Labor Day Trip to Fairbanks and Barrow, AK
August 31 – September 4, 2007
Taylor Davis
As I sit in the Barrow airport I am trying to make sense of what I have experienced over the past four days. My first thought to everybody is be thankful and grateful every day for what you have and for the people around you. My trip to Alaska was a dichotomous experience in many ways. Ranging from the most barren to most beautiful landscapes, Alaska also combines the dreariest and most depressing environments with a feeling of pride and tradition of a very old people.
My trip started out with a first class ticket on Alaska airlines to Fairbanks. The trip was uneventful save for an especially funny DVD of Reno 911 that I watched on my laptop. I picked up my car in at the airport, and tried to find something to eat. It was around 12:30 and I ended up running for the border. I was ashamed because I promised myself and my wife that I would not eat there again. With my head hanging low in shame but my belly full, I headed to my hotel, the Golden North.
My only positive experience of my stay at the Golden North was meeting a very loveable Golden Retriever at the front desk. My love of travel and adventure is only surpassed by my love of my wife and my dogs. I wish there was a way that I could bring both along more. My hotel room was smaller than my bathroom in Sherwood and had that first college apartment ‘stank to it. A cigarette burn on the toilet seat gave me pause before I sat down. The carpet had the texture of an entry room mud caked mat. I immediately fell asleep with the window open to get some air.
I woke up freezing, as it was around 30 degrees outside. I quickly showered and packed, because I was going to drive to a place that I have wanted visit for as long as I can remember. I climbed a lot in my college days and dreamed of climbing Denali (Mt. McKinley to us in the lower 48). I even named my beloved border collie after the mountain and today I was going to head to Denali National Park for the first time. I was also going to retrace a small part of a journey made by a young man named Chris McCandless. Chris was an adventurer that starved to death in the Denali wildness around 15 years ago. His story was made famous by the book Into the Wild by John Krakuer. I could hardly contain myself as I checked out of the hotel, gave the golden retriever a hug and a pat and raced to my rented Toyota Highlander.
The drive down Highway 3 to Denali was mind blowing. I know a horizon is a horizon but everything seemed bigger and further away than I have experienced before. Massive plains dotted with rivers and marsh land spread out to my left and right. There were several small towns along my 120 mile drive to the start of day two of my Alaska adventure in Healy.
Healy is 12 miles away from the entrance to Denali National Park and is populated by a strong, sturdy, hunting population. It is surrounded by the Kantishna plain and dotted with scrawny spruce and alder thickets. High hills yield to the flinty, jagged peaks of the Outer Range.
The Story of Chris McCandless
In August of 1992, a wanderlust filled adventurer hiked an old coal mine trail off of Highway 3 twenty miles into the bush and planned to stay the summer in an abandoned 1940 International Harvester bus. After graduating with honors from Emory University, he donated all of his money to charity, changed his name and disappeared into vagabond society. Prior to this trip, he had traveled all over the western US and the northern plains homeless and with a thirst for self discovery and self reliance. He ended up in Alaska 20 miles from Healy and due to the winter melt the rivers on the Stampede trail became impassable. Chris then starved to death after an illness thought to have been caused by eating a poisoned berry. At the time of his death, he weighed 67 pounds.
The Stamped trail starts with about 4 miles of paved road that quickly turns in to a pot hole ridden dual track lined on both sides with high brush. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Denali but the clouds did not cooperate. After 10 miles a came upon some 20 foot wide pot holes that I did not want to get stuck in. I only saw one hunter along the road and did not want to test the Highlander’s four wheel drive capability. I have always believed that 4 wheel drive should help you get out of trouble not get into it.
I will have come back some day to see it another time. I could understand the desire to want to prove yourself in such a beautiful setting but not the desire to utterly isolate yourself from others. I guess that is the fundamental difference between Chris and I. His story gives me inspiration to always test myself, but my love of family and friends prevents me from pushing too far beyond the limit.
I took a picture of myself on the trail and then headed back. Enough of a sad story –let’s see some more incredible scenery! I got back on Highway 3 and was at the entrance to Denali National Park in twenty minutes.
