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Termination Dust

© James Soos

I was standing on my porch today, gazing at the mountains. The clouds were dense, as they usually are this time of year, hovering over the Chugach Range, masking the peaks, and bringing much welcomed rain to Alaska. As the clouds swirled around, an opening revealed one of the higher summits. It took me a moment, but slowly I realized the scene I am accustomed to had changed. A dusting of snow now covered the barren rock so high up.

I mentioned this to my wife. She called it "Termination Dust." Of course, not being a life-long Alaska resident like her, I was not familiar with the term she had tossed at me. And, being naturally curious (I guess it's the writer in me), I had to ask what Termination Dust was. "It's the time in Alaska when summer has terminated," she told me.

This little conversation intrigued me. It confirmed what I already knew, but still a defensive mechanism inside me wanted to deny the inevitable. Winter is slowly creeping toward Alaska.

The change of seasons is usually fairly subtle in other places I have lived. In fact, it is difficult to notice them unless you are paying close attention to the facts. But in Alaska, you would pretty much have to be in a coma not to notice the advance of Old Man Winter. It begins immediately after summer solstice. The long daylight hours Alaskans enjoy dwindle faster than most care for. Soon we will be going about our daily lives in darkness, the sun rising around 9:00 a.m. and setting again a few hours later. Farther north, above the Arctic Circle, residents brace for one last sunset, awaiting its return in two months.

We experienced an abnormally warm summer this year, something we are not used to. With it, we faced dry conditions. Wildfires claimed thousands of acres of wilderness forest on the Kenai Peninsula. It's sad to witness the destruction of such beauty. But it is Mother Nature's method of renewal, and is accepted as a part of life. But now, the temperatures are getting cooler. Leaves are turning to rust. The rains have returned. But you hear no complaints from Alaskans. Even though it was a warm, sometimes miserable summer, we enjoyed our home as we always do... living a dream in paradise.

Preparations for the coming winter are starting to materialize. Hikers are laying out last-minute plans for the final treks of the season, while their minds begin to formulate excursions on skis, snowshoes and snow machines. Dog teams are dreaming of the upcoming race season, wondering if they can clinch the lead in the Iditarod. Fishermen have already claimed their bounty. Memories are all they have to hold on to until next season, when the salmon will once again make their instinctive run to spawning grounds. Black and brown bear continue to seek out a nutritious bounty to ensure a thick layer of fat before they surrender to nature's call to sleep. The caribou herds have already left their breeding grounds, migrating across the vast arctic tundra to winter in a place where food is available, and the odds of survival are more favorable.

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