dj.tigersprout's photoblog
Beyond the Bridge, Anaktuvak, Alaska
Posted by dj.tigersprout (New York City, United States) on 5 August 2008 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.
i wasn't so sure what i would bring with me up to Alaska... i knew i had to go shopping -- that much was certain, but what did i really know about temperatures that got down to -65 degrees fahrenheit? was there any experience i had had that might prepare me for what i was in for? the answer was an easy 'no'. all my friends and colleagues gave me crazy looks -- they couldn't believe i was headed to one of the coldest places on earth on Christmas break! to be completely truthful, i couldn't really either... but that was why i was going! i knew i wouldn't believe it until i experienced it first hand, and i was purposely pushing my limits -- after all, i simply loved the sun and warm tropical beachy temperatures...
luckily for me, it never got down to -65 degrees during those 10 days i was there. still, leaving the already rather cool winter temperatures of lowers 50's to arrive in the near -20's was certainly a shock of nearly 70 some degrees! because i had been crazy enough to buy the plane ticket for the 20th of december (when everyone i knew kept shaking their heads in utter disbelief), i knew i was mentally prepared -- but could i manage physically? after all the laughs and joking, would i be well enough dressed to adventure outside? could i remain out in the frigid weather long enough to experience a true Alaskan winter for 10 whole days? and could i function in dim twilight? or would i want to remain in bed, sleeping the short day away?
one of the main drivers behind this trip was to do the unthinkable, and head to the arctic in mid-winter. but the second driver was to prove i had been there by taking quality pictures of the local areas i would be visiting. i had my camera in tow... but would i be able to take the pictures i was after? wouldn't my exposed fingers freeze off? was there a certain trick to shooting in freezing weather? and just as importantly, how would my camera respond? would it freeze? could it break? would the lens crack if it got too cold? i had so many unanswered questions when i landed in Fairbanks and i was a bit anxious as i hadn't been able to find any relevant info to shed light on the subject.
walking briskly from the outer door of the arrivals terminal i hopped into a free cab after throwing my bags quickly into the open trunk, my face already stinging -- goodness it was cold. chatting with the driver as we began the 15 minute ride to the hostel i had chosen, i found myself blowing fixedly on my hands to warm them up -- i was already shivering and way beyond merely cold. a flash of fear overtook me as my body initially fought the freezing onslaught, but then it quicky vanished as my veins began to fill with raw adrenaline. it was beginning, this was the real deal. distantly i could almost hear the jokes and laughter around the office as i received my ticket confirmation... but it wasn't a joke any longer -- now i needed to draw on my creativity, my resolve and my intuition in order to make this trip successful.
the driver smiled kindly seeing my bodily reactions and to the obvious reality that i was a foreigner to these frigid parts. he reached for the dashboard and blasted the heat even though he was wearing several thick and comfortable layers and certainly didn't need it. he pointed to the wonderful frozen surroundings and told me i would get used to this cold, that it was simply mind over matter. he explained that he had lived here 12 years already and he quickly learned to love the long winters and the beautiful peace it brought. a short while later we pulled up at a small house in a partially wooded neighborhood. simply everything was white -- covered with snow and ice. nothing moved... and only the sound of the running motor filled the silent street. i looked about -- beautiful multi-colored christmas tree lights were strung about fences, some covered entire trees and most lined the white outlines of houses near and distant. in the dim and still settings, they twinkled quite magically. this was certainly some sort of enchanted wonderland... he handed me his taxi card: 'you are about 3 miles from town here, probably too far to walk -- so give me a call if you need me'.
i thanked him, took the card, and then took a deep and stabilizing breath before i cracked the door to the crisp frozen air outside. as he pulled away into the curious twilight i grabbed my bags and headed for the door, dragging the wheels of my suitcase over ice. i had made it, and although i wasn't exactly sure what i had gotten myself into, i was excited and eager. no-one i knew had been here or done this before -- i had nothing to draw on and luckily no preconceived notions of what to expect. a strange and liberating joy filled me... gone was the known, gone were the plans, the schedules, the tasks and responsibilities that tied me to my usual everyday realities. everything that lay before me now lay shrouded in beautiful mystery and covered in ice. this was a journey, i was starting over, starting completely from scratch -- i would find the tools i needed along these winter paths and i would simply learn as i went.
all work protected by Creative Commons
Canon EOS REBEL XT
1/200 second
F/9.0
ISO 1600
18 mm