Anaktuvuk (Looking North), Arctic Circle, Alaska

Posted by dj.tigersprout (New York City, United States) on 29 July 2008 in Lifestyle & Culture and Portfolio.

originally, when i had set my eyes on wintery Alaska, i had wanted to make it to the very top -- to the frozen town of Barrow at the edge of the frozen Arctic Sea. there in the deep & isolated twilight regions, hungry polar bears lurked on the ice, making their gradual way north and east, while hunting for seals and taking advantage of the solid sea. But it wasn't to be -- my multiple attempts at reaching Barrow were quickly extinguished.

i had contemplated 'carpooling' in a friend's truck -- 3 of us on an arctic joyride... but it was a ludicrous idea, an adventure for the foolhardy -- for the truck showed visible signs of wear and tear and it was certainly too dangerous as the roads were very rough. and if we broke down on the tundra, miles from help we would certainly have been dead before anyone noticed we were gone.

i contemplated the chance of catching a ride to Coldfoot, a third of the way up to the northern most coastline -- there i could have hitched a ride with the ice truckers, who were usually wont of some company on their lonely northern journeys across the endless frozen tundra. but it didn't seem to materialize when i was eager and mentally ready for it.

in the end it looked like the best and fastest way for me to reach Barrow was to fly... oh, but at what a cost! $600 dollars roundtrip in a private plane and me as the possible sole passenger... frustrated, i rethought my plans: i wanted to get to Barrow, but not for the same amount that i had paid to get from San Francisco to mid-Alaska... it just wasn't working out -- the cost was simply too steep for the 2 days i had left to spare.

so here i was -- two thirds of the way to the top of the world, standing on an icy bluff overlooking the frozen and perfectly still Anaktuvak. i had chosen the best option that would take me deep into the Arctic Circle, but still rather far from the coast. but it didn't matter. i could feel the cold seeping quickly into my bloodstream -- i had been standing on this ledge caught in reflection, and struck with awe and wonder at the magnificent surrounds for several minutes already and my fingers and forearms were beginning to ache. i turned north, away from the light gold of the unseen sun, hidden behind the vast mountain range to the south. i looked north, over lonely Anaktuvuk to the blue-ish gray lands beyond. the air was incredibly clear -- no falling snow, no miniature ice flakes that twinkled in the atmosphere above, nothing.

i pounded my hands together furiously -- i needed to keep the blood moving. an inner alarm went off inside my head, it had probably been 20 minutes and i needed to get inside. i looked south, still amazed at the stillness of reality: nothing moved, no sound was made. above me, thin white wispy clouds caught the yellowish glint of the sun and glowed, unaware of my strange presence in this unforgiving climate. i picked up my tri-pod and made way down the icy slope, my lips past numb, my hands lightly shaking and my teeth beginning to chatter.

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