Arctic Revue Day 11 "Caribou Pass"

We stayed three days at Caribou Pass before getting picked up.  The river droned constantly among the foothills of the northern Brooks Mountains.  Of course, these "foothills" are much higher than most places I am accustomed to in Illinois.  Migrating Caribou and other animals take advantage of gaps in the landscape to make thier joureny easier.  Caribou Pass is a place where herds of caribou "pass through" the mountains on their way to or from the coastal plain where they give birth to their young.

Caribou

Most of the movement had already taken place when we were at Caribou Pass, though we did see 2 lone Caribou.  One of them trotted right next to our camp.  It was very curious about us.  It would pace back and forth and then stare at us for a bit, then pace some more.  It was traveling south.

Caribou

Another one came through while we were coming back from our hike in the foothills.  I tried to get closer, but it was traveling north and crossed the river (too deep for me to wade through).  It behaved similarly as the other one, trotting a little, then looking back at me, never really running away.  This one had much more developed antlers.  I don't know the sex of either one, since both male and female Caribou grow antlers.  I suspect they were lone males, since there were no calves.  Several days earlier we saw a mother and calf walk along the river on top of some aufeis.   

Arcic Ground Squirrel

I really enjoyed the time at Caribou Pass.  We also saw a Moose in the hills across the river from us.  Although we saw Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles every day in the Arctic Refuge, one day at Caribou Pass, a Bald Eagle directly passed overhead.  A colony of Arctic Ground Squirrels were active in and out of their borrows near our camp, always more easily heard than seen. 

Juvenile Baird's Sandpiper

At Caribou Pass we encountered a number of juvenile Baird's Sandpipers and Semi-palmated Plovers.  Shorebird parents stick around long enough for the chicks to hatch and assist with basic feeding, but they migrate south before the young fully fledge.  The juveniles migrate south on their own later in the summer.  The miracle is that they "know" in their genes where to go and when: they would never survive an arctic winter.  I was really excited to see a trio of Parasitic Jaegers hunting the riverbed for young sandpipers and plovers.  The jaegers are sort of like a cross between a raptor and a gull.

Juvenile Parasitic Jaeger

On the day of departure, we confrimed our new pick up location, packed up our gear, and waited for the plane.  The weather was kind of drizzly and then turned to rain.  We had packed the tent, in order to be ready when the plane arrived.  We didn't want to make the pilot have to wait on us for not being prepared.  But after 4 hours of standing in a cold downpour waiting for the pilot to come, we have questioned the wisdom of our being so courteous.  Thank God for the Hely Hansen raingear!

Our self-guided expedition into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge tested our skills, endurance, and adaptability.  We didn't get as far as we planned, but we experienced a place that is wild and beautiful [and protected] on a landscape scale.  We will probably never return to the Kongakut, since there is so much more to see, but I will always cherish the memories of those 11 days of arctic wilderness.

Arctic Revue Day 10 "Arctic Landscapes"

Here's a view of the Kongakut River near the source in the high Brooks Range.  The mountains tend to be a little higher in the southern part of the range and begin to level out as they approach the Arctic Ocean in the north.

Kongakut River through the Brooks Range

Here's another view downstream as we moved north to the coastal plain.  This picture shows how braided and rocky the Kongakut River is.  I concluded that kongakut must be a word that means "boat-basher," in light of our kayak damage.  But what a place to wreck!

Compare the two pictures above with the one below, which is further north at Caribou Pass.  The peaks are beginning to flatten out.  The spot pictured below is where we ended our river travel.  Because of the damage to our kayak, we contacted the bush pilot by satelite phone (no cell phone service here) and arranged a pick-up at Caribou Pass a location where he could land.  Alas, we did not make it to the Arctic Ocean.



Kongakut River near Caribou Pass

Since we weren't traveling as far north as we planned, we had a couple of extra days at Caribou Pass.  One morning we hiked up the slopes to an expanse composed of rugged tussocks.  Tussocks are called "ankle-twisters," and they make hiking cumbersome.  Each clump of grass and forbs is about 2 feet high.



Arctic Tussocks

Here's a view from about 500' above the river looking straight across at Caribou Pass.  Around us we could see paths trammeled by migrating Caribou taking advantage of breaks in the landscape.  The mountains are separated from the tussocks in the foreground by the river valley spanning about 200 yards.  This is a vast place.

Tussocks overlooking Caribou Pass

Arctic Revue Day 9 "Midnight Rainbow"

A place of extremes, the Arctic Refuge has 24 hours of daylight in the summer.  Although the sun moved across the horizon, there was no real sunrise and sunset.  It was really strange to hear birds singing all the time. 

