The Kotzebue 10K, well 14K

We've been told about the 8 mile walk around Kotzebue by the dental staff, so today was the day.  You start by the hospital and it ends at the airport.  Much of the walk is in caribou country, (when caribou are around and hunters aren't).  Not much to see, frozen tundra and snow, but good exercise.  Turns out to be just over 9 miles door to door.  4 hours.

On the loop was Cemetary Hill.  Winter burial is a challenge due to permafrost.

I mentioned the numberous abandoned snowmachines, quads, cars, truck, etc.
 all over town.  Same applies to airplanes! Probably 6-8 abandoned planes
beside the runway.

Last night was a real treat.  Stephanie, one of the DHAT's (dental mid-level provider) invited us over to her house for dinner.  Stephanie is from Texas but she married a native Alaskan, Raymond.  Retired military who now teaches cultural awareness to the high school students at Kotzebue High.  Specifically, he is teaching them the Inuit language and also takes them on 250-mile snowmachine campouts in the winter!  They learn how to hunt, survive and thrive in -30 degree weather.

Raymond has stories!  His best, though, was on a good day of hunting he bagged 3 caribou, 3 wolves, a wolverine and a moose.  Why so many animals?  Well, they had to fill their freezers for the year AND they, at that time had 58 huskies they were training for 'mushing'.  What a guy!

Also, their son, Spencer is a world-class Greco-Roman wrestler!  In fact, yesterday he won the Nationals for his class.   He is in the Army who pays him to play and sends him all over the world to compete.  He barely missed a spot on the Olympic team but should be competitive until the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.  Two links below.  First, his news conference yesterday, then a very neat background on living in the Alaskan tundra in preparation for his career in wrestling.  Check them out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC4BC1tyUXs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqvN5HivuOo

BTW, we met Raymond on our hike today.  He was running, training for his next marathon.  He is amazing!

We left Stephanie and Raymond's house at 11pm, the sun still not set.

A grim postscript to the restaurant that burned down a few weeks ago. They evacuated our hotel at 3am, many of the windows shattered from the heat, note the scorch marks that remain.  After the fire was put out the owner was missing.  Due to the below zero temperatures, the water used to fight the fire turned to ice and they were unable to search the ruins.  They had to bring in cadaver dogs to locate the remains of the owner, they then removed the ice and wreckage to recover his body.  

Tomorrow we fly to Selawik.  Hoping for adequate bandwidth to post.  If you don't hear from me, we didn't.