There was a lot of driftwood on the island that had come out of Canada on the McKenzy River. We gathered around a bonfire and attempted to get feeling back into our toes and fingers.
When the fog/snow/drizzle lifted a bit we could see the mountains.
A sea gull.
Our tents, huddled together in an attempt to stay out of the wind.
Icy Reef a barrier island fifty feet wide and nine miles long.
Salvation! My sister and I were two of the first three out (we had drawn sticks).
There are a couple of swans down there.
Kaktovik's all-purpose hotel, restaurant, and airport waiting room. Anything fried $15.
Somehow none of us felt like camping on the beach in the rain with the polar bears. I was lucky enough not to spend $150 for a bed in the hotel because it was full of hunters. Instead, I spent the night at the owner's house. This is it.
...and this is how we could cook.
There wasn't supposed to be a plane out of Kaktovik on Sunday, but they switched the plane for a scheduled freight flight for one that could also carry passengers. However, it meant that we had a stop at Deadhorse. Our plane actually went back to Kaktovik before taking us to Fairbanks. We went for a walk and had a picnic while we waited.
Deadhorse/ Prudhoe Bay is the site of much of the oil drilling in Alaska. It is also the 18th largest industrial site in the world.
... but keep it clean.
One pretty spot in an otherwise not so pretty area. I like cottongrass.
Deadhorse from above.
During take off we could see black smoke pouring up and forming a black cloud. I couldn't take a good picture of it, but it was unsettling.
One final look out the window as our adventure came to an end.