Weather was cloudy and windy in Kotzebue and our “runway” (the lagoon in Kotzebue) was pretty choppy. It was certainly the bumpiest take-off I’ve experienced. Once we were in the air, however, the clouds lifted and we were treated to an amazing view of the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes. I had heard the sand dunes described as a scene out of the Sahara, but I’ve seen the sand dunes of the Sahara and they are nothing like this. The great dunes of the Sahara gradually rise above of the parched, ochre desert; a natural progression of that sparse, arid environment. The Kobuk sand dunes, however, rise suddenly – unexpectedly – like a mirage in the midst of the last great forest. Instead of the rare stunted date palm, a dense forest of green spruce that stretches as far as the eye can see lines the edge of the sand, slowly encroaching onto the dunes themselves and reclaiming the land. Trees, tundra, river and sand dunes come together to create a sight that defies comparison, a landscape that is uniquely its own.
NPS Photo/Emily Mesner