Weather for Kayaking in the Fjords of Upernavik Greenland
How to forecast and understand the winds.

	I hurriedly departed from Upernavik on calm water with a five to 
ten knot west wind pushing me eastward gently along behind Upernavik on 
Ikerssuaq passage which I had passed up and down during my solo padding 
visit in 1992.
	This time I was on my way to find the famous microclimate at the 
end of Laksefjorden-Eqalugaarsuit, where willow trees grew to be 2 
meters tall and birch trees grew to be nearly a meter tall.  I had found 
on my previous exploration within other fjords east of Upernavik that 
there were many microclimates.  But, none of them were quite as extreme 
as this one, which I was, once again, on my way to visit as a solo kayak 
paddler.
	And for me, as you can well imagine, understanding the weather is 
a particularly critical aspect of my survival.  As you might expect in 
the Arctic, this is an area where you can be on the water for days and 
never see anyone and where the traveler must accept the fact that 
nothing is guaranteed.
	The sky was clear with no clouds as I continued paddling 
southeastward along the eastern and southern shore Lang Island-Akia.  I 
noticed as an indicator of the strength of the currents in this area was 
large amount of kelp both solid and with holes in long fronds especially 
where there is some but not excessive current.
	Although I was paddling my kayak loaded with supplies for 48 days, 
I found that paddling required little effort because, as I headed west, 
I was being carried nicely along on the outgoing tide coming from the 
east as I progressed down the east side of Lang Island-Akia on the flat 
water.
	Then, at the end of this fjord, my crossing starting from the 
southwest point called Umiartorfik on Lang Island-Akia I noticed a 
whirlpool as I approached the opposite side the point called Agpagdit, 
on Sanderson's Hope of Qaersorssuaq Island.  This coastline of 
Qaersorssuaq Island is flanked not only along the north shore but 
additionally along the west by 400 meter high vertical cliffs.
	Passing through the whirlpool and arriving at the end of this 
fjord just as I was starting to paddle into the open water I noticed 
something different.  The wind had stopped blowing. From years of 
experience I remembered that the wind would have most likely stopped 
because the tide was changing.  This was correct.
	In the next moment, as I was passing around Agpagdlit, something 
strange caught my attention.  I noticed a few kilometers away to the 
north that I could see some wind riffles on the open water.  These wind 
riffles turned the blue-black water to a blackened navyblue highlighted 
with silver wavelets. 
	As I continued to paddle southward along these west facing rock 
cliffs called Agparssuit of Qaersorssuaq Island after about thirty 
minutes a ten to fifteen knot wind set in from the north.  Now I found, 
that I could take a free ride on the half meter following seas.	
	However, it seemed to me, that there was a reversal of 
circumstances because I experienced the onset of the waves first, after 
I had seen distant darkening of the water, rather than the arrival of 
the wind first.  This is quite unusual.  Although, I cannot be exactly 
sure about this, because the wind from the north was coming from behind 
me making it harder for me to judge the onset and speed of the wind.
	I had been enjoying surfing down the waves, but now that the tide 
had switched, the current was coming from the south setting the current 
against me as I continued with the wind behind me.  I concluded that 
perhaps I had better change my tactics, because I began to find that my 
forward progress had become transformed into my being busily engaged in 
just bobbing gingerly up and down, while in actuality I was remaining 
stationary.  I couldn't help but laugh to myself as I compared this 
esoteric type of padding to something possibly similar to a static 
roller coaster ride.  In actuality, I was making negligible forward 
progress against this tidal race.
	To remedy this situation, rather than paddling out from the rocks, 
I decided that I would get a better free ride by paddling closer to the 
rocks. There I could take advantage the friction of the water passing 
along the rocks which causes the current to reverse in the form of back 
eddies.  These always form close to any rocky shore or bank.  By 
paddling close in, I could couple this reversed current of these eddies 
with the push from the wind.
	I arrived during the evening to camp and my position was at 
72û39.78'N, 56û03.83'W with clouds to the east as a mix of cumulocirrus 
and alto stratus.  The wind was from the east and I watched fog filling 
in about 40 kilometers to the south.
	The next morning my second day on July 4th, 1993 at about 10:00, I 
started off paddling, using for the first time in my Klepper, my 
experimental wing paddle.
