We live in a rain forest in Southeast Alaska. May and the first week of June had been cold cold cold. I'm not sure it had gotten above 50 degrees in the last 5 weeks. It was a shock to be in Fairbanks and 80 degree weather. I had to take this picture. It's gonna be hot!
First, 170 miles northwest and an hour from Fairbanks to Bettles on a Cessna caravan - a great little plane. Now we're above the arctic circle.
Small towns are small towns, but Alaska small towns are often in the middle of nowhere. Bettles sure is, but they have a nice airstrip built in the late 1930's. It was originally settled by Mr. Bettles who made his fortune selling things to gold miners. You can just barely see the mountains of the Brooks Range in the back of this photo.
Don't worry, you can drive there on an "ice road" in the winter - about 8 hours to Fairbanks in minus zero temperatures.
We are met by friendly Brooks Range Aviation staff and a collection of other vehicles and people. No security buffer here, thank God.
We're also met by hordes of mosquitoes. Out come the headnets and DEET. Spread it on thick!
The National Park Service has a very nice building in Bettles. You're required to do "training" and carry your food in "bear barrels." We did the training thing and got our bear barrels. Doggone things seemed awful heavy to me and aren't made to be packed on or in a backpack.
Then we board all our gear in a 1956 de Havilland Beaver aircraft and with a deafening roar, off we go. An hour later, we land on Circle Lake along the upper Alatna River.
Throw our gear onto land, make sure we get the gas for the stoves and the two bear spray canisters from the pontoon and Dan, our pilot, shoves off.
With a roar, Dan is off and we're left alone. And I mean really alone. Bettles is the nearest "civilization" at 120 miles - and there aren't any services there either.
We have nothing to do but shrug into our heavy packs and hope for the best.
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