Spring-like Conditions in Kotzebue

Cemetery Hill in the tundra outside of Kotzebue.

The weather has been beautiful in Kotzebue during the last week: bright, sunny and clear. While the temperatures continue to drop below zero nightly, the days rest comfortably in the single digits. As I sit here viewing the splendorous daylight, a sense of peace relaxes my muscles. Breathing in and out, I understand why those who have made Kotzebue their permanent home love the winter.

This morning is a freebie for me. It's a time to relax, enjoy the beauty, and think of friends and family in the Lower 48. Eager to join Rick in Anchorage this morning, I awoke at 4 am for a flight scheduled to leave at 8:36. However, other plans began to unfold as I checked the status for Alaska Airlines flight 151. It had been canceled. Just like that. After several calls to Alaska and rescheduling appointments, my itinerary had been changed and the morning was freed up.

Kotzebue Sound near the airport.

Rick and I had been discussing a trip out of the bush for well over a month. Leaving this Far North village every two months during the winter aids our endurance of the harsh climate. We normally return to Kotzebue renewed and refreshed. So my disappointment of having this morning's flight canceled weighed on my heart until I gazed outside at the frozen lagoon and snow piles recently plowed. This morning was an unexpected gift.

Much has happened here lately. Last week, the regional finals for basketball class A1 and A2 occurred in the gym at Kotzebue High School. Students from the nearby villages and as far away as Unalukleet descended upon this Eskimo community, located where the Selawik, Kobuk, and Noatak rivers converge. Beginning Tuesday, male and female basketball players arrived on charted planes for games beginning the following day. Throughout the week, these kids could be seen in clusters between games along Third Street with light green shopping bags carrying purchases from the local Alaska Commercial store.

Games in the Dawg House from Wednesday through Saturday held the attention of many in the community. Such excitement was felt while routing for teams comprised of children related to many of them. Residents were happy for the opportunity to see relatives from their past. High school basketball players slept in the classrooms and napped in the hallways of the school. Many late-night evenings were spent by these physically fit players wandering the "Big City" of Kotzebue promised excitement after escaping from the confines of their small villages.

Snow pile on the edge of the lagoon.

Huge snow drifts and piles from previous blizzards made the news in Anchorage recently. Photos and blog postings were used for reference material for stories written about the record snowfall in this remote area. Flights were canceled, residents were home-bound, and schools had snow days or closed early. But when the sun reappeared and the skies cleared, these huge mountains of snow became a concern for the city council. Public Works crews worked for days to haul snow piles out onto the lagoon and Swan Lake. Truckloads of snow were transported to the outskirts of town. Snow removal equipment instead of new computers may be purchased to handle the situation for future years.

The bright sun and abundance of snow has raised concerns of snow blindness. Due to the brightness of the sun's rays reflecting off the snow, people can experience temporary blindness. I will be purchasing sunglasses while in Anchorage this weekend as the effects of the glare have caused headaches the last couple of days.

Spring break is coming to the Northwest Arctic Borough. Instead of a full week, the youth receive two days off next Thursday and Friday (March 17 and 18). Alaska Airlines flights out have been full all this week as parents, teachers and others seek additional days of fun and relaxation away from the village.

Such high travel volume has affected the amount of mail and goods normally transported up on combie flights. Stores haven't quite completed their restocking from previous delays due to recent blizzards. Late packages has created a feast of famine situation at the post office. After more than two weeks, my new IPod finally arrived after being sent Priority Mail from Anchorage.

Kivalina.

Next week I fly to Kivalina to visit the club there and meet with stakeholders in the community. Kivalina is located 80 miles northwest of Kotzbue at the tip of an eight-mile barrier reef off the Chukchi Sea and Kivalina River. Due to serious erosion problems associated with climate change, this village of 380 Eskimos will someday be relocated for the second time. Huge boulders were barged up from a quarry near Nome to slow the loss of landmass falling into the ocean. From the air, the magnitude of the problem is easily seen. The unemployment rate is very high in this village, and a great number of residents depend on subsistence hunting and fishing to survive. This will be my third trip to this remote peninsula in the Arctic. I am looking forward to the visit.

Alaska Airlines terminal in Kotzebue.

Well a few hours have passed and the sun has lit up the frozen land. Meanderings of events filled this post while I await the departure of flight 152 to Anchorage. Sharing the morning with friends, family and others in this manner has ushered in feelings of closeness. Technology has brought us closer today than ever before. Enjoy the beauty of this day.

Note: This post was written last Thursday, March 10.