Billie Hyde

Spring Is Late This Year

According to the TV weather, this was the third coldest April in interior Alaska since they started keeping records. Of course, this had to be the year I spent April in Denali. It got to the point where every morning my coworkers would wander into the dining area, look out the window, and moan “Oh, no, more snow!” As our maintenance crew was working to haul away the snowbanks on the hotel property, more was falling to take its place. This was the view of Healy on the first of May. Oh, the building in the middle? That’s our grocery store! The Stampede, where I’ll live for the season, looks like a perfect winter scene.

Once the snow started melting, it began to freeze at night, making walking treacherous. We were required to wear studded snow tires on our boots to help prevent falls.

The good news is that Spring did eventually come. In just two weeks’ time most of the snow has melted (with some stubborn snowbanks still creating mud as they melt away). After living in Arizona for so many years I thought I had completely acclimated to the warm country, but when it hit the upper forties here I found it wonderfully mild!

Living In Cold Country

Growing up in both Cut Bank, Montana and in Alaska means that sub-zero weather isn’t a new phenomenon to me. Yes, I walked to school at -42 degrees, in the snow…uphill both ways. But many years of living in San Diego and the Phoenix area have spoiled me.

In those cities you wake up in the morning knowing the sun will be shining, and at the very worst you might have to wear a sweater. Being in Healy, Alaska during the coldest April they’ve had in many years takes some getting used to!

The first thing I had to (re)learn was that wearing earrings when it’s -15 isn’t a wise move. After the first time, the earrings went into the drawer until it gets warmer. (The frostbite is almost healed.) (Wink)

The second thing is that while the snow may have been melting yesterday, this morning it’s frozen again. So under that new dusting of snow, there’s a perfect skating rink. Step with care!

And then I’ve also learned that Spring wants to tease you. You get a couple of days in the 40s, you start thinking that Breakup is here. You convince yourself that soon the ice will go out and you’ll be able to see the river running. Before long the trees will start to green up and summer will be upon us. You start peeking at the sky, hoping to see a migrating bird coming through to tell you winter is finally over. All you see is another raven.

And then the next morning you look out the window and discover another six inches of snow. And the doggone ravens.

Living in Company Housing

I spent most of my career traveling around the country, and rarely had the opportunity to actually work in an office with my coworkers. Working in Denali and living in company housing is a whole new experience. Not only do I work in an office, when I go “home” I see all the people I work with again. We share our meals, we watch movies together, and when we sit in the “living room” we’re there with other coworkers. Because the crew here now is a small group getting ready for the arrival of the rest of our employees, we have a great opportunity to get to know those in other departments. And we also have three dogs who are the most spoiled mutts on earth, since they have such a large family to pet them.

Right now the main topic of conversation is the weather, and when it will warm up enough to turn on the water in our offices and the hotel. Yes, we’re working in buildings with no water. But hey, the porta-potties are heated!

Having worked here last year, I know the next topic of conversation will be whether we’ll be ready for the first guests (they always are), and how far the Park Road is open into Denali. Then it will be about who saw what animals in the Park, when the Fall colors will come, and finally, how much we’re looking forward to going home.

This work environment is varied and enjoyable. When I was working in my career, most of the people I worked with were fairly similar, if often from all over the country. Here my coworkers are not only from all over, but have such varied backgrounds. We have college students who are working for the summer, international students all over the world, people who spend all their time going from one seasonal job to another, and retirees who have come to work and enjoy the adventure, like me. Last year I made some wonderful friends, and I’m sure I’ll add to that list this year. I’m looking forward to it…

Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Arriving in Denali early meant coming to the Interior of Alaska while it’s still in the grip of Winter. While the rest of the country experiences Spring, what Alaskans look forward to is Breakup. It means the snow is melting, the ice is turning to puddles (or lakes…or rivers…) and there is mud everywhere. Unfortunately, we’re told by the TV weather people that this is the coldest April in the Interior since 1927. I believe it.

Northern Lights

When it comes to the Aurora Borealis in Alaska right now, there’s good news and there’s bad news. The good news is that it’s still winter in Alaska. That means it actually gets dark so you can see them. The bad news is that it’s still winter in Alaska. Which means that while you stand outside in awe, the cold seeps into your hands, your toes, and eventually every part of your body.

Thanks to a sun event, the likelihood of seeing the Northern Lights has been high the last couple of days. I set my alarm and crawled out of bed at 1 AM and bundled up to venture outside and check on the show.

The sky in Healy, if you get far enough away from the lights around our building, is an inky black velvet with glitter scattered across it. When the lights are mild, the sky turns into black silk, with a sheen across it that can be mistaken for light clouds. But on a good night you can see ribbons of light, dancing and changing, moving as you watch. Last night I didn’t get to see the rarer red lights, but they were white ribbons, silent and beautiful. I stood outside for about an hour, and at the end the lights faded to that cloudy look. I kept hoping they might return, but the cold finally chased me inside. Well, the cold and the dark figure I heard approaching on the road. It was too dark to make out what it was, but moose are known to travel on the road just like we do. I began to make my way back to our housing, and was happy when the figure, approaching fast, turned out to be a fellow worker who was out enjoying the lights.