	This morning the wind was continuing, as it had the previous 
evening, to blow from the northwest at my back, as I headed 
southeastward across the 5 nautical mile wide bay until I came upon my 
first view of the entrance to Sortehul-Akornat.  From my position this 
view was especially dramatic of this well known passage, Sortehul-
Akornat.  Escarpments appeared to rise directly from the water as 
implacable vertical shafts because this passage was flanked by the bird 
cliffs called Agparssuit on the north side and on the opposite side by 
an 850 high meter mountain on Nutarmiut Island.  Although from the 
perspective created by the oblique angle of my position, these landmarks 
lined up as precipices rising straight up for hundreds of meters from 
the deep.  In actuality, there was a friendly coastline just around the 
corner which I could not see from my position.
	About a third of the way across the bay the wind stopped, which 
later I was to deduct was caused by the influx of a crossing wind in 
combination with the topography was negating the previous wind at this 
point which created this situation change in dominant wind direction.
	Midway across this five mile bay, near the island, Ikermio, the 
wind switched to north at fifteen knots blowing from the passage 
Sortehul-Akornat with incoming tide creating out going waves of one to 
two feet for the rest of the crossing to Qas’ngortoq on Nutarmiut 
Island.
	I briefly considered putting in at Uman‡q which was a small island 
in the middle of this bay if paddling conditions were to become too 
nasty but the question of any available water on such a small island 
made me reconsider.  By the time I arrived at that island, the broadside 
waves subsided slightly.
	I prefer paddling on open water rather than in the fjords, after 
having experienced a sudden weather change during a previous year's 
visit to the fjords of Upernavik.  Within the fjords one has to be ready 
for anything at anytime because within these narrow confines the large, 
fast moving storms may not give the paddler enough visual warning and 
the currents can be a major factor.  I found that the barometer more 
often reflects rather than anticipates the onset of a storm.
	Here while making this passage with the wind broadside coming out 
of Sortehul-Akornat as I doggedly beat on with broadside seas from the 
15 knot winds, but the Klepper was not so threatened that she would be 
put on her beam ends and the small surface area the narrow blade 6" x 
18" and 90" in total length presented just the perfect minimal surface 
area for 15 knots or slightly more of broadside wind without this paddle 
giving me feeling that the wind's force might grab the paddle from my 
hands.
	When I reached Uman‡q Island conditions became calmer and I could 
see flat water in the wind shadow along the sheer rock walls leading to 
the point I was headed for.
	Then, rounding the point Qas’ngortoq on Nutarmiut Island on the 
north side of Torssuk‡taq passage, the wind vanished and I could delight 
in the view of the six tiny waterfalls which plunged straight down from 
the top of lovely yellow rounded granite cliffs. But once again, after 
paddling for a mile or so in the apparent wind shadow, I noticed, that 
although the riffles on the water did not seem to have much size to 
them, that the wind was pushing me down this fjord.  Now I was heading 
due east.  This wind which was pushing me conveniently along I realized 
could only be another continuation of the wind from the north that I had 
been experiencing the day before.  Then I began to realize that land 
forms have a very definite influence on these terrestrial winds.  The 
thought came to my mind as to what a great place this could be for 
soaring.
	The number of hours I had been on the water for this day seemed 
long enough and so I began to consider my options for a suitable 
campsite. I had determined that this evening I would prefer, rather than 
camping on either of the two impersonal, open beach areas I saw because 
they did not offer protection from the wind, to look for a fairly small, 
protected place.
	I landed at 72û35.38'N, 55û33.44'W in a tiny keyhole shaped inlet.  
I was most fascinated as I scouted for my tent site because this 
minuscule bay was especially interesting for botany although it did not 
appear to be quite different enough for other places in this area to be 
a microclimate.  The excessive thickness of soft reindeer moss lichens 
on one side made anchoring the tent in the soil impossible.  When I sat 
and slept these I found I sank so deeply in this matrix that it seemed 
like ankle deep plush carpet.  On the opposite side the soil was very 
thin and rocky.  There were many quartz and felspathic highly colored 
mineral stones.
	During the night fog blew in and the next morning July 5th. there 
was a slight wind of about 5 knots.  I saw a few cirrostratus clouds to 
the west and some altocumulus clouds which brought a gentle rain, sleet 
and fog.  I thought that it was cold the sleet confirmed my perception.  
Ceiling was +200 meters not too bad.
	I was glad that the wind was continuing to be moderate coming 
mostly from behind me.
