HERE COMES THE SUN !!! (finally) !!

In Barrow Alaska, top of the world, the sun dipped below the horizon on November 18th, it rose today for the first time in 2009 !!




On the roof, of the Suvat Center, trying to capture images of the upcoming sunrise.





You would never think it is almost NOON here in Barrow, but that is the time of day !!




11:30 a.m. Barrow Alaska, we had to leave this site because they close @ noon !!





People busy about their business walking, driving, the temp is 40 below w/ 20 mph winds









Here comes the SUN .. .. (insert music here) !!




For the very first time in 2009 - we finally see the SUN !!!






Now there is enough light for a while, to dig out this old tent and begin to get ready for the spring hunt (soon) !!

4 cameras on 4 different crews this spring hunt will bring you right out on the ice, to enjoy the beauty and splendor of the frozen far north, gathering food !!
We will be creating movies, images and I am sure there will be a lot of stories that are all easily verifiable !!

Stay tuned to this ongoing thread of life in the Arctic ! I promise you spectacular images .. ..

Yes it is great to see the sun again, longer days, more time to be outside instead of sitting at this computer.

Lots to do to get ready for whaling in a couple of months, we are all looking forward to this next spring hunt, four of us are on four different crews to create images and make movies, (fingers crossed).




Ice must be cut and brought back to the village, from 100 miles round trip to the kupak river, wood needs to be gathered, along the coast on the north side of the village (Point Hope), food cleaned out from the siglauq, (sig -lock) and of course fuel, sicpan (seal blubber).

After the long dark winter, everything must be cleaned and that takes a lot of time, this is not something that is accomplished in a week or two, it takes major time and effort.



Again we go through the routine, of doing daily chores outside, for the task at hand, this is the most exciting time of year coming upon us, (whaling villages -9 )

Someone lost an Avatakpak, a seal skin filled with air, to be used to slow the whale down and to mark its location.



One of the Captains has his umiaq brought into the church to be blessed by the pastor.



In 1961 ( a one time freak accident Pt. Hope), a whole crew died when a whale flipped the umiaq over.

This sad tragic incident is written in a book, I happened to just come across this story the other day, The name of the book is The Tigara Eskimos & Their Enviornment - page 27

Another book which will fascinate you about the 'ghosts' and little people and the 'spirits' that come around the bend is named PUIGUITKAAT

Each of these books and many others can be purchased from the North Slope Borough, much of what I explain is located in these books and from the hunters I have lived with for many decades !!

Although others may doubt the accuracy of these books, I have heard it stated that no western observer has witnessed any form of government before 1970 in Point Hope, that statement was obviously taken from a book that is no where near the truth. 1936 The Inupiaq people drafted their constitution with the help of the federal governement, In the Late 1800's Point Hope had a well organized goverment with tribal meetings and infrastructure.

Happy Sunrise Day! One worth celebrating!!

Mike.

David,

I've always enjoyed your posts on the various forums. This one is no exception. Thank you for your contributions!

Thank you for your comments Jonathan, I appreciate the valuable time you have given up to spend time with me and my love for these unique people. We have unlimited numbers of photographs to display and post here, to keep this thread growing, into what many people have claimed as the 'best thread on any forum anyplace".

I has been a lot of work, and a vast amount of time to spread the word to the world as to the plight of these people.

I find it very sad when a white person that has never been out on the ice, makes up numerous lies about these people and publishes them on other forums.

Man alive it is an amazing story which I love reading about! Thank you for sharing your end of the earth with us. Looking through it makes sitting here in Australia in 40 degree celcius weather a little bit cooler. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to have things so dark for so long.
So clearly living in Barrow is nothing like the movie then!

I have never seen that movie you speak about, but Barrow is a happening place with lots of activites all year long, We get light every day of the year !!

Some of our days in Dec / Jan are very short, but then we gain .. rapidly; 20 minutes more every day !!

it is the greatest place on the face of the earth !! a true adventure - everyday in a far far away place, in a land that is many thousands of years old, stepped deep in tradition and culture !!

I'll take this type of life over city life any day !!

The movie is called 30 Days of Night and it's about when vampires come to Barrow during the month of darkness. Not a bad movie if you're into that sort of thing.

But once again, thank you for opening my eyes up to a pocket of the world I have no idea about. Truly inspiring.

Well we don't have vampires here in Barrow, but something a bit different that I have tried to explain earlier ! Tuttuu Man ! and other assorted small things
Well, let me show you how it is now today here in Barrow (lightwise) !!

