Winter is finally here, and it’s wonderful. Sure, it’s cold and icy, but it’s beautiful. Walking around Nome and flying around the region, everything I see is just gorgeous — from the fresh snow to the intriguing sea ice.
Still, it’s hard to relay the landscape in words. I struggle to describe the experience to my family and friends back home. And while it’s not any easier to distill the beauty of the frozen Bering Sea in my amateur photos, I’d still like to share a few pictures from my first winter in Alaska.
Christmas came upon us so quickly that it was hard to celebrate the holiday. But wading through the willows to find the KNOM station “tree” was the first time I felt proper wintry.
Since then, the season has set in slowly but surely, and Nome looks so lovely blanketed in the snow.
While four-wheelers have hardly gone out of style, many people are motoring about on snowmachines now, and it’s awesome.
I was particularly jazzed when I got to take one out myself. (Shout-out to Mitch for helping when I got it stuck. And special shout-out to that kind, random passerby for helping when neither Mitch nor I could pull it clear of the sloshy snowbank.)
Even more than the snow, though, I’m very excited about the sea ice. It’s incredible to see the ocean freeze so far — and a little unnerving to see it sit silent without the sound of the waves.
And as the sea ice came in, so did the seals. My first sightings were down at the small boat harbor.
While New Year’s Eve didn’t include any seal sightings, there was an impressive fireworks show at the harbor. It was well worth the wait after a bright Fourth of July.
Fireworks of a different sort were on display when Sam Schmidt took us out shooting. It was hard to remove my gloves and reload before my hands went numb, but I felt very accomplished when I shattered a glass bottle with a shotgun.
My first live race update was less impressive and more fumbled, but I’m so excited to get better as race season gets underway. Following the close finish of the Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race was addictive, and I can’t wait for the Yukon Quest.
So far, though, I think my favorite parts of winter have been the consistently spectacular sunrises.
No matter where I am or what day it is, seeing the sun rise in the late, late morning never fails to make me stop and appreciate just how lucky I am to see all of this.
