Abi Hayward

ŁÙ’ÀN MÄN (“big whitefish lake” in Southern Tutchone), or Kluane Lake, stretches out bluely, gently lapping until it meets green hills dappled with cloud. The sun shines down through rain and cloud in gentle beams. As it sinks, raindrops turn golden. Rainbows unwrap themselves like gifts. One arcs across the whole sky, its spectrum rippling into the glistening lake. How lucky we are to be here, I think.

Hard core: How a team drilled a record ice core in the Canadian High Arctic An ice core from the Canadian Arctic’s Axel Heiberg Island, the deepest drilled in the Americas, is a record of ancient sea ice past The drilling site on the Müller Ice Cap, Axel Heiberg (Umingmat Nunaat), Nunavut. (Photo: courtesy Alison Criscitiello) Expand Image Alison Criscitiello has drilled a lot of ice cores in her career, but this one’s special.

The forest is roaring. Trees bend and creak as the wind whips through them, howling over the lake. The sky is lost in a whiteout, as snow dances frenetically to an eerie, discordant wail. It seems improbable that the off-grid cabin we’re staying in is not swaying alongside the trees in all this wind. But the wooden structure stands strong. Inside, we’re warm and cozy in our double sleeping bag, drifting to sleep as the -20 C elements rage outside in the middle of the night.