EUREKA WEATHER STATION - Ask most people what they would do for vacation, and you'll hear about warm climates and white sand beaches.

Now ask a Canadian Ranger, and you'll hear about numbing cold and Arctic travel.

Lazarus Kaernerk was very surprised to be greeted in Inuktitut by a Nunavut News/North reporter. He can usually be found in Clyde River, and brought along his own muskox meat for the trip. - Kent Driscoll/NNSL photo

All the Rangers taking part in Operation Nunalivut do so because it is what they love.

Noah Mosesee, from Pangnirtung, can usually be found working at the Co-op in his home hamlet. Last week, he was travelling the High Arctic, defending Canada's claim to the north.

"I've been a Ranger for four years, and I was a Junior Ranger before that," said Mosesee. "I was here last year, too. We went from Isachsen to Resolute."

He uses vacation time to patrol with the Rangers, and the Co-op is Pangnirtung is happy to oblige.

"They were good about it," said Mosesee.

He is on patrol two, crossing the middle of Ellesmere Island. Trekking in -50 C is a good time for Mosesee.

"You just have to take it easy on your sled and you'll do good," said Mosesee. "I'm excited, more excited than last year. Last year, we didn't go far enough north."

Roger Hikoalak usually works at the Diavik mine, and took time off from his day job to patrol Ellesmere Island.

Hikoalak works with Junior Rangers and says that the future Rangers are happy for him.

"Those little people, they were very excited," said Hikoalak. "It took four years for us to get it (the Junior Rangers) started, but now it is good."

"This is vacation for me," laughed Hikoalak.

After dealing with the many southern journalists flown to Eureka for the send-off, when a reporter greeted Lazarus Kaernerk with a "qanuippit," and asked his name with "kinnavit," he was surprised.

"You speak Inuktitut," said Kaernerk.

When he found out the reporter was from Nunavut News/North, he was happy to talk to the paper he gets in his hometown.

"This trip has been good, I got to learn more about the north," said Kaernerk.

The trip on the land with the Rangers was much like his work in Clyde River.

"I hunt, mostly caribou and seal," said Kaernerk.

While other Rangers were subsisting on military rations - including bread with a shelf life of five years - Kaernerk brought more hearty fare for himself.

"I've got muskox on my kamotiq, it was good," said Kaernerk.

These Rangers are the best of the best; each patrol leader handpicked their group.

"They are all so good, it was really hard to choose," said Major Chris Bergeron, commander of Operation Nunalivut.

All three Rangers had one thing in common. They prefer using their own snowmobiles instead of the ones provided by the Canadian Forces.

"They're good, but I like mine better," said Kaernerk.

"These sleds are good for this, but they are too heavy," said Hikoalak.

"I don't like it, I like mine better," said Mosesee.

All three are sacrificing financially to be on the patrol. Rangers get paid the standard Canadian Reserves rate, dependent on rank, which is around $150 a day.

For a dangerous operation like Nunalivut, they received a bonus of $17 daily. That $17 is taxable. Operation Nunalivut was budgeted at $1 million.