A small crew of us from my department is headed on our first class field trip this weekend. It promises to be good times, though a long ride in a 15-person van.
We are going to Toolik Field Station - the university’s research station on the Dalton Highway just beyond the Brooks Range. We are all social scientists, which doubles the adventure for us. Most of the time, our research involves nestling into archives, books, or harassing people for their opinions and knowledge.
We’ll be just a smidgen closer to the North Pole at 68°38’N, 149°36’W and we’ll be 170 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Of course, neither the North Pole nor the Arctic Circle mean much, but there is something compelling about being able to orient yourself in relation to them.
Here’s a map of our destination:
I’ve driven by Toolik before so I have a picture of what it looks like on the tundra, at the edge of the foothills… That was a year and a half ago while on a hunting trip with some friends. I’ve been curious about the place ever since. I’ve heard that there is great food there and a splendid sauna. People have called it the McMurdo station of North.
Toolik lies just to the west of one of the eastern borders of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We’ll also be closer to the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay (but unfortunately, not close enough that polar bears from the Beaufort Sea would wander down).
It should be a memorable trip.
