Breaking Trail in Barrow for Whaling !! (licenses, business, clothes)

[JessE86]

Two visitors from Tennesse, Each is a pastor !! They were amazed, they thought this was just a two or three day affair. Each is an avid hunter in their world, which is child's play, compared to this they replied !!



Sun rise 4:30 ish a.m.



Polar bear tracks are spotted near our trail, we decided to follow them for about 1/2 mile




No sight of the bear yet, but these tracks are very fresh, the snow is melting, quickly, you can see the 'texture'




Looks like this bear found some food, a seals den ??




We never saw the bear, we headed back to camp.




Ready to move, at a moments notice





Charging up,through the sunlight, you easily become solar powered out here, as long as your outside in that blinding sunlight all day, you feel no effects of being tired, it is very easy to stay alert and awake for 3 days.

The only way to experience this solar power thing, is to be out here, 24/ 7

A few hours rest, and your good to go again.






Tired boyer resting.





2 crews are now set up in our area.




We wait, for the lead to open so we can make a trail from the camp site to the lead !!

[Rance]

Does the skins on the boats need changed every year? Or do they last a few?

And the ice chunks on the sled. Soaking up the sun to reduce salt content?

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by Rance

Does the skins on the boats need changed every year? Or do they last a few?

Most last two years, some three.

And the ice chunks on the sled. Soaking up the sun to reduce salt content?

Eh? Salt evaporates????

[JessE86]

The chunks of ice, on the sled was from a huge piece of 'light blue" ice we found out on the ice, Eugene Brower pointed at this huge piece of ice and said.. see that light blue ? That is fresh water !! Chop it up, bring it back to camp! So that in essence is the remainder of our drinking water, on that sled.

It is too warm this year (so far) to use another trick we use to obtain delicious fresh drinking water. One way is to bring massive amounts of ice from river water. but that is too time consuming, and much too far to travel.

but when it is very cold out, the traditional manner in which to obtain drinking water is to take any large piece of ice, stand it up, brush / scrape the snow off the top and the sides. let it sit in the sun, you can (over time), watch that ice become crystal clear, you can actually watch the salt settle .. in frozen ice !! when it becomes ctystal clear, take your kettle, and chop ice horizontal from that crystal clear section and fill your kettle, melt it for the most delicious fresh drinking water you have ever tasted. Yes salt settles in frozen ocean ice, just let the sun do its thing - and watch !!

It has to be very cold outside, and unless you take & scrape the snow off that piece of ice, nothing will happen !!


As far as the covering for the skin boats, Ugruk skins ( 5 or 6) yes in most cases 2 - 3 years is the max for skins on these crafts. BUT.. .. I have seen one umiaq, that has been patched and re-patched and re - repatched for more than 10 years !

[JessE86]

Wait ! that is a large portion of the Inupiaq way of life, especially out here on the ice pack. Wait .. .. ..



Rest where you can, and when you can ! We still have to clear a trail from the tent site, to the lead opening, more work to do, every day, all day. If that wind shifts to west, we have to pack up and SCRAM. as quick as possible. Everyone is aware of the wind and which direction it is blowing. It is unbearable out here, when there is no wind. too hot. temps are above zero. everything is melting, the ice at the lead is about 5 foot thick. not near as thick as we would like it to be.




Filling in water holes, markers are placed where additional work needs to be done.




Wait, watch, look & listen.. .. .. all day !!


Everyone, even some of the youngest boyers, are armed. Shooting accidents are virtually non-existant out here, and even in the village, but the amount of fire-arms out here, is obvious. Everyone needs some type of weapon, to hunt. but yesterday, we missed our prized Kodak moment.

The hunter of the day - (chuckle) it all happend so fast, we had no chance to capture this with a camera.




We were at the tent campsite, laid back, resting, this dude was lying on a sled, a flock of ducks flew so low over us, directly over us, in one swift movment, this boy's arm reached out grabeed a shovel and he jumped up in the air as high as he could, and batted a duck to the ground with one swift high arched swing !!. Hey how about that.. .. no bullets and I got another duck !!







Two crews are spread out over a vast area, we come together, near the lead opening, to set up the camp @ the lead, then there is more work to be done.








Take the time.. .. get some ice, and fill this water hole, let it freeze, then bust it up (smaller)



People insist I am crazy, when I state that you can see, the curvature of the earth from out here. BUT, I have no way to prove this, except to say, when you look to your right and then look to your lets, it is obvous.

