Backpacking the eastern portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
In 2014, from June 7 to June 18, I walked from the Kongakut River to the Hulahula River in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge with two longtime friend-guests, Mark and Joan, and my boss Dan. It was a beautiful trip and ignited my love for the arctic. Since this trip in 2014 I have been lucky enough to spend a lot more time in the arctic. From the Arctic Refuge to Gates of the Arctic National Park, Kaktovik to Kotzebue, the arctic embodies what I love most about Alaska: expansive landscapes, dynamic weather, intact ecosystems and unlimited exploration.
Wildflowers, mountains and easy walking!
A DIVERSE PLACE
Every mountain range in Alaska delivers something spectacular. But nowhere else delivers with the diversity of the arctic.
Like most of the Rocky Mountains, the Brooks Range of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has volatile, quickly changing weather. For over 100 miles we basked in sunshine, hunkered inside our Goretex in driving rain, marveled at fresh snow and endured cold arctic wind, often in the same day.
The terrain evolved significantly from the beginning of the trip to the end as well. We traveled 105 miles over ankle-twisting tussocks, saturated marshland, crystalized aufeis, yielding scree fields and unending tundra. What started as a wet slog through frozen bogs ended with easy walking amidst tundra bursting with the season’s first wildflowers. Over twelve days we were able to watch winter’s grip thaw and the arctic to begin its annual explosion of life.
OIL AND ANWR
When I look at a photo like the one below I think about oil and gas exploration…. don’t you?
If some very powerful politicians and corporations get their way, oil and gas activities will take place in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. 1,500,000 acres in the northwest corner of the Refuge were characterized differently in section 1002 of the legislation which created the Refuge in 1980. This compromise helped to expand and create the Refuge as we know it today, but it also left these “1002 lands” vulnerable to natural resource exploration and extraction. Today's political climate makes me all the more fearful that the timeless value of the Refuge will be sacrificed for quick, corporate financial gain.
Specifically, what is the big deal about 1.5 million acres of the Refuge's coastal plain?
It is critical denning area for polar bears, a calving and “insect relief” habitat for caribou and nesting grounds birds. For me, the moral value of this place, which is inextricably linked to the rest of the Refuge, and a crucial component of this rare, complete ecosystem, is far greater than the monetary value of the oil and natural gas resting beneath its surface.
My boss encapsulated the issue perfectly: “The value of the land beneath the Lincoln Memorial is worth far more, monetarily, than the structure itself. But that doesn’t mean we are going to tear it down and sell the real estate. The same goes for the refuge.”
WILDLIFE
This was my second trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. My first trip was an awesome float down the Marsh Fork of the Canning River. But on that trip the lack of wildlife in the “wildlife refuge” was almost laughable. We just were not in the right place at the right time.
This trip however provided plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities. Apart from a few days when we were crossing higher passes, we were almost never out of sight of either caribou or dall sheep on our journey. We were also lucky enough to see plenty of bird life, a grizzly bear, a big bull moose and a wolf! The one animal whose absence was both conspicuous and welcome were the mosquitos. We were just a bit too early to get to experience the notorious hoards of mosquitos that call the arctic home.
CARIBOU
Of all the regional wildlife, caribou are the most ubiquitous. There are two main herds that call the Refuge home. The Porcupine herd, which number roughly 169,000 animals based on a 2010 ariel photography census, is the largest of the two herds. Each spring they migrate to the northwest corner of the Refuge to give birth to roughly 30,000 calves on the controversial “1002 land”. Over the course of a year, they travel 1,500 miles before returning to the coastal plain, the longest migration of any land mammal!
While all of the wildlife we saw on our trip was exciting, seeing caribou was especially meaningful. The caribou are the lifeblood of the Refuge. They are food for both arctic predators and people. Plus, they are the architects of these beautiful caribou trails that made traveling through this country much easier!
The worlds best trail builders - thousands and thousands of Caribou.
GRATITUDE
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that the whole reason that I get to explore amazing places like the Refuge is because of awesome, intrepid clients who come to Alaska to appreciate the solitude and vastness that this great place has to offer. And also because I am fortunate enough to be employed by a company which values National Parks and Wildlife Refuges as both places to recreate and places to protect.
A huge thank you to the folks pictured below for an amazing trip!
My awesome traveling companions!