This was created @ 10:17 a.m. today (feb 5th) - our days are noticably much longer, Dec/Jan are the worst months. Practically the entire day is darkness - 22 1/2 hours of it ! (rough estimate). don't hold me to minutes and seconds. But that is a very good general idea of what we face.



Yesterday @ 2:00 in the Afternoon, opening my front door to get the stink out of our shop / house because of the smell of sanding and grinding / cutting of baleen.. PeeeeeUUUUUUUUUU. There must be a way to bottle this odor and sell it on e-bay (whale fart) OMG !!!

RIPE !!!




Temp is about 30 - 40 below depending on the wind, I go for walks and photo opportunities a few times a week, trying in a create manner to display the Inupiaq way of life that is 'visible' when merly walking about the village.



I do not touch anything or alter what I see, I merely create and record what I see that catches my attention.



Arigah (good) Barrow dialect - Adiga = good Point Hope dialect !

This scene cracked me up and took my breath away, seriously, I got stuck in knee deep snow attempting to get closer to this location of all the snow machines and sleds and umiaqs that are lined up in the back of the condemed Arctic Hotel, my house is just kitty corner to the left of that hotel, It is closed because it was seriously lacking safety code and is not fit to live in, I came to that conclusion very quickly when I lived in that hotel for two months in 1996 when working @ the Barrow Power plant installing the controls for two new huge generators. You can easily tell how windy it is out in this image by the wind sock !! It was @ least 45 below, not counting chill factor of the wind, I didn't make it too far this day, I had no protection for my face, and after an hour outside, it was time to head on home and warm up. sit down and post away !!




An all too familar Whaling Captains Crew Logo - Me and my sons will each be on different crews this spring, loaded to the max with cameras and memory cards.

I hope to add spectacular images/videos of this years hunt to this ongoing popular thread of "High in the Arctic .. Eskimo !!" Home sweet home @ 50 below zero.

The Arctic is truely an adventure you cannot find any other place on the entire planet !

Food shopping is the most exciting event I have ever partaken, a huge community event, everyone working together for one purpose - FOOD !!

Now it is time, finally, to make the final preparations to begin whaling !!

Inupiaq whaling from the TOP OF THE WORLD - Barrow Alaska.



The days are cold, crisp, and refreshing. At the house of Whaling Captain - Johnathan Levitt - Sleds are dug out of the snow, cleaned off and make ready to head out to the ocean ice.. to ... .. BREAK TRAIL !!

This is it, hard back breaking work, for hours & days upon end, It is no easy task to break trail.

We received invites from The President of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling commission who is also a board member of the Internation Whaling Commission - Euguene Brower !

Day one was a 'test' to see and determine what type of workers the captain has on his crew.

My 3 sons returned home some 14 hours later, worn out, sore, tired, and sunburned on their faces !

Today, back out on the trail, they have a 15 foot high pressure ridge to go through, The Captain said, no sense going around it, lets just remove the whole thing and go right through it !



Photos and perhaps the video of this job will be available tonight when I process the images the boys create using my eyes, today ! I say (my eyes) becuase I have spent 20 years teaching them, how to see, how to compose, so in essense they create in the exact same manner in which I have created over the last 40 or more years.




Searching - to find the best path. The huge ice piles are many miles out on the frozen ocean ice pack.

My second oldest son - Mark Andrew, sporting a brand new pair of bunny boots. All my sons purchased new boots this year. This is Mark's second whale hunt, Jesse's second, and Khristophers second as well. Isaiah is still back in Point Hope with his four Inupiaq children - 3 daughters and one son - Isaiah Jr. !



That parky he is wearing is one that was made for me by Rosemary Oviok in 1981 !!



The campsite(s) will be set up, many miles out there, where the lead forms. Where does that happen ? It is different each and every year. It depends on the thickness of the ice, the wind, and of course the temps




There is much about the ocean Ice that I do not understand. But after being on more than 5 whale hunts I have leanred a few basic things about the ocean ice. It is always moving, markers have to be placed way out there, and other markers to line up to see which way the ice is shifting after many days. Even though they cannot see 'open' water from here, it is easy to find, just by looking at the clouds in the sky. The darkness of the open water will create very dark looking clouds in the sky. The reflections from the ice make the clouds look much whiter on the bottom of their puffs than open water does. But for now, find a place to set up a camp site in the Captains favorite area(s), based on wind conditions, and distance to the place where the lead opens. For now, finding the right way to break this trail so as to get the job done

Day one was to test the crew, a lot of work had to get done on that first day, so there was little time to stop and use the camera. Work, hard work, chopping ice and moving ice and clearing a path, to transport materials. This pathway through the ice must be smooth, these machines have to make many trips back and forth, this creates excesive wear and tear on the equipment if it has to encounter 'rough' areas. A five mile ride will take hours at very slow speds of carefull navigation.

