Head First - Winter

Everyone warned us of the dark, cold winter we were in for. My boss warned me, "your going to wonder what the hell you were doing moving here". Well we aren't wondering that yet, but it is a cold and dark winter, as winters go. I saw the sun start to head towards the mountains today around noon on my daily run. However if the sun shines it's considered a good day, even if it only lasts a couple of hours. As far as being cold, it's not too bad, it doesn't feel to different from a Utah ski slope on a nice day. So this was a relief for me as I was terrified I would be chiseling ice off the windows, and boarding up the windows with god knows what. The wind is new and it blows hard especially on the south side of the mountain we live on. I always look outside and to decide where to run, and run with the wind, as running against it would be pure misery even if your a hard core.

Turns out they don't salt the roads here, there's at least 2 inches of ice on every road. I thought this might stop people, it doesn't. Everyone with 2 wheel drive, 4 wheel drive, bikes, feet, etc. are out doing their thing. Going running is interesting, my Yak Tracks broke while I was walking on the ice, shortly after the wind basically blew me across the parking lot as though I was ice skating. With 2 inch thick ice on every flat surface, you need spikes which you can of course by at the local grocery store.

Gabe and I learned how to put chains on the tires this weekend, something neither one of us had ever done. It took several hours. Our neighbor came and said 'hi' and let us know it was much better to learn on a clear saturday afternoon, instead of in a snowstorm like he did. The chains are possibly not still on right, as they keep slipping to the outside side of the tire, we will continue to research this, and figure it out, tips are appreciated.

I am beginning to appreciate how extreme Alaskans are, and at the same time realize how not extreme I am. One Haines resident likes to run what they call the 'Golden Circle" starting from Haines and running all the way to Skagway the next town up the river, a mere 30 min ferry ride, takes 200 miles of road. She run's this once every several years, running for 12 hours per day, with her husband following her in their truck with aide. Another Haines resident, consequently the swimming coach for the high school, swam from Skagway to Juneau, over 100 miles, in the frigid Lynn Canal. He of course wore a wet suit in the 37 degree water, and a boat followed him to make sure he made it. He was protesting the building of a highway from Skagway to Juneau. Being surrounded by extreme landscape, and people can be inspiring, I ran the other evening in the pitch black with my headlamp for 30 min. It was only 4:30pm. Gabe asked me if I'd conquered my fear of the dark when I returned, I said I had begun to chip away at it.