ARE WE ALASKANS YET?

Now that we’ve lived through (and survived :)) a winter here in ‘the great land’, most residents here would consider us Alaskan. On top of that we’ve been car-free and biking everywhere for over 6 months now; it has certainly been an adventure!

Me and my trusty companion in the dead of winter.

Soon after arriving in Seward at the end of September 2016, my partner and I applied for drivers' licenses – not because we had a car to drive, but because we needed IDs. While at the DMV we chatted with a fellow customer about our recent move and as we received our licenses, she said “Now you’re officially Alaskans.” Though, the lady working for the DMV quickly countered, “You aren’t Alaskans until you’ve survived a winter here.” Everyone laughed and we went out on our marry way. We weren’t exactly sure what winter would hold, but we hoped we were ready. 

Me and our tandem enjoying the view of Exit Glacier.

I’m happy to report that not only have we survived, but we actually enjoyed and learned a lot during our first winter season in Alaska; which by the way, was one of Seward’s snowiest and coldest in years. One local told us “I’ve been here since the ‘80’s and I haven’t seen this much snow and for this long since those days!” The city declared a state of emergency in January because over two feet of snow fell over a weekend, paralyzing city’s resources. We heard that part of the reason the city wasn’t prepared for this was because the last few winters have been so warm that they decided not to budget as much for snow removal and road treatment.

From one of B's many adventures on his fat bike, which does very well in snow. 

Lucky for us, right? We moved to Alaska just in time for a real winter :). My partner was certainly very happy! It took me a bit longer to get used to it, but in the end even I started to enjoy the challenge…mostly out of necessity :).

In winter especially things you probably don’t think much about if you’re driving a car start to matter a lot more on a bike. When you’re precariously balanced on two wheels, biking on slippery snow and ice can be challenging by itself, but then when you add high winds (average daily maximum wind speed in January in Seward is 22mph), cover of darkness most hours of the day (our shortest day was 5 hours 50 minutes), single-digit temperatures, and bicycle path closures, it can quickly become an overwhelming experience. We might have encountered one or two of those conditions at the same time when biking back in Maryland in the winter, but this past winter in Seward we’d regularly have to deal with them all at once. We certainly met our match.

Once I reminded myself (over and over again sometimes) that we moved to Alaska to experience something different, and that our dear multi-use path wasn’t going to get plowed because there were more important places to plow first (debatable from our point of view), I started to trust and embrace my body’s incredible capacity to recover from discomfort and pain at a moment’s notice. I can honestly say that I even started to enjoy the daily adventure of adapting to and surviving the weather conditions.

And to top it off, we were definitely not the only people who biked through the entire winter. There are people who have been living here car-free for years. Seeing others out there in challenging conditions (and we do see cyclists every day) definitely helped inspire us to get out there and bike.

The snow was approx. 2 feet deep here. This was taken on our way to an overnight bikepacking trip. I ended up turning around because my bike couldn't get through the snow. B had a fat bike that worked very well in these conditions.

Excited to take our recyclables to the recycling center!

~ And so, when the snow piled on and the ice started appearing everywhere, we adapted by outfitting our bikes with winter tires and our bodies with lots of layers from head to toe.

~ When 20+ mph wind chills became common and our bike path became covered under feet of snow and ice, we mustered the courage to ride on the roads. Thank goodness adequate shoulders exist in most places, Sewardites are nice folks, and this is a small town!

~ When the darkness of the winter fell, we lit up our bikes with bright lights, and also adjusted our schedules to try to get outside when there was some daylight.

~ When the snow kept pummeling our sweet little Seward for weeks on end, we adapted, through sheer perseverance, and got used to riding in all sorts of conditions.

After all, this winter experience in Alaska confirmed for us the truth of the saying: "There is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing." And I would add "...and inappropriate bike gear." :)

Happy Spring!

~Modern Akhmatova

A CALL TO THE UNIVERSE

A few years ago, I came across the mystical prayer "make the invisible, visible." And ever since then, I have practiced it whenever I'm outside among nature's bounty. It may sound silly, but this simple and brief invocation has really worked wonders for my senses and ability to become aware of nature's lessons and mystical web of details.

Yesterday was no different, while my partner and I hiked through an ancient rainforest, hanging with moss and ferns, on our way to Tonsina Point in Caines Head State Recreation Area near Seward.

As we hiked and once at water's edge, I put out a silent call to the universe, and waited as the wonder unfolded within my senses of sight, smell, hearing, and feeling.

Tonsina Point on January 28, 2017

The heights of the spruce and fir trees struck me like never before. Their towering trunks and canopies reflected the firmness and majesty of the mountains that they grew out of. 

The textures of dead trees, their inner workings exposed and folded in intricate ways, exuded such complexity and subtlety of color. 

The raindrops hung from the tips of evergreen needles, decorating the woods and trails in sparkly curtains. 

The snow, oh that white wonder and solidarity of the universe. It humbly folded beneath our feet, pressing deeper into the soil, while allowing us to pass through its pearly gates. 

Alaska's waters, what more needs to be said? 
Their purity, power, and reflection of wind's motion are at once soothing and mysteriously out of reach,

continually exposing deeper and deeper revelations. 

And there they are, the body of Mother Earth reaching out to Father Sky. 

