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Maybe Boogie is on to something

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Maybe Boogie is on to something.I have to admit to being curiously excited. Since the beginning of the trip, I've become obsessed with bears, reading every pamphlet I can get my hands on, even dreaming about them. Now may be my chance to see them...Be careful what you wish for... Suddenly, Laurent shouts: "Bears!" and I crane my head to see the brown hump of a grizzly.

I stop in my tracks but Laurent and Philippe have already retreated behind Chevelle and are preparing the gun we were so reluctant to bring along. We consider travelling high on the tundra until we spot a pick-up with two hunters. Is it the snow? Or bears? As we start to walk, a local worker pulls over to warn us that two bears have been spotted not far from here. The snow continues to fall and, despite the euphoria of crossing the pass, the horses, like us, are shivering and look miserable.This is also the first time in the months we have been travelling that we have had to pitch camp in snow. We're lucky enough to have decent gear that keeps us mostly dry, but we awake to our shoes frozen solid, the laces stiff We squeeze our feet into them. Boogie starts acting strangely - making an odd-sounding whinny as we lead the horses to be saddled. The horses' hooves are packed with ice, but they climb effortlessly, amazing us as we struggle with our footing.

Two months in, we cross the Arctic Circle and the isolation of the area envelops us. It is also getting colder at night - with winter drawing in and temperatures dropping to minus 10 at times. Snow looms in the peaks of the Brooks Range ahead.Atigun Pass is steeper than we thought and covered in snow, but there's little time to moan as we start our ascent. But after two days of climbing, we begin to have serious doubts.

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