The second trip of the summer was a backpack trip with two mid-twenty year old guys from New York City. They were definitely city boys missing the city but loving the solitude at the same time. This trip centered around Geatakee Lake at the head waters of the Alatna River, in Gates of the Arctic National Park about 350 west of the Hulahula river. Backpack trips in the Arctic with no trails are never a walk in the park because of all the tussocks and miscellaneous tundra obstacles but certainly a great way to get in touch with the land. Since we were dropped off and picked up at the same lake by a float plane we had the luxury of moving at what ever pace satisfied our urge for exploration and motivation. These guys were happy alternating moving days with rest days which gave us three different camps for two nights each. A very relaxed pace. The scenery was breath taking. One moose and a white wolf were spotted along with ample evidence of caribou but no sightings. Mosquitos.... Wow! say no more. Alaska has a reputation for horrendously large populations of nagging mosquitoes which is mostly undeserved. Roughly ten to eleven months of the year they are not noticeable, but.... mid-July in the arctic will drive the most stable person to the loony bin with mosquitoes. Not to get to personal, but it is even hard to pee without getting bit on the knotty bits. If you see someone scratching their crotch in mid-July in the Arctic don't assume the worst, assume they've just releived themselves. The lesson here folks is to visit the Arctic in June or August when you won't notice large swarms of insects.
