With 663,268 square miles of area and over 34,000 miles of tidal shoreline, Alaska is the biggest state in the union. It is certainly the most rugged, with a challenging and beautiful wilderness that includes the Aleutian Island chain to the west and the Canadian Yukon to the east. It’s a great place to host the Yukon Quest, and also a favorite destination for mountain climbers, skiers, and hikers. Alaska is a land of active volcanoes, large tidal basins, and over three million lakes. There are glaciers that cover 16,000 miles of surface, although this number declines each year due to global warming.
The southern part of the state features an oceanic climate, while the north has a subarctic climate. The Alaskan panhandle is wetter and warmer than the rest of the state, with average winter temperatures remaining above freezing. The harsh interior has temperatures that range during the year from -60 to +90.
Hikers know that summer in Alaska is a time of floral explosion. Many types of flowers can be found growing wild in Alaska. Here is a short list of some of the more popular varieties:
- Forget-me-not: The official state flower is fragrant at night, and can be perennial or annual. The small, tulip-shaped seed pods are disseminated by catching onto the clothing of passersby and subsequently dropping off. The color is usually a beautiful shade of blue.
- Wild Iris: perennial beauties that can be found in wet areas, such as moist woods, wet meadows and swamps. You can easily recognize them by their flat, sword-like leaves and three-petal and three-sepal blossoms. The flower shape resembles a peaflower, with an upper standard, two lateral wings, and a fused lower keel.
- Lupine: You can find these nitrogen-fixing plants in open spaces such as meadows, marshes, gravel bars and slopes. The roots are a favorite snack for bears, while butterflies feed on the plant and lay eggs on its leaves.
- Monkshood: a tall plant featuring a slim stem and wonderful blue flowers. They grow near forest streams, on stony or rocky slopes and in wet grasslands. Despite its beauty, monkshood is poisonous, and has been used as a weapon by rubbing it onto spears and arrows. Wolves and panthers have been hunted in this way.
The next time you are attending a Yukon Quest event, take the time to “smell the roses”: the lovely wildflowers of Alaska.