I took a quick tour of the visitors center, paid my $10 for the entrance and I started my 15 mile drive to Savage River. First off, Denali National Park is HUGE! It is bigger than the entire state of Massachusetts. The public is only able to drive their own vehicles in 15 miles. Buses can you take you deep in to the park, and airplanes can get you almost anywhere a float or ski plane can land. The scenery was astounding.
Vast plains of colorful brush were divided up by rivers and lakes with tall mountains in the background. The mountains you see in the pictures are all around 7-10,000 feet. Unfortunately the clouds did not relent and Denali remained hidden from view; I guess I will have to come back.
Look at the pictures, and think of the scale of Denali! It towers over what you see by another 10,000 feet! I arrived at the road’s terminus at the junction of Savage River, took a couple of pictures and prayed for the clouds to part. Disappointed but invigorated, I headed back to the park entrance.
I saw a couple of moose in the distance but no other wildlife. The layering of the clouds was amazing to behold. I then made my way back to Fairbanks for my flight to Barrow. The scenery on the way back made the drive go by very fast.
.
I got bumped back up to first class for my flight to Barrow and sat beside a murse that was heading up to work at the Barrow hospital for three months. Since Barrow is a “damp” town, we had a few drinks on the plane to tide us over for a few days.
Looking down from high above, it was interesting not one sign of civilization was apparent for hundreds of miles. The landing in Barrow was uneventful, which is definitely not the norm, as I would find out later.
My first introduction to the cold in Barrow was brutal- 26 MPH wind at 30 degrees with 100% humidity. The baggage handlers are dressed in full fur coveralls. The airport terminal was filled was a mixture of missionaries, Eskimos, and burly, tough Caucasian contractors from elsewhere in Alaska that were here to work on the airports runways and taxiways.
I walked two blocks to the Airport Inn and got unpacked and settled. My room was even smaller but very clean and very adequate for a lone traveler. The biggest luxury was wireless internet, and I was happy to get my home base configured and ready for reporting.
The town of Barrow is the northernmost city of all the United States. It sits 350 degrees north of the Arctic Circle at a latitude of 71 Degrees N. It has a population of 4,200 people comprised mostly of Eskimo. Oil and gas are the primary industries here with defense also playing a major roll in the past. The DEW (Distant Early Warning) radar installation is located just north and east of town has protected the US from Soviet bombers for over 50 years (http://www.lswilson.ca/dewline.htm).
The importance of the installation has decreased since the increased use of satellite technology and decrease of the Soviet threat. The average family income is very high-$68,000 but candidly, I don’t know where it goes.
The town is filled with the detritus of years of shipping stuff in but not a lot of trash going out. The streets are filled with broken down cars, snowmobiles, and other residential grime.
There are a few sled and hunting dogs chained up outside the homes with the fruits of their labor hanging from the front porches of the houses. Reindeer, moose, and fowl are hanging and drying in the air.
The sun does not really “set” this time of year. It lazily circles around the North all day and most of the night. The people are on that schedule as well. You are just as likely to see kids out playing at 1:30 AM as you are at 1:30 PM. People seem to work and play until they are tired. When they are rested or they feel like getting up they get back outside.
Transport around Barrow for visitors is mainly from taxis. Car rental is available but very expensive. You can travel all the way around Barrow for $5 each way. The taxi’s are constantly buzzing about so you don’t really need to call for one, you just keeping walking to your destination and one will come by at some point. Walking around town is easy now that the weather is a little better. In the -50 degree Fahrenheit winter, I bet there is not as much bi-pedal ambulation going on. The locals get around in a variety of four wheel drives and four wheelers; almost every house had a snowmobile parked outside as well.
On my first night in Barrow I walked primarily around the downtown area. My first stop was to get some food at Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant. Fran Tate is the proprietor and has been a strong tourist attraction for Barrow for years. Fran is an electrical engineer by trade and has been featured in many newspapers and TV shows such as Johnny Carson. She is definitely a hoot to meet. I scheduled my Polar Bear club initiation with her for the next day and sat down for a great meal from the most northern Mexican restaurant.
