Home

10%

Alpine & Sea

By: Kim Nesbitt

By KAVU

February 23^rd, 2021

My First Alaskan Winter

More than one friend from “down south” (what Alaskans call the lower 48 states) has told me “You are winning the pandemic”. I’m not going to argue, I think they’re right. Juneau, Alaska is my home and my multi-sport capital, and we don’t let snow or darkness deter us from going outside and enjoying all the beauty these fjords have to offer.

This is one such adventure..... or for us, just a couple of KAVU days.

From 70 Feet Below....

First off, trudging through the snow, we set up our SCUBA gear and prepared ourselves to get into water that was warmer than the 20*F air.... although not by much!

Spending an hour getting geared up to get into the water always makes me question why I didn’t pick a more comfortable sport. But, once I walked into that water and descended below its surface, I was reminded why Alaska is my favorite place in the world to dive.

Along with my friend and fellow Alaskan diver Tamsen Peeples, we descended into the dark depths to look for fun critters. Every inch of the rocks were covered with life, even more so than some coral reefs, and definitely more colorful! That’s my favorite part of diving in Alaska - all the bright colors!

We also have healthy populations of animals that aren’t doing well across the rest of their range - like the Sunflower Star, (Pycnopodia helianthoides), recently listed as Critically Endangered, but you wouldn’t know it diving here - they’re everywhere!

This dive specifically, I also found the CUTEST fish in the Pacific Ocean, one I’ve always wanted to see and have looked for constantly over my last 4 years of diving here: A Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker!

As though I wasn’t stoked enough from finding a fish I’ve always wanted to see, after washing gear, the Northern Lights came out!

Can’t make this stuff up.

.... To 1500 Feet Above

Riding the high from my Lumpsucker sighting, we traded the dive gear for alpine gear. We called in two more amazing alpine women, Natalie and Erika, and this time..... we brought our own creature comforts.

The plan was to hike to a US Forest Service cabin and spend the night there, then to ski down the 1500’ slopes the next morning, with dogs in tow.

Little did we know it was going to be the coldest night of the decade in Juneau!

Luckily, we made it through the night, albeit a bit frozen, but stoked to get moving again and to warm up!

Busy Livin'

To go from below the water, to hundreds of feet above.... from covering myself in specialized diving gear, to throwing skis on my back to hike to a cabin in the woods, spending one of the coldest nights of the decade cuddled with a husky puppy sure brought into focus why I love Alaska!

KAVU DAYS!!

Lifestyler & Photographer

Footnotes

Kim is a KAVU lifestyler and photographer that brings a huge sense of joy and adventure.... oh, and a smile that's contagious AF, with her wherever she goes. Give her a follow!

Button Label

FootNotes

Kim is a KAVU lifestyler and photographer that brings a huge sense of joy and adventure.... oh, and a smile that's contagious AF, with her wherever she goes. Give her a follow!

Havasupai 2025

Alpine & Sea

By: Kim Nesbitt

FootNotes

By: Julia Botelho Morgan

Hartman Rector

By: Neil Amonson

By: Neil Amonson

By: Felicia Sturgeon

By Nick Greece