Where The Sun Never Set – Alaska Day 1 (Saturday)

A carving I made for my then soon-to-be Fiance

26 May 2012

Alaska had a long winter this year. Many of the mountains are still covered in snow, with avalanche shoots running down to the large lakes of snow run-off. Some roads are still unusable due to the depths of the snow covering them, but the main roads are clear and the weather is moderately warm. The mountainsides are covered with splashes of dark green from the evergreens and lighter greens from the new growth.

My first morning began with a trip to REI where I found a camping stove on the discount rack. It was a returned item but functioned very well and had a price that couldn’t be turned down. After REI, we went to do yard-work (I was staying with a friend from school, and I was helping him with his summer day-job while I was up there) for the remainder of the morning. At the last house, a moose crossed the street behind us as we parked the car. I was excited, but quickly found out they are common in Alaska, like deer in Michigan.

After the yard-work, we left town to spend the night in a cabin. The 100-mile drive to the cabin was described as one of the most beautiful drives in America. To our left were train-tracks and a mountain side that was truncated by the clouds; to our right was a bay with snow-covered mountains beyond them. I couldn’t believe the beauty before me. I saw a second moose on the way to this drive and watched as locals used dip-nets to fish for the hooligan that were running.

When we finally reached the cabin, I was introduced to a whole group of people that were already there enjoying their weekend away. We conversed with them for the evening and enjoyed the beautiful view while sitting around a fire. I carved a picture of the view into a piece of wood and enjoyed conversation with my new friends. The night grew late, but the sun never set. At midnight it was still just as light outside as it was at noon. I enjoyed the persistent daylight, but my body was certainly confused by it.