The restaurants in Barrow usually have somewhat of a theme that they specialize in (sushi, pizza, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, etc.) but all of them offer the full standard fair-cheeseburgers, steaks, etc. I ate at several difference places, and although the food was good, it was expensive. The restaurants typically open at 10:00 and stay open until 2:00 AM. That should give you a clue of locals sleep schedule.
I walked a bit more around town and headed back to the Hotel for an early bedtime, as I was exhausted. I had to close the shades in the hotel room very carefully to help block as much light as possible.
Did I mention that Barrow is a “damp” city? You say of course it is! It is located next to the Arctic Ocean! Well “damp” means that there is no alcohol sold. Not in grocery stores, not in restaurants-nada. It is legal to posses and consume but not to sell. Not to be worried, I took matters in my own hands and brought a couple of bottles of Laganita’s IPA-it got me through the two nights.
Speaking of beer, alcoholism is rampant here. For a town that does not have easy public access to booze, I saw a ton of very drunk locals in the streets. Everywhere you go there is a sign talking about some accident or some other tragedy. Alcohol and domestic and sexual abuse have a strong link in Barrow. The local police chief stated that 90% of violence and abuse is associated with alcohol. I am not sure what the numbers are in the lower 48 but it seemed high to me. When the Eskimos get some ETOH they have a tendency to drink great amounts. The culture does not fit very well with the casual or social drinker.
I had a great night’s sleep and woke up ready to explore. I hiked four miles over to the Naval Arctic Research Facility (NARL). The base was originally used to fly in supplies for the DEW radar base. Now the runway sits and rusts. I took a picture of the radar domes and kept walking.
I was getting pooped from my long walk so I hailed a taxi that was returning from Point Barrow. I asked the driver to take me out there as well. Point Barrow is about 8 miles outside of Barrow and is the most northern most point in the US. On the way back I got pictures of the whale skulls that are lying on the beach and a picture of the famous football field that was just featured on “Dateline”. I had a great lunch of Mongolian beef at Sam and Lee’s and then went back to the hotel for a nap and to build of the courage for the Polar Bear imitation at 5:00.
To become a member of the Polar Bear Club you must dive into the Arctic Ocean, totally submerge and make it back to the beach. Fran records the temperature of the ocean and upon a successful submersion you get a certificate with the recorded temperature and a patch. I did succeed and it was not as bad as I thought. The air actually feels warm after a jump in 34 degree water. I also discovered that “turtling” is a real phenomenon.
I walked back to the hotel to take a shower and head out for dinner and a stop at the local Flight Service Station. Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial airport is the northernmost (aren’t you tired of hearing that?) airport controlled by the FAA. I stopped into meet the local air traffic controllers and see what type of infrastructure was installed. I had a great talk with the controller, watched a couple of flights come in, and then headed out to the Northern Lights Restaurant for a great pizza.
I decided to walk about from Northern Lights back home along the ocean so that I could see the “sunset”, I was rewarded with one of the most amazing “sunsets” that I have ever seen. Brilliant colors of red and orange were reflected in the clouds and ocean. I sat down and thought about my trip.
I have only had a three day exposure but I do not understand why people stay here to live. I do understand the commercial and business reasons but not the Eskimo dedication. When you ask the townsfolk, people say that it is because of tradition. That people live here out of respect for the land.
Being from Portland, Oregon I understand the dedication to land stewardship and conservation. When all is see is trash, partly disassembled cars, and junk on their supposed cultural sites, it makes me doubt that the Eskimos are truly dedicated to their land. This place is so remote, there is no access by car and minimal access by barges, when the ice recedes. It is a totally cut off region of the world.
The culture to me seems emasculated. The people still hunt but there is really no need when there is a supermarket close by. Barrow is one of the few sites in the world where whaling is still legal. The Eskimos here can hunt and kill an average of 22 whales a year. But for what purpose? I understand hunting and fishing but to go to the work of killing a 60 TON mammal seems like a lot of waste and work. There seems to be an imbalance between ancient customs and real world availability of resources. I have been told that the Eskimos are trying to stay loyal to their traditions and that the food they eat is much healthier than what we usually shove down our gullets. I know that I am see the result of the invasion of american influence and how it does not integrate with a Native American lifestyle. I do admit that I am looking through very ignorant eyes to a culture that I do not understand. All that being said I am sure that many parts of my culture would be very confusing to an Eskimo.
