Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Day 11: July 15th
Morning is clear and the mosquitoes are happy. Our group is up at 7:30am to get ready for Dirk’s arrival. Mark sees five caribou: three females and two young. Getting out of my tent I see 23 more coming over the sand dunes and heading towards the lake. The 23 turn into at least a thousand. Hallelujah! At last we’ve seen one of the large animals the region is famous for.
Richard and Mark are amazed that two thirds of the herd are males, with tall antlers. Some have three and four points at the very top of their racks. Back and forth from the tundra to wading into the water they come to eat and escape the mosquitoes. When the adults leave there are always some yearlings not paying attention who cry and run to catch up with the herd.
Dirk is two and half hours late, but no one is upset, because we were able to observe one of the great wonders of nature. My last day in the wilderness and I finally get to see caribou. The awe I feel and the desire to protect this area is strong.
Dirk flies off with the first three members of our group. He’s returning in four hours to get Richard, Toni and I. We’ll be dropped off in Wiseman, an old gold mining camp in the Brooks Range- population 14. We will be staying at a B& B owned by Clutch and Lorna. Clutch is the curator of the Wiseman Mining Museum.
As I write this I can hear caribou snorting and splashing in the lake. I climb out of my tent and into the mosquitoes for another look at this impressive herd. I am very thankful for this day. Caribou sound like a white water rapid as the charge through the lake.
To see the beauty of a natural area,
To smell the sweet clean scent of flowers,
To feel the cool clean air in my lungs,
To hear the splash of water and the song of a bird,
With soft sand beneath my feet is to be alive, complete, and comfortable in a truly real environment.
Our souls live on earth.
In areas of beauty and especially wilderness it soars.
The wilderness is a breath of pleasure for the soul.
We need to preserve places like the North Slope of Alaska to keep our hearts and souls feeling safe. Not only for future generations of humans but for all the wildlife, vegetation, clean air and water. To destroy this setting for the purpose of oil speculation and on the eve of the adoption of better renewable energy sources is morally wrong and unwise. When I look at this vast landscape, I think a better name would be the Alaska Natural Preserve. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the National Petroleum Reserve have to be protected from exploitation. I speak for the caribou and forget-me-nots now and in the future.
Morning is clear and the mosquitoes are happy. Our group is up at 7:30am to get ready for Dirk’s arrival. Mark sees five caribou: three females and two young. Getting out of my tent I see 23 more coming over the sand dunes and heading towards the lake. The 23 turn into at least a thousand. Hallelujah! At last we’ve seen one of the large animals the region is famous for.
Richard and Mark are amazed that two thirds of the herd are males, with tall antlers. Some have three and four points at the very top of their racks. Back and forth from the tundra to wading into the water they come to eat and escape the mosquitoes. When the adults leave there are always some yearlings not paying attention who cry and run to catch up with the herd.
Dirk is two and half hours late, but no one is upset, because we were able to observe one of the great wonders of nature. My last day in the wilderness and I finally get to see caribou. The awe I feel and the desire to protect this area is strong.
Dirk flies off with the first three members of our group. He’s returning in four hours to get Richard, Toni and I. We’ll be dropped off in Wiseman, an old gold mining camp in the Brooks Range- population 14. We will be staying at a B& B owned by Clutch and Lorna. Clutch is the curator of the Wiseman Mining Museum.
As I write this I can hear caribou snorting and splashing in the lake. I climb out of my tent and into the mosquitoes for another look at this impressive herd. I am very thankful for this day. Caribou sound like a white water rapid as the charge through the lake.
To see the beauty of a natural area,
To smell the sweet clean scent of flowers,
To feel the cool clean air in my lungs,
To hear the splash of water and the song of a bird,
With soft sand beneath my feet is to be alive, complete, and comfortable in a truly real environment.
Our souls live on earth.
In areas of beauty and especially wilderness it soars.
The wilderness is a breath of pleasure for the soul.
We need to preserve places like the North Slope of Alaska to keep our hearts and souls feeling safe. Not only for future generations of humans but for all the wildlife, vegetation, clean air and water. To destroy this setting for the purpose of oil speculation and on the eve of the adoption of better renewable energy sources is morally wrong and unwise. When I look at this vast landscape, I think a better name would be the Alaska Natural Preserve. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the National Petroleum Reserve have to be protected from exploitation. I speak for the caribou and forget-me-nots now and in the future.