One night at "Caribou Pass" I heard a disturbance outside the tent.  Something was snorting or grunting nearby.  I wondered if it were a Caribou passing through the valley.  I got out and looked around and didn't see any Caribou.  But I did see a complete double rainbow in the sky across the river from our camp.

I've never seen such a clear and complete rainbow, unobstructed by any buildings or bridges or roads.  It was as if I were standing on the earth the day God put a rainbow in the sky and promised not to destroy the earth.  What an excellent image to promote permanent protection and conservation of the Arctic Refuge in the face of extraction pressures from the oil and gas industries (follow these links to the National Audubon Society for more conservation information or for urgent political action in support of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- thanks!).  

What made this rainbow even more amazing to me was that the time was 12:58 a.m.!  Due to the remote location and time of day, it is very possible that I was the only person observing this divine sign in God's amazing creation.   

By the way, based on later observations, my snorting "Caribou" was just a male ROCK PTARMIGAN!

Arctic Revue Day 8 "Gray Wolf"

One morning Joe and I were taking a very badly needed rest and trying to decide how we were going to pass through a canyon of rapids.  Our kayak is not a whitewater craft, and we had already damaged the boat, so we were extremely cautious.  The sides of the canyon were very steep and all the braids of the river were funneled into one fast deep channel with large boulders.  We packed up the boat and our gear into 4 large packbags and tried hiking over the mountain on one side, but it was too steep and the rocks slid under our feet, which is untenable when carrying 90-pound packs (and making the trip three times for all the gear). 

While we sat down beside the roaring rapids, trying figure out how we could cross to the other side, a GRAY WOLF appeared through the willows about 100 feet away and was sniffing our gear.  Then it started to approach us, showing curiosity toward us. 

We were facing a very stressful situation, and the introduction of a large predator wasn't part of the plan.  I've never been so close to a wild wolf.  It did not seem threatening in any way at all.  Its manner was totally calm.  It could have come right up to us, except I stood up and shouted, "Okay, that's far enough.  You go on.  Move away, wolf." 

Fortunately, the wolf just moved away and started crossing the river.  The same river we were trying to figure out how to cross.  I said, "If the wolf can do it, then we can do it!" 

We decided to wait until morning the next day so that the water flow would be less intense.  We were very careful about crossing the river with full packs.  But the wolf acted as a kind of angel and showed us that crossing was possible.  He's a picture of a wolf print that I found after we successful crossed (three times) with all our gear.  The print appears "embossed" as opposed to being a depression in the sand.

Arctic Revue Day 7 "Shipwreck"

Our kayak is a Klepper Aerius II with a wooden internal frame and an outer hull made of rubber and canvas.  One our worst fears came true when our kayak was damaged by river travel.  The Kongakut River is very braided, rocky, and shallow in many places.  It was necessary to figure out where the deepest channels were so as to keep moving with the current, instead of getting stuck on a gravel bar just below the surface of the water.  When the boat would get stuck, we'd have to climb out of the kayak, pull it free, walk it to a deeper place, and then climb back in.  This happened over and over and over, and became quite tedious. 

Another hazard to avoid were the larger river rocks.  The most dangerous ones were the ones in a swift current hidden from our view.  In a strong current where the water is rushing, there are places where the water is disturbed on the surface, but it is easy to pass through safely.  But there are other places where a giant rock is close to the surface and must be avoided. 

One fateful day we were navigating another very swift part of the river (which is really exhilarating to do, by the way).  We slammed against a large submerged rock.  The rushing current turned the boat sideways with us and all our gear in it, using the rock as a pivot point in the middle.  Above the roar of the river, we both heard the distinct sound of wood cracking.  We got out of the boat, towed it to the the closest gravel bar, and assessed the damage.   

The middle rib was completely broken in half, as well as one of the gunwales.  We inspected the hull and found 3 large gashes in the rubber.  This was a stunning setback.  With our vessel damaged, we were unsure how far we would be able to continue, if at all.  We set up a tarp for a wind break to work on field repairs to the ripped hull and broken rib.  We used some waterproof duct tape to patch the gashes, and I whittled a splint for the rib from some willow driftwood. 

While making the repairs, 3 Arctic Terns flew nearby, dive-bombing for small fish.  Amid the stress of our wreck (and the full blast wind and full blazing sun), the angel-like terns brought a little joy to our situation.  The repairs allowed us to go further, but in the end, the rugged Kongakut reversed our repairs to the hull and made the gashes even bigger.  Our goal of reaching the Arctic Ocean was no longer in our grasp, but not before we made the most of our initial repairs with more adventure on the Kongakut.  

Arctic Revue Day 6 "Arctic Wildflowers"

It could be tempting for someone seeing a landscape picture of the Arctic Refuge to conclude that it is a barren place.  But if one takes a closer view to the ground, an array of delicate joyous colorful wildflowers is the reward.  Here's a sample of some of the many species we saw on the riverbed or on nearby slopes and tussock meadows.

