An Arctic Naturalist, along the Dalton:
Arctic Coastal Plain, Brooks Range and Yukon River Basin / Prudhoe Bay to Fairbanks: July 31 - August
7, 2010
Naturalist Journeys, LLC with NatureAlaska, LLC
Experience an incredible week traveling south from Prudhoe Bay along the Dalton Highway of Arctic Alaska. Highlights of our stay include time in two crown jewels of the Arctic: Gates of the Arctic National Park and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
With three days and nights in Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse, we start with ample time to explore arctic Alaska. Comfortably lodged, we mingle with an eclectic mixture of oil field workers, biologists, geologists, pilots and nature enthusiasts who share the unique setting of this arctic oilfield. Our rooms are simple, clean, with carpet and hot showers. We dine on hearty, delicious fare as the food in oil field camps is a prime motivation for workers.
Naturalist Journeys, LLC teams up with Dan Wetzel’s NatureAlaska, LLC for this great adventure. How does Dan describe the trip? “Our activities are weather dependent. With plenty to do, we won’t let grass grow under our feet as most likely you are here but once. We have tundra to explore. Tundra wildlife to find. Tundra ecology to learn. Tundra mountains laid out before us for miles and miles – amazing views for those that select optional sightseeing flights. And we have the Arctic Ocean to step foot in. Pingos to ponder. Pictures to pose. Pies to eat. Lessons in oil field geology to examine. From the field to the classroom, “Nature of the North”™ discussions will mix theory with practice: adventure and fun in wilderness travel enhanced with science and conservation. High arctic adventure? Absolutely!”
ITINERARY
(B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)
Sat., July 31 Arrival in Prudhoe Bay
Alaska Airline jets cross Alaska on this 500-mile, 90-minute, direct northbound flight that passes over Denali Park, the Yukon River Basin, Brooks Range and Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP).Upon your arrival at Prudhoe Bay, with flights arriving at Deadhorse Airport in early afternoon we'll have an orientation, grab our binoculars and head onto the tundra in search of a Tundra Swan, Arctic Fox, or, if we’re lucky, a Muskoxen. Enjoy a welcome dinner and a chance to get to know your guides and traveling companions.
Accommodations in Deadhorse (Prudhoe) (D)
Sun., Aug. 1 Late Summer on the Tundra: Caribou & Muskoxen, Permafrost & Pingos
Arctic Alaska’s coastal tundra is a treeless, flat landscape underlain with Ice-Age-old permafrost 2,000 feet deep. In summer, daily weather patterns are influenced by the Arctic Ocean.
If weather permits, an optional bush flight can take us deep inside the Arctic National Wildlife Survey area for aerial sightseeing. Searching for wildlife from an airplane may yield us success finding a small herd of Muskoxen, a Grizzly Bear with cubs, or, suddenly, thousands of Caribou scattered across the tundra. These flights have been a highlight with past groups as it brings new and captivating perspectives of the unique geometry of the arctic coastal plain with ice-wedge polygons and pingos. Braided rivers flowing 150 miles from the Brooks Range have carried gravel for more than 100 million years.
Accommodations in Deadhorse (Prudhoe) (B,L,D)
Mon., Aug. 2 Sagavanirktok River Floodplain/Arctic Ocean
Up early, our days involve driving inland on the Dalton Highway, stopping to look for wildlife and birds along the Sagavanirktok River floodplain. Closer to Prudhoe, the dry bank of a small creek is fun hiking where diminutive tundra flowers are beginning to blossom. The tundra flight remains an option if we were not successful on our first day. Before day is done, we’ll board a special tour bus that permits us to pass through the oilfield to the shore of the Arctic Ocean.
Mammals that survive and thrive on the arctic coastal plain are adapted to long, cold winters, wind and snow. Caribou calving on the ACP are the Porcupine Herd, ranging east into Canada, and the Central Arctic and Teshekpuk Herds range between Barrow and the Canning River, more than 30,000 animals each. Muskox, Grizzly, Arctic Fox, Wolves, Arctic Ground Squirrels, lemmings and voles occupy important mammalian niches.