This image sorta shows, but you need that wide view (left to right) to really see this. I sure laughed one night recently, when watching the history channel, speed records, in Utah, out far on the salf flats, they said.. .. " it is so flat out here, you can actually see the curvature of the Earth !! (chuckle). !!

[JessE86]

More additions to the tent area, lash up and connect the VHF radio, now we can communicate with other crews and home base, in the village.




Notice: the sleds, their position, it is critical, for when we have to evacuate the ice because of advancing ice. When it is time to killigvuk, everything is mass panic to get packed and get the hell out of here as quickly as possible, back to the safety of land. It is not a question of 'if' but a question of when !!



How many ? boats can you see ???





Father & son portrait ! One of our young boyers !!



Look.. .. wait .. .. watch & listen - always be aware of the direction of the wind. Constantly, this is critical and most important, it can change, at any point in time.

[JessE86]

Yawn ! good morning !! Morning pow-wow meeting, plans are made for the day, people spread out all over the ice, 40 whaling captains and their crews.



Just imagine the force needed to drive these huge chunks of ice upwards, the crashing noise they make as the ice advances towards your location, is a scary sight to see indeed, - killigvuk - run !!! I hope to get some videos of advancing ice, from a safe distance w/ sound! You will not believe this ice show !! Not unless you actually see and hear the grinding, crashing!




It is getting messy, at places, we actually have to fill in these holes, chop ice, back to work, lots to do and acomplish to make this camp site safer.








You get the best tan in your life out here, with all the reflections of ice all around you, it takes about 3 days !! Just on your face and hands !!



Ducks by the dozen .. .. (chuckle) .. A duck was shot, it did a nose-dive straight down - @ a 45 degree angle, crash - right into a slab of ice, it stuck, the beak, embedded into the ice, the face torn, still moving- quivering, it was grabbed and neck snapped. That actually happend, you will just not beileve some of these storeis associated with duck hunting. side splitting laughter. We have some videos, hopefully tonight I can get these processed so that you can hear-from the natives- their stories!!



A very young boyer - in training - two years old !!

It doesn't take long, for a little child to learn simple things out here, especially when they are out here.. .. 24 / 7 for weeks !!




At least he does't have to chop wood & use 'sicpan' !!

[JessE86]

Those are two different locations, for each crew!

Two different sleds are needed just for sitting. One at the lead opening, the other up at the tent site.




This scene is timeless, ever changing, and never the same. FOOD is headed our way, we have to be out here, all set up - BEFORE they arrive.

Hundreds of people, embedded into the ice. waiting.. .. ..





Fredrick Brower - whaling captain for Eugene Browers crew - The Bomb maker, he also has a new nickname - Bomb proof ! Lots of accidents happen with these bombs. people always get hurt or loose something, Fredrick has had 3 bombs go off (over the years). you will listen on one of the video's of how he threw a bomb at the whale and it came flying right back into the boat, no one was hurt.





The shoulder gun bomb !! These things go for $1,000 bucks a shot I am told. That seems rather steep, but they are required by law to use these exploding harpoons, the Inupiaq do not like these, if you miss the vital spot on a whale, these things will not allow the whale to heal, as well as with the old style harpoons.




NOW... .. ... we are finally ready, believe it or not, we could be in this state (waiting) for weeks !!! sit and wait.. they will come ! All sorts of animals migrate through this lead, every year for many thousands of years, this just beats the heck out of standing in line.. in a grocery store!! When have you ever .. .. had this much fun.. .. shopping for food ?? (chuckle).

[aurorawatcher]

JessE86,
Thanks for sharing the Photos with us.

[JessE86]

Thank you auroawatcher :- for taking the time !!

clouds always show you the area, where open water exists.



Wait & watch - all day long - the major work - is finished.




Excitement is in the air - anything can happen at any time now.. .. ..



and it did.. the harpoon bomb piece of wood somehow broke, Zacharia, is the only one who knows how to fix this. He is the oldest elder on this crew, He is down here on Eugenes crew for one reason - He knows the ice, much better than anyone else. These currents change, and not necessarly in the same direction as the wind, there is much to learn and understand - if he imparts that information, in an understanding manner for us to share.




some where.. .. over the rainbow .. .. !!