Arctic Revue Day 5 "Arctic Wings"

Birds are one of main interests, and the Arctic Refuge offered great views of some great birds.  One of my favorites was the Arctic Tern.  All terns are graceful birds.  The Arctic Tern is no exception.  Remarkably they are circumpolar, meaning they fly about 50,000 miles each year to spend "summer" in the Arctic to breed and "summer" in Antarctic to forage. 

Arctic Tern

Another special sighting was a group of nine Upland Sandpipers.  Larger than pigeons, but more slender, these sweet shorebirds were in a wet sedge meadow.  I first detected them by the descending call.  Then sure enough, I saw some wing displays (they are known to raise their wings and bring them together over their backs and hold them in that position briefly).  UPSAs "winter" in South America, and they used to be common in Illinois but have been dramatically reduced due to habitat destruction.  Previously in 2010 I had seen 3 UPSAs at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie near Joliet, IL.  The Illinois population is continuing to fall, which made group of 9 in the Arctic Refuge so special to me. 

Upland Sandpiper

The Rock Ptarmigan is in the grouse family.  They were easily seen on the gravel riverbanks.  A male would usually be seen with 2-3 females.  He will snort and grunt in an intimidating way.  He's about the size of a medium chicken, so the threat is more "bark" than "bite."  Rock Ptarmigans are permanent residents of the Arctic Refuge.  This one is in his summer finest.  For winter, all ptarmigans take on all white plumage for camouflage with the snow.

Rock Ptarmigan

One winter I made 8 trips to Chicago's North Avenue Beach before I finally saw one Harlequin Duck.  They are often near rocky bays in the winter.  But in the Arctic Refuge last summer, we almost always found them with a group of Red-breasted Mergansers along the rushing river.  Harlequins are small diving ducks, and the males have bold markings and beautiful coloring.

Harlequin Ducks

I highly recommend Stephen Brown's Arctic Wings, a beautiful picture book featuring birds of the Arctic Refuge.  President Jimmy Carter wrote the foreword and David Allen Sibley the introduction.  Other people, such as Debbie Miller, have written excellent essays, but the pictures alone make the book worth owning!  As a bonus, it comes with a recording of birds in the Arctic.

Arctic Revue Day 4 "Aufeis"

One of the potential hazards of river travel in the Arctic is aufeis -- ice leftover from previous winters that never completely melts during the summer.  Aufeis is basically a riparian glacier, which grows each winter and partially melts each summer.  A single sheet of aufeis can consist of 10 years of accumulated ice.

In the first seconds of the video, look for the river flowing underneath the ice.  When you're travelling on the river and you come to some aufeis, you hope for a place where enough ice has melted that will allow you to pass through.  Otherwise, you need to cross over the ice, using extreme caution.  Yes, that means haulling the kayak packed with gear and sliding it over the ice like a sled.  Not my idea of a good time! 

Aufeis on the Kongakut River

We encountered aufeis on several occasions, and fortunately, each time there was a way around it or through it.  The height of the aufeis in the picture is about 3-4 feet high, and it covered about half an acre.   The presence of aufeis ensures that the water is VERY cold.  On the first day we just wore synthetic pants, but the chill of the water cut right to the bone.  The next day we broke out the neoprene wetsuits (which we just happened to bring "in case" and which provided ample relief from the cold water).  These patches of ice in the middle of June were an effective reminder that this was an Arctic expedition.      

Arctic Revue Day 3 "Dall's Sheep"

One of the things you expect to see in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is WILDLIFE!  On our first day on the River, we tracked a beautiful Red Fox for a short distance, as it trotted along the bank.  When we stopped for our lunch along a gravelbed we just happened to be sitting under a mother Dall's Sheep and her twins.

They were resting in the midday shade of a rocky outcrop.  The lambs were very curious and peered at us over the edge.  The mother was casual about our presence. 

On three other days we saw other groups of Dall's Sheep.  Sometimes it was a single ram with some females and lambs.  In one place we found a band of 40+ at a large mineral deposit along the river.  They were very close to the river's edge, and as we approached with the current, they waited as long as absolutely possible, before fleeing from us.  I think groups of Dall's Sheep should not be called "bands," but rather "flocks," because when dozens of them ran away and shot up the steep cliff to safety, they seem to be more like a flock of large white birds flying.

Arctic Revue Day 2 "The Kongakut River"

The trip was a self-guided paddling expedition. The icy cold waters of the Kongakut River served as the "trail."  Our goal was to reach the Arctic Ocean. 