My sons informed me they have a 15 foot high pressure ridge to break through and remove, before and after photos will be posted tonight, and hopefully a video showing the amazing amount of work involved in breakin trail.

The work begins, right here !! 12 hour days of backbreaking incredibly hard work. This is the test. Lets see first hand, just how hard of a worker you really are. This is no place for bs. Hustle and get the job done !!







No pay, hard work for days on end, for miles on end ! It is 30 below zero ! Work for the next 12 hours and make a smooth path - have a great day !



Now in your world, you go into a super market and pick the food from the shelves for what you want.



90% of the Inupiaq food that Inupiaq peoples hunt and eat, is gathered from the ocean !!

Do you have HDTV? That's most important. You need to keep yourself abreast of world events.

This is the test.. .. for whaling captains to determine who is a worker, and who will hold back from getting this important job finished as quickly as possible.
Once you are out there, there is no place to go to warm up, Bathrooms are plentful, just duck behind any large piece of ice !!



Again I say, this is back-breaking work, non stop for long hours and the great part is.. there is no pay what-so-ever. Many miles of incredibly hard work, so the community can get their equipment out there - for one purpose - to gather and harvest - FOOD !!



Obtaining food, is dangerous here in the arctic. anything can happen at any time out on the ice pack with no warning at all. You must constantly be aware of your surroundings. Be aware of the wind and the direction, this is extremely important to understand.
How many miles ? We do not know yet, but a safe bet is that it will be between 5 miles - 20 miles, depending on the thickness of the ice. We have no idea where / when the ice will crack, that is determined by the wind and the flow of currents in the area.



We have only finished two days worth of work, there are miles and miles to go.
How smooth does the ice have to be, smooth enough to transport supplies and get them there without the machines breaking down. Yesterday two machines broke down out there.



We do not go around obstacles, we go right through them, no matter how much work has to be performed
stay tuned, I have videos to post of these same images, I am going to put you right out on that ice with sounds and events never before seen !!

Video's !!

Now I can bring you out to the ocean ice.. .. and you can see first hand, the work involved.

Until I become better at creating these video's. This will have to do .. .. for now!

Out to the Ice


ENJOY !!

I just have read and enjoyed all the photos and recent videos of this amazing location on the planet about peoples lives and their struggle to live,, sure makes ya think about our daily life and the minimal task we have to do to survive,,

I have forwarded your stories location to many others and fellow photographers,,

thank you for your time and effort contributing such a piece of life for others to read and think about,,

Derry

Thank you for your kind words, I am honored to have you spend so much time reading and enjoying my work, it is a labor of love, to get the word out to the world.

The plight of the Inupiaq Eskimo is laden with laws, rules, regulations, I would once like to see one of these people that make these stupid rules come out here on the ice and work for a change and see what it is like to spend 12 hours digging and cutting with no pay - just to eat !!

I bet they would not last one day, never mind the three weeks or more it is going to take to chop this trail and make it all smooth !! A chunk of ice 2 stories high and we have to cut right through it. That is a lot of difficult hard work, today we might have photos of the trail from the air !!

I will be posting the entire hunt w/ video's as each day progresses !!



If there was open water, it would show very dark on the bottom of those clouds !!

We have 9 people and six snow machines on our crew so far for breaking trail. Lots of shovels, picks, axes etc. to smash and break up that ice !!

two younger whalers were complaining yesterday about the cold miles out on the ice pack. The whaling captain replied to them, you just have to work harder, My son Mark told them.. 'The heat' is in the tools !! (get busy and work harder). To keep warm.. ya gotta sweat !!

Another small pressure ridge to chop up and smooth out !! Miles & Miles to go !!

work work work, all day, most every day, for weeks on end, with no pay what-so-ever, take the time.. .. spend more than 5 seconds thinking about this, THE ONLY COMPENSATION.. .. is you get to eat ! These people are so happy, all of the time !! I have never met people like this.. so happy ! Staggering amount of work.



These photos show and tell the story quite clearly indeed !!







One person, a white man, who actually lives here in Barrow, claims I am not telling the truth about whaling. (chuckle) this person writes photo essays about whaling, from inside of his truck on land !! No wonder he doesn't believe me about the incredible hard work, out here, cutting a trail, right through the ice.



Well the truth is.. (he thinks).. That I am making this all up !



