Point Barrow — Local services in Utqiaġvik

Took a trip up to Alaska in 1974 via the then unpaved Alaska (ALCAN) Highway. While there, I took a flight up to Point Barrow. It was a 'touristy' thing, but as you can imagine, it was the only game in town...NO ROAD to Point Barrow at that time. (I think the price of the flight & hotel was about $250.) It included a very brief stop at Prudhoe Bay where they were gearing-up to build the Alaska Pipeline. There are shots here of the local natives and some from the plane. This was around the 8th of August. It was the last day of full sun and it dipped just above the horizon before rising again (notice how close the ice pack was to the shore back then!). Food at the hotel restaurant was very minimal. The sign on the wall was from the Will Rogers and Wiley Post plane that crashed nearby and killed both men. The drive up the ALCAN was really adventurous to say the least. My truck was covered in at least an inch of mud. I was advised to install a wire 'gravel windshield guard' on my truck before hitting the road. (Even though the road was gravel, people still drove at high speeds.) NOTE: Afterwards I did some fishing near Homer where I caught the biggest fish of my life (salmon of course!) and made buttered salmon cakes at a log cabin with a couple of dudes from Oregon I picked-up hitchhiking (who'd ever do that now!?) The trip was met by dust, heavy rain, raging rivers, and at times lots of mud (you didn't want to miss that last gas stop either.) I wouldn't take anything for...

Though it was quite a challenge and expense to get here, it was definitely worthwhile. We saw many whale bones and more polar bears (2) than other people (0). It was a lovely beach as well. My family spent about a half hour watching the waves of the Arctic Ocean crash on the beach before heading back to town. I would highly suggest hiring a local armed guide with the proper land use permits to take you there and stand guard while you are enjoying the point so you can relax and take in the scenery without having to worry about a polar bear...

It’s 30 below 0. We drove 4 miles closer to point barrow on the truck, and then rode a snowmobile to point barrow. It feels like -70 while on the snowmobile Anyway, we made it to the northernmost tip of the us, it’s a wonderland. Everywhere you see is ice and snow! Also we spot polar bear tracks and a whale jaw skeleton. What an...