Here I am with our Klepper tandem kayak filled with gear for the next 10 days.  It's pretty heavy, probably 130 pounds before 2 adult men get in.  The Kongakut was more braided and shallow than we expected.  As a result we constanly had to calculate where the deepest channel was. 

Arctic Revue Day 1 "Into the Arctic Refuge"

Over the next 11 days, I'm going to post a daily digest of memories from my 11-day self-guided expedition last year with Joe Johnson into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  It was an awesome, once-in-a-lifetime experience.  

Flying over the Yukon River and into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

We flew to the Refuge in a small Helio propeller plane built for 3 people and gear. As we left Fairbanks, the sky was drizzly, but as we crossed over the mighty Yukon River, the sky cleared, giving us great views of an natural unfettered wild river.



Brooks Range in the Arctic Refuge from the Helio



After a little more than 3 hours in the plane we entered the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The rugged mountains of the Brooks Range greeted us.  These 126 million-year-old peaks are an extension of the same continental uplift that includes the Rockies.  We made a quick landing on a short strip of rocks along the Kongakut River.  We unloaded our gear, and watched the pilot take off even more quickly than we landed and fly south.  We had arrived in America's largest intact wilderness! 

White-breasted Nuthatch 2011

White-breasted Nuthatches are fairly common in the Chicago wilderness, but I have never seen any in my yard -- until last week when there were two WBNUs that visited my backyard feeder.  They have been absent through all the winters I have been putting out seed.  For some reason, this pair made their late spring appearance (notice one on the cylider and the other in flight).  At least one has shown up occasionally since then, which makes me think there must be a nest with young in the neighborhood.  I would love to have WBNUs as a regular backyard resident!

Lake Michigan Water Trail Dedication 2011

Lake Michigan is unquestionably one of the top wonders of the Chicago wilderness.  On Saturday June 4, I had the privilege to participate in the dedication of the first 75 miles of the Lake Michigan Water Trail stretching from Leone Beach in Chicago, IL, to New Buffalo, MI. 

A gift of the Ice Age, humans have been paddling this part of the Great Lakes basin for over 8,000 years from prehistoric dugouts to the canoes of the Voyageurs to the modern sea kayaks of today.  Now part of the National Recreation Trail system, the LMWT will feature increased public access and safety for sea kayaking, eventually covering the entire 4-state shoreline of Lake Michigan -- over 1,200 miles.  The LMWT will be the longest, continuous loop, freshwater sea kayaking trail in the world.  So far I've logged about 25 miles of Lake Michigan shore, which leaves a lot more shore to cover!

I was among a band of sea kayakers who left Marquette Park Beach and headed 4 miles east along the sunny shores of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore for the dedication ceremony at the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Pavilion.  It was my first paddling experience with a large group.  We got off to a slow start due to stragglers, but there was no stopping us once we launched. 

With all the paddles flying, it seemed like we were part of an invasion.  Even the Park Superintendent of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Costa Dillon was among the paddlers, and he remarked how the colorful diversity of the kayaks resembles the healthy biodiversity in the dunes.  I have always wanted to see the Indiana Dunes from the water in a kayak, and it proved to be an awesome view!

In celebration of the water trail, a new South Shore Line poster was unveiled by local Hammond artist Barbara Spies Labus.  As a sailor-artist, she understands the pull of intimacy with the water.  She placed two colorful kayaks against the rolling dunes topped with marram grass under a billowy blue sky reflected in the deep blue waters of Lake Michigan.  It's a lovely scene worthy of the experience of being there for the whole event.  Each participant received a copy of the poster.  I will cherish this poster for a long time, because it had to be carefully transported back to the car in the kayak along the very same water trail it commemorates.

Lark Sparrow 2011

The bridled chestnut face of the Lark Sparrow is very attractive.  I found about 5 LASPs at the Nachusa Grasslands in an open oak savanna.  The Wild Lupines were just starting to open up in the meadow, and the sparrows were flitting back and forth from blades of grass to oak boughs.  Lark Sparrow is the most handsome sparrow, in my opinion.

Eastern Towhee 2011

As I was hiking through a wet oak woods, I heard this handsome male Eastern Towhee calling from a low shrub.  This large sparrow's song sounds like, "Drink your tea."  His crimson eyes give him an intense look.  EATOs are a common breeding species in Illinois.  They hide in shrubs, hop on the ground, and scratch through leaf litter in search of tasty insects, seeds, berries, and snails.

Cream Wild Indigo 2011

Last week before Evening Prayer, I rode my bike down to Churchill Woods Forest Preserve (DuPage).  It was just the right time of year when the Cream Wild Indigo blooms. 

This native Illinois prairie plant is a legume, standing about 2' tall and spreads about 3' around, and is found in high quality sites. 

The showy pea-like flowers appear for just 3 weeks in late spring, making it one of the earliest prairie plants to bloom.