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BOTTING NET |
 Michal, Mike & Nan work hard on critical last-minute planning while spending 2 nights in Oslo (Neil worked just as hard) 8/5-6/08 (We left Colorado Springs 8/4) |  Visit to the Viking Ship Museum, Oslo |  Carved bow - small ship. This sailed the Atlantic! |
 Ancient Carved Sleigh |  The famous Arctic & Antarctic explorer ship FRAM |
 Another famous ship, the GJOA - Amundson's vessel for the 1st successful crossing of the NW passage. 3 Year trip ending 1906. |
 Kon-Tiki |  A short walk from the hotel in Longyearbyen we meet our 1st raindeer 8/7/08 |  Our embarkation point - the old coal mining town of Longyearbyen est ~ 1903 |
 Our 1st look at Northern Spitsbergen 8/9/08 |  Nan & Mike on board for 1st Zodiac excursion - Annie is the Captain |  Zodiac view of Hansbeen Glacier |
 1st Whale - a Fin? 8/10/08 |  Mike & Nan -ready for 1st Zodiac landing |  1st Zodiac landing Diskobukta |
 Kittiwake colony - about 6000 pairs plus chicks |  1st Fox |  Remains of fox trap Put rocks on top, bait, fox goes in - crush |
 Dolerittneset landing Armed guides 8/11/08 |  Typical rock and flora Small green are willow |  Michal on tundra |
 Our Leader-Dutch, walrus skull, walrus bones in background |  2nd 8/11 landing-Sondneset Guess what . . . |  Raindeer |
 Sailing into Sea Ice Kong Karls Land 8/12/08 |  Beautiful Polar Bear sow near ship |  REALLY near ship |
 Resting while figuring how to eat ship |  Up again-to swim or not to swim |  It's swim! |
 Swimming alongside. Note front paws paddle, rears trail |  Strolling-could care less about us |  Great leap. This series was a rare extended close look at a Polar Bear |
 Continuing thru sea ice |  Careful approach to iceberg |  Arriving Alkefjellet "Seabird City" 8/13/08 |
 Guillemots-cliff nests |  Chick has glided down to dad from cliff nest & soon they will swim towards southern Greenland for the winter |  Recent polar bear day den |
 Spot the poler bear |  600 nautical miles to North pole |  Sun breaks thru at Monaco glacier 8/14/08 |
 Launching Zodiacs - Yvonne on board |  Peaks guarding glacier |  Monaco up close |
 Bear feeding on seal |  Filling up before winter |  On iceberg in front of Monaco glacier. Great site for breakfast |
 Still busy eating |  Checking us out |  We were this close!!! |
 "Go away" |  Heading back to Vavalov |  Beautiful in all directions |
 Bear print at Worsleyneset 2nd outing, 1st landing today |  Dutch checks hunting cabin before we get closer |  Worsley Beacon from 1925 expedition |
 Returning from 8/14 landing |  Mike, Nan & "Chargers". We sure look small in this big country |  Cruising sea ice 8/15/08 |
 Walrus |  Michal at on-deck BBQ |  Bear tracks |
 Zodiacking - seal to left |  Bearded seal |  At anchor off Ny-Alesund Was a coal mining town Now an Intl. science town 8/16/08 |
 Mountains & glaciers from Ny-Alesund where Amundsen & others launched polar expeditations |  Plaque re: Amundsen/Nobile airship flight over N pole |  The airship tower |
 Amundsen bust-how did they make him look so cold? |  Ny-Alesund Polar Bear warning |  Sailing ship at Ny-Alesund |
 Northernmost RR - from coal mining days |  Our ship - the Russsian spy/ research vessel Vavilov |  Peaceful view of ship & clouds as we leave Ny-Alesund |
 Cliffs, tundra & reindeeer at 14th of July Glacier & tundra site |  Bearded seal, Zodiac & Vavilov |  Polar bear swims & watches Zodiacs at 14th July glacier |
 Vavalov 8/16/08 |  Walrus at Prins Karls Forland 8/17/08 |  You can't scare old 1 tusk! |
