Hiking across tussocks, National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska.
If you are not familiar with a tussock, this is probably a good thing. Especially in the context of hiking. However, if you plan to travel across the tundra in Alaska’s arctic, you will indeed become quickly familiar with the term. A tussock is a large knob of soil with tufts of grass or sedges growing on top. They range in a variety of sizes, and are a notable obstacle when walking. Think of approaching a field of camels all smashed together and you need to walk across–or in between all their humps. One gets a method down after a while, I sometimes jump from one tussock top to another, but if at all fatigued, the safest method is to step in between the humps and avoid the easily twisted ankle. On this cool and rainy day, we hiked through miles of tussocks. Upon returning to camp after about 12 miles, it was midnight and the sun streamed vividly across the landscape.
