Do you know a place where the whole town shares a refrigerator?

Descending into the community refrigerator, Tuktoyuktok, North West Territories

I didn’t until I arrived in Tuktoyaktuk. We descended a ladder into the ground where I got my first close up of permafrost. It was freezing below the surface because the ice doesn’t melt, so a perfect place to store your summer or winter catch.

We walked over an icy floor where ice covered the walls and ceiling, past doors where different community members stored their fish and into our guide, Eileen’s naturally refrigerated room.

Our last stop before returning to Inuvik, was a dip in the Arctic Ocean. Yeah, right. I let the other crazy tourists freeze with that experience.

Arctic Ocean from the air