Back to the Last Frontier

I've been back in snowy Nome for about two weeks. I was definitely spoiled by the warm Australian climate. Sitting in the living room enjoying a warm breeze from the open door is a pretty nice way to spend an afternoon. Alas, my running regiment now begins with putting on three layers of clothing and ends with melting icicles off my eyelashes. Oh, well. It's home.

 The sea ice is finally setting. The land-locked ice is strong, but about a half mile off shore the currents keep the drifting pack from fastening to the solid section. Before we can start setting our pots for ice crabbing we prefer the ice to freeze just a bit farther out. It is possible to set pots now, albeit perhaps futile. The ocean in front of Nome is extremely shallow and setting the pots in shallow water does not guarantee a catch. Our crabbing is subsistence and certainly not an essential part of survival, but who wouldn't want fresh king crab.

I haven't been home long and there's already another potential trip in the works. It depends on the stars aligning.

Edge of the sea ice in front of Nome.