Logbook: Nuiqsut to Wasilla, entry 3: A nearly empty jet

The jet out of Barrow was nearly empty. Ten people boarded. Among them was Alice Glenn @alyalyalice along with a young man who I had never seen before. I was not going to let a fellow Instagrammer go uninstagrammed. Alice introduced me to her boyfriend Alan from Florida. Not only had this been his first trip to Barrow but on this day he had taken his first snowmachine ride. He had enjoyed Barrow, Alan said. The snowmachine ride was great. Florida is even farther away in distance and climate than Mobile, Alabama, but Alan received his introduction to the Arctic from his beautiful girlfriend - and that made all the difference. 

Logbook: Nuiqsut to Wasilla, entry 3: smile from an old familiar face

As I climb the stairs to board Alaska Airlines and depart Barrow, a woman comes down the stairs. Lest there be any confusion, the smile referenced in the title is the one on the jet's vertical stabilizer.

Logbook: Nuiqsut to Wasilla, entry 1: taxiing to depart Nuiqsut, 4:15 PM

Three weeks ago, I did not want to leave my wife and family, cats included, but I was eager to go to Barrow. One week ago, the thought of leaving Barrow made me sad, but I was happy and excited to be going back to Nuiqsut. Today, I felt downright depressed that my time in Nuiqsut was already coming to an end. Too short. Just altogether too short. There's something about Nuiqsut that I simply love. I did not want to leave. I wanted to stay, but of course I was eager to see my wife and family, cats included.

This is how I live my life - never wanting to leave, always eager to go.

On airplanes and shooting iPhones in cold weather without gloves

Airplane coming in to land early this afternoon. From yesterday afternoon's balmy -1, the temperature had dropped to -16. Not frigid for this time of year, but still I could note a marked difference from yesterday. Now that I have gotten into using the iPhone to essentially keep a daily diary and I know of no way to shoot pictures with an iPhone with gloves, I have been wondering how I would manage it when I finally get into deep cold.

I don't think I will be able to do it for more than a frame or two. This afternoon, I kept my gloves off for several periods of several minutes each and I did okay, but my hands did get pretty cold a couple of times. They warmed right up when I put them back in my gloves but at -40 or even -30 this could become a dangerous exercise. Assuming the iPhone 5s will keep shooting at such temperatures, I could get a few frames off all right but the question is knowing when to stop before it becomes too late and uou have frostbitten yourself.

The breeze is seven mph and the humidity is 87 percent. Still, the air is dry. In subzero weather even air with a high percentage of humidity is dry. Truly cold air cannot hold moisture. Moisture freezes right out of it.

Logbook: Barrow to Nuiqsut, entry 2: we sneak out ahead of Alaska Airlines

I know, I should only post one picture from the tarmac but I am going to post two anyway. Here we are taxiing to the runway. The morning Alaska Airlines jet is boarding passengers they will fly south to Fairbanks and Anchorage. It is just about 11 AM. 

I am in Nuiqsut now, but I was so tired I closed my eyes on the plane and kept them closed. I remain so tired. I have two more logbook entries to make from this trip, but, given the circumstance, it seems appropriate to collapse for a spell and take a nap if I can.

I think I can. Then I will get up and drink some coffee, finish the Logbook and do whatever I do next.