Day 10: July 14th
It is a foggy morning with many mosquitoes. We break camp and canoe into Teshekpuk Lake. Our group is moving closer to the shore area where Dirk will land. We see three figures on the shore, it’s the young researchers. They had walked three and a half hours to visit. Steffen has bad news to report the King Eider we saw had been eaten by a fox. They could tell by the tracks. Only five of the forty nests he had identified are still viable, which means it had been a very hard year for the King Eiders.
I found out that both Sumy and I were trying to get pictures of the sun going to the east in the morning. I ask if it is foggy most mornings and they say yes. It usually clears by 10am. After a good visit they head back to their camp by way of Wyoming Creek.
Mark uses his GPS to get the positions the pilot had given us. We take our canoes to that area of the beach. The Ally Pack canoes have to be taken apart, cleaned and dried. By the time packing is completed it is supper time.
Mark, Alena and Charles are going out on the first flight tomorrow. Dirk is to be here at 10am.
It is a foggy morning with many mosquitoes. We break camp and canoe into Teshekpuk Lake. Our group is moving closer to the shore area where Dirk will land. We see three figures on the shore, it’s the young researchers. They had walked three and a half hours to visit. Steffen has bad news to report the King Eider we saw had been eaten by a fox. They could tell by the tracks. Only five of the forty nests he had identified are still viable, which means it had been a very hard year for the King Eiders.
I found out that both Sumy and I were trying to get pictures of the sun going to the east in the morning. I ask if it is foggy most mornings and they say yes. It usually clears by 10am. After a good visit they head back to their camp by way of Wyoming Creek.
Mark uses his GPS to get the positions the pilot had given us. We take our canoes to that area of the beach. The Ally Pack canoes have to be taken apart, cleaned and dried. By the time packing is completed it is supper time.
Mark, Alena and Charles are going out on the first flight tomorrow. Dirk is to be here at 10am.
Day 9: July 13th
Today starts out clear and cold. After breakfast we head east for Wyoming Creek. But first we have to take the canoes across Kealok Creek. There is a hard wind coming out of the north so we have to hike through blowing sand that is close to where the plane will land. Finally after crossing through tussock grass we come to a rough area of beach with waves crashing to shore. There are many flowers here: coltsfoot, roundleaf willow, bell heather, low-bush cranberry, and northern goldenrod.
After another mile we come to Wyoming Creek which splits into three separate branches before going into Teshekpuk Lake.
Following lunch I walk farther east, where a little chick pops out of the grass and runs in fronts of me. I give the cute baby a break and move off the caribou trail only to see a large flock of geese, perhaps 30 or 40, across the creek. I think they are Pacific brant although I can’t see them well enough to tell for sure. Walking back towards camp, I see rocks along the shore that I had not noticed in the tundra. Wish I knew more about the geology of Alaska
Today starts out clear and cold. After breakfast we head east for Wyoming Creek. But first we have to take the canoes across Kealok Creek. There is a hard wind coming out of the north so we have to hike through blowing sand that is close to where the plane will land. Finally after crossing through tussock grass we come to a rough area of beach with waves crashing to shore. There are many flowers here: coltsfoot, roundleaf willow, bell heather, low-bush cranberry, and northern goldenrod.
After another mile we come to Wyoming Creek which splits into three separate branches before going into Teshekpuk Lake.
Following lunch I walk farther east, where a little chick pops out of the grass and runs in fronts of me. I give the cute baby a break and move off the caribou trail only to see a large flock of geese, perhaps 30 or 40, across the creek. I think they are Pacific brant although I can’t see them well enough to tell for sure. Walking back towards camp, I see rocks along the shore that I had not noticed in the tundra. Wish I knew more about the geology of Alaska
Day 8: July 12th
It’s another foggy cold morning. Breakfast is hot oatmeal, dried fruit, and hot cocoa.
We are to hike the western shores again, taking with us two thermoses with hot water for soup, bagged salmon and crackers. Our group always has candy for snacks. We may be a group of tree huggers, but we’re not health nuts too.
