Barrow

The most northern settlement in Alaska

Sept. 6 (Friday)

[Photo at Pt. Barrow] I reached to the Point Barrow, the northernmost point of the United States, with only a T-shirt :-).
This signboard was replaced by new one when I revisited here on Mar., 2001.
I joined a package tour held by the Alaska Airlines. The airplane I boarded from Anchorage flew over Mt. McKinley, Mighty Yukon River, Brooks Range, and marshy ground and landed to the Barrow airport.
In Barrow, I went to the City Hall, Recreation Center, High School, Visitor Center, old mound sites, and beach area (Ukkuqsiq) by motorcoach.
[Skin of bear] The guide who is a motorcoach driver teached me the history or the population of Barrow, the life of the residents such as hunting, fishing, houses warmed by the natural gas.
At noon, I reached to the Point Barrow.
I stood at the base of the signboard with only a T-shirts saying "How warm it is !". The guide said that I did not wear short pants, and a participant of the tour teased me "Don't you feel hot ?"
The temperature was about 0 (zero) centigrade, and it felt not so cold to me. However it was difficult to keep a T-shirts for hours (^_^;).
After the Point Barrow, I visited the power plants and the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory. The jawbone of the bowhead whale was so large as my whole body was swallowed.[Bone of bowhead whale]
Returning to the community, the mortorcoach went wrong and I waited the rescue in the tundra for about an hour (at 4miles of Gas Well Road). The SOS call was not readily put through because all staffs of the tour office took their lunches (^_^;).
During the lunch time at the community (1520 - 1630), a participant of the tour request me to take video of him, and he ran into the sea (the Arctic Ocean !) with only short pants (without any shirts !).
[Native blanket toss]I saw the traditional Inupiat dancing including the blanket toss. I bought warm gloves from the native after the dance. (There was time to shop fpr local arts and craft.)
After all sight-seeing was over, I returned to the airport. However, the airplane was cancelled because a heavy fog wrapped the airport. (I could hear the sound of the airplane above the clouds.)
At all, I wait the next flight at the hotel, and could see a fine sunset.[Sunset of Barrow]
I left Barrow after it became dark (it was 2320.)
To my small regret, any northern lights could be observed during the flight.

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Last Modified : Apr. 8, 2001