The Native Alaskan Survival Story That Revealed How Indigenous Knowledge Helped Humans Adapt To One Of Earth’s Harshest Environments

The Decision That Sealed Everything

On January 28, 1923, with temperatures outside dropping to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit and the group’s situation clearly approaching collapse, three of the men made a decision.

Crawford, Maurer, and Galle would take the expedition’s remaining sled dogs and attempt to cross the approximately 90 miles of frozen Chukchi Sea to the coast of Siberia.

From there, they would travel to the nearest settlement and raise the alarm, arrange rescue.

The distance was enormous.