The group finds a small duck on the opposite side of the lake. Toni and Alena think it is dead then they see a little head movement. Alena touches it with her foot and it does not move. The others come over to look at the ‘sick duck.’ However with this the duck has had enough and gets up and waddles off to the lake. Where have these irritating giants come from? The duck had probably just finished molting so wasn’t able to fly away. I join the group to have lunch. This part of the shore line has the most flowers we have seen by the lake: purple plumes, dryas, squirreltail grass, arctic daisy, labador tea, and rockcressToni, Alena, and Charles keep going west and Richard and Mark go south. I decide to settle down in a nice slopping soft grassy area out of the wind filled with flowers. The crisp cool air feels so clean it is as if I could breathe it in all the way down to my toes.
I get some good pictures of a red throated loon close to camp. I watch it swim and fly around and land back in the small lake.
It’s another foggy cold morning. Breakfast is hot oatmeal, dried fruit, and hot cocoa.
We are to hike the western shores again, taking with us two thermoses with hot water for soup, bagged salmon and crackers. Our group always has candy for snacks. We may be a group of tree huggers, but we’re not health nuts too.
The group finds a small duck on the opposite side of the lake. Toni and Alena think it is dead then they see a little head movement. Alena touches it with her foot and it does not move. The others come over to look at the ‘sick duck.’ However with this the duck has had enough and gets up and waddles off to the lake. Where have these irritating giants come from? The duck had probably just finished molting so wasn’t able to fly away. I join the group to have lunch. This part of the shore line has the most flowers we have seen by the lake: purple plumes, dryas, squirreltail grass, arctic daisy, labador tea, and rockcressToni, Alena, and Charles keep going west and Richard and Mark go south. I decide to settle down in a nice slopping soft grassy area out of the wind filled with flowers. The crisp cool air feels so clean it is as if I could breathe it in all the way down to my toes.
I get some good pictures of a red throated loon close to camp. I watch it swim and fly around and land back in the small lake.
Day 7: July 11th
The day starts out misty with wind which only increases as the sky clears. Using our GPS and compass we set off to hike to where Dirk will pick us up five days from now, a flat sandy area not too far from the shore with good sand for the small plane to land.
Back at camp, everyone pitches in to help reposition my tent which is being broadsided by the wind and is close to becoming a kite. The wind is strong and cold which equals no mosquitoes. The caribou know what they are doing to head north to the coast.
I see a large seagull go after a small ground squirrel. The squirrel gets to its hole before it becomes a snack. The gull smacks his beak but only gets air. All over the ground you see caribou tracks. We missed them by two weeks according to Steffen
The day starts out misty with wind which only increases as the sky clears. Using our GPS and compass we set off to hike to where Dirk will pick us up five days from now, a flat sandy area not too far from the shore with good sand for the small plane to land.
Back at camp, everyone pitches in to help reposition my tent which is being broadsided by the wind and is close to becoming a kite. The wind is strong and cold which equals no mosquitoes. The caribou know what they are doing to head north to the coast.
I see a large seagull go after a small ground squirrel. The squirrel gets to its hole before it becomes a snack. The gull smacks his beak but only gets air. All over the ground you see caribou tracks. We missed them by two weeks according to Steffen
Day 6: July 10th
Today is the day for hiking west of Kealok Creek. The tundra contains many lakes, some large enough to take hours to walk around. Teshekpuk Lake is about 30 miles long and 20 miles wide, and surrounded by even more lakes. Not far from camp, we find a collapsed building with mattresses, oil drums, batteries, a camp stove, skillets, and a variety of cans. All are rusty including an Arctic cat dated 1973. It makes you think, that whoever was responsible for this site was ready to spend the money to bring it all here but not to remove it. What chance does the earth have if this way of doing things is not stopped? One of the reasons I am writing this account of my visit to Alaska is my wish to highlight the need to realize that we are all guardians of this special wilderness.
On to the beautiful things of the north slope, by one of the lakes we come to an arctic tern’s nest filled with one small speckled brown and tan egg. She lets us know to move on by gliding and flying over our heads. More new flowers and these are a purplish white valerian and a yellow groundsel. I find a puffball similar to ones in Missouri, but I am too far from home to try this mushroom. We saw some scoters from a distance, as well as two greater white-fronted geese with eight goslings following in a parade on the opposite bank.
