I went to Barrow for a first reconnaissance of sea ice conditions. Also, I measured the snow thickness profile along a 300 m transect with Matthew Sturm’s Magnaprobe. This established a base line for snow thickness this season. There were hardly any snow dunes that would have made this survey exciting at the time. Had a white fox carefully watch me cut a sea ice core for salinity measurement. Bear guard Nok Acker frightened-off an approaching polar bear with the noise of an idling snowmachine.