Climate Change Touches Me Directly

One of my passions is backpacking in Alaska’s arctic. I have been fortunate enough to volunteer as a leader on many hiking and rafting trips for Sierra Club Outings. On four of those occasions we made it all the way down to the shore of the Beaufort Sea. On one trip we were able to walk out on the sea ice. Many birds, including Tundra Swans and Sandhill Cranes, nest on top of the tundra in that coastal area. Several Snowy Owls can be seen in one eye shot in the flat stretches of the coastal plain. The Porcupine Caribou herd migrates here for the fresh grasses. We have seen groups of several hundred at a time. On our twelve day trips we have seen the tundra turn from brown with snowy patches to a carpet of wild flowers and green grasses. From our camps we have seen the midnight sun over the Arctic Ocean and the Fata Morgana of distant floating ice.

Now climate change is having a direct impact on the opportunity for these experiences. The sea ice has been reduced and this has changed the behavior of the polar bears. Early summer had traditionally been a safe time to visit the coastal plan. In the past ten years as the ice has been thinning, more polar bears are summering along the coast. As the numbers increase the risk of taking participants into this area also increases. We have had plenty of experience with the barren ground grizzly bears in the area but polar bears are more likely to be aggressive toward humans. It is now estimated that 15% of the Southern Beaufort Sea polar bear population is summering along the coast. Because of the increased risk of an encounter with a polar bear, we no longer plan outings to shore of the Beaufort Sea.

I am often asked if I have seen any direct consequence of climate change on my Alaskan outings. The increase in the polar bear population summering along the coast due to decreased sea ice has come about remarkably fast. It directly affects native people and any of us who seek solace and adventure in the arctic.

On the shore of the Beaufort Sea with – right to left  -Colonel Alexander(Joe), Keg and myself.

Since we first published this post, PBS aired a documentary on the polar bears of the Alaskan coast.

You can watch it here.

Gary Keir

From August 22, 2016 to September 2, 2016 we will be backpacking near the Ambler River in Gates if the Arctic National Park and Preserve far out of the range of Polar Bears.