Uploads from Holdfast Alaska

Currently Playing: 1,000 Miles for Winter Supplies | Remote Alaska

Winter has officially laid claim to the Eastern Interior of Alaska! Our homestead lies tucked away in the Wrangell Mountains, far removed from the conveniences of town. To reach the nearest large stores, hospital, or place to buy bulk dry goods, we have to travel six hours through stretches of wilderness and over mountain passes. It is a journey we do not undertake lightly, particularly once winter has settled upon the country. It is not often that the snow keeps us home, but rather the bitter cold. When it falls to -50, even an ordinary journey can become a dangerous undertaking. A broken-down truck on a desolate stretch of road can quickly turn a situation, satellite communication or not. For this reason, we stock our winter stores while the weather still permits, leaving us free to wait out the worst of the cold from the safety of our cabin. The country has provided well for us this year, and we are thankful for it, even without a moose. We have put away fish and bear meat, gathered berries and mushrooms from the woods, stocked root veggies from the garden, and dried herbs foraged for winter teas. Our goats keep us in milk, cheese, and yogurt. We were in need of dry goods, though- flour, coffee, honey, and cooking oil to name a few. There was another pressing matter to attend to before the deep cold arrived as well. One of the challenges of our homestead has always been the road leading in. Steep, troublesome to maintain, and made all the more unforgiving by winter, it is our only means of bringing supplies, water and equipment home. For the past two winters, Dennis has fought to keep it passable with an ATV and plow. We knew a more capable machine was needed. We debated a plow truck, another ATV, and a tractor. In the end, we settled upon the tractor, hoping to find a machine that could not only keep our road open through the long winter, but earn its keep in the many other labors of the homestead. And so we set out on a long journey south- across the Mat-Su Valley, through the bustling city of Anchorage, and onward to the busy Kenai Peninsula, where we inspected the first machine. From there, we turned north again, examining two more along the way, all the while gathering the provisions we would need for the months ahead. At last, we found a tractor suited to our needs. With the machine secured and our winter stores replenished, we turned toward home, eager to leave the crowded roads behind us. As we made our way back into the Interior, a snowstorm swept across the pass, reminding us how quickly the country can change its disposition. What had begun as a journey for winter provisions became a fitting introduction to the season ahead. Now, the next steps to prepare for winter awaits A year's worth of firewood need to stocked, a new heater must be installed in the cabin, and a shelter raised for the tractor- it will still be a task to bring the cold iron to life on a morning fifty below. The warm months are spent gathering what the land provides, and the short days of autumn preparing for what winter will demand. For now, our pantry is stocked, a new machine has joined the homestead, and the snow will start building up. Winter waits for no one! Thank you for following our life on the last frontier, -Dennis, Amy & Lena End Music By: @HawkenHorse, who wrote us "Holdfast". Frontier music and history. Get in Touch with Us: Westerlind Family P.O Box 906, Slana, AK 99586 We are also on Instagram @holdfastalaska Donate to the homestead if you wish: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6B2249KCY6STE