Except for Ptarmigan, Gyrfalcon and Common Ravens, most bird species migrate thousands of miles from Asia, Africa and the Americas to reach the ACP in early June to breed, nest and raise young. By late July, the adults of many species have headed south, leaving juveniles to forage and fatten before they depart in later August.
Global warming from decades of climate change has greatly shortened the number of days tundra landscapes are snow covered. This affects nesting birds, denning Polar Bears, coastal Native village shoreline integrity and the duration of winter oil field explorations.
Accommodations in Deadhorse (Prudhoe)(B,L,D)
Tues., Aug. 3 The Brooks Range/Atigun Valley/Galbraith Lake
The van loaded with food and fuel, we bid farewell to Prudhoe Bay and begin our journey south along the Dalton Highway, for Wiseman, on the south slope of the Brooks Range, and adjacent to Gates of the Arctic National Park.
The Dalton Highway bisects northern Alaska and was built solely to service the TransAlaska Pipeline and Prudhoe Bay oilfield. Crossing the Brooks Range makes it the most remote, wildest road in North America. With permanent restrictions on commercial development, the wilderness character and integrity along the Dalton will remain intact. The James Dalton Highway cuts a path through the tundra with about 400 miles of gravel. Dan has readied his vehicle to meet the challenge and you can travel resting assured he has years of experience on the road.
With the arctic foothills before us on the horizon, we cross a 20-mile-wide swath of wet coastal tundra. In the distance we can see Franklin Bluffs, reached by English explorer Sir John Franklin in 1826. An exciting, colorful collection of birds and mammals will keep us keenly scanning from horizon skyward. Willow Ptarmigan are midway through turning from bronzed brown back to pure white. Peregrine Falcons dive on Golden Plovers.
Farther south, new country for us, the wet coastal tundra gradually shifts toward drier upland northern foothills of the Brooks Range. With clear weather in this open country we can see forever, thus searching for Grizzly Bears digging out Arctic Ground Squirrels and Caribou dashing here and there. Raptors are more noticeable with a more varied landscape showing a different diversity of small mammals and birds for prey. The moth-like flight of Short-eared Owls echoes a symphony of refined aerodynamics.
Beneath the cliffs of Slope Mountain is Gallagher Flint Station, a 4,500-year old Eskimo hunting site. Here we go into full “wolf alert.” Wolves hunt the same Dall sheep as early man in the Arctic. The Arctic has been home to Native Alaskans, Dall sheep and wolves - living together - for millennia.
At Toolik Lake, a kettle lake, the University of Alaska’s Institute of Arctic Biology Field Station supports scores of scientists conducting research on arctic tundra ecosystems. Just beyond Toolik is the north entrance to the Atigun Valley and Galbraith Lake.
Descending into Atigun Valley, we cross a glacial moraine that created Galbraith Lake. Galbraith has the most archaeological sites in Alaska,. from 11,000-year old PaleoIndian site to a modern Nunamiut Eskimo camp from nearby Anaktuvuk Pass, the only inland Eskimo village in Alaska.
With the first yellow of autumn tweaking willows and tundra plants, we can enjoy summer warmth on the edge of autumn.
We’ll reach the Arctic Continental Divide at Atigun Pass. From here we descend onto the south slope of the Brooks Range and the northern-most taiga in Alaska, and continue through the magnificent south slope of the Brooks Range on our way to Wiseman for the next two nights. Quiet spruce and birch forest surround out cabins and bring simple comfort to wilderness travel in these ancient arctic mountains. Nearby Coldfoot we approach the site of the coldest temperature ever recorded in North America, 82-below F, but in January, not August.
