We had a lazy day for the most part. I worked on photos a little and did some preliminary packing to be ready for my trip home in a few days. We headed down the beach on the four wheeler in the late afternoon, stopping before we got to Lavonne's fish camp. Tyler built a fire while Cassia and I poked around in the rocks for treasures. We had a snack, including some fabulous roasted venison sausage from Tyler's brother in Wisconsin. After a couple hours we packed up to make our way back, and passed Cassia's parents on their way out to meet us. We all continued up the beach toward town, stopping a little past the wreckage of an old barge to collect beach glass. While hunting, I spotted some small vertebrae, and looking further up the embankment (something I was trained to do in Badlands when hunting for fossils), I found more bone protruding from the soil just under the grass line. I asked Tyler whose vertebrae it was, his guess was dog because this is where people take their dogs who have passed on. He got to digging, out of curiosity, and eventually got to the skull confirming that it was a very old dog.

After accumulating a good stash of glass, we continued north along the beach and through South Tent City, a long stretch of fish camps that are used seasonally when people go and stay at camp to catch a good supply of salmon and other fish, and then prepare and hang them to dry so they keep through the long winter. The variety of structure styles is lovely in its way, with the ocean behind and the rough dirt road in front.

We continued back to the house, I biked to the grocery store for some ingredients, and then we made dinner.

At the beach (Chukchi Sea, Arctic Ocean), Cape Krusenstern in the far distance.

I found several examples of this here, and a couple days ago when I was at Cape Krusenstern: a sea sponge growing off of a mussel shell. The same mussel shell has barnacles, too.

A strange looking jelly fish.

Bones eroding from the soil.

Tyler digging to find the rest of the skeleton.

Found the skull. Significant wear on the teeth indicates a very old dog.

Tyler found this brass button on the beach, it's a WWII Navy's officer's button.

Approaching South Tent City.

Along South Tent City.

Back in town, taking the scenic route home from the grocery store.

Sunset. I could never get enough of being able to walk a block to see this each night.

I was up early today, even after the late night last night. I was awake, packed, and breaking down my tent by 8am so I could have ample time to further explore and photograph Anigaaq before having to say goodbye. We were told our flight out would be in the afternoon, but the way flying by charter works here, there is no firm knowing when you're going until you're actually going. I wanted to be ready by noon so I could spend time exploring details and taking more photographs.

Breakfast was chocolate chip pancakes for Marguerite, who is flying to Kotzebue with us on her way to Fairbanks to start her master's program. As hard as it is for me to leave this place, it would be acutely painful after living out here for three months. We got everyone's gear consolidated and piled up to take to the landing strip (such as it is). Eventually we loaded it all into the trailer and drove it down with a four wheeler. I hung out with most of the group back at the cabins for a time, had a snack for lunch, then made my way to the runway to wait with the two park rangers for our flight. Very mixed feelings while waiting, on the one hand looking forward to some adventures with Tyler and Cassia during my last couple days in Alaska, on the other hand mourning the leaving of Anigaaq. It's fascinating how quickly one can fall in love with a place. There are so many up here now that I would love to be able to go back to, though it's unlikely. Travel in this vast landscape is very different from most of the US; without roads, these are places that take a lot to get to, for most of us.

Our plane arrived, we loaded up, and were back to Kotzebue before 3pm. We borrowed a park truck, loaded up gear, and dropped things off where they needed to go, including bringing me back to Tyler's house. No one was home so I unpacked and showered. For dinner Tyler grilled chicken, his co-worker Masaki grilled ribeye, I made garlic green beans, and Cassia made a pasta salad. It was all wonderful. Later that evening I made horchata and some of Cassia and Tyler's friends came over to hang out and play games.

View of Anigaaq from the beach.

Caribou skull.

More tundra plants, another I need to look up to identify. I love the colors and shapes of this, reminds me of some of the succulents my grandmother grew.

Starfish on driftwood.

Starfish on beach.

Ocean, Anigaaq, river, from the outhouse.

Remains of a structure.

Anigaaq.

Captivated by the Chukchi Sea.

Not that many plants are still blooming, but some flowers can be found yet.

Sandhill Cranes.

Tukrok River

Chukchi Sea, Arctic Ocean

The path toward the landing strip.

Tukrok River.

The old mail station.

Looking back at Anigaaq.

Our ride arrives.

Loaded up and ready!

Anigaaq from the air.

Aukulak Lagoon in the foreground, a small spit of land separates it from the ocean. This was the first lagoon we visited here, the day after we arrived.

Flying over the maze of wetlands along the coast. The more linear water at the left is defining some of the beach ridges, a major archaeological site and the main reason for Cape Krusenstern's existence as a national monument.