The SnowSTAR 2007: Barrenlands Traverse has launched on its quest to measure snow and visit communities across the Far North.
“The Expedition accomplished another milestone today by making it over the high and steep Eagle Summit,” reports the daily dispatch on Sunday. “They are now out of the steep hills and have entered what is known as the Yukon Flats region. Near midday they passed through the small mining community of Central and purchased fuel before continuing on.”
UPDATE: On Monday, only four days into their 1,800-mile traverse from Fairbanks to Baker Lake in the far reaches of Nunavut, the eight travelers camped on a Yukon River island and contemplated fresh wolf tracks.
Wolf tracks on the trail
“During the morning, there were wolf tracks on the trail,” the expedition reported in its daily dispatch. “The wolves traveled over 40 km (25 miles) down the trail, probably hunting. There were 3 sets of tracks. Often, one wolf went off the trail to check things out, then looped back, while the other two continued down the trail. We did not see the wolves, but their tracks were clear and sharp.”
The route of Barrenlands Traverse
The expedition will spend 45 days on a 3,000-kilometer (1,864-mile) snowmachine journey across the tundra of Alaska and Canada, from Fairbanks to Baker Lake in the far reaches of Nunavut.
Along the way, the five Americans and three Canadians will visit dozens of historic Arctic sites, 11 villages and two diamond mines. They will stop to take detailed measurements of snow and climate, visit schools, gather traditional knowledge — and then share their insights with students and teachers across the world through daily on-line dispatches.