Updates from September 3, 2007

The lower Sag's size is impressive here at Franklin Bluffs (those hills on the left), not far from Deadhorse and the Prudhoe Bay oil fields.

This is one of the many shallow, unnamed lakes in the Arctic coastal plain near the Dalton Highway.

A muddy, mile-wide cobble bar on the very lower Sagavanirktok (or "Sag") River.

Here Oksrukuyik Creek flows away from the Dalton Highway toward the pipeline. It eventually grows into one of the major rivers of the North Slope, and the main drainage to the west of the Sag, but where it crosses the road it's just a small grayling stream.

A lone caribou grazes on the Arctic coastal plain near Prudhoe Bay.

The Sag at Franklin Bluffs.

A musk ox grazing near the Sag River in the coastal plain.

This close-up of the tundra gives you some sense of what it's like to walk on the stuff. I've heard it compared to walking on a mattress stuffed with basketballs.

Dall sheep on the side of the mountain overlooking Galbraith Lake, north of Atigun Pass.

More of the same herd of musk oxen.

This cow caribou ran across the road in front of my car.