Alone Against the Arctic »

In the summer of 1984, Anthony Dalton embarked on a near-fatal voyage in a small open boat along the wild northwest coast of Alaska, attempting a solo transit of the Northwest Passage. His sea quest ran parallel to an arduous relief expedition undertaken in 1897-98, when the officers of the U.S. cutter Bear set out to reach eight whaling ships that were stranded in thick ice, their crews on the verge of starvation. Both journeys are depicted in this adventure tale, and Dalton's gripping description of his encounter with an icy hell explores the irresistible lure of risk and challenge that continues to draw adventurers to the Arctic, a place like no other.

Introduction 11

Map: Author's Alaskan Coastal Voyage and Overland Relief Expedition of 1897-98 15

Ch. 1 A Rogue Wave 17

Ch. 2 On Course for the Bering Strait 26

Ch. 3 Across the Arctic Circle 47

Ch. 4 A Hard Run to Kivalina 62

Ch. 5 Northwest to Point Hope 101

Ch. 6 Retreat to Kivalina 118

Ch. 7 A Near-Fatal Storm 132

Ch. 8 Rescue 153

Ch. 9 The End of a Dream 165

Acknowledgements 179

Bibliography 181

Photo Credits 183

Index 185