The end of our progress so far, 5 miles out. cut right through all of this ice and keep going onward !! in these images you will often see people working with huge pieces of ice, why such a big piece ? to fill a very low area. it is much easier to throw a huge piece of ice into that void of lower ice, than to fill it with small pieces.









Long hard days, and some times, you just have to sit and take a break. These two gentlemen look quite comfortable, SITTING on the handle of the pick. you cannot see the shadow of the tool(s) in this image, but the most popular question, people always ask me, is where do you go to the bathroom out there? The answer is obvious !! Go behind any large piece of ICE !!!







Finally we reach open water, we are very close, now to pick a spot to set up the camp site / tent and other associated details for the camp itself, lots more work to do, using GPS, we have determined we are 5 miles out. The wind, and currents are very strong, Ice bergs can be seen floating by, cruising about 20 mph. Two huge sheets of ice broke off, @ the point and we will not have to go the expected long distance. At the edge of the ice, it is only two feet thick, and that is not good. We need much thicker ice. In order for that to happen, we need the temps to drop to 40 or 50 below zero !



Steam, is clearly visible, coming up from the warmth of the water, ice bergs are visible lway out there, cruising by, much quicker than one would imagine, but with all the fog from the steam, and the distance, Well you will see.. soon in the next upcoming posts !!



so much more to follow, with thousands more images & videos !!

I can show you now, from the eye in the sky via GPS technology, the ice trails here in Barrow !!











It is very cold out here today, actual temp 40 below, w/windchill we are below - 60 !

This is good, we need it to get very cold so as to make this ice much thicker,








We have reached open water ! Much of the work we had finished recently is gone, swept out to sea.



Seals are visible in the water, close by.











THIS IS COLD !! VERY COLD, but I have in truth seen and been out in much worse weather than this, it is extremely crisp, and very refreshing with that 'bite' on any exposed skin !!

Polar Bear Tracks

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stories, stories, that is the #1 request from most people on all of the forums. Well you are all in for a treat today, I have two new stories of events that actually happened up here, out on the ice. (chuckle)

Ya just never know, what is going to happen out here. Last night we went out on the ice pack to check the trail we have been working on. We spotted polar bear tracks, in the snow, coming from Barrow - and headed out to the ice.

Unfortunately, we did not see this bear, the ice is a vast place and it is easy for a bear to hide.




The two whaling captains I am with are Eugene & Charles Brower, as we were checking out the polar bear tracks, One of the captains told the story, .. .. " it was an evening just like this, we came out to check the trail and we were near the lead opening,



At the edge of the water, a polar bear was standing up, looking down into the water, the polar bear turned and walked a couple of steps and bent over to pick up a big large piece of ice, He picked it up, and then decided to put it back down and grabbed a much larger piece of ice, a huge piece, he walked over to the edge of the ice and waited and watched, he dropped the ice into the water, then he jumped in, these two captains were astonished to see the polar bear climb back on the ice and pull a 10 foot beluga whale out of the water !!

If you want verfication of this true story, just write, to Eugene Brower in Barrow Alaska, He is the President of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission, he is also a member of the board of the International Whaling Commission. And perhaps the most respected Whaling Captain in Barrow !

I hear these stories and I am amazed, just as you are, but one thing that amazed these two hunters when they saw this was the intelligent thinking, that took place by that animal, to obtain food !!



One of the great things about whaling, is the story telling. Bizarre events of all types are retold up here, with much laughter. These are such happy people, unlike any I have ever met any other place in my limited travels about the east coast, the west coast and all over Alaska.

The other humous story was told about a whaling captain in Point Hope, who was up here, whaling with Barrow Captains, he was wearing a jump suit from work, overalls, he had to go to the bathroom out on the ice not far from camp, Well these same two whaling captains, happend to come upon his private spot and saw him looking around, this way and that way, looking for something, they asked, what are you looking for, ??? He laughed and said. I was going to cover up, what I just did, but I can't find it or see it on the ground, they each broke into huge laughter, as they saw the 'steam' coming from the 'log' in his
hood !!!

It is the greatest life ! and this time of year in particular is the greatest time of year. Excitement and laughter all day long for the next two months.




Camped out, on a frozen ocean ice pack, in freezing sub zero temps, sleeping outside - five miles from land, a 'picnic' in a very strange bizzare world that very few know anything about.