	Actually, in the last few days, the wind had blown from the north, 
then from the northeast and lastly from the west because each fjord was 
acting as a venturi.  The wind was created by cold air from the ice cap 
replacing the warm air being generated by bright sunshine in the fjords 
that had no glaciers where they terminated.  The physical dimensions of 
these fjords affected the speed of this temperature driven wind.  This 
involves a combination of factors relative of the width to the height 
and steepness of the walls.  This, the thermal aspect explains why there 
was only a 5 knot wind during this overcast morning.
	Passing along Nutarmiut Island to Q‡mavik I enjoyed the rare 
sighting of razorbills and little awks which lived on the cliffs.  This 
cold grey, rainy weather made paddling seem monotonous but I recovered 
some enthusiasm when I saw that there were no clouds which seemed 
particularly threatening and that there were some clearings in the cloud 
cover.  During the three mile crossing of Angmarqua passage and down 
Laksefjorden-Eqalugaarsuit there was a light wind from the west creating 
just a few riffles on the water.
 	Greatly relieved at having accomplished what seemed as an 
extensive and possibly a demanding crossing, I was now heading southeast 
down Laksefjorden-Eqalugaarsuit continuing along the northern side along 
Akuliaruseq Island.
	My emotional response during this crossing was an example to me of 
psychoprojection because I realized several hours later that my mind had 
been in a mesmerized state.  I made the crossing without being conscious 
of accomplishing it such that I had to convince myself afterward that I 
had made the crossing.  I was also quite preoccupied with the fact that 
I was alone.
	Within the fjord, after I had traveled south for about one 
nautical mile, the wind began to blow at about 10 knots from the 
northwest wind.  At first I was making grand progress both the tide and 
the wind was pushing me along, so I continued paddling half a mile out 
from the rocks.  This did not really matter because there were no 
landing places, just sheer rock escarpments plunging from 700 meter 
heights down into the water.
	However, all too soon, once again, as time went by I began to 
notice that the shore wasn't going by very rapidly.  Ultimately there I 
was with the shore not changing at all, because I was now, in actuality, 
not going anywhere.  The tide had reversed and was now going out, 
against the wind, creating another one of those escapades in perpetual 
rebounds. With this change in conditions, I had to concede to myself 
that I was not just going to barrel down the middle of this fjord.  As a 
means relieving the monotony and for giving myself the notion that I was 
making progress, I drew in closer and paddled very close to the rocks so 
that I could take advantage of the eddies, to lie back to enjoy the 
minerals, pegmatites and metamorphosed granites and to lean over the 
side on my paddle to peer into the deep blue to enjoy the enchanting 
world of sea life along the light colored granite walls of this fjord.  
The crystal clear, deep blue seawater had a slight tinge of grey to it, 
which later was to intensify.
	However, I received some benefit from the eddies and the push of 
the wind behind me. The distance, to a landing site was greater than I 
had expected, being another four nautical miles from the mouth of this 
fjord to a landing place.
	This fjord was one nautical mile wide and to the south on the 
opposite side of the fjord, at Kžngžt on Kangeq, I sighted a couple of 
emergency landing places with my binoculars which were not large enough 
for a tent.
	I rounded Migdigkut and as I was hoping, from what I saw on the 
map, there were places to land.  Reflecting on how agitating it is to be 
enveloped in the sonority of a slatting tent in the wind all night, I 
continued on further around the bend hoping to find and area with no 
riffles on the water.  After another mile I found a place on a bluff, 
which was most blissfully out of the wind and had a convenient landing 
site, where I could easily bring the boat up above the high tide line, 
at 72û31.75'N, 55û07.82'W at Pžgut‰ta ilua.
	The next morning, July 6th. the conditions were still cloudy but 
it was dry.  There were light grey clouds overhead in the southwest but 
appeared to be not only denser, but also darker.  I then noticed, that 
although there were low altocumulus clouds overhead, that there was 
clear blue sky toward the north horizon.
	The sky conditions, which I saw in the north, was the weather 
system coming in.  I hypothesized that possibly the low angle of the sun 
may cause these colors to be more intense on the cumulus and high 
cirrostratus.  However, above the arctic circle, the fair weather or 
high pressure systems come from the northeast.  Powerful low pressure 
systems arrive unabated from the open water in the southwest on Davis 
Strait.
	A few hours later, in the sky I saw some remaining mixed clouds to 
the south as the wind of 5 to 10 knots set in from the northwest.  The 
sky lightened up and, by the time I launched in late morning, these 
clouds had given way to bright sun.  I felt myself becoming invigorated, 
as I told myself that all is well with the world when the sun comes out 
after a rain.