Our group splits up. Toni, Alena, and Mark keep going along the lake. Richard goes back toward Kealok Creek. Charles and I head for Teshekpuk Lake where we see a pair of sandpipers guarding their nest. A climb up a sand dune gives a great view of the lake and its southern beaches. It’s too wide to see across and too long to see either end. An arctic ground squirrel starts barking at us from his hill. Farther west down the beach, we see a white spot which turns out to be a tundra swan with three young. She flies when we are 200 yards away and the grayish black signets head for the water, too young to fly.
The group meets at camp for lunch. The wind is increasing and bringing with it much colder air. I am writing this in my little solo tent that is barely managing to stay upright. I venture out for supper to see that the wind has played with the clouds which are streaked in long deep furrows. The waves on Lake Teshekpuk seem to be reflected in the sky.
The arctic sun plays the best game with the land, making an oval from east to west, and at this time of the year neither raising nor setting
Today is the day for hiking west of Kealok Creek. The tundra contains many lakes, some large enough to take hours to walk around. Teshekpuk Lake is about 30 miles long and 20 miles wide, and surrounded by even more lakes. Not far from camp, we find a collapsed building with mattresses, oil drums, batteries, a camp stove, skillets, and a variety of cans. All are rusty including an Arctic cat dated 1973. It makes you think, that whoever was responsible for this site was ready to spend the money to bring it all here but not to remove it. What chance does the earth have if this way of doing things is not stopped? One of the reasons I am writing this account of my visit to Alaska is my wish to highlight the need to realize that we are all guardians of this special wilderness.
On to the beautiful things of the north slope, by one of the lakes we come to an arctic tern’s nest filled with one small speckled brown and tan egg. She lets us know to move on by gliding and flying over our heads. More new flowers and these are a purplish white valerian and a yellow groundsel. I find a puffball similar to ones in Missouri, but I am too far from home to try this mushroom. We saw some scoters from a distance, as well as two greater white-fronted geese with eight goslings following in a parade on the opposite bank.
Our group splits up. Toni, Alena, and Mark keep going along the lake. Richard goes back toward Kealok Creek. Charles and I head for Teshekpuk Lake where we see a pair of sandpipers guarding their nest. A climb up a sand dune gives a great view of the lake and its southern beaches. It’s too wide to see across and too long to see either end. An arctic ground squirrel starts barking at us from his hill. Farther west down the beach, we see a white spot which turns out to be a tundra swan with three young. She flies when we are 200 yards away and the grayish black signets head for the water, too young to fly.
The group meets at camp for lunch. The wind is increasing and bringing with it much colder air. I am writing this in my little solo tent that is barely managing to stay upright. I venture out for supper to see that the wind has played with the clouds which are streaked in long deep furrows. The waves on Lake Teshekpuk seem to be reflected in the sky.
The arctic sun plays the best game with the land, making an oval from east to west, and at this time of the year neither raising nor setting
Day 5: July 9th
We have the best weather today with a cooler, slight breeze, and a few mosquitoes for the third day of paddling.
Charles and I paddle out first and see a long-tailed duck.
At one point the group stops for some bird watching and to look at the landscape. I find grizzly tracks nest to caribou tracks in the sand.
Our next stop of the day is for lunch. Richard decides to fish and his first cast catches a 16 inch grayling. Alena catches two more on two more casts. One more cast and I have the fourth fish for lunch. You definitely will not go hungry in the summer in Alaska, but I know from reading that the Inuit have difficult hungry winters depending on the migrating caribou. We continually see tracks but so far no caribou. Steffen said they are farther north due to the high temperature and the plague of mosquitoes. Not surprisingly many grizzlies follow the herds north.
The horizon seems to be lowering with every turn of the creek. We finally break free of land and the Kealok and arrive at Teshekpuk Lake where we see ice. Due to a north wind, the remaining ice has pushed to the south shore. We wade out into the icy water. The larger pieces are formed by crystal clear blades clumped together. Alena is agile enough to scramble up and walk on a floating ice block. Pictures taken and feet chilled, we walk back to the shore.
On our way to Wyoming Creek to camp, we see several sandhill cranes. They fly off ahead of us. After a mile of paddling east, we realize that it is impossible to get the canoes close to shore, and that it would be too hard to wade all our supplies in, so it’s back to Kealok Creek.
We have the best weather today with a cooler, slight breeze, and a few mosquitoes for the third day of paddling.
