June 17th, part deux

Ok, let's try to get these pictures right. Above is the luxury lodge at Coldfoot. That does look like a $150 room, right. It was worth every penny. Yep, that is osb board for a wall.

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On the left above, this is where the pipeline goes over permafrost. The fins on top of each leg have a brine solution in them that circulates underground and keeps the permafrost frozen.

On the right are some mtn sheep that live in the Atigan pass.

To the left is a shot of the Brooks Range from the north looking south. From here it's about 125 miles of essentially flat tundra to the ocean. It gradually gets less and less green until the plants are almost a grey/tan. No trees or bushes. This is where the muskox also live.

These are reindeer (for my grandkids, and caribou for everyone else) Their numbers have doubled since the pipeline went in.

Ok, you tell me, what on earth does this thing haul. A specialized piece of equipment, like the one below. Check out the tires on the one below. It moves rigs over snow and ice. Winter is when they get most things done because they can move over the tundra. These two photos are by Frank

To the left you can see the derricks in the distance. They aren't nearly as big as I thought that they would be.

These are the survivors at the ocean. From the left: Hayne Ellis, Allen Naille, John Graves, myself and Frank Mayorga. You can see the ice in the ocean just above our shoulders.