If you have not heard of Skiku before, it’s worth checking out their website! Their program seeks out qualified volunteers from all over our country and in this state to travel and connect with people living in rural Alaska communities. The basic goal is to provide foundational coaching for cross country skiing and some biathlon foundation skills. They also provide general access to skiing and gear, but so much more happens beyond that! If you are interested in going on a Skiku trip, they will have a volunteer application form out later this year.
Someday I want to travel and experience new terrain and connect with people from different cultures! Alaska is a vast and amazing place, and I’ve realized that I can do exploring right here in my home state. A few weeks ago, I took up the opportunity to travel to Kobuk with three other volunteers to introduce the community and students to more cross country skiing and biathlon. I met amazing new people and shared my joy for these two sports!
My biggest takeaway is seeing how similar we are as people. I spent an amazing week with teachers, hunters, an olympian, and community members. Many of us rarely get to meet new people from unique backgrounds and distant locations. The Skiku program gives this opportunity to hundreds of different people every ski season. Spending a week together learning and sharing excitement for each other’s experiences was the best part of the Skiku trip. It’s part of what the program is about. It was inspiring from every angle, from my teammates, to the kids, to the community members and local culture.
At this time of year, most people are saying, “April showers bring May flowers.” I was in good company with three fellow volunteers as we spent our mornings looking out the window in absolute awe of the temperature. It was so cold that the thermometer outside stopped working at -39°F. The students were happy to take us on a ski tour through town in the afternoon on the first day when warmed enough to 0°F.
Some of these exceptionally cold days called for creative ways to make the best use of our indoor time. The kids loved learning how to wax their own skis. By the time our Skiku team left, every single one of the one hundred pair of community skis were waxed and ready for the next season.
We spent hours shooting laser rifles in the gym. We set up a running obstacle course and a mini biathlon range for a fun way to learn basic biathalon skills. We got crafty with drills to practice skiing technique. One favorite game was called ‘scary bear’. The younger kids played it over and over for the pure joy of seeing Jake’s expressions when he turned into a scary bear hunting seals/little kids.
There had been a dogsled race the weekend before. Fresh caribou stew was leftover from feeding the mushers. The hides were lined up at the front door of the Laugviik school. Our team shared excitement to be there in this down-to-earth community where everyone pitches in to take care of each other.
It wasn’t just stories that we shared, but real life memories we made. One of my teammates and I spent a night outside on the back of a snow machine observing a caribou hunt. We had a fire at -4° as the hunter took care of the caribou meat before riding home.
I loved my entire Skiku experience. Not only did I get to visit northern Alaska for the first time, but my team and I were accepted as community members and taught the Kobuk ways of life. We swapped stories and pictures. We saw the gorgeousness of winter on the Kobuk river. Someday soon I will definitely be taking a trip to see their beautiful summertime as well. At the end of the trip, the students experienced biathlon, found some new inspiration, and learned new tricks on skis. We as volunteers became better connected through new stories and memories made with an amazing community up on the Kobuk river.
