On our second day in Nome, we rented a car and enjoyed scenic drives on 2 of the 3 roads that extend out of town. Nome is unique in that it is not accessible by road from any other major city. Instead, the town’s roadway system provides an often bumpy passage to both surrounding villages as well as the bountiful rivers and tundra for fishing and hunting.
After a quick stop at the Nome Visitor’s center, we first headed inland on the Kougarok road. Barely after leaving the city limits, we were rewarded with sightings of seal pups lounging on the beach. Although very cute, I learned that their presence on the beach indicated the early disappearance of sea ice this year, likely a consequence of climate change. We also came across a large area of brackish water (where fresh water from rivers meet the salty sea water) where a small crowd was gathered and reeling in the leaping “pink” salmon. We were informed that pink salmon were on the smaller side and were most commonly dried rather than eaten fresh. The locals here get much more excited about the Coho (“silvers”) or Sockeye that will start their runs in the upcoming month. Of course, as seen below, my dad couldn’t resist borrowing a fisherman’s freshly caught salmon for a photo op!
mom and dad enjoying Nome
Abandoned gold mining dredge
seal pup!
My dad “borrowed” this fish for the picture…
Invasion of Rusty tussock moths
Alaskan tundra
Can you spot the moose calf?
The road to Kougarok eventually led us to Salmon Lake, a popular local camping destination, and we decided to turn around and head back to have time to explore another route that afternoon.
Our next stop was Council road, which closely follows the final stretch of the Iditarod. Along the coast, it was fascinating to see the tiny cabins and “camps” that locals have built for their year-round subsistence lifestyle. We also stumbled across the “last train to nowhere”, an abandoned locomotive that represents the last attempt at a prosperous railway system during the Nome gold rush years. And on our way back to Nome, we spotted 2 brown bears scavenging along the road!
Fish camps
The last train to nowhere
Spotted: brown bears x2!
dad stops at no length to get those angles!
Once we got back, we stopped in for another international meal at Milano’s Pizza, and my parents helped me move into the housing provided for my rotation. It sports a great view of town, and it continues to amaze me how late it stays light outside.
11pm in Nome
Pretty nice corporate housing!
view from balcony
My parents took off on Monday morning, and I’ll be staying in Nome for the rest of the week for orientation and some primary care clinic work!
Next up: Weekend in Nome
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