	I passed by the inner reaches of the one nautical mile deep 
Pžgut‰ta ilua or bay as I pushed on to my goal the Orpit.  At the 
approach of Laksefjorden-Eqalugaarsuit the whole scale and proportions 
of the world on my map that I was so accustomed to had to be adjusted, 
because I had to change from a 1:80,000 to a 1:250,000 scale map which 
provided three times less detail making landforms more vague.
	When I was beyond the bay, Pžgut‰ta ilua, I found that the rock 
walls of light colored granite, square shaped peninsula, Pžgut‰, had 
returned to being entirely vertical with no place for refuge.  On the 
map, this topography appeared to be not that severe along this peninsula 
of Akuliaruseq Island, but viewing this promontory from my kayak 
cockpit, Pžgut‰ looked as though this so precisely squared off granite 
bluff looked like it was the product of immense quarrying.
	Crossing the next passage, Torssuk‡tak, to the west side on 
Amorortalik Island called Akia was not difficult and, as I was to 
confirm from what I saw on my map, the next two nautical miles were not 
to offer any landing places.  I drifted on the kindly following wind and 
enjoyed paddling close to the rocks looking at the geological 
structures.  These walls of rock rose straight up from the water to a 
height of 800 meters which was something I could only indirectly 
appreciate from my kayak.  The excitement of covering distance down the 
fjord to see what lurked farther along captured my imagination.
	An interesting little wind situation began to unfold, as I began 
to approach the low ground on the eastern side of Amorortalik Island.  I 
noticed that the wind, which had been blowing from behind me, had 
tapered off and now the water was dead flat.  Although I couldn't deduce 
the reason, I thought that this wind condition was slightly out of 
context.
	As I made way, the height of the land receded fairly rapidly, 
lower and lower until it was at sea level.  Here the land opened to a 
flat, wide, intensely green expanse resembling a meadow, on the corner 
half a nautical mile wide and beyond this was a passage another nautical 
mile across.  Now things began to happen that I did not expect.  Because 
this was an unusual topographic feature for this area, I began to 
experience it's physical effect on air circulation, as I continued to 
approach the entrance of this fjord.  Here, not only did the wind resume 
but the wind speed intensified to a solid 15 knots, as I made my way 
closer to the opening of fjord.
	I found another disconcerting factor was that now the wind had 
switched direction. The wind was blowing out of the north straight down 
this passage between Amorortalik Island and Sinerraq coast on J.P. Kochs 
Land rather than from it's previous westerly direction. Because of this 
suddenness and apparent threat from the strength of this wind, as an 
anticipatory maneuver I headed into the wind closing in on the shoreline 
which swung toward the wind in an arc eastward.  I quickly decided that 
if this was the vanguard of a wind that was to increase becoming more 
than I could handle that by my heading more directly into haven of this 
low coast, I could possibly reach the shore.
	Time seemed as though it had become immobile as I called upon my 
reserve strength to drive the kayak forward, now paddling with my spoon 
blade, whitewater "Wentachee" paddle which has the maximum surface area 
to move the kayak in heavy wind.  Gradually I gained on the coast and as 
the coast grew nearer my bow inexorably followed eastward then more 
southerly as I made headway with each passing moment I strove to see 
each new view in greater detail.
	I reconsidered my options to see if this was either just a new 
meteorological event or a local wind condition, but after a good hour of 
slogging along I concluded that this was wind condition was stable and 
unlikely to escalate.  I really did not wish to camp on this breezy 
point, unless this was a dire emergency.
	Trusting experience once again, I decreased my paddle shaft angle 
and leaned into the broadside wind to reduce my paddle's windage and 
increase my stability as I turned my bow southward to paddle across the 
fjord to Sinerraq coast on J.P. Kochs Land although I could see that 
there was no place to land in that area and the coast beyond was 
unknown.
	This had been another one of those most fascinating experiences in 
predicting wind direction for me, because from what I thought I observed 
on the map, this fjord should have been about as calm as the previous 
one which I had just crossed.  However, I did not take into account, the 
effect that this relatively large area of low topography at the end of 
this fjord might have on the movement of cold air replacing warm air.
	The air was becoming progressively warmer, as I made my way down 
Laksefjorden-Eqalugaarsuit.  This warmth was becoming increasingly in 
greater contrast to the cold air coming off the icecap at Upernavik 
Isstr¿m-Sermeq moving down and out the wide Upernavik Isfjord.  
