To The Arctic!

On my evening walk along the beach, in Utqiagvik, Alaska.

 One of the things I like most about being associated with this team is the opportunity to get to know so many different characters, who come to this organization from near and far. As skiers, we have a lot in common, but we also bring our different experiences and perspectives to the group. Sharing our varied cultures from the places where we spent our childhoods makes for interesting road-trip conversation.

This year, our roster is heavy on Norwegians from north of the Arctic Circle. I've never been to that part of the world myself, but I've long been curious about Troms and Finnmark. I've always wanted to see the place for myself, but never managed to get closer than Kiruna or Hattfjelldal. I'll probably get there someday. Or maybe not. 

Sunset at the cemetery

But Alaska's a northern place too, and a big portion of our state lies north of the Arctic Circle. My work frequently brings me to western parts of the state, but it's not often that I get a chance to go north of the Brooks Range. I've always been drawn to the north. Ever since I was young. Growing up in the northern Lower 48, near the Canadian border, I was always curious about what things were going on to the north of me. I was less curious about what was going on to the south of me. 

Skiing out onto the ice and going straight will get you to the North Pole.

A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to travel to Utqiagvik, the northernmost town in America, for a work assignment. The town lies at around 71 degrees north latitude - around the same latitude as our teammates, Erling, Hermod, Henry and Hedda's homes in Norway.  I'd recently heard a few comments from them that they had never seen so much daylight in December as they'd seen in Anchorage, it being significantly south of their hometowns in Norway. 

Flying north to Utqiagvik, I was curious to see how dark it would be in mid-December at 71 degrees north. I travel around to rural and remote villages weekly for work, and I never get tired of seeing the places and meeting the people. But a trip to the Chukchi Sea coast was something I was genuinely really excited about. I hadn't been there since 2014, and even in just those few hours, the place had made an impression on me. I was excited to go back, and this time I would spend the night!

A polar bear hide leaned up against the public library.

Nothing says "Chukchi Sea" like whalebones and an umiaq.