Being charged by a grizzly bear. Standing in the midst of a herd of caribou. Listening to your breath freeze as it leaves your mouth. Learning firsthand that kerosene freezes at -53 degrees Fahrenheit. You can't make this stuff up.
AndDr. John Hobbie doesn't have to. What to the rest of us sounds like an April Fool's joke is simply his reality. He tells the stories like he's telling you what he had for breakfast. Perhaps that's what comes of five decades of research conducted in the United States only Arctic lands - Alaska's North Slope.
Dr. Hobbie is a senior scholar at MBL's Ecosystems Center. He's been conducting research on Alaska's North Slope since the 1960's and was one of the founders of the Toolik Field Station. He recently co-authored a field guide to the region, titled Land of Extremes.