Wiseman is a place Dan calls home. He will introduce you to friends that share a sense of history and ties to the native people of the region, the “Koyukukers.“ This is the realm of the book Arctic Village, written in 1933 which describes the “composite happiness” of the Koyukuk people. In it the author states, “To have something to do that you're interested in, that's the main thing in life. Up here in the Koyukuk there's almost nothing you ever do that doesn't interest you. I wouldn't give that up for all the comforts and conveniences of the Outside.”
Accommodations in Wiseman (B,L,D)
Wed., Aug. 4 Wiseman/Coldfoot/Atigun Pass
After breakfast, we’ll explore the historic Koyukuk gold mining community of Wiseman, adjacent to the 8,000,000 acre Gates of the Arctic National Park. Wiseman was made famous by Robert Marshall, a founder of the Wilderness Society and author of Arctic Village and Arctic Wilderness. In 1969, our tour guide Dan Wetzel took the last photograph of the Wiseman Roadhouse where 35 years earlier Marshall ate with the people of the Koyukuk.
From the crest of the Brooks Range, creeks flow into rivers, either north to the Arctic Ocean or south to the Yukon River. A special landscape, indeed, for a fun hike on a sunny August day.
From Wiseman, we’ll work our way back north to toward Sukakpak Mountain and Atigun Pass for a full day hiking and exploring amidst the flowers, birds and wildlife of this most spectacular arctic valley along Alaska’s road system. Beneath these ancient limestone mountains is Chandarlar Shelf, where the last spruce tree marks the northern-most treeline in Alaska.
The Brooks Range is the geologic backbone of Alaska, recording hundreds of millions of years of history. The Arctic Continental Divide at Atigun Pass is the highest road summit in Alaska, 4,736-feet. In these arctic alpine meadows, we’ll look for Dall Sheep and birds like Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Northern Wheatear, Baird’s Sandpiper and Snow Buntings.
These U-shaped glacial valleys are framed by snow sculpted peaks, rock glaciers, aretes and grassy mountain slopes. The Brooks Range is the backbone of the geologic evolution of Alaska, long before the age of dinosaurs. The northern-most mountain range in the world, it reaches 700 miles east to west and more than a 100 miles north to south.
At Coldfoot, we will have time for multiple visits to the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center, with insightful exhibits and presentations on life in the Arctic. With clear weather and a veteran bush pilot, Coldfoot is our jump off point for our second optional aerial flight. This time we have the opportunity to pass over stunning iconic wilderness lands of the Gates of the Arctic National Park.
This flight, if possible, is an additional cost, payable at the time if conditions allow. The shared cost about $1,250.00 for the flight there and back. For example, with six people, it would run about $200.00 each. Dan describes the experience as having “stunning, iconic views of arctic Alaska”.
Regardless of the month, in arctic Alaska, weather is what we get. We’ve focused our spotting scopes on Dall Sheep in a snowstorm one week, and clear, blue skies the next. Both conditions create extraordinary experiences, thus why we spend the day driving back to the Divide. You’re here only once. We don’t want you to miss anything. Enjoy our last night in Wiseman and the Brooks Range with dinner at your leisure.
Accommodations in Wiseman (B,L)
Thurs., Aug. 5 Crossing the Arctic Circle and Yukon River Basin/ Finger Mountain
Mid-morning, we bid a fond farewell to the rugged Brooks Range, its people, wildlife and history. A newly paved stretch of the Dalton Highway provides a smooth, quiet early morning drive.
Beyond historic Grayling Lake turnout and a classy new BLM outhouse, is the Arctic Circle at 66º 33’ North,where we celebrate this significant geographical event with special festivities, food and photos.
Nearby Finger Mountain is our last chance to walk in tundra landscape, with nesting and calling Whimbrels. A BLM trail and kiosks explain life at the edge of the Arctic. In the valley below, Kanuti Flats Wildlife Refuge, is an ancient trade route for Koyukon Indians trading seal oil from coastal Eskimos to Yukon Den’yees Indians for dried salmon.
