Thursday, March 22: Due to needed Outside travel, it’s been two seasons since we’ve been out to Grayling. All 7 of us – winter-geared up (shoehorn, anyone?) – squeeze into the Piper Lance for the 2.5-hour flight to the Lower Yukon region. Thankful for a clear day below freezing, a tailwind, and a friend to meet us at the runway with a snow machine and sled, we arrive at the mission house that was winterized and left several months ago.
When we arrived at the house at 9pm (yes, that light still!), we found Grayling had received an ample amount of snowfall since the last time we’d been out (before our lower 48 trip).
First order of business: find the doorstep!
Since we had to leave the house to freeze, there was some major thawing to be done. (Nope, not the freezer: hoarfrost buildup in the toy cupboard.) It’s always a mixed bag of surprises to see how the house fared in our absence: to get settled in, we were thankful James had stored 5 gallons of heating fuel so we could turn on the Toyo stove; we found that the breaker had flipped on the heat trace to the water main, so there was thawing and repairs before we could have water; and we found that the electricity had failed at some point, causing the freezer full of moose meat to thaw and spoil (clothespins, anyone?). We were thankful for a friend who supplied us with soup bones and TWO bags of smoked fish strips (salmon) – one of the best treats!!
James relieving a shed roof
James and Jared clearing the church roof
Jared: the fun part of snow removal is getting to be up on the roof!
Snow machines were going by almost at window level
Snow machine roads through town
The second or third day we were there, all the snow on the north side let loose and slid off.
After the snow slid off the roof
View from the living room
Happy Alaska boy! We were in Grayling through Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter. The Tribal Council asked our input in planning community services, and we had a full Easter beginning with a Resurrection Day service, egg hunt in the afternoon, and community meal in the evening.
Let the egg hunt begin!
Found one!
The closing event of Easter Sunday was a community ham and turkey dinner
Springtime on the Norton Sound (Bering Sea)
Norton Sound (Bering Sea)
Unalakleet, on the Norton Sound
Village of Unalakleet, final approach
Snow from Unalakleet airport pushed out onto the sea ice
Kiddos with Norton Sound (Bering Sea) behind
Back in Fairbanks: Because of snow removal happening on the East Ramp, we got to land and taxi in on the Big Boy runway! 😀 (Not sure why, but this really evokes a lot of delight in the little guys!)
Plane unloaded and ready to push into parking
Snow removal on the East Ramp (private plane parking) – creates a spectacular arc of snow!
Home before sunset
Millers in Alaska 