A First for the Arctic—But Not for Remote Life

Toolik Research Station, North Slope, Alaska

This will be my first time working in the Arctic—but not my first time heading back into remote life.

There’s something about these places. The distance. The simplicity. The clarity of purpose. You strip things down to what matters—good work, good people, and taking care of each other.

I first found that in Antarctica, at the South Pole. What started as just a job turned into something much bigger. Long seasons, small crews, extreme conditions—and somehow, it all made sense. It’s also where I met Heidi, which alone made the entire journey worth it.

That experience stayed with me.

So when the opportunity came up to head north to Toolik Field Station, it felt familiar in a way that’s hard to explain unless you’ve lived it. Different landscape, different hemisphere—but the same kind of world. And interestingly, many of the people up there have walked that same path through Antarctica. There’s an unspoken understanding that comes with it.

Toolik, run by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, exists for a purpose bigger than any one person. Scientists from around the world come here to study the Arctic at a time when it’s changing faster than almost anywhere on Earth. The work is real, immediate, and important.

And like any remote station, none of it happens without the people behind the scenes.

Getting there is part of the experience. After flying into Fairbanks, it’s a long drive north along the Dalton Highway—hours of tundra, pipeline, and open sky. No distractions. No shortcuts. Just the road and what’s ahead.

Life on station is its own rhythm. Small community. Long days. Shared responsibility. The kitchen becomes more than just a place to cook—it’s where people come back together after being out in the field, where a hot meal can reset the day, where consistency matters.

That part I understand.

This isn’t about going backward—it’s about reconnecting with something that shaped me in the first place. The kind of work where effort is real, outcomes matter, and you’re part of something larger than yourself.

End of March 2026

Toolik is new ground for me.

But the reason for going feels very familiar.

More to come from the road north and life on station.

—Chef Mike