Upernavik Isfjord I was to find later is, by contrast, much a colder 
area because it is both large and an area of least resistance for cold 
air to move through.  Because cold air is heavier than warm air, gravity 
will induce this movement of cold air to replace warm air.  The physical 
dimensions of each fjord affects how rapidly and from which direction 
this circulation pattern will take place.  I, as a kayak paddler, was 
experiencing these conditions directly.  Although where I do not live 
where there are fjord conditions I extrapolated these conclusions from 
non-motorized flight and adjusting the draught in a pottery kiln and in 
a coal burning stove.
	Continuing eastward, although I could not see that the map 
indicated any refuge for a long distance, I thought about the fact that 
maps cannot show tiny details which would be just enough area to land a 
kayak on in an emergency situation.  However I knew the seaworthy 
characteristics of my well ballasted kayak which would probably be more 
likely to survive a threatening situation better than I, the paddler, 
would.  How well I know, that fear could undermine me, if I allow it to.
	Once I was across the opening of the fjord, the broadside waves 
turned with the wind to shove me nicely along.  There I was surfing 
again relaxing while gazing about, studying the details of the geology 
looking at all the miniature hanging gardens filled with flowers in full 
bloom.  I paused when close to the vertical granite bluffs to capture 
their interesting soft angularities of exfoliated rock on video and with 
my camera. 
	Then I realized, the farther I paddled into Laksefjorden-
Eqalugaarsuit that the waves were building up higher and higher and the 
wind was stronger.  This was because the wind from one fjord entering at 
a right angle had combined with the wind in the main fjord which is also 
pushing through to the bottom of the fjord to further intensify the 
speed of the wind. Then, to further amplify wave height conditions, the 
boundaries of the fjord were becoming narrower until finally I was 
passing through narrow, vertical sided restrictions zooming along on 
steep sided waves.  This was such fun and the higher the waves the 
incipient increase of the more timid sea birds, the Northern fulmars, 
glided on straight wings in perfectly controlled flight by me, just 
grazing the tops of and dipping between the breaking waves, coming ever 
so closely to my kayak.  It was too turbulent to get out my cameras to 
take pictures of their exquisite command of ground-effect and air 
currents.  These birds were taking advantage of the waves to bring food 
up to the surface for them.
	The water was turning an luxuriant turquoise very pretty to look 
at in the sun light as the salinity dropped and there was increasingly 
more rock flour suspended in solution.  The rock flour a product of 
glaciation abrasion was coming into the water at the end of the fjord.
	I began to notice that here there were some seabirds and their 
rookeries which were different from what I had seen on the outside.  
This meant to me that I was now in an entirely different ecological 
zone.  This was because these birds, notably the Ivory gulls, are 
specialized for living in these more isolated areas.
	Just one problem started to become evident, now that the fjord was 
becoming narrower it was also becoming more complex.  It seemed to me 
that these islands and the coast were moving by just too rapidly.  I 
began to experience that wonderful little haunting feeling in the back 
of my mind.  Perhaps on this scale this 1:250,000 map may not especially 
accurate. Maybe, I thought, some of these islands and points will be too 
small to be not on this map, especially, the farther I go down inside 
the fjord.  Maybe this area is a complex maize where I could rattle 
around forever until finally luck or madness gets me back out again.  
The thought passed through my mind of did I want experience what it 
might be like to be one of those innocent little laboratory animals that 
is put into a maize every day to test some arbitrary theory?  The only 
difference was that I was putting myself into this hypothetical maize 
maybe I should keep an eye on my what my horizon looks like behind me so 
that I will remember how to get out.  Then I asked myself "or is this 
really a maize."
	I had previously decided, that the most straight forward way to 
deal with this bit of ambiguity was, to stick to the north side.  I 
thought that there is nothing like getting lost where nobody else seems 
to go.  Then again, is that really being lost or do they call that 
exploration.
	As I paddled along the northern side I kept track of the passing 
islands and following this lead around behind a ridge of a stone 
peninsula into a wind shadow.  Then at 17:00 the sky had changed, from 
what I saw midday, and now, there were oppositely crossing a mixture of 
north south altocumulus clouds below a few east west cirrostratus and 
cirrocumulis clouds in the sky above me.  After an exhilarating day on 
the water I found a protected place for a campsite at 72û25.38'N, 
55û33.44'W which was up on a rise complete with flowing water and soft 
ground.
