Winter seems like it is has arrived, but then again, what do I really know about winter when it comes to Nome? What I do know is that there is snow, ice, and harsh winds. It is dark more than it is light, and the air has a bite to it when you venture outside. The transformation a layer of snow brings to any environment is astonishing, but here, it is breathtaking.
It has been interesting to see how the community is adapting to the changing weather. The other day, the final dredges were gathered and taken out of the harbor. When I first heard dredges were being removed, I imagined the small boats that miners use to gather gold throughout the summer and fall. A friend and I drove over to the harbor to check it out. Rather than finding rafts being taken out on trailers, we found giant platforms being slowly hauled up by men and large machines.
This scene would not have been out of place in a sci-fi film — some remote space colony that sends out satellites to harvest made-up spice or mineral. These dredges just seemed so alien and out-of-place. These three giant dredges loomed over the teams, who were toiling to remove them from the ice-covered harbor. Rather than floating when they are in open water, these machines drive four pillars into the sea floor to keep stable for long periods of time. It is humbling to reflect on the fact that all of the struggle to create, operate, and maintain these machines is in order to collect dust.
While turning to look at the horizon, I noticed ripples sprouting randomly in the water. Seals were surfacing in the pinkish blue water. The calm surface was continually interrupted by the appearance of small faces which would quickly disappear. The culmination of these very different sights was slightly disorienting.
Adapting to this place is an ongoing process. Much of what I find in this community is foreign to what I have known in the lower 48. This was one of those moments when it was hard to comprehend all that goes on in this region. In these perplexing situations, I have to just shrug and tell myself “It’s Nome.”
