I go to a place of rescue and get a cut

I came to Barrow looking pretty shaggy, as I had not had a haircut or beard trim since mid-May, just before I left for Arizona. So I headed over to the Barrow Volunteer Search and Rescue building so that Johnny Adams could cut my hair. Naturally, I photographed the entire event with my pocket camera, which, I am afraid, needs either to be replaced or to go back to the factory, as the design of the lens makes it nearly impossible to properly clean and it has degraded. Even so, I keep taking pictures with it, because I can carry it about in my pocket.

Just as we did last summer, Johnny and I posed for a "before" shot before he began to cut.

This time, I decided not only to photograph Johnny and I, but the scenes around us as he cut. This was the scene that I saw directly in front of me. As laid back and casual as everything may look, I must emphasize that the people who gather in this building tend to be hunters who know the tundra, the rivers, the lakes, the sea and the ice in a way that few people do and that is why they are members of the Barrow Volunteer Search and rescue.

Many search and rescue operations have launched from this place, with continual radio communication back and forth between those who stay put to man the base station and those who go out in the field by boat, snowmachine and snowshoe and who fly as spotters in North Slope Borough Search and Rescue airplanes and helicopters.

Many lives have been saved because of the people who gather here and the activities they engage in.

Even during those periods of time when there is no rescue operation in progress, volunteers come in and out to play cards, drink coffee, chat and just to be together with like-minded people who know the country as they do.

Johnny cuts away. You might notice a little red in my eye - in fact, for the past three days there has been a lot of red in my eye and for a while it really hurt, too, but it's not so bad now.

I don't know what happened. Maybe the wind blew something into it or maybe I scratched it with my camera while shooting pictures of the football game.

All I know is that I went to bed unaware of it one night and when I woke up in the morning it hurt and my eye was bloodshot. I have been dropping Visine into it a couple of times a day.

For readers who may not know it, that is bowhead baleen hanging above the door with the American flag.

Johnny trims my 'stache like a true master. 

Roy Ahmaogak, my friend and host and the man who, in October of 1988, discovered the three gray whales trapped in the ice off Point Barrow, Carlson Segevan and William Aguvluk.

My beard and 'stache was a challenge, but Johnny was up to it.

Kunuk, the whaling captain who took me on the ice with him for four spring whaling seasons in a row. Those of you who have read my book know him already and you have seen images of the moment that the whale appeared before him and gave itself to him.

I mentioned this before, but I will mention it again. At those parties I would sometimes go to back in those days, Johnny would pull out his guitar and sing, "This land is your land..." but instead of from New York to California it would be from Barter Island to Point Hope, from the Arctic Coast to the Brooks Range Mountains - the home of the Iñupiat. 

Everybody here loved it.

Wasca Williams is amazed at the masterpiece unfolding before him. Wasca is the cousin of Mike Williams, the famous Yupiaq Iditarod dog musher from Akiak. Wasca also grew up in Southwest Alaska, but married a Barrow Brower girl, joined the family whaling crew and is a true Barrow person.

When I was a kid of about eight, my nose was about four inches longer than it is now, but my mom once got careless while trimming my mustache and accidently snipped that four inches off.

Due to that little mishap, I had a most sensitive sense of smell. I could detect any kind of odor from as far 25 miles away - even upwind.

This had its advantages and its disadvantages.

I didn't worry at all about Johnny accidently snipping off what's left of my nose.

Savik, Roy's dad right next door and who keeps his house, refrigerator and shower open to me, blocks out the light so that he can get a better look.

He tells me I suddenly look 20 years younger. Or did he say I suddenly look like I'm only 20 years old?

It was one of those.

Johnny and I pose for the after shot.

You did a fine job, Johnny - especially considering that you didn't have much to work with in the first place.

After the cut, I hung around a bit. This is Eli Solomon, who readers of Gift of the Whale know as the shoulder gunner who was behind Kunuk when the whale came.

One time, I was somewhere - I can't remember where - when a man, also a hunter - I can't remember who - started to give me a hard time. Eli jumped right in and defended me against one of his own.

I may not remember the place or the man, but I will never forget the act.

Johnny steps into the room to take another look at his work.

"You look like Bill again," he says.

That's Patrick Brower on the left.

Vincent Nageak, who you can see in Gift of the Whale hunting ducks on the ice when the lead was closed, Apuk, who I once camped out with at 60 below with the Alaska National Guard on Operation Brimfrost and Glenn Kignak.

Glenn Kignak.

Lloyd "Boo Boo" Stein, naps with bears and elk.

Isabelle Panigeo, the only lady in the house.

Just before I left, Whitlam Adams, who makes excellent jewelry from ivory, baleen and other materials, came in. Clearly, he was impressed with Johnny's work.

Before signing off, I will note that, due to some kind of satellite mishap, internet service here in Barrow is very spotty right now, with no service periods lasting for hours at a time. I don't know how many days this situation might continue, or what it might mean for this blog over the next few days.

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Barrow Whalers season opener, part 5 of 5: Fran Tate treats victorious whalers to hamburgers at Pepe's North of the Border Mexican Restaurant

Fran Tate, the lendary founder and owner of Pepe's North of the Border Mexican Restaurant who once handed Johnny Carson the gigantic ivory penis bone of a walrus, known here as an oosik and then told him what he was holding, invited the Whalers to come to her restaurant for free hamburgers - as she always does when they win.

Joash Tiflin entered looking good in his Mickey Mouse hat.

Lawrence Kaleak and Trace Hudson did a little victory celebration dance.

Fran entered to see how many whalers still needed a hamburger. Several did who had already eaten one. I blew this picture, but I will use it anyway.

Sitting opposite Mickey Mouse is Emmanuel Samuelu, whose blood is Samaon, Ulu Tuai, whose family originated in Tonga and Robert Brulette, Alaska Native.

Jessie Sanchez had recovered enough to happily join in the feast,

Micah Adams accepts his plate.

Adrian Panigeo, dining victoriously at Pepe's.

When Ben Jones received his second burger, one would not have known he had already eaten one. Dougie Kanayurak has cleared his plate, save for two pickle slices.

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Barrow Whalers season opener, part 4 of 5: The game is fought to its conclusion

Okay, folks, I was supposed to have all this done before lunchtime, because I have many other things to do this afternoon and tonight. So I must hurry along with minimal commentary; I cannot waste time writing excess verbiage or hyperbole, I cannot throw out words willy-nilly. If a word doesn't need to be used to tell the story, then I must discipline myself, just as a football player must discipline himself and I must avoid that word and all such words, because they are unnecessary and if they are unnecessary and I have little time and I do not need them, then why I should I waste my time as a writer and yours as reader?*

So I will get right to it. Benson carries the ball, as the Wolverine defense comes after him.

He eludes the Wolverine defense.

But it is a tough game, and the Wolverine defense fights hard.

With the wind behind him, Benson throws a pass.

It is close. The pass bounces off the end of the fingers of James Snow as Wolverine defenders unsuccessfully try to snatch it from him. 

After the Wolverines intercept a pass, they score themselves - and they go for two extra points and get them. This gives them the lead, 8-6.

Coach Houston gives some instruction on the sidelines.

After Adrian Panigeo makes the intital contact, Emmanuel Samuelu helps him bring down the tackle. Panigeo's hit can be seen in the slide show linked at the bottom.

During what proved to be a critical moment in the game, I was focusing my camera upon Mia, Jay, and Jimeniz Sanchez, who were growing very animated. The cause of their excitement was the fact that their son and brother, Jessie, had just sacked the wolverin quarterback in the Whaler's end zone for a two point safety.

During what proved to be a critical moment in the game, I was focusing my camera upon Jay and Mia Sanchez and their daughter, Jimeniz, who were growing quite animated. The cause of their excitement was the fact that their son and brother, Jessie, was sacking the Wolverine quarterback in the Whaler's end zone for a two point safety.

This tied score is now tied, 8-8. Emmanuel Samuelu and Ben Jones celebrate.

What the Sanchez's see soon after is not something they like. Their son, Jessie, takes a late hit from the opposing quarter back that he sacked and gets hurt. He limps off the field, hurting with a possible hamstring and takes a seat upon an ice pack. 

Jessie Sanchez sits on the ice pack. 

The game continues. On a fourth down punt, Benson snatches the ball from the wind and runs in for a touch down. Again, the two point conversion fails. The whalers now lead, 14 - 8. There is just over two minutes left to play.

The Wolverines try to make a go of it, but once again the Whaler defense comes through. Trace Hudson does his job.

And then the game is over. The Whalers celebrate.

After the usual handshakes, the Whalers invite the Wolverines - who have, indeed, learned to respect them as a real football team, to join them for a prayer. They do. I think the respect is mutual, at this point.

As he fights off the pain, Sanchez is helped off the field by Brody Woods and Robert Brulette. Yet, he is happy, for the Whalers have won their first game.

*After I wrote the first paragraph, I did a save and then hurried on as fast as I could to the end. I then did another save, but encountered a Squarespace glitch that wiped out every word that I had written from the first paragraph on, so I had to scroll back up and do it all over again.

That's how life goes when one gets in a hurry.

Now I really must hurry on part 5. I bet I can get it done quick.

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Barrow Whalers season opener, part 3 of 5: Halftime - cheerleaders dance in the wind, ball players hear words spoken inside the bus

At half time, the cheerleaders dash onto the astro-turf to perform for the entertainment of the crowd. 

The team, meanwhile, had gone to the bus to receive their half-time briefing from the coaches. That's Adrian Panegeo, number 15, leaning against the window.

I go in to take a few pictures. The bus is not idling, the heat is not on, but the body heat of the Whalers combined with the moisture of their breath and sweat cause condense as fog upon the cold glass of my lens.

What I am to do?

First, take advantage of the special effects...

Second, pull out a lens cloth and keep wiping the fog away until it sort of stays away. I then find Coach Campbell telling the players that this is no time for feel good talk. In football, a six-point lead is a hair thin lead. They need to go back out there, sharpen up and play harder and smarter ball.

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Barrow Whalers football season opener, part 2 of 5: First half - the flag flies, one touchdown is made, no extra points

I, as I am certain is true for just about every Alaskan and for many others in our nation as well, am rather distracted right now by the tragic news out of the Tikchik Lakes, just north of Dillingham, where Senator Ted Stevens and several others have been killed in a plane crash. My condolences to all those who now most deeply mourn this loss inflicted upon us all by this crash.

As you can see, the warm weather had disappeared and Barrow had become Barrow once again. It was a 30 - 30 day: wind in the 30's, temperature in the 30's. "This is our home," says Coach Voss, "It's what we have to play in all the time. Nobody else faces it like we do."

Except, of course, for the visiting teams, who may find it even tougher.

"It certainly isn't a disadvantage to us," Voss agrees. 

And this could well be the warmest home game of this eight week season. The final home game will be September 22, a date by which one used to know with certainty that snow would cover the tundra and ice would coat the lakes and lagoons. This is no longer certain, but odds are it will be a very chilly game.

But never forget that those who live here at the Top of the World also live in the United States and on this day, Barrow's cheerleading squad stood bravely in the chill wind, gripped the flag and joined in the singing of the national anthem.

Those cheerleaders clearly visible in the picture include Joanne Akootchook, Nicole Hope, Khayla Vigo and Camille Dacanay.

With the wind behind the whalers, quarterback Eddie Benson kicked off to start the game.

The ball was down inside the 20 yard line. South Anchorage tried hard to fight there way toward Whaler territory, but the Whalers opened with a wall-like defense that the Wolverines found hard to penetrate.

Whaler Jacob Harris gets in on the tackle.

Soon, the Whalers have the ball. 

Eddie Benson sprints past defenders toward he hopes will be an opening.

Benson looks for a receiver. With the wind at over thirty, it would prove to be not a good passing day, but as a junior, Benson has many games ahead of him and Coach Voss expresses confidence that he will be a strong force to be reckoned with, both this year and next.

Running back Adrian Panigeo sprints toward the goal line and gains several yards, putting his team close to a scoring position.

Fullback Joe Burke takes advantage of his blockers and punches his way over the goal line for the first touchdown of the day. The coaches did not feel that this was the day they wanted to initiate a kicking game, either for extra points or field goals, and chose to go for two. The effort failed, leaving the score at Barrow Whalers 6, South Anchorage Wolverines, 0.

Clancy Itta cheers happily. His oldest granddaughter, Anissa, one of the three children of Clancy's daughter, Natasha, who is married to Nehemiah Houston, son of coach Houston, is not quite so pleased. Anissa's grandmother, Marie Itta, explained that she had been in the car with Anissa with the big, furry, wolverine mascot from South Anchorage suddenly appeared at the window, peeked in at her and frightened her terribly.

The game continues. As Coach Voss looks on from the sidelines, Benson dashes into the wind and looks for a receiver.

Benson finds that in football as in life there is opposition in all things.

Soon, the ball is back in the posession of the Wolverines. As before, they keep encountering a solid wall of Whalers and fail to threaten.

But, once the ball return to the Whalers, they, too, are stopped before they can return to scoring position. 

Soon, the Wolverines again had the ball but again were stopped by the Whalers. Trace Hudson made this tackle.

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