Goodbye Inigok

My stay at Inigok camp has come to its close. From here we fly to Deadhorse (Prudhoe Bay) for some additional work with the BLM. It's been a great opportunity to be at Inigok, I've met wonderful people from the BLM, USGS, EIS, ambitious students from various universities and others.

My Honey and I. Our last day in Inigok.


Juergen and Etta, a lovely couple from Germany. They are canoeing and camping along the Colville River.


Juergen, Etta and me.


Me & PJ


A cheesy photo by the Inigok sign.


Me.


A beautiful (and noisy) raven on top of the fuel tank.


31MH landing in the fog. 31mike-hotel is also known as 31my-honey.


Matt and Bill - using battery power to operate the hand held coffee grinder to grind their "Black Gold" coffee beans.


Connie, our hard working camp coordinator, watching the boys grind their coffee beans.


The tundra is changing color for Fall.


I am also a Helicopter Fueler.


My Honey flies high in the sky.


Inigok is getting smaller each day.

Inigok - I Have A Fuzzy

Caterpillar

Creepy crawly caterpillar

Looping up and down,

Furry tufts of hair along

Your back of golden brown.

You will soon be wrapped in silk,

Asleep for many a day;

And then, a handsome butterfly,

You'll stretch and fly away.

-Mary Dawson



Yes, I play with bugs.

Inigok Caribou - I See You

Foggy Caribou.










There is an Arctic Squirrel in the lower left-hand corner of this Caribou photo. The squirrels make me smile.


The buildings in the background are abandoned. Beyond the buildings is an old oil well.


I have to say, I LOVE my camera. I am amazed by the clarity of the photos I can get using the 16x zoom. For comparison, the photo above is a 1x zoom of the same area in the previous photo of the abandoned buildings and old oil well.

Finding Solitude In Inigok

"See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... we need silence to be able to touch souls."
-Mother Teresa of Calcutta, 1910-1007

Photo credit

I went for a short walk today.

Sometimes I have to step away from camp. I enjoy hearing peoples conversations and laughter. But sometimes I have to wander and ponder. It's good for my soul.

Today I stood on the tundra, looking at the lake, I was reminded of the silence of this place. I stood feeling the cold air on my face. I thought about how much I enjoy the wind in my hair. And most of all, I enjoyed hearing nothing more than the crisp breeze blowing in my ears. I came here to think, and I know that I am content. It makes my soul sigh.

I realized today that the tundra is changing color, it must be Fall.

After enjoying my moment of quiet solitude, I meandered back up the hill, and back to camp. Smiling at the familiar faces, I ate a Hersheys bar, because chocolate is good for my soul too.

My Favorite Pilot, Inigok Skies and Caribou

I love you PJ. Every day shared with you is a splendid adventure and I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

"May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day. May songbirds serenade you every step along the way. May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue. And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through."
-Irish Blessings

Inigok, a double rainbow.


Inigok rainbow.


Inigok rainbow and a caribou passing through camp.


Inigok midnight sunset.


A full moon in Inigok.


Caribou.


Caribou.

Deadhorse - Prudhoe Bay, Alaska

PJ's two days off are accompanied with some repair work on the helicopter. PJ, myself and Al (the mechanic) flew to Deadhorse.

Deadhorse is unlike any town (or city) I've ever seen. It's all industrial, it seems people come here to work, eat and sleep. There are no restaurants, no stores, or entertainment. There are a few hotels in town with cafeteria style dining 24-hours a day.

Most buildings and hotels here resemble something from a Mad Max movie. The hotel we are staying in is the newest and nicest hotel in all of the North Slope.

Terrain on the way from Inigok to Deadhorse.


PJ's mechanic, Al. I made him smile - heh, heh :)


Alaska's Colville River.


The Dino Tunnel.
BLM - Alaska Dinosaurs (text)
Dinosaurs On Ice (video)


A helping hand flying the helicopter.


The Alaska pipeline.


A view of Deadhorse - Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.


Our rental truck and N31MH. There are no real truck rental companies in Deadhorse. The local oil and natural gas companies will rent their trucks to visitors.


The Aurora hotel bonanza of fresh food, all of it is free with the cost of our room.


Chips, cereal, oatmeal, donuts, cookies - oh my! They have fountain soft drinks with ice... coca-cola over ice *crunch, crunch, crunch*.


Our hotel, The Aurora.


The third floor of The Aurora, has a nice room for relaxing by the fire.


Also on the third floor, a game room with a pool table, ping pong table, darts, and a Wii. I'm learning how to play pool.


PJ


Deadhorse ducks.


The post office in Deadhorse - Prudhoe Bay. It's only open a few hours per day. It's located inside a building that consists of a parts store and general store. The only store in Deadhorse.


Laura with N31MH on the North Slope.