"Up the Creek" to Basecamp

To be honest, although exciting, the first day of walking was miserable.  By the time we started out in Fairbanks, done all the organization and repacking and getting ready in Bettles, and arrived at Circle Lake, I was tired.  In my mind, our packs were HEAVY with bear barrels of food and all the other stuff you think you need.  Plus, we were met right away with mosquitoes - although we were lucky there was a breeze for awhile.  In fact, little be known, the outside screening of our tent was crowded with mosquitoes, and I was thinking that this was going to be a LONG 7 days.  Fortunately, in my old age I've worked hard at the realization that everything is temporal.  In other words, what I think I know will certainly change.  And it did. 

I got up in the middle of the night to pee, and voila!  This picture was taken at 2:48 a.m.

We are now above the Arctic Circle and it's truly the "Land of the Midnight Sun."






Joey and Ashley eat some oatmeal while looking back at where we had come from.  The mosquitoes had departed - for the most part anyway.  No headnets is a good sign.

But the walking was still difficult.  First of all was the occasional stretches of tussocks.  More about that later. 

Secondly, was the walking on rocks that you can see on the picture.  To the right is the Arrigetch Creek.  In the background is our goal - the Arrigetch Mountains.

Thirdly, we did find a "path," but the path is rough - to say the least. 

We found a really nice rock to eat lunch next to the clear and cold Arrigetch Creek.  Not a human, as far as we know, for miles and miles.  Nice.

A little brushy too. . . which is a little nerve racking - particularly for the person in front.  If you haven't followed bear tracks into thick brush where you can barely see in front of you, you have yet to live life to its fullest!

The stream crossings were fine, but slowed us down periodically.  The water is cold if you take the wrong step. 



Ashley and Joey were bright eyed and bushy tailed when we finally made it to the fork in the Arrigetch Creek.  Bob and I were a little less so . . . 

All in all, it was a great day.