I awoke refreshed the next morning, August 8th (Sunday) and was soon outside to see what surprises might await. In the cool, crisp morning air, steam rose from the hot springs, at times swirling magically around the bathhouse, while low clouds hovered atop some of the nearby hills. My eyes were still adjusting to the “greenness” of the landscape, including the tall lush grasses surrounding the camp and adjacent creek. It was a stark contrast to the three days we had just spent on the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes in Kobuk Valley National Park.
Serenaded by the water flowing in Hot Water Creek, I was attracted to weathered wood and caribou antlers piled next to the contrasting red rosin paper covering the bunkhouse. The path to the airstrip (and outhouse) was lined with shoulder-high vegetation, which provided the perfect perch for a pair of savannah sparrows.
Returning quietly to the bunkhouse, I made notes in my journal while waiting for the rest of our group to awaken and embrace the day. By mid-morning, we had enjoyed a hearty breakfast; and John had erected our rain-soaked tent on the edge of the airstrip to dry. It was now time to gather our gear for what would turn out to be a nine-hour hike across the tundra and low-lying mountains.
Serpentine Hot Springs is in the middle of an area known for its granite “tors,” which as explained by the U.S. Geological Survey, are “…essentially freestanding granite spires formed as surface granite was worn away.” Our goal for the day was to explore a number of these amazing rock formations. While the sky was overcast, the clouds held the hope of breaking up as the day wore on.
To allow our guides to survey the surrounding landscape, we first walked across the south end of the airstrip and then followed, what was the only path in the area, to the top of the hill opposite the camp. It was here we came face-to-face for the first time to these fascinating geologic features. It was impossible to resist the urge to climb on them; their rough surface providing just the traction needed for our hiking boots.
We now had a birds eye view of the airstrip, bunkhouse, and bathhouse, all of which were easily swallowed up in the grandness of the landscape. However, it was the tors, which rose up from the low mountaintops that caught our attention, captivated our imagination, and beckoned us closer.
Descending back to the bunkhouse, we stopped at a wooden picnic table on the edge of Hot Water Creek to change into stream shoes before wading across the shallow water body. We took care to stay well upstream from the scalding spring water flowing into the creek.
Once we were across, we changed back into hiking boots and then followed Matt and Melissa through the lush grasses along the creek before turning to squish through a patch of tall, thick willows. At the same time, we called out to any bears that might happen to be nearby.
After emerging from the brush and gaining a bit of elevation, hiking was easy. A carpet of tundra awaited us. Within the tundra were multiple delights including colorful moss as well as the last of the season’s bog blueberries, cloudberries, bearberries, mushrooms, and flowers, both monkshood and harebells.
The temperature, which had been in the mid-40s in the morning, rose into the low 50s during the day, which was quite pleasant for the Alaskans in the group. A breeze kept the bugs down for the most part, although mosquito head nets were donned from time-to-time during the hike.
There was plentiful evidence of wildlife, including caribou pellets, skulls, and antlers; piles of bear scat as well as holes where a bear had used its mighty claws to dig into the tundra in search of an unlucky parka squirrel; and most excitingly, what we believed was a wolf den near the top of a natural ramp leading to two of the tallest tors in the area. The location of the den provided the perfect vantage point for a wolf to keep watch over the surrounding landscape.
Over the course of the day, we were privileged to see and observe more than a dozen caribou. They were quite vigilant and aware of our presence, raising their short white tails to signal to each other as they invariably moved farther away. It was impossible for us to not be noticed while hiking in the open terrain.
All of our discoveries and wildlife sightings simply added to the magic of being alone among the tors in this expansive landscape. Rising up, sometimes dozens of feet from the tundra, they stood as sentinels over the surrounding area. Many of the tors looked like people standing clustered together. Others appeared to be the remains of a city from an ancient and lost civilization. One of my favorites reminded me of a majestic eagle perched on the ground with its mighty wings spread out by its side. Two other tors, which were side-by-side, were reminiscent of the busts of a man and a woman.
Neither geologic descriptions nor photos can express how impressive these features are when experienced in person. As anyone who has walked among the tors in this landscape will attest, it is a very special and spiritual place. It was easy to understand why shamans have been coming to Serpentine Hot Springs for thousands of years and why it holds such meaning for local residents. We were all in awe of the area’s special aura.
Our exploration took us from one group of tors to the next, going up and down the rolling terrain, taking us from one delightful discovery to the next. By late-afternoon, we were thrilled to see patches of blue sky, which bode well for our departure tomorrow for Cape Krusenstern National Monument. When it was time to head back to the bunkhouse, we appreciated the fact that we had experienced a remarkable and memorable day.
Arriving back at camp, we were surprised to see that the group from Shismaref was still there. Even though there was plenty of blue sky at Serpentine Hot Springs, we learned that their flights were on hold due to marginal weather conditions in Shismaref and Kotzebue. Even though the sun did not set until almost midnight, no planes came for them by the end of the day.
This was the first summer that the Alaska Alpine Adventures had offered a trip to Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Cape Krusenstern National Monument. We were well aware of the fact that to date, all of their trips to Cape Krusenstern had been weathered out. Now our group and the Culture Camp participants were scheduled to leave Serpentine Hot Springs in the morning. Only time would tell if that would be possible. However, the odds were not on our side. That fact, along with our afternoon hike, called for another soak in the hot springs before dinner!
