ambler

Ambler
(1999-2000)

Swimming in the Ambler River

A day at the beach	Ambler is an Inupiaq Eskimo village of about 350 people. It's located at the junction of the Ambler and Kobuk Rivers, above the Arctic Circle. The rivers, as in most Alaskan villages, are a major source of life for the villagers. We spent our summer on the two rivers. Being out on the water was our only way to cope with the hordes of bugs. While we weren't entirely free of the bugs out on the river, they were far fewer once we hit the swift current of the river. This was our first chance to explore an area without having to worry about being to work on Monday (our first vacation). We traveled up and down the river in a foldable canoe. Our early trips took us up the Ambler river to sit on the beach or fish. Late in the summer we got brave enough to go down the Kobuk (going down means that you have to fight the current home). We took a two days and went down river about 30 miles; almost to the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes. Then we turned around and came back. We also explored on foot, generously slathered in bug dope. Our greatest accomplishment was to hike the 8 miles through dense brush, during the great mosquito hatch to the Jade Mountains. We now know how caribou can go crazy and run until they drop. All of our exploration has enabled us to see this amazingly beautiful place in the summer and fall. Never before have we seen our winter home at the height of the summer. Now when the dark, white winter becomes too much, we'll be able the remember the vibrant colors of the wild flowers during the never-ending days of the summer.
Bug Armor
Our House
The Jade Mountains

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site designed February 1999 by Robbin Garber-Slaght

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