Don’t ask me to pronounce it. I only know that it used to be called Barrow, and was renamed in 2016 to its traditional Inupiaq (Alaskan Inuit) name; and that, according to the sign in the picture below, it is just 250 miles from the North Pole . . . so probably first on Santa’s delivery route.

With a population of slightly under 5,000, Utqiagvik is the largest Inupiaq settlement in Alaska. It is also the northernmost city in the United States, situated some 320 miles north of the Arctic Circle. So the winters tend to be a bit on the chilly side, averaging from a low of -7 F. to a high of -19 F. in February.

But it is now summertime — or what passes for summer — in . . . oh, let’s just call it Barrow, simply because it’s easier for me to spell. However, there probably won’t be a lot of sunbathing or gardening happening, with average low and high temperatures in mid-July hovering around +35 F. to +47 F. Luckily, their main industries are fishing and whaling, and not pineapple-growing or tourism.

And summer also means that as of today, the residents can look forward to 84 consecutive days — and nights — of daylight, or Midnight Sun. So close to the North Pole, it will never be completely dark until August 2nd. And that has to be totally disorienting.

I have never been quite that far north. But I did spend a few days in St. Petersburg, Russia, in the summer of 1993, in the midst of the White Nights, when the sun didn’t “set” until around 10:00 p.m., and “dark” was what we normally refer to as dusk. And it was decidedly strange.

Each day, my body would begin to tell me it was time to sleep while my mind kept saying, “But it’s still light outside! Let’s go shopping.” On the plus side, you could have a long business meeting and a late dinner and still get home before dark, because “dark” was weeks away. And blackout curtains helped.

So if you have difficulty adjusting between Standard and Daylight Saving Times twice a year, just imagine what the White Nights, or the Midnight Sun, must do to your body clock. It is a unique experience for those of us who have always lived far below the Arctic Circle.

*. *. *

And then, by September or October in Utqiagvik-Barrow, it’s back to this:

And from mid-November to late January, there is — you probably guessed it — Polar Night, when the sun doesn’t make an appearance at all. I can’t even imagine what that must be like, nor do I want to.

I will say this for the good people of far northern Alaska: they are surely the hardiest of souls — not merely surviving, but building their lives in some of Mother Nature’s harshest conditions. I’m not sure whether, even in my best years, I could have done it.

But I did find out that, even there — 250 miles from the North Pole — Amazon delivers. It just takes a little longer. So, on second thought, I might be able to make it after all.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/12/26