3 ms·

That’s something like 50 miles (eyeballing the distance). … as the crow flies … at 1 am … in northern alaska … in the winter I don’t know that much about l

by csa 4y ago

That’s something like 50 miles (eyeballing the distance). … as the crow flies … at 1 am … in northern alaska … in the winter I don’t know that much about living in Alaska, so I don’t know which side of the brave/stupid line this falls. That said, my initial impression is squarely in the “stupid” category.

di456 4y ago
Many people who live in remote villages use snowmachines (snowmobiles outside of AK) as their primary means of transportation. The article doesn't get into how they got stranded or why they were out there. But let's not jump to "stupid" as there are many things that could have gone wrong, and they were properly clothed with fire starting material in hand.
Someone 4y ago
> at 1 am https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/kotzebue https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/kotzebue: > Sunrise Today: 12:09 > Sunset Today: 15:11 I think it’s unavoidable to travel in the dark in Alaska this time of year. They also may have tried for hours to get out without outside help.
helloooooooo 4y ago
At 1 am the winter, it doesn’t matter if it is 8am or 5pm, it’s still dark out. So why does it being 1am matter?
- playingalong 4y ago
  I haven't checked today's weather, but it's likely colder at 1am than at 7 am on the same day.
  - mattkrause 4y ago
    It’s usually coldest right after dawn: the earth has been radiating heat all night, and is thus getting colder. The very early morning light isn’t yet strong enough to start driving the temperature back up.
- csa 4y ago
  > At 1 am the winter, it doesn’t matter if it is 8am or 5pm, it’s still dark out. So why does it being 1am matter? Again, I’m no AK expert, but my initial thoughts are: 1. There are still 5 hours or so of sunlight. Maybe try then, at least for part of the trip. 2. I’m not sure what sleeping schedules are like with limited sunshine, but I imagine that most people are more tired at 1 am than other times that aren’t the middle of the night. 3. If there is an established route between the two towns, then I imagine that there would be more people nearby to help if something went wrong in the 8am-9pm range rather than the early morning hours. I could be wrong about this, but that’s my guess.

by csa 4y ago

di456 4y ago

Many people who live in remote villages use snowmachines (snowmobiles outside of AK) as their primary means of transportation. The article doesn't get into how they got stranded or why they were out there. But let's not jump to "stupid" as there are many things that could have gone wrong, and they were properly clothed with fire starting material in hand.

Someone 4y ago

> at 1 am https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/kotzebue https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/kotzebue: > Sunrise Today: 12:09 > Sunset Today: 15:11 I think it’s unavoidable to travel in the dark in Alaska this time of year. They also may have tried for hours to get out without outside help.

helloooooooo 4y ago

At 1 am the winter, it doesn’t matter if it is 8am or 5pm, it’s still dark out. So why does it being 1am matter?

playingalong 4y ago
I haven't checked today's weather, but it's likely colder at 1am than at 7 am on the same day.
- mattkrause 4y ago
  It’s usually coldest right after dawn: the earth has been radiating heat all night, and is thus getting colder. The very early morning light isn’t yet strong enough to start driving the temperature back up.
csa 4y ago
> At 1 am the winter, it doesn’t matter if it is 8am or 5pm, it’s still dark out. So why does it being 1am matter? Again, I’m no AK expert, but my initial thoughts are: 1. There are still 5 hours or so of sunlight. Maybe try then, at least for part of the trip. 2. I’m not sure what sleeping schedules are like with limited sunshine, but I imagine that most people are more tired at 1 am than other times that aren’t the middle of the night. 3. If there is an established route between the two towns, then I imagine that there would be more people nearby to help if something went wrong in the 8am-9pm range rather than the early morning hours. I could be wrong about this, but that’s my guess.