Deadhorse, Alaska (beginning of the Alaska Pipeline, and as far north as one can go in AK) isn't neutral: no alcohol allowed, and it appears to be at least mildly enforced. Drunk oil workers where it's dark for three months? Yeah, Deadhorse decided that was a bad idea, apparently.
That does sound attractive and a good opportunity to reflect. Anyone here (or do you know any good stories) spent any long periods either in complete isolation, or in a small group like this far away from society? How was it?
Maybe not exactly the situation you're describing, but similar. Spent a month of one of my deployments at a small operating base in eastern Afghanistan. Our barracks were small, minimal structures that had two to a room.
We slept during the day. Planned missions in the early evenings. Huddled around the fired pit, drinking coffee and looking the stars for a few hours each night before conducting missions in the middle of the night, in remote villages far off in the mountains, which would extend till morning.
It required helicopter operations flying low, between the mountains. Long offset infiltrations... we'd land a few km away from the objective, and walk our way, for a few hours at a time through mountains and valleys on our way to the target.
Being in this remote post was surprisingly an enjoyable part of that deployment (most of us were disappointed when told we'd be going here at the last minute)... The (relative) isolation from other units, cleared your mind and focus. We all enjoyed the camaraderie and time we had to just hand out with each other during down time. During off days / nights I got a lot of reading done, probably more than I've ever been able to in a short period since. The scenery and beauty of that country, and specifically that location is something I'll never forget.
> Anyone here (or do you know any good stories) spent any long periods either in complete isolation, or in a small group like this far away from society? How was it?
I overwintered on Kerguelen island. The environment is not as extreme as on Amundsen-Scott, but from what I can see the isolation is almost exactly the same: same amount of personel in summer and winter, just a slightly shorter isolation in winter. On the other hand there's no runway and it's too far from inhabitated land for helicopters, so in case of a real emergency the best that can happen is that a ship can come to the base and get you to Réunion in ten days or so. Also, communications are much worse it seems, with a few tens of kB/s at most, shared with two other smaller French bases in the Indian ocean.
It was great, the best experience in my life so far. It felt like real adventure that doesn't really happen anymore in the civilised world. You have to be very patient, understanding and open though, because at least a few of your companions won't be. There was a sense of companionship I haven't felt elsewhere, as well as the possibility for people with vastly different backgrounds to meet, when they would probably never had met in "real life".
I spent a year on Marion Island, it sounds pretty similar. It's quite a strange feeling adapting back to civilisation afterwards. Going 60km/h in a car feels terrifying. Having to remember to take money everywhere with you in order to get everyday things like food.
Honestly cars were not a problem for me since I had one of the few cars on Kerguelen: there is just one road, to go to the IT/electronics/geophysics lab.
What was strangest for me once back to civilisation was being able to just go wherever I want without asking or even notifying anyone, and even go there alone, after a year of strictly controlled movements and the obligation to go everywhere in groups of three :)
