Over the River and Through the Woods

To grandmother’s Samuel's house I go.. I would say that this weekend truly solidified the fact that I live in Alaska. One of the convenient parts of my move to Nondalton is that I am closer to Newhalen, the village where Sam lives. This weekend was the first that I got to travel to visit him and it is not something I will soon forget. 

Not only was I excited about my trip, but by the time this week rolled around, the entire school seemed to be eager for my journey. Honestly, I wouldn’t have been able to get to and from Newhalen without the help of the teachers and a few kind community members. Throughout the week I had the task of finding someone who could take me across the river in a boat where I would meet Sam and continue on to the village. Being the organized planner that I am, the uncertainty behind this trip had my anxiety levels through the roof. I was lucky enough to find a dad who crosses the river often and who was willing to take me. 

Once my ride across was secured, I felt much more comfortable and excited for the adventure to begin. Then, however, winter in Alaska decided to hit in full force. We went from forty degree weather to twenty below in just a few days time, something that makes outdoor travel a bit troublesome. When school let out on Friday and I was getting ready to go, the man who was taking me across stopped by school to tell me that he was going to check the ice to see if it was ready to take hondas across. The moment he left I looked to my co-workers, many of whom have lived here for a few years or more, for reassurance at this turn of events. Crossing the frozen lake slightly (okay truly and completely) terrifies me, and the looks on their faces didn’t help. The ice hadn’t frozen over to be travel-ready since a brief time last semester, so we were all surprised when he said that. I was quickly promised that he was a great ice-checker and wouldn’t take me unless he felt secure. Much to my relief, he came back and said we’d go by boat because the ice wasn’t quite thick enough. 

After we knew that I was going by boat I put on the rest of my winter gear. I felt as if I was getting ready for prom as my farewell crew got me ready. I’m the newbie and the youngest member of the staff so I’ve been taken in by many of the teachers and staff members. I wasn’t allowed to leave until I put on one more jacket (which made me feel like Randy from “A Christmas Story”), had almost my whole face covered, and got in a quick photo shoot. The man taking me over knows I like to run and told me that I could’ve just shed some layers and run across the lake which would’ve been quicker and kept me nice and warm. Once I’d gotten the okay from my substitute family members, I was on my way! 

We took a quick honda ride down the beach to where the river wasn’t frozen and we grabbed the boat. None to my surprise, we had some trouble getting the motor started once we were in the water. A few minutes later, however, I had officially made it across the river to where Sam was waiting with a warm truck. I shed a few coats and then we were off again. A bumpy, yet beautifully scenic thirty minutes later and I was officially in Newhalen! 

Saturday was another incredibly cold day, but it was such a nice day so we took a honda ride so Sam could show me around the village. As bundled as I was, I still lost feeling in my fingers and toes within ten minutes(the rest of me was perfectly warm though). By the time we got back two hours later, I was questioning whether I’d ever regain feeling in my toes. Once we’d been inside and had the chance to thaw out for a few hours, we were both ready to get back out and take advantage of the daylight. We went down to where the Newhalen River leads into Lake Iliamna and were like little kids as we walked around on the ice. It was incredible to see the stages of freezing, from thin layers of ice to large floating ice chunks and finally the eight inch thick ice we were walking around on. Sam channeled his inner Buddy the Elf and was hopping around on the floating chunks (after making sure the water wasn’t too deep just in case) as I wandered around on the solid ice. 

In that moment, as I watched the sun begin to set, surrounded by snowy mountains at almost twenty degrees below zero, it hit me again that I really live in Alaska. This time last year, I never would have thought that I’d spend weekends traveling between villages in rural Alaska in bitter-cold temperatures, yet here I am. With each passing day, I am having experiences that I never in a million years would have seen myself having. As my dad always says, I truly am living a dream and I love every second of it.

After a fun-filled and relaxing weekend that passed in the blink of an eye, it was time to head back to Nondalton. This time, however, we were crossing over on a honda; the lake had frozen enough over the weekend to be travel-ready. Many people had already made the trip back and forth, yet I was not convinced. When we got down to the lake, I was anxious about going across, but when my ride came, I hopped on the honda and we took off. What felt like ten seconds later, and I was safely back on my side of the water. It’s only about a quarter of a mile across the lake so it really didn’t take long at all. Now that the ice has frozen over, the trip between the two villages is much easier and I can’t wait for my next trip to Newhalen:) I would prefer that the temperatures be above zero next time, but at least I know what to expect!