Arctic Wild

One of the remarkable things about camping in the arctic is the long evening light with rich colors and long shadows. Where else can you watch the sunset for 3 hours, only to watch it begin rising again immediately?

Early August is a time between the explosion of spring flowers, and the yellows and reds of autumn. At this time of year, with a subtle color palette, the long evening light makes the the tundra shine.

Cameron Baird took this photo near the Continental Divide in Gates of the Arctic National Park.

The fog hangs thick along the arctic coast. The flat light and the flatter landscape make it difficult to identify objects. You can find yourself wondering….Is that a giant driftwood stump a mile away or an eider duck at 200 yards? It is disconcerting when you can’t trust your eyes.

Whenever I find bear tracks on the arctic coast, I try to tell myself that they are from a Grizzly Bear. I’ve spent more time around them and they produce less anxiety. I know they are usually from Polar Bears but when I do get to see them, it is always a privilege.

Dan Ritzman took this photo near the village of Kaktovik in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

This photo was taken by Cameron Baird up on Archimedes Ridge in the Western Brooks Range. The reason I like the picture, is that he took the very normal subject of his pack at rest and showed us the beauty in it. I’d have just sat there trying to remember what sort of snacks were in the top pocket. I love the way he captured to big-sky and sense of infinite space which characterizes that part of the Brooks Range.

I’ll admit that I’m biased towards this photo. I took it on an exploratory custom trip in the headwaters of the Colville River a couple years ago. Perhaps it is a good picture in its own right, but for me it is also infused with the thrill of an unknown river, the excitement of early June in the Brooks Range and the pleasure of traveling with others who enjoy the country.

If caribou are a fitting icon for the arctic, then Brown Bears are certainly the symbol for Katmai National Park. Katmai has some of the highest densities and largest bears in the world. We offer a couple of trips in Katmai each summer, including a base camp trip on Katmai’s pacific coast and a canoe trip in the park’s interior. Here are a couple pictures from Dave Shaw’s canoe trip in Katmai last fall. What a beautiful bear!