At the Yukon River, a BLM interpretative cabin and viewing deck offers us a close look at this vital travel way to local peoples. The Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge is nine million acres of taiga habitat for waterfowl, moose and black bear. A 2,000-foot bridge spans the Yukon, half-way on its 1,800 mile journey from the headwaters in Canada to the Bering Sea. The Yukon River Crossing is an important link for bush residents living along the river for access to supplies, public services and markets for their salmon and fur harvests. Just upriver is Stevens Village, Tonts’edensaash No’, a small Den’yee Athabascan Indian community.
Our route continues south along the Dalton Highway which is locally called the Haul Road. The Alaska Pipeline has run parallel for most of the way and Dan can explain in detail the dynamics of building and maintaining this structure, and discuss its impact on wildlife, the tundra, and native cultures.
Our stop, at mile 98, is Finger Mountain. Here we encounter our first subarctic alpine habitat. The BLM has put in a short interpretive trail, kiosks and outhouses. From here we can hike to Finger Rock, about an hour walk in splendidly wide open country.
About 26 miles north of Theresa we encounter an area covered in fireweed after a massive natural forest fire in 2005. If it is still in bloom, it is a spectacle to marvel as we cannot see the end of the fireweed! We are there in the morning, so the best light for a view to the west, toward the Bering Sea.
We’ll spend a comfortable night at a small local lodge and café. Here, we are sure to meet other arctic adventurers, oil field truck drivers, bush residents and salmon fishermen from nearby villages. Tonight’s stay is at the Yukon River Camp, the most rustic of our accommodations. The rooms are clean and comfortable, with twin beds and shared bath (other locations on our journey have private bath). The Camp is converted from a worker’s camp from the pipeline days. This little hideaway is well-known for its food.
How can we not feel fortunate with miles of forest and upland tundra adventures behind us, a soft bed and time to hug our pillow.
Accommodations at Yukon River Camp. (B,L,D)
Fri., Aug. 6 Hess Creek/Joy/Wickersham Dome/Fairbanks
We have an early morning departure for Fairbanks and the Yukon/Tanana Uplands. Traveling through taiga, spruce forests, a different ecosystem than the coastal forests of the Kenai Mountains, we’ll enjoy a pleasant landscape, while ever vigilant for Moose, Black Bear and specialized northern birds like Northern Hawk Owl, Northern Goshawk, White-winged Crossbill, Pine Grosbeak and Spruce Grouse.
South of the River, we stop at Hess Creek, a historic waterway for Interior Athabascan Indians. The Trans Alaska Pipeline appears and disappears in and out of the forest and hilly landscape. Soon, we leave the gravel Dalton Highway and connect with the paved road system, 70 miles north of Fairbanks.
At Joy, we stop to visit at the Carlson Trading Post. Dan is proud to call Joe and Nancy friends, respecting them perhaps more than anyone he’s met in years of work in Alaska tourism. In this remote Alaskan outpost, they made home the past 35 years for an extended family including many adopted children from around the world. Dan sees them as a role model for philanthropy at the highest level of goodness and looks forward to sharing a visit. The trading post is full of goodies to enjoy on the front porch and they sell homemade handicrafts for family and friends.
South of Joy, we stop at Wickersham Dome, the trailhead to the White Mountains National Recreation Area. One million acres of wilderness at the doorstep of Fairbanks. One of Dan's favorite places for dog mushing on 300 miles of trail, criss-crossed by Moose and wolves.
We usually have lunch at Hill Top, the most famous and oldest truck stop in Alaska. Here we find the best food – platter-sized meals at modest cost compared to Fairbanks.
After lunch, we’ll drop down into the Tanana Valley. Outside Fairbanks is the last night of our arctic adventure, the Taste of Alaska Lodge, a 7,000-square foot handmade log lodge built by the homesteaders, our hosts. This delightful lodge is situated on 280 wooded acres outside of town. If skies are clear, you’ll have views of Mt. McKinley and the surrounding peaks of the Alaska Range. Our hosts are known for their hospitality and you’ll enjoy the handmade quilts, antiques and Alaskan collectibles.
