Brooks Range from heli-courier flight in.
Caribou running below the helio-courier.
Hiking over Old Caribou Pass - this was taken around midnight.
A bull caribou comes into view over a hill.
Bull caribou is backlit with glistening cotton grass.
Mother caribou running with a newborn calf.
Caribou are curious - they would approach us...
... and then sprint away.
This family of grizzlies was spotted high on a granite peak. They stopped to pose, and watched as we walked by.
Rock cropping near the Clarence River.
Posing above the Clarence River, a remote part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Checking the river levels in the middle of the "night". A braided river can create a new braid within minutes.
Swelling braid of the Clarence River.
Crossing the headwaters of the Turner River. We followed the Turner River to the coast to wait for our heli-courier.
Dubbed, "King of the Turner," this male grizzly was exceptionally large for this time of year. He was guarding a kill, and would not leave his bounty.
A mother grizzly sniffs the air, inspecting us, as we set up camp next to the Turner River.
A yearling cub posing in snow.
Mother and yearling circle us to get our scent.
The grizzlies take off once they smell our unfamiliar scent. Our guide said that these grizzlies may have never seen or smelled a human before.
A caribou stops to watch us as we continue along the Turner River.
Baby Fingers, a familiar lichen found in the Refuge. They help make a comfortable bed.
Female caribou shed. Caribou are the only species of deer that both genders grow antlers. Female antlers are more irregular and misshapen. The Arctic plains are littered with them, as they are shed right before they give birth.
Small herd pauses in the fog.
Standing on "Aufeis," looking at the last few curves of our hike.
Victory swim in the Arctic Ocean. It was numbing... my body turned a color I have never seen.
Final camp - where the Turner River meets the Arctic Ocean, with the Brooks Range in the background.
Warming ourselves by the fire after our swim, fueled by driftwood brought in by the Arctic.
Our helio-courier lands on a short gravel patch.
One last look at the Bathtub Mountain, which stood behind us as we started.