Welcome to the last photo from our June, 2009 adventure into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge! On this trip we climbed the highest peak in the Brooks Range – Mt. Chamberlin – and rafted out the Hulahula River to the village of Kaktovik.
Barter Island! After standing on the summit of Chamberlin, rafting the exciting Hulahula River, paddling and dragging our SOAR inflatables (these are amazing boats) through icebergs and over barrier islands, we finally made it to Barter Island – one of the northernmost inhabited islands in the US! Thankfully, the weather was spectacular and we were able to enjoy a beach bonfire and prepare for our final hike across the island to the village of Kaktovik, where we would await our pick-up. Though desolate when compared with the high peaks of the Brooks Range, we found Barter Island and the surrounding coastal plain to be an astoundingly beautiful place