The first thing you become aware of (beside the wind and the cold) is the brilliant blinding sunlight and reflections all around you. Thick-dark sunglasses are a must, if unprepared you are going to suffer, your eyes will hurt, it is just too bright.





some of the ice chunks out here, do not appear to be large, until you see something - familiar near one !! As the ice advances towards land, it becomes obvious as the piles heap huge chunks upon one another






This trail has to be constantly groomed, flat. Knock down the high spots and fill in the low spots. That is the next phase, as we backtrack and widen this trail we have been working on for 10 days now.











Today was cloudy which was a welcome relief from the blinding sunlight reflecting from the ice everywhere.









Open water, .. .. .. .. Yesterday, Eugene Brower, The President of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission in Barrow, received a phone call from Whaling Captain Rex Rock in Pt. Hope. Whales were spotted migrating through the lead, heading up to Wainwright / Barrow / Kaktovik !!



In about 4 days, we shall see these same whales pass by through the narrow lead opening.. .. .. FOOD is being delivered !! We wait, with much anticipated joy and excitement .



tisk tisk, tis a shame that you .. .. do not have this much fun when you go shopping for food !! (chuckle).

Open water, at the lead opening, the warm water, the steam, creates quite a dramatic effect !!



We are 5 miles out, it is very cold here, the wind is too strong, icebergs are floating by - about 20 mph !! - they are moving & crusing, this is quite the place to be, .. ..



I will show you sights, very few are able to record and photograph. !!











For the last few days, it has been too cold, and much too windy,



So we wait, whales should be here any day,



A few days ago, Rex Rock - Whalilng Captain from Point Hope called the President of the Alaska Eskimo Whalilng Commission to inform him.. whales are migrating past the point in Point Hope !!



Images will be forthcoming, right from inside the umiaq !!

This caribou was found frozen in place on a site inspection on the North Slope. That is some cold weather.... temps were down in the -40s F and wind chills to -70 to -80.



Caribou froze standing still at -80 with wind chill in Kuparuk, AK.

Sometimes all you have to do, to make a photographs have some punch, is get closer, crop, and zoom in. Here are two identical photographs standing in the same exact spot. notice the difference each photograph imparts .




Crews are headed out, getting everything ready to move families out to the ocean ice pack to set up camp.



Stay tuned for updates, whales are here, In Point Hope they are harvesting beluga whales !!

We should be headed out to set up camp, tonight !!

Wow, Majik,

Your stories really are inspiring. Reading them inspires me even more to get out and experience other peoples, other cultures and other ways of life. It is already a passion of mine, but your stories are really special.

Thank you for taking the time to share them! You are a real treat.

Best regards,
Brad

P.S. Never, ever, have I seen a frozen caribou in place! I've experienced -60C (-75F) and I can understand how it could happen, but wow--that is incredible.
P.P.S. The steaming hood story was hilarious!!

Yes BradleyGibson: I have learned so much .. from this culture, so much so, I never want to leave it.

It is not all of what it could be, there is always someone, to twist the knife in your back, Although I live in an eskimo community full of the greatest people, there is one person in this town, that is soon to be kicked out of this village, for the manner in which he insults the natives on the internet.

This is a white man, who is a self proclaimed expert of the arctic who hasn't even been here 10 years. he is the mistake sheriff if any one posts any infomation about barrow or whaling. He makes up bold face lies and makes vain attempts to change the truth by lying. This is one of the main reasons I moved up here, to get away from white people that have this GOD almighty self righteous attitude.

Moving on to prove a point about photography, Creating professional images DOES NOT REQUIRE: a top of the line brand name camera.









BEHOLD.. .. the tiny toy camera(s), used to create these images !! My point is well proven beyond dispute, you do not need to spend huge amounts of money with a myrid of X-tra gadgets to produce professonal quality images.



Believe it or not- this toy is capable of producing a movie of one hour in duration !! @ 320 X 240 - Lol.. wait... till the camps are set up, and we sit around for story time. I will do my best to provide you hours of side splitting laughter. The humor level is very 'high' out here on the ice, it is just themost exciting time of the entire year ! These next 8 weeks or so.. what ever it turns out to be, shall be full of awesome images depicting the Inupiaq way of life never before seen up close and this personal !!



I got lots more images to post.. I am so glad you all enjoy the images for what they are and I will do my best to keep 'text' to an absolute minimum!

Believe it or not, this camera has photoshop built into it !! Most of the filters are present to enhance images, it can even put a smile on someone's face that refuses to smile !!!

Monday, April 20th. We are waiting for a phone call from our captains, (when they get off work). Beluga whales are beng harvested in Point Hope today. We should be setting up camp out on the ice tonight. photos will be forthcoming shortly - day by day- out on the ocean ice pack.



We have a huge hole to fill out on the ocean ice. It is getting thin in some places.




