"THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ON EARTH"
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| Caribou |
The Gates of the Arctic National Park is the least explored region in Alaska. The park is situated within the Brooks Range just north of the Arctic Circle. This range has the northernmost mountain in North America. Brooks Range is covered by a glacier and its peak rises to the heavens like a sword. Melting water from the glacier flows into such rivers as Alatna, John, Kobuk, Noatak, and North Fork Koyukuk. In summer time the sun never sets; on the other hand, the winter days become one long night. Thousands of caribou migrate seasonally, while grizzly bears, wolves, and wolverines live on the land.
Small bush airplanes provide the only means of travel to this remote region that resists being overrun by human beings. Cessna airplanes take visitors to the park from Bettles that serves as the entrance to it. Bettles is south of the park and 35 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
Visiting the Gates of the Arctic National Park is a milestone for me. It is the last one of the 56 United States national parks that I have visited at least once. Now I am pleased to say that I have visited all of them. I traveled to Bettles which offers not only lodging, but also air service to the Arctic Circle. Here I chartered a Cessna airplane that was operated by Tyler, a twenty-five-year old bush pilot. Both his father, Dan, the owner of the Bettles lodge, and his mother, Linda, also are pilots. Tyler was born in this small village where since boyhood he went flying with his father over the mountains. Brooks Range is indeed his backyard. Although receiving a pilot's license, Tyler never became interested in working for a commercial airline. He is a genuine "bush pilot," flying to remote sites. I took his advise and flew with him over Arrigtech Peaks. We landed east of the mountain near Takahula Lake where I set up my camp.
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| Bush Pilot Tyler |
Our Cessna had heavy pontoon floats for landing on and flying from water surfaces. It rose slowly into the air. The tundra wilderness came into view as far as we could see.. Then a glacier-covered mountain appeared. It was the sheer cliffs of Brooks Range. But there was not much time to admire the sights because a strong wind shook the plane. The Cessna bounced up and down like a fluttering leaf. It reminded me of past dangers that strangely had not alarmed me or inspired thoughts of death even when I camped alone in a forest with bears or when my car turned over on a lonely desert in Death Valley. Again, I remained calm and trusted young Tyler. He was willing to help me reach the last national park that I had never visited. When dark rain clouds appeared and released torrents of heavy rain, Tyler bypassed them making circular flights over the ridgeline and avoiding contact with the mountain.
This episode prompted me to recall a legend about the aboriginal Nunamiut tribe. Before starting our flight, Tyler said that the legend is that the Arrigitech Peaks rise like the protective hands of god. According to the legend, this pointed peak is the big hand of a giant who is regarded by the tribe as its protective god . I prayed that surely their god would protect me in the shaking Cessna. I opened a window of the plane and photographed the view. My finger tips were numbed with cold. But I was satisfied with my picture taking and gave an OK sign to Tyler. Then the airplane slowly went down and safely landed on Takahula Lake.
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| Steve and Kay at their Cabin |
Besides the Nunamiut residents of the park area, outsiders have come in rare instances to live on the shores of Takahula Lake. When the park was established in1980, Steve and Kay were living on lakefront property. The couple retained the right to live on the property that they had acquired. Steve had served as a professor at the University of Alaska, and Kay had also been a teacher. They had bought an old cabin built by gold explorers near the lake. The couple was seeking escape from the demands of modern civilization. The most important thing for human beings, in their view, was to respect nature. I thought that the couple was more privileged than anyone else in the world, because they owned something of the wilderness spirit that can not be bought with money.
I set up my tent on the opposite side of the lake facing their cabin. Tyler introduced me to them by radio before leaving me. I rowed a rubber boat that I had inflated and took with me a Yo-kan-bar (of sweet jellied azuki-bean paste from Japan). They gave me a hearty welcome, even speaking a few Japanese words. They told me about the summertime visits of a grizzly bear and the thousands of migrating caribou that passed near the lake. Steve also recalled meeting Naomi Uemura, a famous Arctic adventurer and mountain climber who died on Mount McKinley in the 1980s. Our conversation became lively as we basked in the summer sun. I politely declined their invitation for dinner and returned to my small tent. I wanted to enjoy and muse alone in the natural setting of my camp before it became time to leave. The long summer nights permitted me to read a book with only the sounds of waves and the gusts of wind as background music.
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| My Camp-site by the Lake |
When I closed my eyes and remembered all my previous travels to national parks,
many different thoughts came to mind. I recalled my dream of visiting all the
parks. Now my dream has become real in the past seven years. I sensed fulfillment
and pride that I had had the privilege of encountering nature in America more
than most people. I have also learned many things. The most important lesson
is recognizing the needto leave nature's beauties to the new generations who
will follow us. Although civilization will continue to advance and change people's
lifestyles, we should protect the beauties of nature.