There is a local community college located three miles east of town call the Ilisagvik. Their motto is “Take pride in your past but plan the future”. I looked through a catalog and found there is a lot of focus on Eskimo culture and trade type courses. The facilities for the high school are amazing but with a dropout rate of 50%, the locals are not taking advantage of the investment. But what reason do they have to attend school when they have the ability to live off the land?
What I can say about the people? I would love to say that everyone was nice. I did not have any truly negative experiences but I did not have any great ones either. The restaurant owners and taxi drivers were very polite but I was also a paying customer. The locals Eskimos were very reserved and did not want to communicate. There were smiles and friendly gestures but no initiative to interact. My emotions were further confused by the contrast of hearing children playing and laughing to hearing the general verbal abuse of an angry man hang in the air. I don’t blame these people, there is no outlet here. If this is what I woke up to everyday, I bet I would be a lot of more angry and a lot worse off-my wife can attest to my mood if I don’t get a trip in every few weeks. People like Brangelina and Sting visit far away lands and always wax and wane about the people and their connection to the land. This land is very harsh, isolating, and unforgiving, why put it up on a pedestal? I would like to visit again in the winter, perhaps when they have a festival going on. I would like to learn more about the Eskimo beliefs and history and hopefully give me more of a positive outlook upon their culture.
All in all I am glad that I came to Barrow. Visiting a foreign area always makes one reflect on where he comes from. This trip made me appreciate the amazing Pacific Northwest and the endless variety of its treasures. I can’t wait to see my wife and my crazy border collies.
Farewell Barrow,
Taylor Davis
09/03/2007
P.S. My easy and successful itinerary came to a screeching halt upon the cancellation of my 10:57 flight out of Barrow. The 737 Alaskan Airlines flight made three approaches but could not get through the fog to land. I will leave at 8:00 PM arrive in Anchorage at 10:37PM and then I will take the red eye from Anchorage to PDX arriving at 5:45 AM. Yuck.
August 31 – September 4, 2007
Taylor Davis
As I sit in the Barrow airport I am trying to make sense of what I have experienced over the past four days. My first thought to everybody is be thankful and grateful every day for what you have and for the people around you. My trip to Alaska was a dichotomous experience in many ways. Ranging from the most barren to most beautiful landscapes, Alaska also combines the dreariest and most depressing environments with a feeling of pride and tradition of a very old people.
My trip started out with a first class ticket on Alaska airlines to Fairbanks. The trip was uneventful save for an especially funny DVD of Reno 911 that I watched on my laptop. I picked up my car in at the airport, and tried to find something to eat. It was around 12:30 and I ended up running for the border. I was ashamed because I promised myself and my wife that I would not eat there again. With my head hanging low in shame but my belly full, I headed to my hotel, the Golden North.
My only positive experience of my stay at the Golden North was meeting a very loveable Golden Retriever at the front desk. My love of travel and adventure is only surpassed by my love of my wife and my dogs. I wish there was a way that I could bring both along more. My hotel room was smaller than my bathroom in Sherwood and had that first college apartment ‘stank to it. A cigarette burn on the toilet seat gave me pause before I sat down. The carpet had the texture of an entry room mud caked mat. I immediately fell asleep with the window open to get some air.
I woke up freezing, as it was around 30 degrees outside. I quickly showered and packed, because I was going to drive to a place that I have wanted visit for as long as I can remember. I climbed a lot in my college days and dreamed of climbing Denali (Mt. McKinley to us in the lower 48). I even named my beloved border collie after the mountain and today I was going to head to Denali National Park for the first time. I was also going to retrace a small part of a journey made by a young man named Chris McCandless. Chris was an adventurer that starved to death in the Denali wildness around 15 years ago. His story was made famous by the book Into the Wild by John Krakuer. I could hardly contain myself as I checked out of the hotel, gave the golden retriever a hug and a pat and raced to my rented Toyota Highlander.
