Last updated: October 23, 2019
Itinerary
What follows is a general flow of events. Expect the unexpected and prepare to be flexible.
Day 0
Meet with your guide for a pre-trip meeting at 6:45 pm in Kotzebue
Day 1
We fly north from Kotzebue and over the Brooks Range to the “North-Slope” We’ll use two planes this day. The guide will go first in the super-cub and will search-out the caribou and a suitable landing area. You’ll follow along in a larger plane and will land within 20 or 30 miles of the intended camp. From there the super-cub will shuttle you to the camp and then the planes will leave you in peace. Hike and (with luck) spend the rest of the day watching caribou calves frolicking in the sunshine.
Day 2
We spend our time exploring the area looking for caribou and other wildlife. Your guide will lead hikes in hopes we can place ourselves in a hidden location in the path of the caribou. There will be times when no caribou are present, but there is no end to the beauty of the arctic.
Day 3
Despite all our research, flying, and preparation, it is possible that we were not able to find big groups of caribou on the first day. Or perhaps they were in an area with no suitable landing area and we camped nearby hoping they would come closer, and they, being wild and unpredictable went the other direction. If for whatever reason we’ve missed the mark on getting into the herds, the super-cub will return and shuttle us one-at-a-time to a new location. Where we will set-up camp and resume our search/ observations of caribou.
Day 4
Another full day to enjoy the solitude and beauty of North America’s greatest wilderness. More hiking and wildlife watching is the order of the day.
Day 5
We say our last goodbyes and meet our bush pilot for our flight back to Kotzebue, again using 2 planes and shuttles with the super-cub.
