A Starting Point ... Mosquito Stampede

So ...

After 28 years contracting for BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., I retired from working in Prudhoe Bay in 2018.

Since then, a few of my friends told me I should write down some of the stories I witnessed up there, and as such, I did.

This is one of the first stories I wrote about a little incident I experienced before a Change Out with my Alternate, which was – at the time - Wayne Englishbee … I think this was the summer of 1996 or 1997.  I hope you get a laugh out of it!

I wrote the following for some friends on Facebook a couple years ago - and they found it had a laugh or two buried in the detail.  I'll try to do better on my next posting.

Mosquito Stampede

So ... I'm driving down the Spine Road one day in the Prudhoe Bay Western Operating Area -
heading toward the Oil Field town of Deadhorse - for Change Out with my Alternate Wayne, when I notice a sizable Caribou herd grazing off to my right on the Tundra.

It was seldom I could snag a truck from the Plant Inspectors for Change Out at the Deadhorse Airfield, so I was happy that one had a few hours of office time - where they could allow me to borrow their vehicle.  That way, Wayne and I could have a relaxed change out in the airport parking lot for once, instead of a few hurried moments in the Airport Baggage Pickup  Lounge among all the other folks doing exactly the same thing.

Anyway …

The Porcupine Caribou Herd had arrived in the field on one of their semi-annual migrations earlier that summer, and parts of  the 40,000+ herd could be found almost everywhere across the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field.  As I drove down the Spine Road toward Deadhorse, I could see close to a thousand Caribou off to my right – gently grazing on the tundra.  It was an incredibly impressive sight.

With the caribou, the mosquitoes were horrendous that summer, and the poor herd was obviously being attacked from all sides by the voracious cloud of insects. You could see this dark cloud of the black insects hovering in thick patches all over the herd.

As I was starting to drive by the closest bunch of caribou off to my right, this one caribou not to far from the road suddenly starts jumping around and biting at its legs - as it was being bothered more than most by the pesky, blood sucking bugs. It broke into a trot, that developed into a sprint, and started to head for the road.

I started to slow down.

I could see another truck coming toward me from Deadhorse, and they too were slowing down, looking toward their left – seeing the distressed caribou, and also anticipating it possibly crossing the road.

A few moments later, a couple of caribou looked up, noticed the one caribou sprinting toward the road, and then looked behind them. Two or three more looked up and then looked behind them, and all also started trotting toward the road.  It was obvious they thought something was attacking the herd - maybe a bear or a wolverine.

I slowed down even more.  So did the other truck.

About the time the first caribou got to the edge of the road, I noticed that 5 or 10 more of the animals were looking to their rear, and also moving toward the road. The initial two or three were in a dead run now. I went ahead and stopped. 

And so did the other truck …

Moments later, the entire herd was in a dead run for the Spine Road. My eyes got wide as I realized they were stampeding - I'd never seen a real life stampede before. Water was splashing, and the Caribou were bounding over the Tundra.

It was spectacular, with the exception that they were running right toward my truck.

I think the words “Oh Sh*t!” came to mind …

... And a few moments after that realization, there were caribou jumping all over the road, going from right to left, running through a dust cloud they had suddenly created. The truck was literally shaking from the amount of caribou running by. The sound of their hooves hitting the gravel road was like a steady rumble.

And I was sitting right in the middle of it, because, there really wasn't much I could do at that point …

In between breaks in the dust cloud, I could barely see the other truck in front of me – also being surrounded by running animals - and it too shaking along with the rumble of the stampede … antlers and wild eyes could be seen passing between us through the dust …

All I could do was hang onto the steering wheel, and watch them go by in the dust cloud – praying that none ran into the truck, so I didn’t have to explain to Gerry Smith – the Plant Inspector I borrowed the truck from - how I dented his truck while driving to Deadhorse to have Change Out with Wayne. 

But besides a couple brushes against the bumpers, none actually bounced off the truck … though I kept waiting for a crunch or thud sound …

A few short moments later, the last of them ran in front of and behind my truck in the cloud of dust they created, and were all slowly walking or stopping in the Tundra off to my left. They calmly started to graze again.  A few late arrivals meandered over the road in front of me and down to the tundra on the other side …

And almost in their own airborne stampede, you could see the black clouds of mosquitoes moving across the road to follow the caribou …

I sat there for a moment looking at the caribou herd, my heart still pounding a bit I must admit. The cloud they created cleared and blew off the road. I checked the rear view mirror, applied some gas, and started on my way again.  

I waved at the other truck driver as I passed him – his eyes still wide from the brief encounter we both just had.  With a smile, he waved back.  And on to Deadhorse I went.

I think I mentioned to Wayne to watch for caribou on his drive back to the BOC from the Airport - we had a lot to discuss in Change Out, so I’m sure I didn’t go into a lot of detail.  I know I never mentioned it to Jerry – he’d of never let me borrow his truck again..  I think I was just way too happy to get on that plane for Anchorage that day … as it was just another summer day at tour end in Prudhoe Bay...

And that’s just about how it went …