JPlumers 1975 Journal Wainwright, North Slope, Alaska 22 August We had planned to leave Wainwright today, flying back to Barrow on a Twin Otter. But the fog here and there conspired to keep us on the ground in Wainwright. It was intended that the plane was to arrive around 1430 and beginning then the town's inhabitants began to accumulate beside the runway—most were kids, many of whom had stolen air planes with rubber band propellers and plastic tails. The village store had apparently just received a shipment. But the pancake came as well, and everyone, amid the gate, watched the NW horizon for the twin otter, which never came. A Cessna 185 slid in about 1630, carrying word that Barrow weather was still too bad to allow a flight today. At that, the go crowd dwindled back to town, its place fever dissipating and with it hopes for the twin otter daily mail run. We carried our gear back to the NARL cabin. During the evening I walked north along the beach, staying out until 1130. The ice had come in. During the afternoon, over the ice numerous Rissa tridactyla flew northward along the shore; there were more kittiwakes around than I’d seen for a week or more. The ice-draining returned probably was a causal factor. But by evening no Rissa could be seen. And throughout the evening, small Phalacrocorax floccosus, and groups of 25-50 Branta nigricans, flew over southward, deviating not a bit in an obvious migratory effort. Gavia arctica + G. stellata called recordingly overhead, the cat mew of the stellata and the arctica bark. Pluvialis dominica passed over infrequently, one or two at a time, and flocks of dunliners looked about. 23 August 0700—returned to the beach. The movements of Phalacrocorax + Branta continue, even more pronounced than last evening. Little else in flying. Returned to camp at 0800 1030—walked again along the beach. No more circled flights of Phalacrocorax or Branta. We returned to the cabin at 1100 and just after arriving, the twin otter circled town. We immediately gathered up our gear and strode to the airport. A baggage crowd of 25 had arrived before us by then the plane had developed its cargo—mostly soda pop for the village store, it seemed (the town is dry). But when we tried to get on, Homer Bayfield announced that there was only one seat left, as the plane had come with a lot of cargo + three left seats behind. I flipped a coin w/ Russell, and lost. At dinner—sate on the runway for two hours reading Peterson in the sun, then walked to the store + bought food for lunch. Finally at 1430 I managed to hitch a ride on a Cessna 185 charter that had come to Wainwright + was returning to Barrow empty. $33.