1997 Gates of the Arctic Ski Trip

Marcia and I had such a wonderful time on our 1996 ski trip to Gates of the Arctic National Park that we decided to do another one. We planned a different route, starting in Annatuvuk Pass (as we had in 1996) but ending at Bettles. We also recruited Craig Rowley with whom we had done several other trips with (e.g., 1988 Denali and 1992 Denali).

When our plane arrived in Annatuvuk Pass, it was either below zero or, at best, single digits above. It was also blowing a bit. Nevertheless, we started out south from Annatuvuk Pass aiming for the Inukpasugruk Creek drainage.

The going was difficult because of the foot or more of unconsolidated snow we were having to break a trail through for ourselves and the sleds. When the sun dropped behind the ridge, the temperature really began to drop, and we made our first camp, perhaps 2 miles from Annatuvuk Pass.

I recall the temperature was 30 below by 5 pm that evening. The gas stove (MSR XGK) struggled against the cold to heat water. The candle lantern would not work because the flame could not melt the wax sufficiently to draw it up the wick. It was easily the coldest night I had ever experienced and showed the limits of the gear we had. The temperature recording device I had only went to 40 below, where it stayed all night long.

The next morning, we warmed the stove fuel bottle for a half-hour inside our sleeping bag before putting it on the stove and making breakfast. It was a unanimous decision to abort the trip at that point. To continue in that cold, with those trail conditions on a route we were unlikely see anyone, we felt was foolish. In retrospect, our 1996 trip might have been a fluke and not typical of spring skiing above the Arctic Circle.

We headed back to Annatuvuk Pass. Fortunately, the NPS Ranger Station in town was manned and the ranger was kind enough to let us stay in a bunk room used by summer work crews (he probably figured that was easier than rescuing us or doing a report about our deaths).

We salvaged some fun from out trip by flying from Annatuvuk Pass to Bettles for a few days. We stayed at the Bettles Lodge, saw the Northern Lights and Comet Hale-Bopp and skied a few miles to Old Bettles. We joked about the trip being our “weekend ski trip to the Arctic Circle”.