The drive down Highway 3 to Denali was mind blowing. I know a horizon is a horizon but everything seemed bigger and further away than I have experienced before. Massive plains dotted with rivers and marsh land spread out to my left and right. There were several small towns along my 120 mile drive to the start of day two of my Alaska adventure in Healy.
Healy is 12 miles away from the entrance to Denali National Park and is populated by a strong, sturdy, hunting population. It is surrounded by the Kantishna plain and dotted with scrawny spruce and alder thickets. High hills yield to the flinty, jagged peaks of the Outer Range.
The Story of Chris McCandless
In August of 1992, a wanderlust filled adventurer hiked an old coal mine trail off of Highway 3 twenty miles into the bush and planned to stay the summer in an abandoned 1940 International Harvester bus. After graduating with honors from Emory University, he donated all of his money to charity, changed his name and disappeared into vagabond society. Prior to this trip, he had traveled all over the western US and the northern plains homeless and with a thirst for self discovery and self reliance. He ended up in Alaska 20 miles from Healy and due to the winter melt the rivers on the Stampede trail became impassable. Chris then starved to death after an illness thought to have been caused by eating a poisoned berry. At the time of his death, he weighed 67 pounds.
The Stamped trail starts with about 4 miles of paved road that quickly turns in to a pot hole ridden dual track lined on both sides with high brush. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Denali but the clouds did not cooperate. After 10 miles a came upon some 20 foot wide pot holes that I did not want to get stuck in. I only saw one hunter along the road and did not want to test the Highlander’s four wheel drive capability. I have always believed that 4 wheel drive should help you get out of trouble not get into it.
I will have come back some day to see it another time. I could understand the desire to want to prove yourself in such a beautiful setting but not the desire to utterly isolate yourself from others. I guess that is the fundamental difference between Chris and I. His story gives me inspiration to always test myself, but my love of family and friends prevents me from pushing too far beyond the limit.
I took a picture of myself on the trail and then headed back. Enough of a sad story –let’s see some more incredible scenery! I got back on Highway 3 and was at the entrance to Denali National Park in twenty minutes.
I took a quick tour of the visitors center, paid my $10 for the entrance and I started my 15 mile drive to Savage River. First off, Denali National Park is HUGE! It is bigger than the entire state of Massachusetts. The public is only able to drive their own vehicles in 15 miles. Buses can you take you deep in to the park, and airplanes can get you almost anywhere a float or ski plane can land. The scenery was astounding.
Vast plains of colorful brush were divided up by rivers and lakes with tall mountains in the background. The mountains you see in the pictures are all around 7-10,000 feet. Unfortunately the clouds did not relent and Denali remained hidden from view; I guess I will have to come back.
Look at the pictures, and think of the scale of Denali! It towers over what you see by another 10,000 feet! I arrived at the road’s terminus at the junction of Savage River, took a couple of pictures and prayed for the clouds to part. Disappointed but invigorated, I headed back to the park entrance.
I saw a couple of moose in the distance but no other wildlife. The layering of the clouds was amazing to behold. I then made my way back to Fairbanks for my flight to Barrow. The scenery on the way back made the drive go by very fast.
.
I got bumped back up to first class for my flight to Barrow and sat beside a murse that was heading up to work at the Barrow hospital for three months. Since Barrow is a “damp” town, we had a few drinks on the plane to tide us over for a few days.
Looking down from high above, it was interesting not one sign of civilization was apparent for hundreds of miles. The landing in Barrow was uneventful, which is definitely not the norm, as I would find out later.
My first introduction to the cold in Barrow was brutal- 26 MPH wind at 30 degrees with 100% humidity. The baggage handlers are dressed in full fur coveralls. The airport terminal was filled was a mixture of missionaries, Eskimos, and burly, tough Caucasian contractors from elsewhere in Alaska that were here to work on the airports runways and taxiways.
I walked two blocks to the Airport Inn and got unpacked and settled. My room was even smaller but very clean and very adequate for a lone traveler. The biggest luxury was wireless internet, and I was happy to get my home base configured and ready for reporting.
