Reasons to visit in fall A quick explanation.
Clothes and other preparations
To get a clearer idea of the region's autumnal beauty, go to A Harvest of fall color and rare fruit.
A person visits Churchill's surrounding tundra in the fall because the tundra turns shades of gold and red, purple and orange -- colors that are said to rival the fall colors of New England. Most of the regions berries ripen in the fall.
I am told the region is especially nice after one good, hard frost has killed off all the bugs but winter has not yet set in. I plan to go there at that time of year next year, but in the meantime, here is what I have learned from others.
On the down side, the weather begins to turn cold and is likely to be unpredictable. If you fail to balance your need for warmth against weight, you will certainly regret it, especially on the trip home, when you may have added to your load with Inuit sculptures or other souveniers of the region. Polartec fleece combines warmth with lightness of weight. It also dries quickly and takes up less space in backpack or luggage than heavy-weight cotton. It is likely to rain or be windy. Goretex is best for all-season outerwear, but it is expensive. Whatever is chosen for shell and pants should keep out wind and rain and allow moisture to escape. It can't hurt to take along a winter coat and boots, just in case.
Be also aware that in June and July, maybe through early August, polar bears are relatively scarce and in a natural fasting state (their hunting season is winter, when they lie in wait on the ice above the breathing holes made by ringed seal, their primary prey. When a seal, swimming under water, approaches one of these in order to breathe, the bear (prompted by an incredibly sensitive sense of smell) plunges his paw through the hole, grabs the hapless seal, and yanks it to the surface in order to feast on its fat. Studies also indicate they hunt, kill and eat beluga whales.) Although polar bears do not hibernate in summer, they have adapted to a scarcity of food by entering a natural fasting state.) Late August and September are closer than July to Churchill's famous Polar Bear High Season, a six-week period that lasts from about mid-October through November, when bears from all over the region gather on the western shores of Hudson Bay to wait for the ice to freeze over and their main hunting season to begin. If you haven't already read my Rules of Polar Bear Safety please make sure you read it or another source of comparable information, before you go. Mine is probably a bit more personal than most, because my references combine conversations with experienced locals, my own experiences when applicable, and stuff I read last July, from a pamphlet devoted to polar bear safety.
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