Change of seasons…with freezer

Late summer on the tundra and the view from one of my cook shacks.

Arctic whiteouts

For a bunch of years I was a camp cook in extremely remote locations. When the discovery of diamonds in the Arctic prompted a modern-day gold rush I decided to go. In one camp operated by DeBeers, employees were required to sign confidentiality waivers. This camp was the furthest north I got, which was a 20-minute helicopter ride to the Beaufort Sea.

The tent shacks are erected in a straight line. In “winter”, a thick rope must be slung between them, otherwise one can easily get lost, the storms can be that extreme. When there’s a whiteout, you exit one shack, grab the rope, and feel your way to the next tent shack.