The town of Barrow is the northernmost city of all the United States. It sits 350 degrees north of the Arctic Circle at a latitude of 71 Degrees N. It has a population of 4,200 people comprised mostly of Eskimo. Oil and gas are the primary industries here with defense also playing a major roll in the past. The DEW (Distant Early Warning) radar installation is located just north and east of town has protected the US from Soviet bombers for over 50 years (http://www.lswilson.ca/dewline.htm).
The importance of the installation has decreased since the increased use of satellite technology and decrease of the Soviet threat. The average family income is very high-$68,000 but candidly, I don’t know where it goes.
The town is filled with the detritus of years of shipping stuff in but not a lot of trash going out. The streets are filled with broken down cars, snowmobiles, and other residential grime.
There are a few sled and hunting dogs chained up outside the homes with the fruits of their labor hanging from the front porches of the houses. Reindeer, moose, and fowl are hanging and drying in the air.
The sun does not really “set” this time of year. It lazily circles around the North all day and most of the night. The people are on that schedule as well. You are just as likely to see kids out playing at 1:30 AM as you are at 1:30 PM. People seem to work and play until they are tired. When they are rested or they feel like getting up they get back outside.
Transport around Barrow for visitors is mainly from taxis. Car rental is available but very expensive. You can travel all the way around Barrow for $5 each way. The taxi’s are constantly buzzing about so you don’t really need to call for one, you just keeping walking to your destination and one will come by at some point. Walking around town is easy now that the weather is a little better. In the -50 degree Fahrenheit winter, I bet there is not as much bi-pedal ambulation going on. The locals get around in a variety of four wheel drives and four wheelers; almost every house had a snowmobile parked outside as well.
On my first night in Barrow I walked primarily around the downtown area. My first stop was to get some food at Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant. Fran Tate is the proprietor and has been a strong tourist attraction for Barrow for years. Fran is an electrical engineer by trade and has been featured in many newspapers and TV shows such as Johnny Carson. She is definitely a hoot to meet. I scheduled my Polar Bear club initiation with her for the next day and sat down for a great meal from the most northern Mexican restaurant.
The restaurants in Barrow usually have somewhat of a theme that they specialize in (sushi, pizza, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, etc.) but all of them offer the full standard fair-cheeseburgers, steaks, etc. I ate at several difference places, and although the food was good, it was expensive. The restaurants typically open at 10:00 and stay open until 2:00 AM. That should give you a clue of locals sleep schedule.
I walked a bit more around town and headed back to the Hotel for an early bedtime, as I was exhausted. I had to close the shades in the hotel room very carefully to help block as much light as possible.
Did I mention that Barrow is a “damp” city? You say of course it is! It is located next to the Arctic Ocean! Well “damp” means that there is no alcohol sold. Not in grocery stores, not in restaurants-nada. It is legal to posses and consume but not to sell. Not to be worried, I took matters in my own hands and brought a couple of bottles of Laganita’s IPA-it got me through the two nights.
Speaking of beer, alcoholism is rampant here. For a town that does not have easy public access to booze, I saw a ton of very drunk locals in the streets. Everywhere you go there is a sign talking about some accident or some other tragedy. Alcohol and domestic and sexual abuse have a strong link in Barrow. The local police chief stated that 90% of violence and abuse is associated with alcohol. I am not sure what the numbers are in the lower 48 but it seemed high to me. When the Eskimos get some ETOH they have a tendency to drink great amounts. The culture does not fit very well with the casual or social drinker.
I had a great night’s sleep and woke up ready to explore. I hiked four miles over to the Naval Arctic Research Facility (NARL). The base was originally used to fly in supplies for the DEW radar base. Now the runway sits and rusts. I took a picture of the radar domes and kept walking.
I was getting pooped from my long walk so I hailed a taxi that was returning from Point Barrow. I asked the driver to take me out there as well. Point Barrow is about 8 miles outside of Barrow and is the most northern most point in the US. On the way back I got pictures of the whale skulls that are lying on the beach and a picture of the famous football field that was just featured on “Dateline”. I had a great lunch of Mongolian beef at Sam and Lee’s and then went back to the hotel for a nap and to build of the courage for the Polar Bear imitation at 5:00.
