I'm guessing that's an error? Isn't it the PBE we'd be taking to Moosonee?
I'm still kind of torn; (the chance to) see polar bears would be very cool, but I'm intrigued by the dam in Radisson. I'll vote to even things up (yay chaos!) but I could go either way. (And, yes, this is exactly the behavior that drives Sarah nuts.)
I'm pretty sure that either way we are at least 10 degrees of latitude south of getting to see polar bears. I don't think they hang out much below the Arctic Circle.
But they do have a Polar bear exhibit, that is probably more authentic than the one at your local zoo.
I still want to drive on the James bay. Maybe to that island up in the bay-Akimiski Island
My original page is out of date. The Little Bear mixed freight-passenger train used to run winter-only, Polar Bear Express passenger train used to run summer only. Now PBE runs year round (although it can take special freight, like cars).
I probably also made the mistake of linking to the summer version of the page. The winter trip page includes a revised map showing the ice road, and I've updated it today to reflect the change in train schedule (one less day needed to make the trip).
Radisson would be Thursday the 12th or Friday the 13th. Moosonee would be Wednesday the 11th or Thursday the 12th. It's a choice of whether you want to split up the early outbound voyage over 1 or 2 days. Those who take 2 days typically try to overnight together.
Thanks for the update, Ross (and sorry about the unintentional vowel transmogrification earlier).
Sarah might possibly, maybe, with a lot of cajoling and arm twisting, be convinced to come along if I promise her polar bears.
Another logistics question: Does anyone (want to) carry a spare tire or tires? I've currently got a complete extra set of mounted snow tires. I intend to bring one for myself, but Pete or David (or anyone passing through or near Southern NH) could take another along for insurance. Probably a little better than the summer and all-season tires we all have stashed away for the winter...
Most polar bears live between 60 and 80 degrees, except the subgroups found on the Labrador coast and the western shores of Hudson Bay and James Bay. Residents of Moosonee tell me that only one or two bears venture into the town each year. The main range starts about 100 miles north of Moosonee, on Akimiski Island. In summer, this is only accessible by charter plane or barge. In winter, the ice road goes to Attawapiskat, which is on the mainland, in view of the island. Polar Bear Provincial Park, rimming the western shore of the Bays, starts 50 miles further north.
I think that our chances of seeing a wild polar bear are real, but small, unless we hire a guide with snowmobiles in Attawapiskat, which we should arrange ahead of time. Polar bears are quite inconspicuous in winter, and some females, when pregnant, hibernate.
Captive polar bears can be seen year-round in the habitat in Cochrane, which I've visited. The 1-acre habitat is quite similar to what you'll see in a zoo, just a bit larger. The 'swim with the bears' option as a bit of a gimmick, but of course it's a little cold for the humans in winter anyway!
Best of all, for the first time I've seen, there's a decent map of the road.
The mining activity west of Attawapiskat is what's driving the improvements to the road. When I was last in Moosonee in 2005, the road was still a 14-foot wide tractor trail. Now it's a 28 to 35 foot wide road. Posted limits (ahem) are 50km/h, which means the 300km road will take about 6 hours to drive - easily done all during daylight, with time for lunch in Fort Albany or Kasechewan. The short time would also allow us to stay in Attawapiskat a 2nd night (i.e. Saturday and Sunday) returning to Moosonee on Monday in time for the late afternoon train. That means a whole activity day on Sunday in Attawapiskat (i.e. looking for polar bears).
For those of you wondering about where the road goes, it's mostly over the land, not the open water. At the rivers, you go up and down ice ramps to reach the river ice. The river ice rises and falls with the tide!
Driving on land up there is little different than the water - 'land' is mostly water for miles inland, only a few inches above sea level, all bog, and bereft of trees except at river's edge. The line on the map showing 'coast' is entirely arbitrary. It's a bizarre land.
MinorRoadsKill
- finally home, after a 10,000km trek across America, and back
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