Kotzebue

A long day of traveling began with flying from Fairbanks to Anchorage. The best part of any flight from Fairbanks to Anchorage is the potential to catch a glimpse of Denali along the way, and this one didn't disappoint. The peaks of both Denali and Mount Foraker were visible above the clouds, causing everyone to crowd the windows on the right.


After a long layover in Anchorage, we flew to Kotzebue, Alaska, where it was 61 degrees. 26 miles north of the Arctic Circle, and it was above 60 degrees! Who could ask for anything better?


After getting a bite to eat, we took a stroll around town. Many villages in northwestern Alaska are threatened by coastal erosion, and Kotzebue is no exception. Walking along Kotzebue Sound, the coast is reinforced with concrete.


The trash bins are elevated to keep out any animals and to keep the trash bags from blowing away (Thanks, tundratantrum!).


According to literature at the hotel Nullagvik, Kotzebue is Alaska's largest Eskimo village. Russian explorer Otto von Kotzebue landed at present-day Kotzebue in 1816(!) and found a large, well-established settlement - the home of the Inupiat Eskimos - bustling with subsistence hunting and fishing activity. This was the regional center for trade in northwest Alaska. Many of these subsistence practices persist. We came upon a small shelter on the beach where someone was drying fish and game meat.


Lining the perimeter of many buildings in Kotzebue, as well as many other structures in Alaska, are thermal siphons. The way I understand it, thermal siphons draw heat from the ground, helping to keep the permafrost frozen. Here are some thermal siphons outside of our hotel: