7/1/02. Magadan, population 120,000, on the southern coast of Siberia on the Sea of Okhotsk. My first foray into the city from Slava's apartment, we purchase garlic for the trip and crab for dinner.

7/2/02. Our flight from Magadan to Bilibino took us north over the tundra, which was burning due to summer lightning. We landed and were immediately attacked by mosquitos upon deplaning. Seconds after this photo, a large Russian man from the airline approached aggressively, upset with the fact that I was snapping pictures of the plane. Slava on the left, project leader Sergey Sokolov on the right.

7/2/02. View from the roof of the hotel in Bilibino...typical Russian architecture. Bilibino is a town of about 8000 people in the middle of Siberia, north of the Arctic Circle.

7/3/02. Last vestiges of civilization. The day before our departure, Slava and Masha enjoy a beverage with me in the hotel.

7/4/02. The journey begins. Student Sergey makes a fire for tea while we wait for the track vehicle.

7/4/02. "Anyui", a Siberian husky, would join us for the entire field season. The dog knew more Russian than I did.

7/5/02. After riding in the track vehicle for a day and a half, we arrive at our first camp along the Ustieva River. Slava chops wood for the stove.

7/6/02. View of the Ustieva Valley. Note the lack of decent rock outcrop.

7/6/02. Slava and our constant companion, the mosquito. This was a typical day.

7/7/02. Student Dima makes a fire to provide a smoke cover for mosquitos during our lunch.

7/7/02. More mosquitos. The two choices were DEET saturation or the mosquito net. The Russians tended to use DEET.

7/8/02. Sergey and Masha at the end of a day notable for having a breeze and therefore fewer mosquitos.

7/9/02. Slava and even more mosquitos.

7/9/02. Slava making lunch, just after a long slog and just before a huge rainstorm.

7/12/02. A tributary of the Orlovka River, near our second camp.

7/15/02. Our driver, Sergey, shot a moose a few days earlier. Here he is at the third camp (a hunter's cabin) burning the hair off of the moose's nose prior to cooking it. At least, I think he cooked it...

7/17/02. This was the only day we had decent wind and literally NO BUGS. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch with tea.

7/19/02. At Camp 3, it rained for 4 days and flooded the camp. Slava, Sergey, and Dima cook in the rain.

7/19/02. This is the track vehicle, basically an army tank without a gun. The slogan above the window on the cabin reads "Discipline equals success in work."

7/19/02. Anyui the dog is interested in getting some moose meat. Dima is unconvinced.

7/20/02. Before the flood. The tents on dry ground.

7/20/02. After the flood. My tent is floating in 5 inches of water.

7/20/02. Dinner inside the cabin. Our 5th day at camp waiting for the rain to end and the river level to drop.

7/20/02. Flooding around the cabin. Water surrounded the cabin.

7/24/02. The confluence of the Orlovka and Bolshoi Anyui Rivers. This was our southernmost point on the journey.

7/24/02. Our last night. Back row from left, Sergey Sokolov, Masha, Sergey student, Slava, Jeff. Front row from left, Sasha and Dima.

7/24/02. Another group photo, with Sergey the driver at the front left.

7/26/02. The journey home. Track vehicle became stuck in the mud twice and had mechanical troubles on two separate occasions, but our driver successfully extracted us each time.

7/27/02. Sokolov and Amato on the journey back to Bilibino.

7/29/02. Loading the vehicle in Bilibino before the flight to Magadan.

7/30/02. Slava's apartment in Magadan. We bought this red salmon at the market for a couple dollars.

7/30/02. First meal in civilization. Salmon, potatoes, fresh dill, onion, bread, and of course vodka.

Copyright © 2002 Jeffrey M. Amato.