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Early Human Settlement in Arctic Alaska

Hey Karl- your buddy Bill Schmoker checking in from Longmont, CO.

Could you describe your set-up for powering & recharging your tech equipment while you are in the field?

Thanks, and have a great time up there!

Best- Bill

Fri, 07/30/2010 - 14:51

Karl Horeis

Hi Bill!
I charge my sat phone and computer by plugging into a gas-powered Honda generator or a couple hours each day. That seems to be giving me enough juice to write and email in the evenings and maybe check my email in the morning.
I have a bird ID question for you. There are these tern-looking birds flying around here. They fly slow, flapping their wings down river and sometimes dart up or circle about. The have light gray wings and back, a white tail and a the top of their head is black. Could these be the Arctic Terns we learned about?
Hope you're well. When do you depart?
Karl

Sat, 07/31/2010 - 20:50

Bill Schmoker

Yeah boss- sounds like Arctic Terns to me. There are a few nearly look-alikes (Common & Forster's Terns) that we have to sort out back in Colorado, but they don't range up onto the AK tundra. In Colorado Arctic Terns are super rare, though- they migrate along coasts and sometimes pretty far out to sea, so the few found in our home state are kind of lost. Still, what's a few-thousand mile detour to a bird that does 22,000-mile laps every year??I'm in your time zone, amigo, and will wave as we go by in a few days. If you see a big red boat heading north wave back, would 'ya?
Had a good day poking around Dutch Harbor and Unalaska Island today and will board the Healy tomorrow for 2 August departure.
Keep up the good work! Best- Bill