April Thaw Brings Mud

To quote the poet Robert Plant

“We come from the land of the ice and snow, from the midnight sun...”
Plant wasn’t talking about Alaska, but fitting words for Alaska. 

Ice breaking up on Shallow Lake

The thermometer memory shows the low at 31 degrees during some point in the last seven days and a high of 77. Interesting swing in weather we are having. Daily walks to work in the morning have me either wearing a light jacket or a technical fleece. By lunch, it is sometimes returned home and placed on the coat rack.  

Kenai

The road to Miracle Lodge

Looking back toward Alpine & Kenai

Miracle peeking through the trees as I walk to work

Miracle Lodge

There is a certain convenience with living where you work. From Kenai (my rustic Alaskan bachelor cabin) to desk is a short walk that takes only a handful of minutes. A far cry from the half hour commute in PA. The surroundings have greatly changed since driving through the gates in late March. Roads around camp were snow-packed for the first few weeks. Stepping off a path meant getting into snow as high as your knee in areas. Then came break-up and the mud. You can tell where you have driven by the color of mud on you vehicle. The roads at camp have a silk grey color. A less saturated color compared to the light earthy brown color from the Kenai driveway. Driving to the end of the airstrip and back toward wilderness campout will yield a tan colored earth. The kids doing a donation car wash loved the muddy vehicle I blessed them with, and evidence of my journeys were washed away.

A moose by off the side of the airstrip

Work is starting to take form. There are a few project request forms chilling in the processing file.
Unlike many forms of work where you can just get a cup of coffee or a small soda to give yourself a boost when feeling burned out, design work gives mental fatigue. Adding more caffeine only worsens creative block. As the work starts to come in, I have to start tracking my mental hours to map how much fatigue I am putting on my mind. There are times where I will leave the office and retreat to a place of refreshment. Then, in the evening hours, my creativity will catch a second wind, and the creative process continues. 

This week welcomes in another milepost in the journey we take here at Victory. Outdoor Education groups started to arrive the evening of Cinco de Mayo. For two weeks different school groups will come through our gates. Some students will be familiar with the surroundings. As past campers, they will share memories with classmates. And in return, classmates will return home wishing to return to camp with friends. For others, this may be the first time they have ventured this far out of the “city”. No matter the amount of familiarity or not to Victory, Outdoor Ed is a great tool to teach kids about the outdoors, as well as showing them a place to escape for the summer. 

Many ask what it is like to go through the light change here in Alaska. Not like popular belief, Victory is in an area that doesn’t go through periods of no sun or all sun. When I arrived in late March, the sunlight was almost identical to that of Pennsylvania. As each day went on, we gained 4 to 5 minutes of light. Now we have the sun set around 9:15pm, and it rise back up around 7am. During Summer Solstice, the sun will dip behind the horizon, though it will look like dusk during the midnight hours. It’s a little hard to get used to as my body won’t shut down till late, then wants to get up around 5am right now. During the winter, it will be a different story as we will lose direct sunlight for a few weeks. For your viewing pleasure, here is a shot of what it looks like at 10:45pm (no touch-ups to the photo).

Outside Miracle Lodge looking down into the conference side of camp

I'm thank all of you for your continued prayers and support. Though it is taking some time to adjust to the work I do here, it is a blessing serving here. And yes, I know the title doesn't rhyme. 

Grace & Peace,
Daryl J. Howard

A short hike can yield some great views