	At midtide I had landed, having unknowingly chosen to camp amongst 
the myriad of happy tundra mosquitoes which then emanated upward from 
the vegetation with unmitigated effluviance into my face and from thence 
concentrated themselves enmass within the peak as I pitched my floorless 
tent.
	Ah such rapture!  Now I knew why I was seeing nobody, at least, 
nobody in their right mind, just me, the solitary kayak paddler from 
Connecticut.  This was going to be one of those evenings.  Now I must 
find my mosquito netting.  The only revenge I had was when I lit my 
stove to prepare dinner they, the little embassaries of the friendly 
skies, couldn't stand the heat so for a moment I had some respite.
	The tundra vegetation was so thick that I had trouble walking over 
it, I was wallowing more than walking, to get water and had to finally 
resort to walking on the beach to get water.
	The next morning July 7th. dawned very sunny with a few 
altocumulus warm air clouds floating in and quite cheery but also very 
warm and by 10:00 a definite wind coming down the fjord had arisen.  I 
investigated the botany here to notice some unusual height to birch and 
ferns beneath large boulders, which are rare.
	The heat and mosquitoes were very noticeable I made my visit to 
the Orpit at way point 72û30.30'N, 54û27'W very short.  There was no 
doubt in my mind that this was a microclimate. 
	The warmth creates a microclimate as the cold wind that initially 
started out from the ice cap blew down Upernavik Isfjord and then blew a 
minimum of at least 50 nautical miles as the wind runs down this fjord 
it picks up heat from the surrounding masses of rock at the end where 
the sun just shines and heats this area up.  The end opens up into a 
wide valley surrounded by 1000 meter gently sloping rock.
	Not only was the temperature shockingly warm but the famous botany 
was hard to believe.  The delta of lush forest of two meter high willow 
trees over my head was quite amusing I narrated to myself that I had 
just paddled for four days to come to this place so that I could sit in 
the shade.  In actuality much more was involved than just the four days 
of paddling, but that is what gives meaning to that age old question in 
exploration "Is it really there?"
	I decided to escape the heat and mosquitoes after having recorded 
images of the plants and made some geological notes.  So turned around 
heading back up the fjord picking my way as carefully as I found 
possible among the shallows.  I had never had this experience before and 
I must say it was most daunting.  I really hadn't thought much about the 
increasing quantity of rock flour in the water which made the water look 
like plaster water, until I solidly rammed more than one rock lurking 
just beneath the surface of the rippled water. Thoughts of incipient 
damage to my kayak made me become quite concerned because I really did 
not want to damage this my sole means of transportation.  I was rather 
frustrated to feel so completely unable to judge the presence of rocks.  
I had long been accustomed to paddling in rocky areas but this 
impossibly chalky water was completely impossible to judge.  I was happy 
to ease myself back into an area of deeper water and with great relief I 
plodded my way out against the some occasional 1 meter waves, here and 
there, that were being produced by the 15 knot winds.
	I continued until I tired of battling the occasionally demanding 
wind.  Then I rested at a convenient island where I found a two inch 
diameter length of wood which I later regretted not keeping as a 
specimen which exemplified what I had just seen in the Orpit.  I 
wondered how many years growth were in that piece wood. 
	I retraced my journey down the fjord but since I knew what I was 
looking at and that this area is not that complex, I paddled along the 
south side this time.  The rocks were exceedingly colorful and there 
were more landing places particularly large landing places along that 
side.  This side was so extraordinarily beautiful that I could 
understand why the people, the Inuit, truly treasure this fjord.
	The momentum of my loaded kayak allowed me to maintain the same 
speed going against the wind as previously going with the wind.  I 
maintained the same cadence but used larger muscles to paddle against 
the wind.
	As I paddled farther west past the narrow areas, I found that by 
keeping close in, I could dodge the wind by avoiding the riffles on the 
water I found some idyllic islands called Nža.  These islands were low 
to the water being very convenient to land at. This looked like it might 
have been a former village site it offered an excellent and very 
important lookout for much of the fjord.
	Then as I continued hugging the shore to dodge the wind I was 
having a good time taking in all the details.  I came upon a bay with 
several excellent streams for water supply and more places suitable for 
habitation.  Next, I came upon some more conveniently protected islands 
but may have not been inhabited because they were too deep in the bay to 
offer a good lookout.
	Now I had paddled far enough out of the fjord to escape the 
heavily clouded water that was in the lower reaches of the fjord.  Here, 
the water had become especially clear, because large influx of snowmelt 
water.