Charles and I paddle out first and see a long-tailed duck.
At one point the group stops for some bird watching and to look at the landscape. I find grizzly tracks nest to caribou tracks in the sand.
Our next stop of the day is for lunch. Richard decides to fish and his first cast catches a 16 inch grayling. Alena catches two more on two more casts. One more cast and I have the fourth fish for lunch. You definitely will not go hungry in the summer in Alaska, but I know from reading that the Inuit have difficult hungry winters depending on the migrating caribou. We continually see tracks but so far no caribou. Steffen said they are farther north due to the high temperature and the plague of mosquitoes. Not surprisingly many grizzlies follow the herds north.
The horizon seems to be lowering with every turn of the creek. We finally break free of land and the Kealok and arrive at Teshekpuk Lake where we see ice. Due to a north wind, the remaining ice has pushed to the south shore. We wade out into the icy water. The larger pieces are formed by crystal clear blades clumped together. Alena is agile enough to scramble up and walk on a floating ice block. Pictures taken and feet chilled, we walk back to the shore.
On our way to Wyoming Creek to camp, we see several sandhill cranes. They fly off ahead of us. After a mile of paddling east, we realize that it is impossible to get the canoes close to shore, and that it would be too hard to wade all our supplies in, so it’s back to Kealok Creek.
Day 4: July 8thWe are back in the canoes and, thankfully, we are getting better at reading the water and are not getting caught on sandbars.
This morning we have a surprise. Two researchers from the University of Alaska came over to visit. One has been working here for a number of summers and we were an even bigger surprise to him. He had seen our tents that morning and walked several miles to satisfy his curiosity. In fact, I had seen him walking at a distance the day before. Some of the group thought it must be a bear. I said only if bears wear backpacks. Now we know the ‘bear’ is a graduate student from Germany. Steffen is studying the King Elder. The other researcher, Sumy, is an undergraduate from Japan. Steffen said there were 40 nesting King Elders in his study area. Only 20% to 30% make it to adulthood mainly due to predation. Their only defense is staying still on the nest. Steffen joins us three miles down the river and show us a nest. We would have never seen it without him. I wonder what else we have not seen in the tundra.
Elizabeth, from the States, an undergraduate from the University of Alaska, is also there. It is great meeting such caring young people from different parts of the world, and it confirms that others understand and want to protect the Alaskan wilderness too. Back to the canoe on the Kealok, we battle through clouds of mosquitoes, praying for wind to blow them away. When a strong wind finally comes around 5 P.M., the mosquitoes disappear but the paddling is not easy.
We set up camp in a field of flowers and add new names to our discovery list: forget-me-nots, white paintbrush, and fireweed. Toni and Richard go for a walk and spot the first willow ptarmigan of our trip. Charles and I catch sight of an interesting looking fish but it was swimming too fast to identify
Day 3: July 7th
Today is our first day of paddling. Rivers and creeks in Alaska play with the land – back and forth. The water continually turns and forks, so finding the deep water is a challenge when canoeing, but when you do, it is a sweet victory. So far the creek has a sandy bottom, but there are times when you feel you are pulling the canoe through quicksand. By the end of the day we are reading the water much better and not having to exert so much energy. The creek is like a snake, so although we have traveled ten water miles, we’ve actually only progressed five land miles.
New animals on our second day include: sanderlings, arctic terns, and a tundra swan. I found two broken eggs: one a medium sized and pale green loon egg, the other a small cream speckled sandpiper egg. The flowers which are cream and pink Indian paintbrush, arnica, gentia and harebells form a colorful landscape.
Our campsite for the night is on a little bank up from the creek with large lakes in the background. There are more birds here and it’s good to listen to all their calls and songs. It is warmer today, 78F, but with a cooler and stronger breeze which feels nice and keeps the mosquitoes away.
I forgot to tell you that because we’re near the Arctic Circle, it is always light, so there’s no sleeping in the dark or even in the dusk.
Today is our first day of paddling. Rivers and creeks in Alaska play with the land – back and forth. The water continually turns and forks, so finding the deep water is a challenge when canoeing, but when you do, it is a sweet victory. So far the creek has a sandy bottom, but there are times when you feel you are pulling the canoe through quicksand. By the end of the day we are reading the water much better and not having to exert so much energy. The creek is like a snake, so although we have traveled ten water miles, we’ve actually only progressed five land miles.
