Here are some comments about the Arctic field program from former participants. If you have been involved with this program and would like to add your comments -- or just drop a line to the Director -- email Bill Gould at wgould@muskox.com. You may also add your remarks here.

"How can I even begin to describe how fantastic it was to be immersed in such a unique ecosystem for six weeks? It certainly was challenging -- learning the local flora, how to read the water and navigate successfully on the river, paddling against a strong head wind and feeling like I only gained inches with each stroke. But I have memories most people can only dream of -- watching a herd of 1,000 caribou migrate, seeing and hearing an arctic wolf, sunsets that lasted for hours before simply melting into the sunrise. I would not trade those experiences for anything."

Jenny Gardner

Hood River 1994

From my Arctic journal:

"Before I came to the Arctic I tried to familiarize myself with the area as best I could. Flying out of Yellowknife over the tundra the land looked barren and I was wondering if all my preconceived notions about the Arctic were wrong. As soon as we landed though I was quite amazed to see the detail in the landscape: the rolling hills, abundance of water, caribou and blooming wildflowers. The sun was shining and there was not a mosquito in site (although this would not last for long). Out in the tundra I was finally at peace. Everything was new to me and I felt foreign to my surroundings. This feeling came to an end quickly as the landscape and wildlife came alive to me through night lectures, daily seminars, and inquiring on my own......After twenty-six days of being in the Arctic this place no longer feels like I am in the middle of "nowhere" but at home. It is a great feeling to be able to go on a hike and identify wildflowers, mosses, and lichens and to identify the presence of animals by their scat, tracks, and dens without ever seeing them. It is a great feeling to be able to see and identify glacial and periglacial features such as moraines, eskers, mud boils, patterned ground, stone nets and hummocks and understand how they formed. One main focus of the arctic trip for me that I spent a large part of my free time with the different plant species. This is something that I will continue to explore after leaving this special place. This trip has been a wonderful experience for me and I look forward to the next time I return."

A side note, written much later--

"The Arctic Field Research course is a wonderful opportunity to get away from the typical classroom setting and get hands-on experience that is much more valuable than any typical university class. This trip sparked my interest in plants and has lead me to pursuing my graduate degree in the field of plant ecology at the University of Colorado. I would highly recommend this course for anyone who is interested in pursuing a degree or employment in field biology."

Julie Korb

Hood River 1993

"I hiked up this hill and proceeded to walk straight back into what looked like a grassy football field that extended for a long ways. The wind was blowing hard, the grass was brushing my rubber boots, and I felt free, strong and powerful. I may have walked ten minutes when I encoutered my first wolf. Having these thoughts of freedom in my mind, of power and energy, seeing the wolf was almost a symbol of those feelings. I stopped dead in my tracks and we watched each other for a while. The wolf proceeded to trace his steps back and forth, back and forth, and then I realized that she was near a den and protecting her home. I sat down and watched this beautiful animal, master of these lands, and was captivated by her strength and beauty."

"I think this trip is great, not only for the exploration of the area and learning about the vegetation, but for developing inner strength and breadth of character."

Kelly Cooper

Hood River 1995

"I can say without a doubt that I learned more spending one month on the Hood River than I could have in any classroom. Learning about the vegetation along the riparian zone of the Hood River was only half of it. I learned a great deal about other types of flora as well as a great deal about the fauna of the area. I got to see things (for example: wolves, muskox, Wilberforce Falls, cloudberries, bearberries) that I would otherwise never have had a chance to see. I met what I feel could be some life long friends, and learned a lot about interacting with people in what can sometimes be very difficult conditions. The experience was excellent and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity to experience it."

Brian Weiss

Hood River 1995

"The trip last summer has impacted my life in more ways than I would have guessed when I signed up. When people ask me if the price was worth it, I have a hard time responding because to place a value on those experiences is to quantify an intangible. To be able to go to a truly untouched area and see things that only a handful of people have seen is extraordinary in itself. The sense of self-reliance and responsibility that that part of the world leaves you with is both daunting and empowering. Many images also circulate through my mind, like paddling in the snow, looking out over miles of untouched landscape, the way the caribou herds drift about, the rarely-seen raptors which seem almost commonplace up there, and taste of the bannock after a long portage."

"I compare all trips I take to last summer. In good times and bad times it is without equal and I long to return."

Joel Fetter

Hood River 1995