	I thoroughly enjoyed dodging rocks and the wind and leaning over 
the side to peer at the vast array of colorful rocks.  Relating to the 
wind became for me a great game of my trying to guess where and at what 
angle the wind is going to be blowing around each peninsula of rocks.  
Initially I had assumed that this wind was much more consistent and 
predictable than it actually was.  Guessing this variability of the wind 
angle and speed became a fascinating challenge.  Several other factors 
such as deflection and gusting affect the wind angles and also the 
declining angle of the sun and the occasional cloud also has an effect 
which makes soaring particularly challenging.
	In the shallows I peered over the side to find that there was some 
lush green algae on the submerged rocks and the rich green grasses which 
flourished as byproducts from previous habitations.  These were 
indicative and suggestive of completely different nutrients, more 
dissolved organics, and circulation patterns from the opposite side.
	At 21:00 light overcast but sunny.  Then I noticed that the wind 
ceased at 22:00 which it had done on the previous evening at the same 
time but I recalled that most likely by 10:00 the next morning it would 
resume blowing.  I pulled in at 23:00 at 55'W because there was a 
convenient landing spot and it was a lovely spot from which I could look 
down the fjord, Torssuk‡tak, between Akuliarsueq and Amarortalik 
islands.  Now it was very calm, as the wind had stopped some time 
earlier.  The view was embracing of a mystical oriental scene for each 
mountain.
	As I had expected Laksefjorden-Eqalugaarsuit acts as a venturi for 
dominant north wind off the icecap as a function of heat exchange like 
an onshore breeze which typically stops when the angle of the sun 
becomes low, here being late at night and resumes when the sun heats the 
rocks or land up the next day.
	I decided that the venturi was only avoided with evening paddling 
or early morning, and so the next morning at 08:00 July 9th. I quickly 
got on the water although I had only gotten off the water at 23:00 the 
day before.
	The next day July 8th, 1993 the clouds were well defined, high 
cirrus horsetails from the southwest at 6:00 then at 12:00 beautifully 
defined horsetails mostly from the north but with some lower crossing 
straight ones.  The cirrocumulus clouds seemed to split in half down the 
middle of the fjord.  When the wind did make it's anticipated arrival, 
sure enough at 10:00 it was only 5 to 10 knots blowing down 
Laksefjorden-Eqalugaarsuit, and I continued my previous strategy.  When 
I saw it's riffles on the water's surface I would paddle where the water 
was smooth which usually, but not always, was in close to the rock 
walls.
	When I reached the end of the fjord the cloud and wind conditions 
looked as though they would remain stable.  I left Laksefjorden-
Eqalugaarsuit I started my crossing of Angmarqua at 14:30 and arrived at 
15:30 covering two and a half nautical miles with some current showing 
on the surface when I was one third the way across.  There was a cool, 
non-threatening wind blowing broadside from the west at ten knots the 
sky was okey.  Part way across with the change in perspective I was able 
to sight clouds to the far west out on Davis Strait around the sun.  
This cloud configuration had high clouds, cirrus, turning the sky milky 
which blended into the pure blue sky overhead.  I wondered if this 
weather system might affect this area and when.  Later I found that slow 
moving low pressure weather systems can be seen out on Davis Straits for 
days before they finally arrive.
	July 9th, 1993 I was at 72û35.34'N, 55û39.24'W a place on 
Angnertussoq island between Ikerassaup igdlut‡ and Atilinguaq at 12:00 
it was very warm, clear with high cirrostratus clouds from the northwest 
the wind was blowing at five knots.  Then wind was starting to increase 
at 13:00 to fifteen knots probably the heat exchange from land is 
driving it.
	I started out from 72û35.34'N, 55û39.24'W going westward down 
Torssuk‡taq passage that has about six waterfalls on it's north side and 
as soon as I rounded the point into Atilinguaq the north wind was 
blowing in my face at fifteen knots and I had to paddle hard to make any 
progress.  It was not realistic to paddle in a straight line from point 
to point with such demanding wind conditions.  When I finally rounded 
the exposed point I cut in close to the rocks to try to get out of this 
strong wind.  I continued at least half way up the passage along the 
south side of this passage but planned to execute a crossing to the 
north side when I could see areas without wind riffles on the water.  To 
my surprise, now that I was seeing this side in close detail, there were 
no reasonable landing sites along this area. I dodged the stripes of 
riffles and made good progress as I continued making a quartering type 
of crossing with an angle of about 45û.  When it comes to paddling this 
is the time when you must have a certain amount of both discretion and 
aggression.
