Spring…then summer

As I’ve been whining about in my earlier blogs, spring came late to the interior of Alaska this year. Just one week ago we were in the middle of a major snowstorm that dropped upwards of eight inches on snow on already lingering snowdrifts.

Today we had spring. It came early this morning, that kiss of mild air that tells you the leaves might start thinking about cautiously showing their buds. The snowdrifts were creating little streams of snowmelt in the ditches and other inconvenient places.

This afternoon spring seemed to have run its course. and walking out of my office on the resort property I found that I had to take off my jacket-the one that seemed so inadequate earlier this week. Summer is arriving.

For the first time since I arrived last month, I walked across the highway to the employee dining area without a coat. Everyone was heading outside to play basketball, talk with friends, and just enjoy life. The snowy mountains surrounding us didn’t seem quite so forbidding. And on the drive back to our housing area, we saw water gushing down the hillsides.

The ice on the rivers is finally starting to break up, although there are ice dams forming that could mean trouble down the line. The Nenana Ice Classic came to a close on Monday afternoon when the tripod fell from the broken ice. It was the latest breakup since it started so many years ago, breaking the 1964 record by only four hours.

This weekend I’m heading to Fairbanks to take a little break from Denali, and do some sightseeing. My camera is packed and ready to go, and I’m hearing reports of many wildlife sightings and lots of baby moose. It’s also supposed to be 75 degrees in Fairbanks tomorrow. I’m sure our arriving guests tomorrow would not believe it if we tell them we had a blizzard last week.

I Spoke Too Soon

I guess I got a tad overconfident about the weather when I posted last weekend. It seemed like Spring. It felt like Spring. But Mother Nature had other plans.

Beginning early yesterday morning, we got hit with a major snowstorm that is just now finally moving on to bother someone else. When you’re in a business that’s involved in transporting vacationers and giving them a wonderful experience, a snowstorm is a BIG DEAL. All we could say was “Welcome to Alaska!”  

My hopes of driving into Denali National Park today were dashed, so instead I’ve spent most of the day watching movies. I’m figuring that no self-respecting grizzly would be out wandering around in a blizzard anyway, and even if he was I wouldn’t be able to see him! I did go out and clear about eight inches of wet, heavy snow and ice off the car I leased for the season. There wasn’t an ice scraper or snow brush in the car-it was only for the summer, after all.

I’m holding on to great hopes that I might get into the park tomorrow, which is the last day cars are allowed to drive beyond Savage River. With the snow it’s likely I won’t get beyond Savage anyway, but it’s worth checking, anyway.

Alaska has a long-standing tradition called the Nenana Ice Classic. It started in 1917, probably by people who were suffering from cabin fever and needed something to do. Why not bet on Spring? Besides, Alaskans will bet on almost anything. So every year a tripod is set up on the ice on the Tanana River, in the town of Nenana, south of Fairbanks. When the tripod falls over, breakup is official. People buy tickets and make their guess on when the ice will go out. Last year the winner received $350,000. The latest the ice has ever gone out was May 20, 1964, the same week I graduated from high school in Anchorage. I remember it being a cold spring-I wore a heavy coat over my graduation gown because it was so cold. It looks like this year might set a new record. On May 6 the ice was still 40 inches thick. That was the last measurement, because the ice starts to get soft and it isn’t safe to go out on the river. With the very cold weather we’ve been having, I somehow think that ice hasn’t deteriorated all that much in the last couple of weeks. I’ll keep checking and let you know when the ice goes out. I;m ready for it right now!

I always try to live in the moment and enjoy whatever comes, especially in Alaska. There is so much beauty here, and the many seasons and types of weather make it a constantly changing picture. But I’ve been here now for seven weeks of winter. Seriously, I’m ready for summer.

Trip to Anchorage

After a month of living in Healy and seeing the same scenery every day, I finally had the opportunity to go to Anchorage last weekend. I picked up one of our vehicles there and brought it back with another coworker. It gave me a chance to do some shopping and try out a couple of restaurants. When you live in a big city you forget that not everyone can just walk into a Target or a Safeway or a Walgreens whenever they want to buy what they need.

I haven’t seen much wildlife since I got to Alaska, but the trip to Anchorage brought several great sightings. On the way down I saw a bald eagle sitting in a tree next to the road. Coming back, we spotted three grizzlies and two moose. 

I’m getting excited about being able to get into Denali National Park soon. There are trails to be hiked, wildlife to watch, and photos to be taken. It’s why I come here. Maybe next weekend….

Spring Is Late This Year

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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.

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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. 

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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.Image

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.