Raw Beauty of the Arctic
Every winter, I head up north to enjoy the raw beauty of mother winter
Arctic = Emotionally Evocative
The brutal climate and terrain demand intensity — they evoke strong emotions for me:
- feeling small underneath the Aurora Borealis
- feeling powerful as I plod through unbroken terrain in subzero temperatures
- feeling peaceful with the stillness of the terrain
My Trip
This winter, I brought my [identical] twin brother up North with me — he has never been to the arctic nor has he been in an arctic climate.
Location:
Fairbanks Alaska — directly under the Aurora Oval, and easy to fly to (as Americans).
NOTE: Technically Fairbanks is ~150 miles south of the Arctic circle — and is considered subarctic. Notwithstanding, the climate is very similar and the nature/wilderness is continuous with it. Plus, “arctic” sounds better.
Logistics:
Brutal weather requires specialized equipment. Here’s what we packed:
Specialized gear:
-40°
rated parka- Insulated undercoat (mountaineering puffer is good)
-40°
rated snow boots-40°
rated snow pants-20° C
rated snow-pants (for warmer weather)-40°
rated mittens-10° C
rated liner gloves (cycling gloves work)- Backup liner gloves (in case liners get wet)
- Snowshoes (will rent)
- Face covering (gaiter works)
- beanie / toque
- Wool socks (2 pairs)
NOTE: While we were prepared for -40 temps, the coldest we got was
-20°F
, with a high of20°F
→ balmy for this time of year!
Here are some photos:
Snowshoeing across snowpack & deep snow drifts
As the tree-line begins to fade, harsh winds pick up (see our red faces?) and carve the landscape.
Deep snowdrifts (piles of snow) and hard snowpack blend seamlessly here — indistinguishable in the low light of the arctic day — masking hidden dangers like weak layers or deep pockets that can collapse underfoot.
The depressions around the trees show how variable the snow conditions truly are.
Traveling without snowshoes or skis is dangerous — you could get trapped in deep snow (10–20 feet deep at times).
Frozen rivers channel winter’s fury
A ravenous 40 mph gust screams across the frozen Tanana river, relentlessly prying loose snow and ice from its surface. I have my back to the wind in this image, otherwise I would likely topple over.
Trekking a glacier
Epically mighty, much of the landscape is blanketed in these titanic sheets of ice. We visited Castner glacier, 150 miles south of Fairbanks and trekked to its stunning ice cave.
Aurora Borealis
Sadly, the sky was overcast and we couldn’t see much of the Aurora this trip. But I’ll go ahead and cheat and share some photos of the Aurora from my trip last year!
NOTE: The Aurora are spectacular. But you need absolute darkness to see them clearly. Lots of the images you might see online come from long exposure images from high quality cameras. In the video, you see the Aurora as my eye sees it. In the image, you see a long exposure photo (captures enough light to show the moon casting a shadow).
If you do plan a trip to see the Aurora, it is essential you go somewhere without light pollution. Otherwise, only your camera will see the lights.
Parting Thoughts:
Stepping out of my routine and heading to “my happy place” is a gentle reminder that peace, joy, and clarity often come when I slow down and reconnect with what truly matters.