Since moving to Alaska, people continued to warn us about the pending winter. This doomsday talk started basically from the moment we arrived and continued week after week. So Jari and I kind of freaked out and started buying cold-weather gear across multiple domains (Amazon, REI, The Prospector in Fairbanks, Costco to name a few). The last 2 winters in Germany were really mild with little snow so we really did not have much. We knew we had some cold-weather gear coming but could not remember the sizes or quantity/quality of what we had so we basically started from scratch. In the end, I think we spent close to $2000-2500 on pants, boots, gloves, hats, socks, balaclavas, hand and boot warmers, boot/glove dryers, and finally sleds/ski goggles (have not needed these yet but we were told we would want them) and yet if sometimes feels like we still are not ready.
But the temperature did drop quickly and soon we had our first snow!
The kids were eager to get out and enjoy it.
Even though the snow was scant on the first fall it was still cold.
I decided that before it got much colder I would still run outside while I had the chance.
I tried multiple combos of gloves. in the end, a wool liner (kind of scratchy which was not nice) with a ski shell, then tucked inside my jacket pockets works best for temps approaching 0 F. If it was between 15-25 I could do without tucking them in my jacket pockets
At lower temps, I would wear various layers on top and bottom and then run with a headlamp.
Running in the snow can be very peaceful
One issue I did not anticipate was that my eyelashes would freeze as the moisture from my tears and breathing would condense on my eyelashes. They would stick together whenever I blinked.
With this balaclava, my lashes were not as bad but the mask would freeze
One day I ran with a small wind shell over my fleece and my sweat turned to ice!
As we received more snow, the kids had a ton of fun sledding.
They invented a new sport called sled-boarding
I taught them how to run and dive onto the sleds
But sled-boarding was the favorite sport (other than dad pulling them around)
The snow is light and fluffy so snow angels are easy to make
Sled train powered by dad
Jari was able to walk the kids to and from the base Library on many cold mornings
The kids found this interesting as there were icicles growing like stalagmites.
They also found the joy of kicking larger icicles off buildings and carrying around chunks of ice.
A few more short videos of their adventures outside:
Jari is likely really happy to have her car here now that the snow is here. I had it winterized (added heated oil pan and engine block heater etc) but we are still waiting on snow tires.
Making snow monsters
The season has only just begun but the kids have found lots of joy in being outside.
Not pictured here is Jari going on morning walks with her friend Corrine Butler. They have been meeting 2 times per week to go on a walk for an hour. As the mornings get colder Corrine's dog has been walking slower in the snow. I wish they could both go to the gym to walk but the base has not opened it for dependents (family members of an active duty member) due to COVID-19 cases being on the rise
Lessons learned so far: 30 F feels very different from 15 F which feels very different from 0 Degrees.
Gloves are lost easily - this is why we purchased 2 pairs each.
What do you think about winter?
Zach "It is nice because we can sled."
Camille "Put on everything who's snow-proof."
Hazel: "Even though it can be super cold outside you can still have fun if you put in the right stuff."
What do you like the most about the snow?
Camille: Sled!
Hazel: I like the sled-boarding.
Zach: "That it is powdery in Alaska."
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