Ilatsiak - 83 - David's Tracks

Kudluk wasn’t surprised when his father didn’t show up later when the group stopped to rest, but when there was still no sign of him a few days later, he decided to hunt for basking seals back along the route they’d taken from the trader’s cabin. The sled tracks were still visible even with the melting that had taken place, making David's trail was easy to follow.
By the time the sun was high in the sky, Kudluk came to the area where he had last seen his father. He could see where his tracks veered off to the north, but it was clear that he had not turned completely around back towards the traders. Instead the tracks headed straight north and then began edging towards the east. David smiled. The old guy was headed to the ice edge to look for seals! Why had he not thought of that?
Another few hours and David could see the dark blue line of open water in the distance. His father’s dog sled headed right for it.
Kuduk first became concerned as he passed over several ice cracks. None of them were moving, but he knew they soon would be. This was a dangerous area and the likelihood of an ice flow breaking off from the main ice was high. To make matters worse, there was no sign of his father other than the tracks which continued to lead straight to the water.
Then he saw the thing he feared the most. His father’s sled tracks continued straight out at the ice edge. He was out there somewhere on an ice floe, drifting with the wind and the current. If the floe was large enough, he might make it back to the main ice when the tide turned. If not, well, he’d rather not think about that. It was at least two days ago...
Kudluk realised it was futile to remain at the ice edge. He didn't have a kayak and there was no ice to be seen out on the open water. It was also dangerous as he could suffer the same fate. Urging his dogs, he turned and retraced his route, relaxing only when he passed over the last crack. It was beginning to move slightly.