The lakes were amazingly calm while we were there. The water was also incredibly clear. From our position standing on a hill, we could see two members of the group down below. They had gone on ahead. Off to the right was what appeared to be a creek flowing from, or into, a lake. After walking out toward the “creek”, we realized that those other two guys had actually been walking on the top of the lake. We were now out there too! We were walking on vegetation that had grown together on top of the water. It was shaky, but fairly stable to tread without falling through. If we stood still, our feet would start sinking down into it, and would get wet. So, we had to constantly keep moving. I later came to call this the "vibrating ground", because it moved as we walked. We stepped out onto this stuff and followed the little “creek” for quite a distance. When the creek narrowed enough for us to try jumping across, we surveyed the situation. Before attempting the leap, Gene was curious about how deep the water was. When he stuck his leg down into it, it didn’t reach the bottom. Ned then lay down and stuck his walking stick plus the full length of his arm into it…without touching bottom. The so-called creek was apparently the surface of the lake where the vegetation had not joined. After discovering that, we made sure we got to a very narrow spot before jumping across! We headed toward a hill on our right.

Below are my words from 1970. I had been in Alaska for only a couple of weeks. It is fun for me to read these words I spoke into that cassette recorder back then. Naturally, now I know I was experiencing muskeg for the first time. Not long after I first posted these photos, I reconnected with Gene Smith, who was also on this trip. In the course of our conversation, he mentioned our first experience with muskeg. Gene was the person that stuck his leg into the water to see if it was shallow enough to wade across. A civil engineer, Gene told me he later built bridges across muskeg in other parts of Alaska.

These are my words spoken into that recorder so many years ago: “Here is a picture that shows the “vibrating ground” as I came to call it. The picture also shows how calm the lakes were while we were there. The water was also incredibly clear. Looking closely, on the left side of the picture, in the lowlands there are two guys that went on ahead of the rest of us. Off to the right is what appears to be a creek. However, it is not a creek. Those guys in the picture are walking on the top of the lake! We are soon to be following them. This stuff is vegetation that has grown together on top of the water. It is pretty firm to walk on though, without being in extreme danger of falling through. That is, unless you stepped into this thing that appears to be a creek. As far as we know it has no bottom. We had to cross it at one point by jumping across it! Anyway, when you walk on this stuff the ground shakes. If you stand still your feet start sinking down into it and get wet, so you must keep moving…or lie out on it flat so you won’t sink as rapidly. We got out on top of this stuff right about here and crossed at a little creek which we had followed for quite a distance. When it got narrow enough for us to jump across, we did. One of us had been curious about how deep it was, so he stuck his leg down into it. He didn’t reach bottom. Ned then stuck his walking stick and the full length of his arm into it without touching bottom. After that, we made sure we got to a very narrow spot before jumping across! Anyway, we were heading toward the hill on the right of this picture. It looks much closer than it really is. I later took a picture from up there.”