Kotzebue

Kotzebue will be the "home base" of opperations for flying between Selawik and Noatak sites.  Not too much goin on in town and watching the ice flows seems to be a popular activity.  The flows move quickly across the shoreline of Kotzebue, flushed out from the interior bay by the Noatak River.  Think of sweeping a large pile of glass across the floor and you'll get close to the sound of ice flowing by.

At most, it looks like I will be in Kotzebue about one day every week between trips, mainly to restock on food and ship samples off to varied labs for further processing before heading back out into the field in Selawik or Noatak.   The view from the Fish and Wildlife bunkhouse isn't too bad and will make spending the few nights in Kotzebue a welcome break.  Flushing toilets and a decent mattress go a long way.

Speaking of food, groceries are seriously expensive and much more than I had even anticipated.  My first night in town, picked up a few items, hardly enough to fill my backpack, and was hit with a $80.00 bill.  Tortillas for $7.00 and any fruit or vegetable costing anywhere from $3.00 to $5.00 a pop adds up quick. 

I've alredy met a good group of people in Kotzebue through a weekly yoga class and spening time at the Fish and Wildlife and Park Service offices.  Nyssa, a Park Service employee who teaches the yoga class was nice enough to show me around town and some good spots to get away from the constant noise of Kotzebue.  No one seems to be up before noon here but 4X4s and barking dogs make up for the late start.

Circle road is a nine mile loop that makes its way across the tundra before looping back across the airport runway to the opposite side of the village.  Yeah, you can walk and drive across the airport runway here.  A stop sign and raising gate keep you from being run over but not much else keeps you from being in the wrong place a the wrong time if you aren't paying attention.