Update from Ben Gray and his sons Brad and Kevin aboard Idlewild in the Arctic Ocean, with URLs added by GxK: Well, we got a good look at ice. We spotted ice the first day out of Tuk. It got solid to our NW and we had to stay south near shore until Herschel Is. We went north around Herschel the west about 40 miles where the ice got thicker until it stopped us. We tried close to shore but that was plugged too so we decided to go back to Herschel for protection. Progress was very slow going back because of a strong east wind and more ice blowing in behind us. Anchor at Orca Cove for 2 days then move to Pauline cove where the old whaling station was built in 1893. Their population of 2,000 was bigger than Edmonton at that time. Only a summer camp for park attendants now. When we arrived RCMP were there fixing an old RCNWMP grave site and the next day the RCMP commissioner from Ottawa came for a ceremony. We did get the leftovers from their lunch which included Musk ox burgers so we enjoyed that. http://www.environmentyukon.gov.yk.ca/parks/herschel.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herschel_Island Still strong north winds July 23 but we decided to see if we could get west. Ice was more favorable than expected for about 150 miles then deteriorated. We got stuck for an hour trying to push our way though a solid part so decided to go back around and into an entrance behind some Islands. Fog came and to our consternation we almost were grounded when we found our charts are out about one half mile. Fog stayed but ice was less for the next 40 miles. We came very near an oil production platform but didn't see it until later when the fog lifted. We should have noticed it on Radar but ice reflections are so poor and it was set too sensitive and a lot of extra stuff showing that we didn't pay much attention to. http://ice-glaces.ec.gc.ca/App/WsvPageDsp.cfm?ID=1&Lang=eng We eventually found a nice bay Cross Island that provided good ice protection but out .6 miles on the chart. Ice is solid outside this Island so we may be here a while. Took the dinghy ashore to look a whale skeletons and the old whaling station. Polar bear tracks 10 " across so we'll keep our eyes open. A polar bear skeleton dead for a few months near the whale skeletons. A Canadian ice breaker coming though from the west was on the radio and they were slowed to 2 kts going through 11 miles north of where we are now. That and previous ice information we had suggests that the ice will be slower than usual to melt this year. http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/cen-arc/ice-glace/index_e.htm July 28, Fog finally lifted and we lifted anchor July 27 and got to Barrow at 17:30 your time today. We are behind schedule now and won't stop for long. Hope to go south to Bering Strait yet before going east but may have to cut that short. If all goes well should be in Tuk again Aug 8 and Cambridge Bay about Aug 13th. http://www.kingeider.net/king5.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bering_Strait Ben, Brad, and Kevin <http://www.idlewildexpedition.ca/>www.idlewildexpedition.ca