Some of the crew members are not showing up for work, (chuckle) two crews - 16 people - ten are missing !!



These images should illustrate plainly why you could never get a bob cat out here.




There, on the far left, is the captain, everyone is equal out here, everyone does the same work. There are 'NO LEVELS'. Everyone is treated the same (with respect). Everyone works, no matter who you are.

Huge ice chunks are broken up, to fill this hole.




Getting ready to head back out..far out, many miles!

Can you believe this amount of difficult hard work, with no pay, for weeks on end,.. .. 'just to eat' !!




Here is a photograph is not too clear, it is very foggy outside. Notice, the person wearing shortcuts when it is Zero F - temp !!

More images from breaking trail, the folder name BT-x is the day number of when this work was done. So far, we have 15 days of images of breaking trail !! Only a few have been posted so far.. continuing onward, through the ice
















yawn ! long day ! adiga (good) Tavra - that's all!

Some of the crew members on this crew





This is long hard days of nothing but work, with no pay, we need your help, each crew, cuts its own trail - 8 crew members plus the captain !!

and.. .. the boyer !!!




Steam, from open water is visible miles away. Look at the bottom of the clouds!










Check out the huge Polar Bear Mittens, lying on the ground, nearby, when your hands become frozen up! Three pair of mittens is what the Captain uses. Proper protection is needed or you are in for some hurting for certain. This is not like a construction job where you are allowed to go inside to warm up after 1/2 hour, We are out here for the full day, long days of 12 hours or more, we eat out here, we stay out here, working hard.. .. for no pay.. .. just the right to eat !! - and no one complains !!







The next pile(s) of ice, to be chopped up, spread out, smoothed out, fill in the low spots, chop down the high spots

Scouting up ahead, to see which path to take, A lot of planning goes into making this trail.

Temperatures, what do we experience out on the ocean ice. These temps just might surprise you !

20 below zero with 30 mph winds = 53 degrees below zero

40 below zero with 30 mph winds = 80 below zero !!

When you are surrounded by ice on all sides for many miles, these temps out here can get quite uncomfortable. The slightest bit of wind, and you notice it, you feel it, you better be dressed correctly !!

Find the people.. .. how many can you see / count ? Lets find 'waldo' !



The barren frozen beauty of the arctic is all around us. Spend time out here, then you might understand, if you are warm enough and comfortable. if your not, it is the most miserable harshest place on the planet !! Imagine that.. .. this is where we get our food, for thousands of years, but we have to really work - to gain access !! Constant thanks is given for that which we receive from the creator of all things.



Imagine that .. .. some people pay money to go to the gym - to work out !!




This was day six, it was extremly cold as in 40 below w/ 30 mph winds or stronger. It was a long day, all the captains are very happy with the progress that has been made. We are more than six miles out on day six, but the wind broke off about two miles of the ice, back and forth on the trail, widening it to bring the skin boats and other supplies.

Just look, at the massive amount of ice that has been removed here, talk about hard work, for many hours on end.. .. just to eat - that is the only reward !! These crews, are in top physical shape to stay out here, day after day. This is the easy part, .. .. wait !! watch and learn what really goes on.. .. you would never have believed this, and the amount of work involved unless you have seen it with your own eyes, then you can get a small feel and indication of the massive amount of work that is done. for MILES .. .. .. .. .. !! 'let that sink in for more than ten seconds .. ' !! Everyone is smiling, happy, and no one complains.. well that is much differenet from the people I have worked with in construction.. it is constant complaining from people that are receiving money for doing all their work. what a difference in cultures. This is what keeps me here in the Arctic - People that are content and happy with no complaints, full of thanks and praise all day long.




Everything that man does.. .. .. is for his mouth !! (King Solomon) !!

This is work, and it is very cold out !!

the heat you need, is in the tools you are using !!



This was day six, and it is wicked cold, the worst ever !!



Just look at how people are dressed, it is brutal - that wind will cut you up on exposed skin (face)
frostbite is an understatement, the skin bets burned, it turns black and takes 3 months to heal properly.
just like a razor blade was dragged across your skin, that is what that wind is like, it hurts !



Break time - miles and miles to go.. .. .. day after day .. .. .. !

The overwhelming quiet - & peace & freedom, the only sound(s) are the wind, the cracking ice, and your 'thoughts' !!

This is the paradise of the north - that very few ever get to experience !!









These giants are crusing past us at perhaps 20 mph or faster !!

Here is where we get 80% of our food, from the ocean, seals (4 types) whales 2 types - Oogruk, walrus, fish to numerous to mention, along with ducks, geese, birds of all types, and so much more. We wait, and food is delivered !!




