Spring in Alaska is truly intoxicating. There is a sweet-spot of a time frame that exists, when the combination of snowy adventures mixed with a rapid increase in daylight hits just right! But often it seems like transitional seasons in Alaska are over in the blink of an eye, and before you know it, the spring groove that you had finally found yourself in is over. One spring weekend it’s skiing and ice fishing, a week later it’s time for hiking and kayaking!
Last weekend I drove out to Fielding Lake with my boyfriend, Gus, and our little adventure dog, Penelope. We had reserved the public use cabin managed by the Alaska State Parks for Friday and Saturday night, and were looking forward to getting out of town into the Alaskan wilderness. With six feet of ice on the lake and the ground still covered in snow, it was the perfect place to celebrate one last “winter” outing.
Once we arrived at mile 200.5 of the Richardson Highway, we parked the truck and started unloading our gear. The public use cabin where we would be staying is located about a mile and a half from the parking area, and we had brought a snowmobile and sled to help transport our belongings.
As we arrived at the cabin, we were greeted by two moose who stood observing us from across a stream. Talk about an Alaskan welcoming party! They lingered for a while, watching us unpack our things and settle in a bit before they loped away, continuing to munch in the distance.
We were grateful to see that someone had left wood stacked on the cabin’s porch, which we used to start a fire in the wood stove and warm up the cabin. We brought some extra wood inside to dry out overnight and continued unpacking until we turned in for the night. (With the luxury of the snowmachine and the sled, we maybe brought more stuff than we normally would!)
The next morning started slowly with breakfast, coffee, and some reading of Louis L’Amour’s Sitka. Once we were done with breakfast, it was off to the lake! Gus loved the convenience of having the snowmobile to get all of the fishing gear to the lake, but Penelope and I preferred to take the slower route and she accompanied me as I cross country skied.
Although we had a slow day of fishing, we soaked up every minute of sun and enjoyed beautiful views as we ate a charcuterie picnic lunch on the lake. It was a lazy day of naps, writing, cribbage games, skiing, snowmobiling, and despite social distancing we even managed to make some new friends!
Once we got back to the cabin that night, we got a little fire going in the wood stove and enjoyed an amazing dinner of moose burgers, thanks to Gus. Not only does he love to hunt, but he loves to cook as well! What a match made in heaven, and thankfully I get to think of myself as the official taste-tester!
The next morning started out similarly to the first, with sleeping in and a backpacker’s mocha (Swiss Miss and Starbucks instant coffee for the win!). Thankfully it was a better day of fishing and we got to enjoy another day of beautiful Alaskan weather, surrounded by snowy mountains, before packing up and heading home. We loved our quiet, peaceful respite from everyday life that time at a public use cabin provides, and the drive was spectacular. We even saw some caribou on our way home!
It’s hard to believe that this same time last week I was packing up my cross country skis for the last time. After a sunny, beautiful weekend it feels like summer has officially started. Don’t get me wrong, I love Alaskan summer! But while I’m looking forward to the hiking and kayaking, I am also super grateful to have squeezed in one last weekend of winter adventures!
If the idea of hiking and backpacking is something that speaks to you but you aren’t quite sure where to start, I get it! I’ve come a long way since moving to Alaska. For more about my journey and a couple of suggestions visit this post.