Seven of us made the most of our day off and headed south in trucks to hike up the stunning Atigun river valley to Atigun Falls. At 63 degrees, I was happy to have another day for shorts and a t-shirt, and the mosquitoes weren't numerous enough to warrant a bug shirt just yet.
Toolik researchers and research assistants enjoying a well-deserved day off.
Hiking in the Arctic is a bit different than what I'm used to back east. There are no trails, and instead of walking single file and staying on the trail you fan out to minimize your impact on the tundra.
Fanning out across the tundra to minimize impact.
The vast, treeless landscape makes it difficult to gauge the distance you have traveled. People often provide the only sense of scale in photos of this type of landscape. I really enjoyed the varied terrain on this hike. We sloshed through soggy tundra, climbed a few steep slopes, and scrambled across some talus. We even stumbled upon a stream bubbling up from the ground! The icy cold water was especially refreshing on a warm day like this.
Kiki Contreras ringing out her sock after some serious tundra-sloshing.
Climbing to higher ground.
Crossing some talus. Talus, or 'scree', is loose rock created by weathering.
PolarTREC teacher Susan Steiner pauses for a sip from a spring.
A number of boulders can be found throughout the valley reminding us of the area's glacial past. While the mountains and the valley are huge, the plant life is tiny. This adaptation is especially helpful for survival in such a harsh environment. Lichen is found in a variety of colors including a beautiful rusty orange, and a very bright yellow.
The tundra is home to a diverse array of wildflowers this time of year.
Examining boulders for marine fossils.
Lichen, moss, and a variety of vegetation growing on a boulder.
Fiona Jevon, Kiki Contreras, and Malory Ladd debating the type of animal that this bone used to belong to. Possibly the third metacarpal of a caribou's forelimb (comparable to the bones in your palm).
The hike up the valley alone was among the most picturesque I've ever done, but the best part was just around a bend. We could hear the falls as we approached, but we couldn't see it until rounding the corner of the valley. Perhaps the most stunning thing about Atigun Falls is that it looks like it's coming straight out the side of a mountain.
Pausing for a break in front of Atigun Falls.
Atigun Falls
Close-up of Atigun Falls Showing where the water flows (from just to the right of the snow in the top left of the picture) through what is called 'the keyhole.'
Team Spider (Kiki Contreras, Amanda Koltz, and Nick LaFave) enjoying a day off.
Great hike! Great day!