06.18.2005 – In the air over Siberia, near Sakhalin Island

During his 1952 campaign, Dwight Eisenhower pledged that, if elected, he would “go to Korea.” I’ve never been much of an “I like Ike” guy, but I guess now in one way I’m like Ike: I, too, am going to Korea.

The flight took us over Chicago, and I blew a kiss to Allison as I passed over her.

I flew over several of the eight states and five Canadian provinces/territories I have not visited: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Alaska.

For lunch, I had my first Korean meal: Miso soup, Korean hot pepper paste and sesame oil on beef, vegetables, and rice—quite good.

At 2:15 PM CDT, I got my first look at Lake Superior and “Land of 10,000 Lakes” in northern Minnesota.

I expected the flight to go over Alaska and I was hoping to see some of Alaska’s spectacular mountains and glaciers. But the route went much farther north than I had anticipated.

Around 4:45 PM CDT, I got my first view of Arctic tundra, over the Northwest Territory somewhere north of Great Bear Lake. There were patches of snow, water, mud, probably some of it permafrost.

About 7:10 PM CDT (I couldn’t guess what time it may be here. So close to the North Pole, all the time zones converge—and at this time of year the sun is out all day and night) I got my first view of the Arctic Ocean and the north shore of Alaska. There is ice along the shore, but open water beyond. The land appears to be totally flat, but with depressions filled with ice, melted around the edges. There is much less snow and ice than I would have expected to find in extreme northern Alaska. Possibly this is another sign of global warming.

10:23 AM, June18, Korea Time: I just crossed over the Arctic coast of northern Siberia. It looks much like the north coast of Alaska, but with somewhat more snow. The uncovered ground is brown, without a hint of green. I’m sure Korean Air didn’t take this route over the USSR during the Cold War.

As I write this journal entry, I have just seen Sakhalin Island slightly to the east. Riding on a Korean Air flight at this place of course reminds me of the Soviet shooting down of KAL Flight 007 over Sakhalin in 1983. It’s much better to be here after the Cold War ended!

RSM