Here are a few hints…. North cold, dogs, snow…… it’s Winter in ALASKA!  I have returned to the great north to experience the “Heart of Winter” and learn to Dog Mush! WHAT??! You say…. “Isn’t it dark?”, “Isn’t it cold?”, “Aren’t there bears?”  Yes, Yes, and they are hibernating this time of year – but there are lots of moose!

christmas-alaska-style
This is Christmas in Alaska  – courtesy of Anchorage Airport 

I touched down in Fairbanks on Dec 2nd and I have been quite smitten with Alaskan winter since that moment. Fairbanks is BEAUTIFUL in the winter. Everything is draped in white – crisp, clean, white snow – all the time. Think of the beauty after a snow storm, branches of trees lined with snow, evergreens droop under the weight of the new fall, an undisturbed winter wonderland…. That is what it is like ALL THE TIME. In town the white on the trees is crystalline – like rime ice in the alpine. On close inspection you see the sharp edges and crystals of the snow structure. The frozen birch forest appears like a china shop stacked floor to ceiling with its delicate wares; one messy dance step or the swipe of a stick could make it all come crashing down. Sometimes when I’m on the dog sled I feel transported to Narnia!  There are two reasons for this glorious presentation: Little to no wind and COLD temperatures.

The Birch trees and light are Art!
The almost full moon
10:45 am – this is my commute to town.
The snow sits on the branches making a winter wonderland.

A little primer on snow to help understand. Snow science gets complex but a very general explanation is this: Snow falls as crystals (no 2 the same shape hence the term “original as a snowflake”) There are different shapes but most have sharp edges. Temperature and movement make snowflakes compact – which means losing those sharp edges (becoming more round) and condensing.  The light fluffy stuff gets heavier once you have disturbed it. Example; shoveling the driveway, the piles on the edges become dense and heavy. When temperatures warm snowflakes lose the sharp crystal structure which allows it to compact. Folks who live or play in avalanche prone areas are paying attention to the freeze / thaw cycles as well as the weight of the snow layers that make the snow more compact or stable.  Well – here where the temperatures are below 0 and often – 20 or – 30, the cold allows the snow to keep its crystalline shape – staying light and fluffy. There is no wind to disturb or move it, so it stays in place on the branches. When you do knock into a tree (say on your dog sled) the snow is a cloud of powder! (Think face shots skiers – only your moving horizontal instead of downhill!)

crystals on my night walk
rime ice/crystals in town

The two things that I was apprehensive about, the cold and dark, have been less threatening than expected!  Let me start with the dark. I see MORE sun here in winter than I did in Seattle! I’ve seen the sun EVERY DAY since I arrived! Now – it’s true I only see it for a few hours, but it’s out and the low angle makes for beautiful light on the trees and hillsides. The sun rises around 11 am these days and sets before 4 pm… but the twilight hours are delightful. I’m writing this at 9:30 am and a gentle orange has started on the horizon. The day starts gradually, sky colors shifting and brightening, a crescendo to a big climax: the sun popping over the horizon. This place is paradise for those who like to sleep in late and a curse for those who need to be up and out to a job early. I make a point to do chores, mush, walk….. something active during daylight hours and this has made the darkness welcome. There is a comfort in looking up at a star studded sky and the glow of the moonlight on the snow.

Day 3 – it’s 2 pm!
Sunrise from the back deck.
Sunrise – 11 am in Fairbanks.

The cold is INTENSE! Let me be more specific: the cold of –30 is intense. Negative 10 is quite lovely…. And even -20 was a surprising difference in warmth, but make no mistake, it is cold. It’s a dry cold…. Which does not have the deep bone chill of dampness (Seattle on a 40 degree day).  I can’t believe that I have been out dog mushing and snowshoeing in -30 and been comfortable! Sure the max length of time I spent out was 1 hour, but still it is incredible to me that is possible. I had visions of not wanting to leave the house in those temperatures but no, life goes on – people function – they go to work, drive cars, grocery shop and go to school. They dog mush and ski and get together for dinner…. All the things people do everywhere. There are just a different set of protocols. The amount of clothing worn, the safety equipment you carry in your car or on your person, the amount of time you spend outside, the amount of hand and toe warmers you invest in.  There is a learning curve to this winter lifestyle and I have excellent teachers!  I am cognizant of each activity (like driving or taking a walk) that I would do anywhere else without the same amount of preparation or planning.

Yes – it is -30!
Out mushing in – 30!

So – Alaska for the winter it is! My goals:  1) Learn to dog mush and become competent enough to run my own dog team. I want to travel across the land and in the Brooks Range by dog team. It sounds dreamy to me. I will report back if it REALLY IS!  2) Be active outdoors in the Alaskan winter. That means skiing, snowshoeing, trapping, traveling, camping…. Experience a small slice of what pioneers and natives have done for years.

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