Fogged in at Resolute

Resolute has a reputation for being foggy. Researchers staging through the PCSP facility at Resolute on their way to and from their field sites have plentiful stories of spending days waiting for a clear patch to fly in or out. We arrived in Resolute on Friday to clear skies, Saturday too was clear with even the odd sunny patch.

Quick stop at Pond Inlet, Baffin Is. on the way to Resolute
with Bylot island in the background

As Murphy's law would have it, Sunday, the day we were scheduled to fly to Alex - the affectionate name for Alexandra Fiord - dawned foggy and wet. We can't even see the runway across the road from the PCSP accommodation.

PCSP buildings shrouded in fog 8th July 2018

On Saturday, we found purple saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia) in full flower at Resolute bringing a splash of colour to a stony barren landscape. Purple saxifrage is one of the first flowers to come out in spring so the growing season is only just underway here at Resolute. For such a barren landscape, when I start to look closely, I am always impressed at how many plant species there are around Resolute. We also saw Parrya arctics and tufted saxifrage (Saxifraga cespitosa) in flower and the mosses below snow melt patches are a vivid dash of green and red.

Purple saxifrage in full bloom in Resolute 7th July 2018

There a treasure trove of equipment around the PCSP building from projects long forgotten. Old cranes, trailers, engines and even an old school bus built in 1964. Shipping out such equipment is too expensive so it just decays whereever it was left.

1964 Orange school bus at PCSP Resolute