To become a member of the Polar Bear Club you must dive into the Arctic Ocean, totally submerge and make it back to the beach. Fran records the temperature of the ocean and upon a successful submersion you get a certificate with the recorded temperature and a patch. I did succeed and it was not as bad as I thought. The air actually feels warm after a jump in 34 degree water. I also discovered that “turtling” is a real phenomenon.
I walked back to the hotel to take a shower and head out for dinner and a stop at the local Flight Service Station. Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial airport is the northernmost (aren’t you tired of hearing that?) airport controlled by the FAA. I stopped into meet the local air traffic controllers and see what type of infrastructure was installed. I had a great talk with the controller, watched a couple of flights come in, and then headed out to the Northern Lights Restaurant for a great pizza.
I decided to walk about from Northern Lights back home along the ocean so that I could see the “sunset”, I was rewarded with one of the most amazing “sunsets” that I have ever seen. Brilliant colors of red and orange were reflected in the clouds and ocean. I sat down and thought about my trip.
I have only had a three day exposure but I do not understand why people stay here to live. I do understand the commercial and business reasons but not the Eskimo dedication. When you ask the townsfolk, people say that it is because of tradition. That people live here out of respect for the land.
Being from Portland, Oregon I understand the dedication to land stewardship and conservation. When all is see is trash, partly disassembled cars, and junk on their supposed cultural sites, it makes me doubt that the Eskimos are truly dedicated to their land. This place is so remote, there is no access by car and minimal access by barges, when the ice recedes. It is a totally cut off region of the world.
The culture to me seems emasculated. The people still hunt but there is really no need when there is a supermarket close by. Barrow is one of the few sites in the world where whaling is still legal. The Eskimos here can hunt and kill an average of 22 whales a year. But for what purpose? I understand hunting and fishing but to go to the work of killing a 60 TON mammal seems like a lot of waste and work. There seems to be an imbalance between ancient customs and real world availability of resources. I have been told that the Eskimos are trying to stay loyal to their traditions and that the food they eat is much healthier than what we usually shove down our gullets. I know that I am see the result of the invasion of american influence and how it does not integrate with a Native American lifestyle. I do admit that I am looking through very ignorant eyes to a culture that I do not understand. All that being said I am sure that many parts of my culture would be very confusing to an Eskimo.
There is a local community college located three miles east of town call the Ilisagvik. Their motto is “Take pride in your past but plan the future”. I looked through a catalog and found there is a lot of focus on Eskimo culture and trade type courses. The facilities for the high school are amazing but with a dropout rate of 50%, the locals are not taking advantage of the investment. But what reason do they have to attend school when they have the ability to live off the land?
What I can say about the people? I would love to say that everyone was nice. I did not have any truly negative experiences but I did not have any great ones either. The restaurant owners and taxi drivers were very polite but I was also a paying customer. The locals Eskimos were very reserved and did not want to communicate. There were smiles and friendly gestures but no initiative to interact. My emotions were further confused by the contrast of hearing children playing and laughing to hearing the general verbal abuse of an angry man hang in the air. I don’t blame these people, there is no outlet here. If this is what I woke up to everyday, I bet I would be a lot of more angry and a lot worse off-my wife can attest to my mood if I don’t get a trip in every few weeks. People like Brangelina and Sting visit far away lands and always wax and wane about the people and their connection to the land. This land is very harsh, isolating, and unforgiving, why put it up on a pedestal? I would like to visit again in the winter, perhaps when they have a festival going on. I would like to learn more about the Eskimo beliefs and history and hopefully give me more of a positive outlook upon their culture.
All in all I am glad that I came to Barrow. Visiting a foreign area always makes one reflect on where he comes from. This trip made me appreciate the amazing Pacific Northwest and the endless variety of its treasures. I can’t wait to see my wife and my crazy border collies.
Farewell Barrow,
Taylor Davis
09/03/2007
P.S. My easy and successful itinerary came to a screeching halt upon the cancellation of my 10:57 flight out of Barrow. The 737 Alaskan Airlines flight made three approaches but could not get through the fog to land. I will leave at 8:00 PM arrive in Anchorage at 10:37PM and then I will take the red eye from Anchorage to PDX arriving at 5:45 AM. Yuck.
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