To: Journey North
From: Hopson Middle School,Barrow, Alaska
Date: May 15, 1996
Greetings from the "Top of the World", Barrow, Alaska!
The ice has been opening and closing since about April twenty third. That is about when whaling crews started going out setting up their camps. The lead has opened and closed about 3 times since then. ( A "lead" is an opening in the pack ice. Bowhead whales begin their journey north as soon as leads become available.)
The ice is flatter than most of the years in the past. After the lead closed once there were lots of ringed, bearded and spotted seals. Seals like to lay on "baby ice"; baby ice is simply new ice which is thinner and probably protects them from the heavy polar bears.
Lots of polar bears have been roaming on the ice. There have been many polar bear sightings. Both Edwardson crews have killed a polar bear at their camps. Currently, the ice has been weakened by record temperatures (36 F) and rains. Whalers are watching and waiting for colder temperatures to hunt again.
Information supplied by Bradley Bodfish, Michael Thomas and Robert Nageak.
Typed by Patuk Glenn.
From Mrs. Berg's science room
Hopson Middle School
Barrow, Alaska
mberg@arctic.nsbsd.k12.ak.us
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To: Journey North
From: Innoko River School, Shageluk, Alaska
Date: May 9, 1996
Dear Journey North,
On May 8th the ice began to run on the Innoko River by Shageluk! At 3:37 P.M. it began to move! Usually it take about 6 or 7 days for the running ice to clear but, with the lack of snow melt and the warm temperatures, we just didn't have much ice flow! Our river "went out" in just 4 days.
After the ice goes out we worry about ice jams on the Yukon below Holy Cross. Even the conditions of the ice flow on the Yukon effects the water levels on the Innoko. One year there was so much snow melt, the water was so high, that the Innoko actually changed directions in its flow! (It actually started flowing uphill!) That's the same year our runway was flooded 2 feet under water.
Now that the ice has gone out on the river we are anxiously waiting for the white fish. The white fish is the first migrating fish that swims up the Innoko in very large groups. They usually start up a day or two after the ice thins out on the river. We think migration is a pretty spectacular event!
Our mosquitoes are already out and about and BITING! They don't usually make their appearance until the end of May. I wonder what this summer has in store for us? Our earth is so dynamic. Things are changing all the time.
The interesting thing about the Ice-out this year is that there is not much current. In our area (Yukon-Innoko) there was not much snow. Without the force of the runoff from the snow melt in the spring, there is low water on the river. When you have low water there is a slow current.
Another interesting observation that the kids made the day the ice began to move was that the remaining ice was very thin. Usually we see great chunks of ice churning with the strong current. This year it is like watching a Slush Puppy moving along.
The ice went out on the Tanana River by Nenana last weekend, May 4th. The folks there have a big "lottery" where they buy tickets and try to guess when the ice will go out. It's a pretty big deal in the state. Usually our ice goes out a week after the Tanana moves. This year our Ice-out is a bit early.
We use our river quite a bit all year long. In the winter it makes a great ice highway to and from other villages by snowmachine. In the summer the river provides us with many different kinds of fish and a great way to get from one place to another by boat!
When we see the geese here it is officially spring. (Geese returned this year on April 17th.) Most of our traditional winter activities like Native Dancing and ceremonies stop now until freeze up. We're too busy getting our fish nets ready for fishing!
School is out here May 15. Our students are getting ready to graduate from the 8th grade. We actually have a graduation ceremony for 8th grade. Dates back to the old BIA schools that only went up to the 8th grade.
Well, time to get our boats ready!
Joyanne Hamilton and Students
Innoko River School
Shageluk, Alaska
TSJMH1@acad1.alaska.edu
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