	Watching the amount and distribution of wind riffles on the water 
I could see that crossing to the north side would give me an advantage.  
I reasoned that the wind would be stronger along the south side of this 
fjord because of the relative angle of the south side to the northerly 
wind.  The south side would have stronger wind because it would be on 
the outside of the curve made by the veering wind.  The wind would 
probably be weaker on the north side because it would be on the outside 
of the curve made by the veering wind. I knew that this wind was coming 
from Sortehul-Akornat around the corner turning 90û to run down this 
passage.  On the north side the wind shear created by the north wall and 
because it was on the inside of the veering angle of the wind I knew the 
wind speed would be further reduced.
	I had begun to cross to the north side of this passage when I was 
about half way down the passage.  I began to see the areas where there 
were fewer wind riffles on the water.  I paddled in the v shaped zones 
trying to keep to where they were either trailing out or had the 
shortest distance across into the flat slots.  Then I would run up, as 
far as I could to gain distance, in the flat zones before crossing the 
riffled waters.
	Near the west end of this passage, Torssuk‡tak, at 45'W the wind 
started to drop to ten knots and by the end, Qas’ngortoq point, it was 
down to five knots to slack.
	Once I was past the becalmed opening called Qas’ngortoq of 
Torssuk‡tak heading across the five mile stretch for the first mile to 
the island óman‡q the water had calmed to just a soft swells which was 
ideal for paddling the boat.  The same type of wind conditions happened 
again as I started out from óman‡q paddled the next mile past Ikermio 
which was in the middle as before another two miles the usual fifteen 
knots broadside wind.  The wind declined as I neared Q—rssorfik and the 
waters became calm, once again because i think that both winds the one 
coming down the west side of Qaersorssuaq and the other wind coming out 
of Sortehul-Akornat meeting at this point 90û from each other and lost 
their drive because these air currents were equally balanced.
	Now I was near the large island, Qaersorssuaq, which has a high 
peak on it visible for miles around.  This is a truly majestic peak that 
has an elegant pyramid snow covered summit.
	Rounding the point Ingia and continuing north along Qaersorssuaq 
about midway the strange event of katabatic winds erupted.  The ruffle 
on the water with lateral clear streaks was the strong katabatic wind 
coming down from the mountain above me.  The katabatic wind from the 
1000 meter mountain on Qaersorssuaq would also combine with the north 
wind from the ice cap at times and become amplified.  From what I could 
see with the way the water was behaving there were no waves there were 
small circular defined zones showing intense wind action suggesting that 
the water was being blasted from above and from the side straight ahead 
toward me.
	This was my first time experiencing this condition of an 
alternately a hot and cold wind blowing in strong puffs with a small 
area of short left side gusts coming over the top and down.  Before I 
hit this condition I tied my paddle to my bow line because I could see 
that there was the possibility that the paddle may be ripped from my 
hands.  This made tough paddling as I hunched forward and wedged myself 
in well to reduce my surface area and be positioned to use my strongest 
muscles.  These intermittent gusts blew the water flat made it not quite 
impossible but I had to be careful not to lose my bow I estimate that 
some of the gusts were at 30 knots.  It is interesting when no waves are 
generated, just riffles, with slight spray which was totally a surface 
phenomena.  Next to the cliff the birds were gliding 50 - 100 feet above 
me completely unaffected.
	I finally reached the end of Sanderson's Hope where I noticed that 
there was much flatter water ahead this was, as might be expected but 
also to my relief, at the point.  I was most glad that this wind was not 
blowing out of the fjord I was approaching because this area had a long 
expanse of completely vertical walls.  The wind receded to a very quiet 
five knots at the most.
	I continued with calm conditions to paddle along Lang Island-Akia 
and then around the corner to Upernavik.  Although I could see some what 
looked like a definite weather front of dark clouds out on Davis Straits 
that weather did not come into Upernavik until a week later.  From then 
there was a continuous series of low pressure systems of various 
intensities. The air temperature in on the island Qagsse which was just 
a few kilometers from Upernavik Isfjord was much colder than Upernavik 
which was about ten nautical miles from the isfjord.
	I conclude that cloud configurations and an understanding of the 
physics that govern air movement especially knowing that cold air is 
heavier than warm air and will seek to replace warm air is the best 
means of anticipating the weather.

Gail E. Ferris, 1 Bowhay Hill, Stony Creek, CT 06405