Cameron arrived safely at the Barrow Area Science Consortium (BASC) Research Station yesterday evening (02 feb).
He is inspecting equipment and making preparations, and he hopes to begin the actual trek within a few days.
Cameron reported the following by email today (03 feb):
"Took out the tyvek suit over insulation clothes system
with snowshoes and did a mile this AM as it was getting toward light; very nice, easy walking snow compact
and drifting over tundra peeking through from beneath. Will test bear fence this PM after today's archaeology
talk (which i'm trading for BASC support: 10,000 Years on the Lower Columbia: The Archaeology and Native People
of the Lower Columbia River) for the community here. To Do list is topped off with getting sled, hope to do that
in an hour or so. Leaving food bag on dormitory porch to prevent butter melting; they say it's OK to do that,
no bear seen here for a month or so. Rabid arctic foxes are what I have to be worried about apparently, town is
on alert for them. On walk this AM was very vigilant and am feeling like a hunted animal, don't go more than a few
yards without looking over my shoulder. 10:22am now, plenty of light, beautiful outside, these conditions are very
nice and now it's just to see how the sled will drag. Snow much like the snow on interior of parts of Vatnajokull [Iceland]."
All Material Copyright 2007 Cameron McPherson Smith unless otherwise credited.