Wow! The high Arctic is a place of incredible beauty. Although inhabited by but a small number of species of birds and mammals (including humans) all living in a very inhospitable environment, all of those species living there are both beautiful and interesting. The landscape is imposing and possesses an almost indescribable beauty. The journey across the sea ice to our camp by komatik was a highlight of the adventure. Our Inuit guides had prepared our campsite on the sea ice in advance of our arrival and it was conveniently located only 20 minutes from the floe edge and just a short walk to Bylot Island. The Inuit guides were friendly, attentive to our needs and safety and were unbelievably capable. I didn’t go for the food but it was surprisingly good considering the circumstances under which it was prepared. Finally, our tour guide. Gareth Thompson, was extraordinary. He was organized, a good communicator, knowledgeable and competent as a skilled birder but more importantly, as an outdoorsman. He is a natural leader- charismatic and thoughtful - and possessed of a capacity for tact and diplomacy in dealing with a difficult problem we had with one of the tour members. He ultimately sent the participant back to Pond Inlet but such was his skill in managing it, on our return to Pond Inlet they were cordial and got on well. Gareth made the adventure so much fun. It was a learning experience to be sure and our awareness of the challenges facing the Arctic ecosystem has been heightened. We were fortunate also to have a nice cultural experience with our guides and because of the good relationship that Gareth developed with the outfitter some us were invited into his home. I had hoped to gain some cultural insight into the lives of the Inuit but never dreamed it would be so deep. It’s not easy to get to the flow edge from Helena,Montana but it was worth every difficulty.