14 July, 2002

Today I meet with “my” science team, and my official TEA adventure will begin. I’ll have lots to tell you about the science on board the Healy in future journals. For now, let me tell you about another great day in Nome.

Yesterday I met Todd Hindman, a teacher in the Anvil City Science Academy, a charter school for grades 5-8. Todd was a TEA parcticipant in 2000; he also traveled on the Healy. Be sure to check out his journals on the TEA website. Todd came to Nome three years ago to teach at the brand new charter school. Until a second teacher came to the school last year, Todd taught all subjects to all the students! He’s truly a versatile teacher.

Todd and I drove out on another of the Nome roads, the Teller Road. As it was a beautiful, sunny weekend day (at this time of the year, it usually rains two out of every three days in Nome), lots of people were out on the road. We passed at least 20 cars or trucks in our four hour trip! While we both scoured the landscape for wildlife, we spotted a state trooper at the side of the road looking through binoculars. He not only helped us to spot a mother moose and her calf, but he gave each of us a coffee mug as a reward for wearing our seat belts. A few miles down the road, we saw a large, moving brown mass. It was a herd of reindeer. Just before turning around, we spotted an even larger herd just off the side of the road. The herds are most likely owned by a family from Teller, the subsistence village at the end of the road. Approximately 25,000 reindeer roam the Seward Peninsula.

In the evening, my host family and I went for a walk to an abandoned gold dredge. Although we returned at 10:45 PM, the sun was still shining brightly! As you drive around Nome, it’s not uncommon to see the remnants of the gold mining that was such an important part of Nome’s history. Some of the sites are still active today.

This is the first of two large herds of reindeer we spotted while driving along the Teller Road out of Nome.

This is just one of the many spectacular views along the Nome Teller Road.