Surviving in an Unwelcoming Land

The Torngats Mountain Base Camp is a miracle of sorts. Camping in the US is a popular activity and some camp sites have water hookups, electricity and toilets. But bringing electricity, flush toilets, fuel and food to such a remote area as Nain, Labrador, takes some doing. Nothing is easy here and every activity is dependent on the weather, which varies wildly throughout any given day.

The camp is a 10 minute helicopter trip for visitors to the camp from Nain, meaning all supplies are delivered via a prop plane to Nain, then transferred to a boat, then loaded on a small truck and driven up to the main building structure, where goods are unloaded, shelved and refrigerated. What an ordeal. The featured image is of the sleeping domes. I am in dome 2.

The domes have either a double bed or two single ones, a small chest of drawers, one bedside table, a clothing rack, a space for wet boots and a heater. There are two windows with screens. In summer, biting black flies and mosquitos will attack you when there is no breeze so the screens are vital. The very modern bathrooms are 70 steps away from dome 2 ( I counted). And, the food is delicious. Trudy, the chef, prepares a variety of fresh vegetables for dinner. Some people fish off the dock for artic char. I happened to be at the dock when a guy landed a 6 pounder, slit its throat and offered up slices of sushi. Delicious