Charles Brower !!



Hey ! take my picture !!



Another day is over, in the land of the midnight sun !!

One umiaq is brought into the church, for the traditional Blessing of the boats - prayers for the safety of the crews and individuals involved. This four hour service was packed !! Many people got up to speak, among them was Eugene Brower. Much was said about work !! The need for hard workers to get the job done. Fredrick Brower is seated to the left, you can see part of his seal skin vest. All whaling captains are wearing seal skin vests for this occasion.



Getting ready to go back out on the trail to work, it is very cold today, Khristopher is wearing some very warm polar bear mittens. Keeping your hands warm in sub zero temps with high winds is easy, if you have the right materials !! Fredrick Brower uses 3 pairs of mittens, one on top of the other to keep his hands warm when it is extremely cold !! Layers, lots of loose layers is the secret to keeping warm. (one of the secrets). There are many others, such as the type(s) of food eaten.



Notice the braided yarn harness, just take your mittens off, cross them behind your back, and the harness will keep them ready for when you need to put them back on !!

Today, was an overcast day, much to the relief of our eyes, That sunlight bouncing and reflecting off all the ice, is blinding indeed, it is a much welcome relief to have grey skies for a while.



But the one draw back with overcast skies, is the contrast is so low, it is difficult to see changes in the surface of the ice, until it is too late, so , we proceed slowly, cautiously.

A meeting of the captains - Eugene Brower is speaking to Thomas Brower of which part of the trail to widen.




There is one thing that is very easy to accomplish out here. Notice the can of POP ! Ice cold, never a problem getting your pop cold out here. Just do not forget it because they will freeze in no time at all !!

Everyone works- as a team effort - Even if you are the President of the A.E.W.C. everyone is part of the TEAM - there are no levels out here, everyone is treated in the same manner. Everyone pitches in to get the job finished !!

work work work, mile after mile, day after day, no pay !! Just the right to eat, and no one complains !!






Notice the seal skin gloves on Eugene Brower !!

Tuesday, we are still n the village, west wind is still blowing. We need that west wind to increase. We need the temps to drop. Alapa Anaui 'Cold & windy.

That ice that on the other side of the lead, has to advance with much force to jam this ice together to make it stronger and thicker. The higher the pressure ridges, the safer and more solid the ice is. The work load increases, but that is not a problem, - happy days full of laughter !!



In the background is Ben Itta's Truck with his logo and name. This captains gear in the foreground is ready to be taken out to the ice when conditions improve. The caribou skins are for sitting, on the sled @ camp. There is one sled in the tent, and one sled @ the lead opening itself.



Instead of caribou skins and or other animals fur, this captain has his sled loaded with blue insulation, very warm for sitting for long periods of time, waiting, the days will soon be filled with excitement and much hunting and harvesting of food for the many familes of this and other communities.

Believe it or not, some of this food is sent to amost every one of the lower 48 states, and even to some countries around the world !!

Naqkupak !!



Checking out equipment and getting everything ready to head on out.



The outboard motor is mounted on the umiaq !

Wednesdays news : It is not good, We have West wind, we are still in town, west winds are predicted to last all week long, We need those winds to increase in speed and strength. It needs to get much colder, we need much thicker ice.

Problems have risen out on the ice and Eugene Brower is a bit upset from other crews using his trail, 5 crews were stopped last night and told to get off that trail, (they did not help) Eugene spent a lot of money to have his trail prepared, he has already gone through 3 - 55 gallon drums of fuel.

The captain foots the bill for the entire crew. Fuel, ammunition, food. (and other supplies if necessary).

Two miles out on the trail, Eugene encounters a young white man with his girl friend and some small children on a snow machine on his trail. "What are you doing out here? You are not allowed here, especially so far out alone, Oh ! the young man said.. we are just joyriding. Eugene glared - Polar bears are roaming about out here, and you do not even have any weapons??. GET OFF THIS ICE NOW !! This is not a tourist attraction !!

Each crew is responsible to break their own trail; not to take over someone else's trail. in Point Hope there are 20 whaling captains & crews, I am not sure of the exact number of captains and crews here in Barrow but I will acquire that information asap.


My favorite photo of breaking trail was set up and posed, these two captains are really sitting on the pick handle(s), the picks were carefully arranged so as not to show the picks or any shadows. This is straight out of the camera, no photoshop !!



The most photographed site in Barrow, the jaw bone arches of a huge bowhead whale !

What most people do not know, is that these were erected in 1964, by people from Point Hope !

