The Anchorage Press ran a great story this week about Russ Merrill and Noel Wien's attempt to reach Barrow in 1928. Here's an excerpt:

They took off on May 13 carrying heavy loads and flew through the mountain passes because they couldn't climb up high enough to clear the peaks. Two hundred miles out of town they stopped in the gold mining camp of Wiseman and refueled. From there a radio message was sent to Fairbanks confirming their departure. This was the last message received for weeks. Four and half hours out of the camp, north of the Endicott Mountains and after crossing what they believed was the Colville River, they ran into a bank of solid fog. With no other options the two pilots landed on a frozen lake to wait out the weather. The next morning Wien's aircraft, which had larger tires, was able to take off, but Merrill's was not. Wien lightened his cargo and took one passenger, planning to fly on to Barrow and return with skis for Merrill. He reached Barrow later that day but a strong wind and blowing snow obscured the route he had flown and he could not locate Merrill's plane again when he tried to return. Then a blizzard blew in and forced Wien to stay on the ground in Barrow. It raged for six days and there was nothing he could do; there was nothing anyone could do. Russ Merrill and his two passengers were left to try to survive on their own.