Northern Lights

When you’re sailing in the Aleutians, Kodiak, and Prince William Sound, common wisdom says you need to be out of the Gulf of Alaska by September first at the latest before the hurricane-force winds of autumn arrive. So, you could just head south to Mexico, escape the band of ice and snow, and set sail for a margarita. Or you can settle in for the winter.

- Kate Laird

At 60 degrees north, the endless light days of summer start closing in rapidly. By late October, there’s a skim of ice in some anchorages. There’s no one around. We can hear the howling of coyotes in the forest and the snuffling complaints of sea otter pups as they drift by the boat. As sunset approaches, we look at the sky with a critical eye. If it’s a “we live at the northern edge of a rain forest” cloud and drizzle evening, we retreat to the heater-warm cabin and read books while the kids do their homework.