New animals on our second day include: sanderlings, arctic terns, and a tundra swan. I found two broken eggs: one a medium sized and pale green loon egg, the other a small cream speckled sandpiper egg. The flowers which are cream and pink Indian paintbrush, arnica, gentia and harebells form a colorful landscape.
Our campsite for the night is on a little bank up from the creek with large lakes in the background. There are more birds here and it’s good to listen to all their calls and songs. It is warmer today, 78F, but with a cooler and stronger breeze which feels nice and keeps the mosquitoes away.
I forgot to tell you that because we’re near the Arctic Circle, it is always light, so there’s no sleeping in the dark or even in the dusk.
Alaskan Wilderness
Day 2: July 6th
The morning is foggy and a little rainy as we set about assembling the Ally Pack canoes. It takes the whole team to do this. The canoes consist of a waterproof fabric stretched tightly around a metal pole frame, and there’s no room for mistakes as they each need to carry supplies for ten days and a two person crew. When our three canoes are successfully assembled, the team hikes to one of the taller ridges. Looking out across the tundra you can see for miles. It is very hard to adequately describe the vastness of a land with no standing trees. But it is a land brimming full of life, and you only have to look at your feet to see a vast variety of different plants: arctic poppies, lupine, campion, willows, sandwort, cottongrass, louseworts, buckwheat, wintergreen, heather, dryas, and several varieties of saxifrages, and even more. The animals we encountered by our first camp included a ground squirrel, swans, plovers, dowitcher, gulls, jaegers, loons, longspur, and mosquitoes, plenty of mosquitoes. We watch a ground squirrel gather plant material in her mouth and take it back to her den. Tracks of caribou are everywhere.
Day 2: July 6th
The morning is foggy and a little rainy as we set about assembling the Ally Pack canoes. It takes the whole team to do this. The canoes consist of a waterproof fabric stretched tightly around a metal pole frame, and there’s no room for mistakes as they each need to carry supplies for ten days and a two person crew. When our three canoes are successfully assembled, the team hikes to one of the taller ridges. Looking out across the tundra you can see for miles. It is very hard to adequately describe the vastness of a land with no standing trees. But it is a land brimming full of life, and you only have to look at your feet to see a vast variety of different plants: arctic poppies, lupine, campion, willows, sandwort, cottongrass, louseworts, buckwheat, wintergreen, heather, dryas, and several varieties of saxifrages, and even more. The animals we encountered by our first camp included a ground squirrel, swans, plovers, dowitcher, gulls, jaegers, loons, longspur, and mosquitoes, plenty of mosquitoes. We watch a ground squirrel gather plant material in her mouth and take it back to her den. Tracks of caribou are everywhere.
Alaska
Day 1: July 5th On our first day we flew from Fairbanks to Coldfoot. A bush pilot in Coldfoot brought us to Kealok Creek. We flew through the Brooks Range, skimming over rugged peaks that even in July still held winter snow. I have never seen such an extensive grouping of treeless mountain tops some with high glaciers. Half our group already had their tents up when the pilot, Dirk, artfully landed the remaining three of us right next to them
Day 1: July 5th On our first day we flew from Fairbanks to Coldfoot. A bush pilot in Coldfoot brought us to Kealok Creek. We flew through the Brooks Range, skimming over rugged peaks that even in July still held winter snow. I have never seen such an extensive grouping of treeless mountain tops some with high glaciers. Half our group already had their tents up when the pilot, Dirk, artfully landed the remaining three of us right next to them
June Stevens was a member of our group of six that made the trip from Kealok Creek to Teshepuk Lake. June is kind enough to share her diary of the trip.
Why does the Alaskan wilderness need to be free of development? Where else in the USA are there thousands of miles without roads, fences, signs and the debris of human habitation? Land that is still open for all living things. When I was offered a chance to see Alaska’s irreplaceable national treasure I jumped at the chance to join friends in a trip to the North Slope of Alaska, our nation’s only arctic ecosystem. Our group leaders are Richard, Toni, and their daughter Alena. They have canoed the Arctic Nation Wildlife Refuge five times before this trip in the National Petroleum Reserve. Mark, Charles, and I complete the group of six.
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