Kotzebue
       Up above the Arctic Circle, there’s a little string of charming villages along the Kobuk River that most Alaskans never see. It’s so far removed from the rest of Alaska, one can’t really blame them. It’s nearly a straight shot up to Kotzebue from Anchorage usually with a stop in Nome to refuel. As the crow flies, it’s around 450-500 miles from Anchorage to Kotzebue. That translates out to about a four hour flight in some of the smaller jets. They’re usually set in a side lot that requires direct boarding as opposed to the typical hallways that service 747s. Kotzebue’s airport can’t receive anything too large. Excluding the town’s runway, there is one other paved street. The rest is dirt or sometimes patches of gravel.Â
          Kotzebue’s not much. One could walk from one end of town to the other in about twenty minutes to half an hour. It empties straight into Kotzebue Sound, where the water’s unbearably cold year round. As for the weather, it’s very chilly, windy, and clouds of dust always stir up, prompting most people to remain indoors. One thankfully absent trait is the Alaskan state bird, more commonly known as the mosquito. There are a few restaurants, though not many. Face away from the ocean and keep walking: hundreds and hundreds of miles of road-less, pathless tundra that could easily swallow a man. Arriving in Kotzebue feels like arriving in a foreign country, or maybe even some distant planet.
          Admittedly, when most people fly to Kotzebue from Anchorage, their intent is not to stay any considerable length of time. It’s an atmosphere worth experiencing to be certain, but the main draw remains the smaller charter flights to the Western Alaskan villages. One would definitely want to plan ahead. Mosquitoes reappear as soon as the ocean wind dissipates further inland, so bug repellant and long sleeves are an absolute necessity. The tundra is soft, but usually wet. Yes, bears do wander the region but still aren’t even as much of a nuisance as the mosquitoes. All in all, the scenery is spectacular, especially from the bush planes, seating of six to eight. They coast at around 3000 feet and provide ample opportunity for quick snapshot photography with telephoto lenses.Â
         On the ground, the river fishing is abundant and rafting is readily accessible. Village life is extremely quiet, except for the fourth of July parades which can become quite rowdy. The whole village erupts with activities ranging from traditional dress contests to foot races. By far the most surprising event is the money drop during which a small cargo plane circles around the center of the festivities. It repeatedly dive bombs the crowd with various denominations of cash as people scramble excitedly for some extra dollars.Â
         Unless one is prepared to sleep outside of the villages in a tent, one should make adequate preparations before undertaking this sort of trip. Ultimately, the best bet would be to just rough it a little ways out of the village or maybe put up shelter by the river. The sun never sets, so high noon and 3:00 AM look about the same. Take a watch, pack sunglasses, and sleep when you’re tired. To really explore the region, some sort of watercraft is important. Though the number of lakes and rivers is astounding from the planes, they can appear seemingly from nowhere while on the ground. As always, just be adequately prepared. It’s definitely worth the trek.                                              Seth Griffin Â
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