Snow dominates in Bettles

Snow. Snow. And more snow. Over 100 inches of snow fell in Bettles over the winter and has settled into about four feet of snow. All buildings are capped in several feet of snow while yards look amazingly clean with everything buried under the snow. The snow is hiding all the low brush so only the spruce, birch, aspen and willow are poking out.

Snow-covered pick-up trucks and van

Tracks of ptarmigan, snowshoe hares, red squirrels and possibly lynx and marten are found all around. Flocks of twenty ptarmigan create mazes of tracks as they feed on the willow and birch buds.

After shoveling the roof

The sun’s higher angle in the sky and longer presence is beginning to melt the snow little by little. Icicles are beginning to form on eaves and patches of gravel are beginning to appear on the roads. Despite highs in the twenties, there is considerable warmth in the afternoon sun when standing outside—as long as there isn’t any wind.

One of the two massive snow piles at the airport

The arrival of snow buntings means that spring is on its way since they migrate north to breed. They join the resident redpolls, pine grosbeaks, gray jays, ptarmigan and ruffed grouse that have survived another winter in the arctic.