Is it possible to cross between alaska and russia without being detected. Does it happen often?

Question

There is a small island in-between that is part of the US as well. It looks to be around 40 to 50 miles according to google maps.

Answer 1

It is physically possible. The mainlands are about 45 miles apart. Over that distance, you need to be a heck of a kayaker, dang good on a sailboard or absolutely best in world in cold-winter ocean swimming. Or just wait until winter and walk. Still an expediation and you have to be prepared for "leads" of open water in the ice. They could be 10 feet or 1000 feet. That's a long swim with the air is -20F and the water is 29F (freezing point of salt water).

Anything bigger (sailboat, skiff with a motor, etc, would be easier to detect (but physically safer to cross with).

The simpler thing to do is to cross from Little Diomede Island (US) to Big Diomede Island (Russia) which is about 3 miles. Over that shorter distance, heck, you could row a dingy. And walking on the ice in winter becomes more doable because of the shorter distance and the (likely) absence of open-water leads.

BUT, when a guy sailboarded from one to another he got arrested in the USSR (back in the Cold War). Much more recently two guys tried to get permits for a round-the-world through the arctic on foot but didn't get approved, went anyway, and got caught.

I haven't seen any other reports and (I'm in Alaska) any successful ones would have been covered widely up here. You have to realize that just getting your butt to Little Diomede is an expensive bother (just some Native Alaskans there and they either go by boat or, in winter, highly capable planes (Piper Cubs, Twin Otters, etc) can land on the frozen ocean when it is smooth. There are no roads connecting Western Alaska to anything else so you can only drive to Anchorage or Fairbanks. There's jet service to Nome and then you could drive towards Teller, but that still leaves 70 miles of soggy wilderness to Cape Prince William.

So you end up with some combination of local air carriers and charter outfits. Chartering an aircraft starts at $600/hour.

Look at some of the articles in National Geographic about explorers (historical and modern) who have traversed the Arctic in summer and winter. It can be done. But only by the serious and well-prepared.

She hasn't done that crossing (cause it's illegal and all), but she and her husband have done 1,000-2,000 mile trips in that general area and her book describes their preparation and some of the adventures they've had. I've heard her speak a few times and a friend has the first kayak she converted for her rowing expediations. "Rowing to Lattitude" by Jill Fredston. It's a good read.

While white-boy explorers get in legal trouble for entering Russia illegally, some extended native families are spread between the two countries. They visit each other periodically. The one I remember the most was in 1999 (+/- one year) when an Alaskan family went over in an open skiff, one gas tank, one motor, street clothes and went missing. They searched for a few days without finding them. I found it striking how poorly prepared they were, but in Western Alaska, your skiff is like your Ford Escort. You use it to get to town, get your water, groceries, go visiting, etc. And you probably don't stock sleeping bag, survival rations, etc, when you hop in the car to run errands.

Answer 2

Anything is possible, given the right amount of thought..???

Answer 3

Why? you planning to ship some drugs?

Answer 4

very likely....