A Winter Solstice Cabin Hop

Several years ago, a forecast for -20 degrees over Christmas vacation made staying indoors and watching TV sound pretty good. Since then I have enjoyed a few years in Fairbanks, made a couple of clothing and gear purchases, figured out that the outdoors can bring far more delight to a soul than a TV show or sporting event, and met some ambitious adventurers to provide some insight and motivation. Now -20 degrees brings to mind things like, "Well, we could probably pull it off." Or "At least it will likely be a nice clear day."

December 21 was a gloriously clear day. We soaked up all the solstice sun we would get.

Also, we were cold.

Eyal is an ambitious UAF student from Israel that Julia and I met a while back. He was interested in heading out on a backcountry ski trip. After exploring some of the options and taking a look at the weather forecast (somewhere between -15 and -30 on the days we planned to head out), we decided on a Chena Hot Springs Road cabin hop.

The GPS and map software were both very helpful. Below is our route:

This adventure was not too far away that we couldn't get ourselves out of trouble but definitely far enough away that we could feel a sense of separation from civilization. We were out for three days and two nights and we did not see another person until skiing along the road midway through our last day on the trail. It was a great trip.

The first day was all on skis up to Stiles Creek Cabin.

Eyal on the trail. 

Stiles Creek Cabin

A nice full moon on the first night. Unfortunately we
conked out 2 hours before a lunar eclipse. Eyal photo.

We woke up the next morning with the intention of making our way up to the Chena Dome (Chena Doom) trail and down into the Angel Creek drainage to Lower Angel Creek Cabin. We used snowshoes the entire day.

We followed a very nice unmaintained trail north off of the Stiles Creek trail for a few miles through the trees.

Towards the tree line. Eyal photo

The trail disappeared above the tree line, which we made just after the sunrise at 11:00 AM.

What a day.

Alaska Range in the morning light. Eyal photo.

Mount Hayes

A solstice sunrise. Eyal photo

A shadow cast at noonday. 

Soaking up the view from the ridge. Eyal photo.
"Oh Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds thy hands have made!"

Above tree line.

We slogged through some pretty deep snow along a minor ridge and finally made our way up to the Chena Dome trail and the highest points on the trip, just in time to watch the sun set at 2:41 PM. 

Starting along the ridge.

Through the Dr. Seuss terrain. 

Chena Dome across the valley.

One of the climbs along the Chena Dome trail as the sun sets. 

Mount Moffit and Mount Hayes in the evening light. 

The night was clear and we pushed through some thigh deep snow (unfortunately perpendicular to a difficult to find trail) down into the Angel Creek drainage. We were grateful to have a near full moon to help with the route-finding through the trees. Thankfully we were close enough to the trail to come across Upper Angel Creek Cabin. Because it was dark and cold and no one was using this cabin, we decided to stay in this cabin rather than get to Lower Angel Creek Cabin three miles further down the trail. This was a good decision. A very good stove, relatively dry wood, a pair of slippers, and an unopened MRE were waiting for us at Upper Angel Creek.

Upper Angel Creek Cabin

The trail we couldn't find the night before. We descended
from the ridge in the background.

The next day the skis were back on as we skied down the valley to Chena Hot Springs Road from the cabin. Then we followed a great dog mushing trail along the road to Chena Hot Springs.

Coming down Angel Creek. 

Arriving at the gate to Chena Hot Springs. The temperature
was somewhere near -12 degrees.

We arrived at about 5:00 PM at the hot springs, about 2.5 hours before we expected my lovely wife to arrive and shuttle us home. That long wait was not a problem. We had spent much of the past three days  outside in temperatures that likely never got above -10 degrees. Three hours soaking in warm water did wonders for the legs. Not even a pinch of sore muscles the next day. Just some tender feet and fingers from a bit of frost nip.

Though I didn't know Eyal when we first started planning, we became well acquainted as the trip progressed. He grew up in Israel and headed home to Haifa for the holidays after our trip. We had plenty of time to get to know each other. Our conversations included discussions of the stuff we were using, route-finding, idiosyncrasies of stoves, life in Isreal, studying chemistry, exploring Alaska, food preparation on backcountry trips, and, my personal favorite, where Jesus shows up in the Old Testament.

The grace of God in the Old Testament points to Christ continuously and we enjoyed that reality in conversation.


Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 
Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 
(John 3:1-15 ESV)


What a joy to discuss Numbers 21 and John 3. All we must do is look to Christ and we escape the just wrath of a loving God! Look!

It was a trip full of joy.

"Look! Look! Look!"