The ancient, the sacred, the grandmothers of HERstory, 

at once swimming among the clouds and growing out of Earth's core. 

When their peaks are covered in alpine glow, surrounded by clear blue skies,

one can only stand still and stare, 

catching a glimpse of the divine.

Happy communing with Mother Earth!

~Modern Akhmatova 

WINTER MAGIC

Yes, I know it's not technically winter yet, but to me, the winter is here when everything is covered in snow and I'm dressed in 3 layers of clothing head to toe. In Alaska in particular, it's hard to accept that it's not winter yet when we're surrounded by mountains covered in snow and hemlock trees that have turned into dancing white sculptures. And then there is the one of a kind magical silence that only winter snowfall can create. It's best experienced deep in the woods...

This past weekend we spent the night at the Dale Clemens cabin. To get there, we had to hike about 3 miles up the Lost Lake trail through deep hemlock forest. Some snow had already fallen in town, but it wasn't until we entered the woods that I was struck by the enchantment that this snowfall offered.

I was in a bit of a sour mood leading up to our hike, but as soon as we entered the woods my energy shifted. I am a firm believer in the healing and restorative power of nature, and this time wasn't any different. 

As soon as we entered the woods, we were greeted by snowflakes. We stopped, looked up and paused to relish the enchanted feeling of watching snow fall. It descended in such a unified and controlled way that made me feel the pace of time - a slow, steady and harmonious process. The snow had a singular purpose and it was executing it beautifully. 

Looking up, we also noticed the chandeliers that nature had created out of hemlock branches and snow flakes. We started to hike again with snow-covered and wild blueberry bushes beside us, their dark blue fruit shimmering beneath the snowy hats. And although the silence was broken by the sounds of snow crunching beneath our feet, the sense of awe and calmness that this winter wonderland offered kept our hearts enchanted for the rest of the hike.

Overnight, more snow had fallen and the tracks we had made the day before were now dusted with snow, creating shadowy dips and mounds on the trail. And with that, the vivid memories we had made in those same places just 24 hours earlier had become part of the magical silence and endless renewal that these snow-covered woods offered to anyone and everyone that greeted it.

Happy snowy adventures!

~Modern Akhmatova

On a walk this morning in Victor, NY.

Welcome 2016

Winter magic everywhere
A white wonderland surrounds

All is still
but the snowflakes falling

An apple tree embraces the snow
"Welcome" it says to the New Year...

"2016 will be magic."

Happy New Year!
~Modern Akhmatova

PURE WINTER WONDER

Winter time is my partner's favorite season. If it was up to him, we'd be living in Alaska or Antarctica right about now. We probably will some day, at least for a bit of time, but for now we're in good 'ol Maryland, south of the Mason-Dixon Line, where it doesn't seriously snow until February, but the government and school systems shut down at the sight of snowflakes starting in December. Needless to say you won't find many people in these parts who are enthusiastic about cold weather.

But for my significant other (SO) and I, winter season brings so many simple joys. Since moving in together 2 years ago, we've made it a tradition to go out and tour the surrounding neighborhoods when Christmas lights and awesome decorations start popping up. We usually walk around or bike. I also get to enjoy these lights and sparkling snow on a daily basis during my walks. It's one of my favorite American traditions and I almost wish people kept their lights up year around (it's actually what we do in our own home).

And then there is the joy of winter biking! At the end of 2013, my SO and I began riding our bikes in winter weather. We bought our first set of winter tires and off we went to practice riding on snow and ice. It was hilarious at first because it felt and looked like we were learning to bike for the very first time. Soon enough though we were riding all over the place, so much so that I started riding 12 miles to work round-trip every day. We've moved since and now SO rides to work about 20 miles a day round-trip every day! We continue to bike around town to get groceries, go to the post office and the library. All in all, it's a great way to enjoy winter weather without harming the environment, use all that winter gear sitting in the closet, and stay fit!

Entrance to the Old Rag Mountain
parking area

SO at the top of Old Rag mountain
 looking across toward the
Shenandoah National Park.

Another winter activity that's become a tradition for us is a camping trip right around Christmas time. This year we decided to hike and camp on the Old Rag Mountain trail right outside of the Shenandoah National Park. We've been doing this for three years now and we absolutely love it! There are barely any people out on the trails during this time of year, so we have the mountain all to ourselves. It's also a way for us to get away from Christmas-mania and take comfort in nature together.

Homemade Nutella and fudge 

Serbian St. Sava celebration

Fire pit!    

Although we try to get away from the consumerism of the holiday season, we very much enjoy holiday festivities and the quality time we get to have with our loved ones. There is always lots and lots of good food around this time of year and our families like to make everything from scratch, so everything is always super delicious and we enjoy it in the comfort of home. We also travel to upstate NY every year to visit family friends for the New Year celebration. They have a large property and they love to have fun, so whenever we're up there my SO takes advantage of the opportunity to make huge bonfires that everyone gets to enjoy! And lastly, earlier this month I got to enjoy the Serbian Saint Sava celebration with my family. We dressed up, danced and ate a lot, which is typical for any Serbian event :).


So that's it for now! We're about to head to Alaska for a two-week vacation to enjoy -35 degree weather. Brrrrr. We'll see how I feel about the joys of winter season once we return! Until then...

Happy winter living!
Modern Akhmatova