| We prospected the Kikiakrorak river bluffs with little success today. Bones are present but scarce.
The mouth of the Kikiakrorak is the most scenic part of the arctic I’ve yet observed; by 3 o’clock, smoke seemed to be coming in from the south. Perhaps the thunderheads we’ve been observing produced a lightning fire somewhere.
When I woke up today it was 54 degrees, and around 3 o’clock it was 80 degrees. The air was very still this morning, with the Colville having a glassy appearance, so the mosquito count has gone up. Fortunately the wind picked up by 2 or 3, and by 6 o’clock it was really blowing. Along with a great fish dinner, we had -- courtesy of the wind -- a healthy helping of silt. I bathed for the first time since we left Nuiqsut in a gravel-lined pool in the Kikiakrorak. The wind was cold but kept the mosquitoes away. The air has a distinct haze tonight, and the Colville has white caps. |
