I flew to the village of Point Hope 7/13-7/15. This is the northernmost village we serve. It is a point that sticks out into the Arctic ocean on the northwest coast of Alaska 150 miles from Kotzebue. This village has approximately 1000 inhabitants. Whales and other sea mammals traveling the coast must pass this point as it juts so far out to sea and this is where the people harvest a lot of the food they subsist on including the Bowhead and Beluga Whale. They still hunt them from wood framed skin covered boats.
On the flight out we stopped at Cape Lisborne which is 30 miles north of the village and is supposedly an old long range radar station left over from the 50's. It is nestled in a beautiful valley between rocky cliffs leading down to the sea. The runway was right on the water along the base of the cliffs.
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Last updated:
08/29/05
/100_4804.JPG "Leaving Kotzebue on a clear summer day.")
/100_4812.JPG "The rocky mountains of the Brooks Range.")
/100_4814.JPG "We are descending into a valley lower than the surrounding mountains.")
/100_4818.JPG "Cape Lisborne")
/100_4820.JPG "A closer view of the base. The radar is supposed to be up in the mountains.")
/100_4828.JPG "Taking off and the view ahead!")
/100_4836.JPG "The cliffs along the point just south of the cape.")
/100_4838.JPG "The cliffs were alive with seabirds.")
/100_4839.JPG "As I have said before; I get paid to do this!")
/100_4840.JPG "Just beautiful.")
/100_4841.JPG "Flying along the coast south towards Point Hope.")
/100_4846.JPG "Point Hope on the GPS.")
/100_4851.JPG "Unloading-that yellow stripe behind the engine opens and is a storage space. A real truck for trans. too, not 4 wheelers, snowmachines,or sleds.")
/100_4852.JPG "The old village which the people moved from due to erosion.")
/100_4855.JPG "A CHAP makes her dinner. A carrot, cauliflower, celery, and muktuk (whale blubber) salad, all cut up with an ulu. Thats whale skin with blubber.")
/100_4856.JPG "The Point Hope Clinic.")
/100_4857.JPG "A boat that when covered with skins is used for whaling. NO, I AM NOT KIDDING!")
/100_4858.JPG "A skin on a drying rack that will eventually end up as part of a boat covering.")
/100_4861.JPG "Yep, Polar Bear hides drying.")
/100_4862.JPG "Whale Bones.")
/100_4865.JPG "An upscale dwelling in Point Hope, a two story house.")
/100_4868.JPG "On the left is whale fat that has rended into oil. On the right is Muir eggs collected and ready to cook.")
/100_4874.JPG "The racks the boats sit on by the sea when the crews are on the lookout for whales.")
/100_4881.JPG "The Arctic Ocean laps at the shore as I gaze toward the Point.")
/100_4884.JPG "At the bottom of the picture is a seal I tried to get on film. This was the only shot I was able to get.")
/100_4892.JPG "Bins used when a whale is taken.")
/100_4893.JPG "Point Hope Alaska.")
/100_4897.JPG "An old lamp that was fueled by seal oil and dried seaweed.")
/100_4898.JPG "The cemetary in Point Hope. Those are whale bones making up the fence and some markers.")
/100_4902.JPG "The plane delivered a much anticipated 4 wheeler to waiting folks.")
/100_4903.JPG "The equipment used to unload the 4 wheeler.")
/100_4904.JPG "Our ride home and a big one at that.")
/100_4908.JPG "Point Hope from the air as we leave.")
/100_4912.JPG "The blue sea lapping at the mountains south of the village.")
/100_4913.JPG "At least this time we are flying higher than the mountains.")
/100_4920.JPG "Sesoalik, across the sound from Kotzebue.")