Category: Life in Alaska
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Sink vs Toilet
If you could only have one, which would you pick? In my imaginary contest, I could either win a sink with hot running water or an indoor flush toilet. I was enjoying the restroom at a store when the thought came to me. (Public bathrooms are now one of the highlights of a trip to…
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Weather, Week 2 in Healy
Temperatures have been mild for the area, but this is the coldest March I have experienced in over 50 years. This morning it was 7F when I got up. Now it is a comfy 33F. Love this $12 max/min thermometer which we put up the day after we arrived. (Amazon link at bottom of post).…
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Moose, Week 2
On Saturday we saw 5 moose. In the last week we had seen many moose tracks, but the animals were remaining elusive. We still haven’t seen the moose that have left tracks at our cabin. One of the moose had distictively white hind legs. The mountains were gorgeous, though Denali was hiding behind her clouds.…
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Ice Fishing, Week 2
We were close to spending $175 each for guided ice fishing when I looked further afield and found the free Community Ice Fishing Day at Chena Lake in North Pole. https://www.newsminer.com/local-events/?_evDiscoveryPath=/event%2F1626357-community-ice-fishing-day In the photos, note the other predrilled fishing holes on the ice. I hope C is kidding about wanting to buy a battery powered…
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Aurora, Day 7 in Healy
Wow! While we had brief glimpses of the aurora borealis on a couple occasions while traveling, last night was a particularly impressive display. Thanks to a good aurora forecast, we had set an alarm & planned to drive to nearby Otto Lake at midnight. Fortunately C woke up at 11 and looked out the window!…
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Tracks, Day 6 in Healy
In addition to many typical tracks depressed in the snow, I have also come across some raised footprints, elevated above the snowpack. So cool! Search “raised footprints in snow” for better photos, impressive elevation on some of the tracks, and explanations of the phenomenon.
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Snowpack, Day 5 in Healy
Short walk and a short post. Today I took the snowmobile path rather than the plowed road. New territory! Turned around and retraced my steps. Snowshoes would have been handy. Even on the snowmobile packed snow, I was sinking enough to slow me down.
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Dry Cabin Dishes, Day 4
Here is my dish washing system, which will surely evolve over the coming months. Hauling water is a hassle, so conserving is a high priority. If you have any advice, please chime in! Components: bread, spray bottle, squirt bottle, dish soap, 2 tubs, grey water bucket, rag or sponge Step one, in finishing the meal…
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Labrador Tea, Day 3 in Healy
I didn’t think foraging would start for awhile. But while shoveling snow to widen a path to the outhouse, I found some Labrador Tea! My Alaska edibles books are arriving Friday with our household goods. But I am confident in identifying this particular plant. Snow flattened Labrador Tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum, I believe, though there are…
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Snowshoes, Day 2 in Healy
First day waking up in our cabin and using the outhouse at 13F. Lucky it is this warm! Another gorgeous, sunny day. We mixed being productive with having fun. Saw a flock of around 20 Ptarmigan in their winter white. Only one would stand still for a photo. One of the productive tasks was getting…
Me & C 