Hummocks and tussocks made walking through the tundra difficult at times.
Tussocks: mounds made entirely of plant matter, sometimes surrounded by water. Hummocks have some earth inside. This one had a nest.
A field of hummocks or tussocks (or possibly both).
As I said, a cold wind and clouds blew in on our hike. It remained cold and we built our first campfire out of driftwood.
Coffee is a very good thing even on dreary mornings. We weren't going anywhere in the fog and snow.
Cindy "Being Cold."
Snow on the hills. We didn't begin paddling until around 4 when the fog finally lifted. Snow and fog make it too hard to read the channels of the river to find one that may be able to float the raft.
Everyday we saw all sorts of tracks around our campsite. Here are some wolf tracks.
A burst of sunshine! ...but at 6:00 pm, after a day spent avoiding snow and rain.
Huddled together, attempting to stay warm.
Indian paintbrush.
Shades of gray.
Animal tracks in sand.
Our guides, deep in conversation. We decided to wake up at 6 am to row 16 miles to Icy Reef. A bush plane was supposed to pick us up at the next day, Friday. Our flight out of Kaktovik was scheduled for 4:00.
Icy Reef- literally. We arrived midafternoon and it drizzled all evening.