Brrrr, It's Cold Out There!

This last week I've been working as a pilot for an oil company in the extreme northern region of Alaska known as the "North Slope", out of the town of Deadhorse (go to a map of Alaska, look at the top of the state above the Arctic Circle, next to the Arctic Ocean and that's where you'll find it). It gets very cold here.

When the airplanes are parked outside a hangar for any amount of time, they get an external heater attached to them to make sure they'll stay warm enough for the next passengers and to start. The pilots appreciate it too.
It was -25f with a wind of 25mph this day... a wind chill factor of 50 below zero. I did not stay outside very long because the camera was freezing and so was I! Flying in such extreme environments makes you appreciate a cup of hot coffee and wool socks like you never have before. Even wrapped in a arctic down coat and a fur hat I could feel the icy cold creeping in every little crevice - mighty uncomfortable.

I'm very lucky that my career affords me an up-close and personal view of the entire state of Alaska. I feel that because of my knowledge of the ENTIRE state it makes me a better Mrs. Alaska. When one thinks of Alaska, you need to keep in mind that while it may be -50f in the northern regions, it could easily be 40f or warmer in the southern part of the state... it's not uncommon to have a 100 degree split between the high and low temperatures in state for the day during the winter.

Although I prefer flying in warmer temperatures, I wouldn't trade my job for anything else in the world... beats 'working' for a living!