 Guide Annie - armed and .... |  Mike & Nan off with the agressive chargers at Alkornet |  Arctic Fox |
 Simple underwater life forms making oxygen essential to higher life forms |  Enjoying the view |  The view. See the raindeer and the hikers? |
 Looking up at the other side of Alkornet |  Leader Dutch, Guide and Dining staff bid fairwell at last dinner, 1st cruise |  Sunset (as low as sun got) last night of 1st cruise 8/17/08 |
Longyearbyen and spent the day in town while the ship was made ready for our 2nd cruise and a new group of passingers. |  Mike & Annie marching with purpose-NyAlesund 8/19/08 |  Mike & Nan with Lynn at helm birding at 14th July glacier |
 Harbor seal (no harbor here) |  Even the kayakers were out |  At breakfast 8/20/08, almost furthest N, Dutch sent Neil to walk to North Pole |
 Guides Martin & Woody celebrate our furthest North N80°28' at E10°7' |  We turned back South and Spitsbergen came back in view |  "Rustic" trappers hut at Raudfjordenhutte |
 Arctic vegetation-up to 1" tall! |  A grave - Vavilov in bay |  Tundra at Worsleyneset 8/21/08 |
 Bearded seal while on foggy cruise along the sea ice |  Fogbow |  Our last look at Spitsbergen |
Greenland Sea, toward Greenland. Time for lectures, reading & visiting and seeing our 1st sunset in 16 days! | 8/24 the Vavilov was buffeted by hurricane force winds at 72 knots and 23 foot waves. Woke us up and tossed us around |  Part of our cabin after the storm 8/24/08 |
 Approching Greenland at Scorsbysund |  1st landing Greenland. Fresh snow and calm inlets |  Test of arctic waters lifeboats - after the big storm . . . |
 The lush (compared to Spitsbergen) tundra at Rypefjorden-willows up to 12", blueberries |  Looking back toward inlet |  Distant, wary musk ox |
 Musk ox skull. They are hunted here. |  Zodiac iceberg cruise in Rodefjorden 8/25/08 |  Wonderful icebergs |
 Musk ox on hillside high above Zodiac |  Sunshine |  Nan & Michal check cameras 8/26/08 |
 Nice berg - about 300' long Cruising Nordvestfjord |  Cruising (slowly) among bergs |  Nice berg |
 Berg with it's own waterfall |  Berg & mountains. Unable to land at Imgmikertata Kangertiva because of wind and waves |  Approaching Ittoggortoormiit |
 Mainstreet |  Focus bad - sign good! |  Our Leader Dutch with guides Yvonne(?) & Beth Anne inspect used Polar Bear |
 Sled dogs waiting for winter |  Checking out the Vavilov Engine control room |  Engine room |
 On the bridge |  Dolphins at bow guiding us cross Denmark Strait to Iceland 8/28/08 |  Bit rough crossing to Iceland 8/29/08 |
 Arriving Heimaey, Westmann Islands, Iceland 8/30/08 | destroyed much of Heimaey and almost closed the narrow port entrance. (See,eg,One person's story) |
 Crushed water storage tank |
 Mike & Nan hike to top of crater |  He made it! |  Worth the walk |
 Leaving the "S" curve port of Heimaey |  Johnson's 39th wedding anniversary (photo fuzzy - Mike & Nan were clear!) |  Mike & Nan bid farewell to dining staff Alexey & Sasha (Another fuzzy, sorry) |
 Arriving Reykjavik - End of the cruising 8/31/08 |  Walking the Iceland extension of the Mid Atlantic Rift (On our 2 day Iceland drive) |  More rift - just amazing! |
 Lava layers & rift wall |  Geyser |  Gulfoss |
 More of the falls |  1 of MANY rock piles as we head into the interior (SeeRock pile story) |  Iceland Icecap |
 Small crater |  Old fisherman's home Krisuvik 9/1/08 |  More piled rocks |
 At the Blue Lagoon 9/1/08 |  At lava field between Blue Lagoon & Keflavik |  Accurate sign! We flew home 9/1/08 THE END |