After our journey across arctic Alaska, we end in Fairbanks. Fairbanks is the gateway to the Arctic and the transportation hub of the North. Here is Alaska’s historic center for gold-rush history, Native cultures, northern exploration and science.
Accommodations at the Taste of Alaska (B,L,D)
Sat., Aug. 7 Departures
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the grand dining room of Taste of Alaska with the Alaska Range in full view. In the forenoon, we’ll visit the University of Alaska Museum of the North, Alaska’s official repository for natural history collections, the Georgeson Botanical Garden, the Alaska Bird Observatory, a few good shops and places of your choice. Dan Wetzel hails from Fairbanks. For 10 years he was a Director of the Alaska Quaternary Center based in the University of Alaska Museum of the North.
With a farewell luncheon on the bank of the historic Chena River, Fairbanks International Airport is nearby for independent departures. Flights leaving Fairbanks from midnight the 6th to morning of the 7th, should get you home in one day. Flights from afternoon of 7th, usually mean an overnight connection, returning you home on August 8th. (B,L)
Notes from Dan on mid-late summer BIRDING:
The end of July/early August is different as some tundra shorebirds, like male Pectorals leave early, ostensibly to provide more feed for youngsters. Boreal forest birds have fledged youngsters so they are more quiet as the adults rest and refuel. But then, there are always mid-late summer surprises!
I had a good fellow, a dentist, with his wife and three sons the first week of August. He was a birder. We had one night in Coldfoot and two in Deadhorse. He arrived with a NA life list of 697, and I found five life birds for him.
Here are a few key birds, by no means inclusive, with some notes on our itinerary, as per your request....Some are more abundant, some are more likely than others. This is a list, and doesn’t reflect likelihood or numbers.
Days 1 – 3 - Prudhoe and tundra south to Sagwon. We have the same three days as we do in June for birding. Many species scatter across the tundra to nest, so some we miss, while some we find here and there. Some are gathering, feeding and molting before migrating south. What we may find:
Lots of young shorebirds
Adults such as Black-bellied Plovers, Semi-Palmated Sandpipers, Dunlins, Bar-tailed Godwits, in a good year, Buff-breasted Sandpipers, Baird Sandpipers, Stilt Sandpipers
Tundra Swans, loons from Red-throated to Pacific to Yellow-billed.
A wide variety of waterfowl from Prudhoe to Fairbanks.
Bluethroats
Rock Ptarmigans, Willow Ptarmigans.
Snow Buntings
Smith’s Longspurs
Sabine’s Gulls
Most eiders are “eider” gone to nest or just gone. We may see some Common at East Dock. Sometimes we catch a late King.
Parasitic Jaeger is always a possibility. Pomarine only when lots of lemmings, thus lots of Snowy Owls. We never know when. Raptors south include Peregrines and Rough-legged Hawks.
Hoary Redpolls
Day 4/5 at Wiseman – Includes both boreal forest of Wiseman and alpine divide at Atigun.
Wheatears (esp. lots of youngstes – grand fun to watch!). Rosy Finches, Baird’s Sandpipers, Arctic Warblers. The Gyrfalcon nest en route is occupied about 6 years out of 7, and young birds exercise and beg on the nest or hillsides. Rough-legged Hawks often nest there as do Peregrines. Yellow Wagtails. A variety of expected boreal forest birds, though now quiet, they require some searching. Spruce Grouses, Harlan’s Hawks, Townsend Solitaires. Boreal Chickadees, both Pine and Evening Grosbeaks. Merlins, Northern Harriers, Golden Eagles, Northern Waterthrushes, Say’s Phoebes, Wandering Tattlers.
Day 6 at the Yukon and Day 7 in Fairbanks.
More of same boreal forest birds including Alder Flycatchers and waterfowl.
This time of year, it’s even more rewarding when we find a good one we don’t expect to.
BIRDS SEEN ALONG THE DALTON, by Dan Wetzel
