stefansson-wrangel-09-29-034

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entry: “After six hours the hunters returned stating that the bear had kept on
going regardless of the dogs. They saw several fairly fresh bear tracks, but
the going was nearly impossible for often they sank to their waists, and to
their knees at nearly every stoep. Fed the last of the bear meat and unless
another bear appears soon shall have to start cooking again."

April on Wrangell Island was stormy and snowy. Still, it was
spring. On the 28th the temperature rose to 40° F. in the shade, or eight degrees
above freezing. Parts of the land occasionally became bare through thawing but
were covered again by the frequent snowfalls that are typical of an arctic April
if you are on a seacoast or on a small island.

On April 29th Galle went for a short trip inland from which he
returned in two days. "He camped the first night in the hills in a snowhouse
after climbing a peak 1950 feet high [by aneroid barometer]. He was unable to
see very far to the north because of a ridge farther on. He then went to the
other camp where he found the tent slightly damaged by a bear which had made a
hole in the roof of the storm shed. In two different places he found where a
female bear had given birth to cubs. Saw a few bear and fox tracks, also several
snow buntings."

About the middle of May the weather had become so persistently
warm that the winter camp was untenable any longer. It was leaking and the
surroundings had become boggy. On May 18th they pitched a tent about a hundred
yards away and moved to it. Such a camp as they had lived in is suitable only
for extremely cold weather. It was a relief to get into tents.

On May 25th, "shortly after breakfast a large bunch of geese
flew up the river bottom near our camp from the south and landed on a bare
spot............. all day we have heard [other] geese without seeing them. In
the afternoon two seals were seen on the ice and Crawford started for them but
they went down long before he got near them. He hid near one of the holes for a