In the Footsteps of Rasmussen
In the Footsteps of Rasmussen
Centennial Project following the route of "The Great Sled Journey"
Explorations to ANWR & Barter Island 2016
Explorations to ANWR & Barter Island 2016
In 2016, Jason Matthews made three different trips to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska. The highlight of these journeys was seeing many Polar Bears along the Beaufort Sea Coast, and on the many barrier islands that surround Barter Island and the small whaling village of Kaktovik.
Travel was done via aircraft, small boats, atv, and dog team. The majority of the time Jason stayed with a local Inupiat family Sharon Lord, the daughter of Inupiat hunter, boat captain and arctic ambassador Robert Thompson.
One memorable moment of the trips was when Jason, and native dog musher, Martin Apayauq Reitan encountered a mother Polar Bear with cubs while circumnavigating Barter Island with a dog team.
Since 2013, Jason had made nine trips to this region- creating local contacts, documenting wildlife and local culture, and traveling the coastline along the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