Ron Oviok told me the story one day, and I was very surprised to hear what he had to say. The people in Barrow wanted to erect these bones, but did not know the proper procedure, a call was made to Point Hope and some people came up to do the job !!



1934 is when these villages drafted up their constitution for village government.



The skull of a bowhead whale, I think there are 4 of these throughout the village.



Word just came over the phone, we are possibly headed out tonight @ 8:00 P.M. to begin whaling !!

It is way too hot, the captain said, if this keeps up, we will not go whaling, the ice is very thin at the lead opening as in inches not feet. Cold weather is expected Wednesday, i'm told. time will tell.
















Whaling in Barrow is much different than whaling in Point Hope.

In Barrow the women stay home and do the cooking, food is brought out to the crews. In Barrow the tent is at the lead, and it is just for the hunters.

In Point Hope, women break trail also, women are on the ice at all times in the tents - cooking, the hunters sleep outside with no tents.

There are many other differences also - as we move along in the hunt I will point these differences out. Point Hope is the only village that still does everything in the traditional manner.

Monday evening @ 7:00 p.m. finally we are transporting the umiaq and other supplies out to the camp site, many miles out on the ocean ice pack, which is rapidly melting !!





The crew - and what they are about to do !! (EUGENE BROWERS CREW)

Transport all of this stuff, out through the trail down to the camp site !!



You have no idea, what it involves and what it costs, to keep a crew, supplied out on the ocean ice pack - living for many weeks !!

empty your kitchen.. pack it up.. your going to need almost everything !!!

and you have.. no running water' to do the dishes for 15 people 4 times a day !!!!!




We have arrived at our camp site, now lets setup the tent !!!



This entire hunt, from breaking trail, setting up camp, the hunt - & inside the umiaq. day by day. is all going to be posted, to let you see first hand, what these people have to do - to eat !! The most incredible amount of backbreaking hard work you have ever imagined !! - and more !!

Now we have one more thing to do to finish this job .. .. ..

The most important part.. .. we have to delegate someone, to test it !!! (chuckle)







Camp site is working, all finished, some minor things, left to do.



We are gaining, 12 more minutes of light, each day, The famous 'midnight sun' !!

DEM - R - DUX

THOUSANDS of ducks pass by all day long, plenty of food to be harvested !!





The hunters are the cooks !! Here in Barrow, there are no women in the tent - cooking & cleaning, it is just the hunters !!

& a boyer !!






Training starts very young out here on the ice, I guess you could say.. .. this is the lowest level !! (chuckle) !!

ducks ducks ducks, all day long, every day for weeks !!!






As you can easily see, we are far from the lead, (which is closed).

Much more work to be done, clearing a trail out to the lead !! More work, lots of work to be done every day - by everyone - no one is excluded from this work !!

Cleaning and loading the shoulder gun !! This is the whaling captain . Fredrick Brower !! "BOMB PROOF" is his new nickname !! (chuckle) believe it or not. this man had a harpoon explode and go right through the palm of his hand ! Last fall, the exploding harpoon went off twice, with the safety on !! No one was hurt !!




the ice on the sled is what is left of our drinking water !!


And .. .. ..The Video !!






And.. .. another VIDEO


When there is no room in the tent (full) then it is time to sleep outside !!

It is almost 5:00 a.m. !!

Fascinating - one of the best posts I've looked through here on LL. - even though I just skimmed through it

thanks

Steve

I was surprised to see, that they do not use home made wood stoves out here, when I asked why ? They laughed and said.. it takes too long to break down, when we have to evacuate because of advancing ice. NO fire to put out, no stove pipes to clean, no wood to gather and chop !!


Wow !! I bet the boyer sure likes that !!






3 different crews, in our area, they asked permission to use the trail we made - Eugene said Yes ! but when people (5 crews) try to take it over, some people got very upset !!





A happy hunter displays his first duck of the season !!





Charles is the cook, for tonights meal !!





(chuckle) and.. .. The Video !!

Time to get back to work on the trail !!




Here is one of the markers, that is sighted to determine which way the ice is moving. These are lined up in a row across a great distance, you need binoculars to see the 'line' of markers out here.




It is much to hot out here now, messy, and dangerous, it is very easy to fall through the ice. (fingers crossed).




Jesse fell in once, a few years ago. ( in tghis exact spot) It was below zero, lucky for him he had a [pack pack nearby and changed, came home exhausted and fell asleep



this was the image, that inspired me to name my blog "A BLOG OF ICE"

you can see an umiaq, in the background, waiting for a whale to give itself over to the captain ( it never happend) !!