Spring turns to Summer in Alakanuk

By Alana Menendez

​We were above the clouds for the first half of the flight from Bethel to Emmonak, our excitement bottled by the white sheets below us. But as we got closer, glimpses of the rivers and sloughs of the Yukon Delta began to emerge. I was reminded of sifting through optical satellite imagery of this region and seeing mostly clouds but reveling in any clear pixels. Ah, but the resolution was better! Fellow passengers pointed enthusiastically to moose wading in ponds. A woman sitting behind Maria showed us where she would ice fish: all beautiful reminders that we weren’t just approaching our field site but a vast home.

In Bethel boarding the plane for Emmonak.

Maria on the flight from Bethel to Emmonak. The passenger behind her is pointing to where she goes ice fishing.

Our first view of the ice-laden Yukon River.

The Alakanuk Slough on May 27, 2023, the day of major Alakanuk flooding.

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