Soon the nights will begin to shorten to the point where we won’t see dark again until September, and seeing the northern lights won’t be possible. So I guess standing outside in the cold in the middle of the night is worth it right now.

A New Year in Denali

I arrived back in Denali on April 3 this year. I’m hoping to do a better job of blogging the summer this year; I finally gave up last year after struggling with the Internet service. The good news is that my Internet connection is working MUCH better this year.

We drove up from Anchorage on a beautiful sunny day in the 40s, and The Mountain (Denali) was out in all her glory. So I was thinking, “Great! Breakup is upon us and Spring is here!” Wrong. The next day it started snowing and continued for a couple of days, with the temperature dipping into the -20s every night. Yesterday we woke to no water and no heat, but that was fixed very quickly. The first day I worked in my office it was 55 degrees in the room, but fortunately Maintenance found a space heater for me and that made it very comfortable. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in weather this cold, and I’m starting to relearn some things I forgot: ALWAYS wear your hat and gloves, don’t bother with earrings because they’re pretty cold in subzero weather, walk carefully because there’s ice under that snow.

It’s a small crew up here getting ready for the season, but it’s growing almost every day. We’re all stuffed into the Stampede housing until they open up the other building, so it’s starting to get a bit crowded. We have a great group of people working together here, so I’m really looking forward to the season.

My only wildlife sighting so far has been a huge eagle feasting on a baby moose carcass. The biggest eagle I’ve ever seen! There were several ravens standing by, but none of them seemed interested in challenging the eagle for a meal.

This is the scene behind the main lodge of the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. It looks a lot different now than what our guests will be seeing this summer.

Snow Bear in Denali

This bear in front of one of the gift shops at the Denali Princess Lodge greeted me on our first day of work. Notice that he’s hip deep in snow.

Halfway Home!

Well, not ACTUALLY halfway…but halfway in time. Sunday was the midpoint of my commitment here in Denali, and it caused some mixed feelings. I’m happy the mid point is here and it’s time to start thinking of being home-of sleeping in my own bed, hugging my hubby, petting my cat, being able to sleep in, having days when I can just relax, and being able to get in a car and go wherever I want!

On the other hand there’s this panicked feeling: Oh, dear, what haven’t I done that I want to do here? How many weekends are left to be able to hike, to see wildlife, maybe take a fun excursion? I came with ideas of visiting Kenai, Homer, Talkeetna, the Arctic Circle, yadda yadda yadda. Didn’t do any of that. Without a car it just seems like too much trouble. Besides, there’s so much to do and see right here. Maybe next year…

Fireweed

As a child living in Alaska, I remember seeing Fireweed everywhere during the summer. It grows wild and loves areas that have been newly cleared or burned. Since most of the populated areas of Alaska were newly cleared when I was growing up, there was a lot of it.

This summer, living in Denali has given me the opportunity to get reaquainted with my old pal Fireweed. It seems as though there was none in evidence just a couple of weeks ago, and suddenly it’s everywhere, two feet tall already.

As wonderful as the Fireweed is, there’s a sad side to it. You see, Fireweed blooms from the bottom up. All Alaskans know that once it reaches its full glory, with the blooms going all the way to the top, it tells us the first frost is nearly due and winter isn’t far behind.

That’s OK, Fireweed, I’m glad you’re here anyway. You make me smile every day.

What was that about silence?

In the last week I’ve been listening-really listening-to the sounds of the wilderness. Well, this isn’t exactly wilderness right where I’m living-not when you have 90,000 of your best friends coming to visit during the season. So at times there is a need to filter out the cars and buses and airplanes, not to mention the guests and several hundred employees who are in the canyon where we live and work. But most of the time, there is an opportunity to stop, to listen, and to hear the sounds that are not man-made.

There are the raucus ravens who hang out around here. Earlier in the season it seemed as though the seagulls had taken over the territory, but apparently the ravens have recaptured their traditional place in the heirarchy. This afternoon I watched as three ravens chided me for infringing on their territory. Unfortunately, I’m not as easy to get rid of as the seagulls were.

We also have a healthy population of Columbian ground squirrels in residence. They run and chase each other from tree to tree, and when they realize I’m watching they move around to the other side of the tree and squeak at me. How brave.

There are plenty of other, smaller birds besides the ravens, and of course the river nearby and the wind in the trees cooperate to bring the counterpoint to the animals and birds. I love it in the early morning, before the tourist trade gets into full swing. It makes for a wonderful walk to work.