Bill and I regret to announce that due to extremely hazardous river conditions we must postpone the last stage of the "Gates of the Arctic Caribou Trek." After consulting with our pilot and base camp advisors, it has been decided that in the interests of safety, Bill and I cannot resume our trek south with the caribou at this time. We have been advised that there have been only three no-rain days in August, and for the last three weeks the rivers have been at extreme flood stage. And the rain is still falling!

El Nino seems to be everywhere. The northern spring was unusually warm, making the river ice treacherous and leaving the tundra almost bare in places—especially south of the Brooks. Some say that El Nino made a difference to the spring migration, but we will never really know.

What we do know is that in traveling south with the herd during the fall return migration, we will have to cross two major rivers, the Noatak and the Kobuk. Because of extreme flooding this fall, it is impossible to cross these rivers safely. Therefore, we have no choice but to postpone this stage of the expedition until next year. These conditions don't bother the caribou that much—they are strong swimmers and can cross the swolen rivers.

We began the expedition in the spring of 1998 when we treked 600 miles north with the herd—from their wintering grounds to their North Slope calving grounds. At the end of the return migration, in the fall of 1999, we will have completed the return journey back to the wintering grounds—then the entire centuries-old migration will be documented.

In the meantime, we are starting to plan our next expedition of educational exploration for the spring of 1999. As logistics fall into place, we will let you know where we are going and what our plans will include. We will use advanced communications technology, courtesy of Magellan, which will allow us to communicate from the field more easily than before. The entire project will become more "real time."

Thank you for the many kind messages of encouragement we have received. Such enthusiasm spurs us onward to undertake more and improved educational projects. It is most gratifying to learn that a rapidly increasing number of schools, students and teachers are using our projects. We have many more to come.

Helen and Bill Thayer

4/27/98—Bill and Helen Thayer arrive safely in Seattle at the end of Stage Two.

The spring migration trek north across the Brooks Range—from the caribou herd's southern wintering grounds to the North Slope calving grounds—is complete. We are already planning ahead to the great fall migration when the herd will turn from the tundra of the North Slope calving grounds and travel south, back across the Brooks Range. The caribou will travel with their new calves at their side, finally arriving at the southern wintering grounds, where they will remain for the duration of the winter.

We will join this return migration in August, carrying back packs and camping in the mountains and on the tundra with the herd, just as we did for the journey north this spring. Thus the entire migration will be documented by our two person team traveling on foot with the herd.

Once more we will cross the Brooks Range on foot, but this time instead of the dangers of fragile river ice and the danger of falling through into the icy river water (which happened twice) we will be faced with river crossings with packs that somehow must be kept dry. Grizzly bears will be an added danger in the fall. They will be very active and will be present along most of the route we will follow.

The spring migration was a journey of discovery and learning far beyond our greatest expectations, and with the upcoming fall migrating the opportunity for gathering even more information makes the possible dangers all worthwhile. This journey will be a valuable addition the many journeys of discovery which we have conducted world wide. All programs become educational projects for K through 12.

In August, as we trek south with the caribou herd, we plan to provide even more extensive field reports with improved "in-the-field" communications technology. Join us then. (For reasons explained above, Stage Three will take place in fall of 1999—Ed.)

Bill and Helen Thayer