Traveling in the Bush

Most people don't have a concept of what "travel" is like up here...I certainly didn't, not really, until I came here and lived it. Getting from point A to point B in the arctic is never what I would call "easy", but then again I really don't miss sitting in traffic jams!

Here in the village, there are several different modes of transportation. Walking is pretty much always an option, as everything is so close. You can walk from one end of the village to the other in 15 minutes or so. If you want to get where you're going a bit faster, or if you plan on going anywhere outside of the village proper (the dump, the beaches outside of town, hunting/berry picking on the tundra, or even to neighboring St. Michael) you can get there on a honda (that's the general term for 4-wheeler) or once the snow falls, on a snowmachine. Most village residents have one if not both of the aforementioned vehicles. Hondas are good because you can use them in the spring/summer and in the fall/winter when it snows, so many of the teachers have them. When the weather is nice, going somewhere on a honda is no more of a hassle than going somewhere in a car - - all you have to do is hop on and go. When the weather turns colder, however, a honda ride becomes more of an excursion. This time of year, when the snow is falling, the wind is blowing, and temperatures are in the single digits, getting on a honda or on a snowmachine to go anywhere requires the full-on "getup" - snow pants/and or bibs, winter coat(s), boots, scarf, hat, gloves...really, as many layers of those garments as you can pile on while still able to move your limbs. Then, you need goggles to keep your eyes functional, particularly if you are going a longer distance or if you are going faster than say 5 or 10 mph.

There are a few people in the village who have automobiles, and the school has a truck, but I could probably count the number of cars in the village on my fingers. Honda and snowmachine are definietly the vehicles of choice here on our island.

If you want to travel any further than St. Michael (that's as far as our road goes), you will need to go by air. Both Stebbins and St. Michael have airports, St. Michael's being the slightly larger of the two. When I first came to the island back in August, I flew in on a larger plane with the new teachers from both Stebbins and St. Michael, and we landed in St. Michael because their airport could accomodate the larger plane (I think it was about a 20 seater). The largest planes I have flown out of Stebbins in have been Cessna Caravans - about 10 seats (depending on the flight/the amount of people/the amount of cargo). The smallest planes I have flown into Stebbins on are the little 207s, which can seat five but it's a tight squeeze.

 

A Cessna Caravan

 

Before I came up here, the thought of flying everywhere seemed slightly crazy. But now that I'm here, it seems just so normal; almost as normal as just getting in a car or on a bus. Flying in bush planes, even the tiny ones, is surprisingly enjoyable, especially when compared to the big airports and commercial airliners I was used to previously. I actually feel LESS claustrophobic in the little bush planes than I do in a big jet. There are windows everywhere and you can usually see out the front window as well. I actually got to sit co-pilot once, which, on top of the added leg room, was also the ultimate window seat. Bush planes fly low enough that you can actually enjoy the scenery below, which is another bonus. And the scenery doesn't get much better than the view flying over Norton Sound!

 

A cute little 207

This is what you get to look at when you sit co-pilot. 

"Airports" out here in the bush were also a surprise to me. There is no such thing as going through security, for one. No one blinks an eye when you have a knife in your carry-on, because no one bothers to snoop through your stuff in search of bombs. The attitude is pretty relaxed at all the bush airports I have visited. Here in Stebbins, no one is really even around the airport unless a plane shows up. Of course, the relaxed attitude also means that the time a plane is scheduled to take off or land and the time it ACTUALLY takes off or lands are often two entirely different things. Flight times are always give or take an hour or two. Needless to say, there's a lot of "hurry up and wait" that happens whenever it's time to travel anywhere.

Even flying in the bush requires a proper dress code. Especially in the winter, or whenever the temperature begins to drop. It's pretty much expected that you will get on the plane wearing full snow gear. Ostensibly, it's because the planes can get kind of cold once you get up in the air, but you could also get stranded on the runway somewhere for hours on end, or, worst case scenario, your plane could go down, leaving you stranded in the Alaskan tundra. Did I mention I keep a knife in my carry on? ;)

Basically, what I'm getting at here is that travel in the bush is like no other place I've ever been. Like I said, it's hard to imagine it unless you've lived it, but I hope I was able to give you at least a sneak peek. I do not miss my car. I do not miss my commute. I love living 50 feet from my place of employment. I love not having to buy gas and I love not having to scrape the snow and ice off of my windshield. I love not having to worry about maintenance or snow tires or anything else related to vehicle upkeep. When you've got nowhere to go, you don't need any help getting there!

                                  
XOXOjane