"But isn't it dark all day during the winter in Alaska?"

When I first talk to people that are considering a move to Alaska and they learn that we actually do things during the winter they often will ask, "But isn't it dark all day during the winter in Alaska?" Not here in the Matsu Valley!  Are the days shorter this time of year than they are during the summer?  Of course, but they certainly aren't pitch black all day.  As a bonus, it creates some of the most extraordinary ambient light during the sunrise and sunsets that can be found on earth.

For many, the thought of moving to Alaska seems to conjure up fears of how dark it will/must be, especially during the winter solstice in the Matsu Valley.  From personal experience, I can tell you that was a concern of mine as well before we moved here years ago.  For many, the thought of being plunged into perpetual darkness the day after Labor Day Weekend is a very real fear.

In order to dispel some of those fears, and to further illustrate that not only is it not pitch black all day, it's always an adventure to get out and enjoy the day of the year with the least amount of daylight so we headed out for a hike to one of our favorite spots.

The skies were going to be clear and although the temperatures were only about 5 degrees above zero, I finally fulfilled a goal that I've had for a few years by hiking to the top of Bodenburg Butte (The Butte) at noon on the winter solstice.  Having made the hike 4 times out of the last 5 summer solstices at midnight to take in the day of the year with most amount of daylight, I wanted to see what it looked like at noon on the day of the year with the least amount of daylight.

Part of my mission was also to climb to the top of The Butte to gain a better vantage point in order to document for our incoming clients just how much of an impact the Chugach Range plays in casting a shadow across much of the areas that we serve.  For those that feel that they would go a little 'stir crazy' without having direct sunlight for a couple of months during the winter months, I felt it would be helpful to know how big of an area that the shadow actually covered.

As expected, we were in the shadow of The Butte when we arrived in the parking area and were even entirely covered by the shadow of Pioneer Peak once we made the summit.  Although it was daylight, there was no direct sunlight on the top of The Butte as the sun didn't quite get high enough to clear Pioneer Peak.   

As you can see by the photos, the shadows cast from Pioneer Peak and Twin Peaks of the Chugach Range extend across much of the Matanuska Susitna Valley.  The further north or west you go in the Matsu Valley, the better odds are that you will be able to enjoy direct sunlight during the winter, with the Chugach Range losing some height as well as angling more to the southwest allowing the sun to be out longer in those areas.  The sun was out for 5 hours, 27 minutes and 41 seconds the day of the winter solstice but it was certainly a beautiful day for a hike.  

The following video captures a 360 degree view from the top of The Butte.  It was shot at 1PM on the day of the winter solstice.  

The trail up the north side of the The Butte was a little icy in spots but we made it up and down without any falls.  Unfortunately with the low temperatures, our phone batteries were very short lived so we didn't get as many photos as we had hoped for but I think that you will get a pretty good feel for what it looked like.  

The views certainly were extraordinary and even our dog had a full day of exercise getting to the top of The Butte...he wouldn't have missed it for the world as it is one of his favorite hikes too!

After the trek to the top of The Butte, we stopped at Dairy Queen in Palmer to replenish some of the calories that we burned on the hike. As a bonus, the moon was just starting to come up over the mountains at about 3:21 PM and the Palmer water tower in the foreground made for a scenic photo too.  

Although this post doesn't contain much information about the Matsu Valley real estate market, it does shed some light (pun intended) on what life is like here...and we felt that it is important for you to know what it's like so that you can determine if it's a place that you would be comfortable living.

For information about the Alaska real estate market visit our website to find out how to turn this extraordinary area into the place that you too will be proud to call home!  If you have questions about the area feel free to call my office at (907)352-1828 or send an email to Greg@AlaskaHomeSellers.com.

Greg Shepard

Associate Broker

Jack White Real Estate Matsu