On Part 1, George Gryc talks about his early geological expeditions in the Brooks Range and the types of transportation used, his personal background and how he got into geology, how he came to Alaska, his advanced studies in geology and starting to work in geology, his geological field work in Alaska, what they did and what they found on his early geological trips, starting to work for the Navy Oil Unit, summary of Brooks Range and North Slope geology, the nature of administrative work, changes in field work during his time, an early field trip on the Colville River, continuation of the Colville River trip and his party being stranded, Foran's expedition in the western Brooks Range, a short history of the USGS Alaskan branch, and the oil exploration of the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska.

On Part 2, George Gryc talks about the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska, geophysical work in oil exploration and the impact of exploration on the tundra, efforts to minimize the impacts from exploration activities, different projects he worked on with the USGS, current projects he is involved with and especially the circum-pacific map project, interacting with the Nunamiut people at Chandler Lake in the 1940's, the death of Simon Paneak's daughter, and dealing with the remoteness and isolation of early fieldwork in northern Alaska.

On Part 3, George Gryc talks about members of his 1945 Chandler River geological field expedition, the closeness of northern geologists, how geological fieldwork has changed with land use regulations, an injured peregrine falcon his field party rescued, hardships of fieldwork and how they handled mosquitoes, relationships between natives and non-natives in the early days of exploring the Brooks Range, relationship of the USGS and the Navy and the oil industry in the early days of northern geological exploration work, history of the Menlo Park office of the USGS and the relationship of the Survey with the Navy in Alaska oil exploration work, relationship of natives with scientists doing research in the Brooks Range, the lack of natives and families at work camps like Umiat, his work on a report to review the cumulative impacts of oil development on the North Slope, his favorite places in the Brooks Range and northern Alaska, how the rivers flowing north can be disorienting for some people, enjoying the isolation and adventure of early fieldwork and how geological fieldwork has changed, getting his first job with the USGS in Alaska and how it helped him from being drafted into the military during World War II, and the effects of the creation of Gates of the Arctic National Park and the differences between doing fieldwork and administrative work.

On Part 4, George Gryc talks about his pride in his work for the USGS in northern Alaska, scientific observation and interpretation in the Brooks Range, and geological work still to be done in the Brooks Range.