end of the day we got off trail for 30-45 minutes when the path we had been following became fainter and fainter before finally disappearing into the brush and a valley of bleached boulders. But we managed to find our way again after gaining higher ground then descended towards the Katiffik hut, on the eastern end of a giant lake called Amitsoruaq.
We arrived at Katiffik hut around 3pm, very tired and relieved to be finished for the day. The hut was painted red on the outside and resembled a wooden tool shed. It was minimally furnished with a table, a bench, and cooking surface, and a sleeping platform wide enough for three people. Klaus, Alain, and Veronique had arrived shortly before us, so we pitched our tent outside near the hut on a grassy field. Sadly, the area around the hut and our campsite was littered with human waste.
We filtered water from the lake and relaxed. Fan took a very quick dip in the icy cold lake. Then he fished for a while using an ultralight spinning reel (borrowed from Jeremy) attached to a hiking pole with velcro straps. Not a single bite, so the fishing gear was put away after 10 minutes.
To pass time we wrote in our journal and chatted with Veronique about France, wine, cheese, and ourselves. Late in the afternoon a Dutch couple arrived in an aluminum canoe that was covered with two large patches of duct tape… They were nearing the end of their 13-14 day journey on the ACT in the reverse direction, from Sisimiut to Kangerlussuaq. They’re camping each night and said they saw over a dozen hikers today walking toward the canoe center (our destination for tomorrow). There were very few entries in the guest books at the Katiffik hut and the Hundeso caravan, so it appears that many hikers chose not to sign the guest books.
We cooked dinner around 6pm and ate inside the hut with K, A, V. We had beef stroganoff with dehydrated mushrooms, lasagna with meat and cheese sauce, miso soup, dried mangos, and candied pecans. It was comforting to warm up with a hot meal inside the hut after the long day we just had. We used the facilities (dug cat holes), climbed into our tent at 8pm, and went to sleep around 8:45pm.
Daily totals: 7 hours, 12.5 miles (13 miles because of minor route finding difficulties).