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Nome community enjoy a festive banquet halfway
through the race. WHERE WONDER TAKES FLIGHT
Then, there’s the Iditarod Trail Invitational in Birding in Nome
March when a select group of (fool)hardy souls
test themselves against Alaska’s winter elements,
traversing the famed trail by mountain bike, skis, or Some places draw you in with breathtaking
on foot. The 5K shoreline Gold Dust Dash offers up scenery, others with rich culture—but Nome,
a gold nugget to the winner, while the Poor Man’s Alaska, is where it all converges: a land
Beach Gold Panning Contest pits participants against shaped by Native culture, gold rush history,
each other to see who can find gold first in their bag and a beauty that doesn’t just impress you—it
of pay dirt. quietly transforms the way you see the world.
Summerfest joyfully celebrates youth and art, while
shopping for unique, hand-made items is a breeze at Perched on the edge of the Bering Sea,
Nome’s arts and crafts fairs, the largest of which is held unreachable by road and shaped by Arctic
during Iditarod Week in mid-March. The Nome Arts extremes, Nome doesn’t shout for attention.
Council hosts the two-day Alappaa Film Festival, and It doesn’t have to. Spend a day here—better
biannual Open Mic events showcasing music, dance, yet, three—and you begin to understand that
poetry and storytelling. The Salmonberry Jam Folk the real story isn’t just in the landscape. It’s
Fest is three fun-filled days of local and guest music in the sky.
artists, workshops, dancing, crafts, and community Nome is a living, breathing migration
cookout. The Blueberry Festival features arts and story, one that spans continents, oceans, and,
crafts, music and delightful blueberry concoctions. astonishingly, nearly nonstop flight paths that
Check the Alaska.org website for more information or defy logic. Wait too long, and the tundra goes quiet.
contact the Nome Visitors Center to determine what’s At the center of it all is Carol Gales, a By late June, many species retreat into near
happening during your visit. longtime resident and founder of Roam invisibility, protecting nests and young from
Pilgrim Hot Springs Nome, a private guiding service specializing predators, or they have begun their migration
Located 60 road miles from Nome off Kougarok in birding tours. journey. By August, some have already left.
Road, Pilgrim Hot Springs is a lush, treed oasis Three Roads, Infinite Scenery From Observer to Guide
with a unique past. On the National Register of Nome’s road system is deceptively simple: Gales didn’t set out to become a birding
Historic Places, the 320-acre property is positioned three main roads and shorter side roads guide. Like many visitors, she initially wanted
in the tundra between Hen and Chickens Hill and the stretching out a total of 300 miles across to see the larger wildlife—bears, moose, and
Kigluaik Mountain range. Pilgrim Hot Springs was tundra, river valleys, and ridge lines. But muskox.
purchased in late 2009 from the Catholic Bishop of those roads unlock access to an astonishing “I wasn’t a birder when I got here,” she
Northern Alaska by a consortium of seven indigenous diversity of habitats, and with it, one of the admitted. “But I would see people standing
organizations in the Bering Strait region who formed most remarkable birding destinations in by the side of the road looking through
Unaatuq, LLC. North America. binoculars, and I would think, what are they
Uunaqtuq (it is warm or hot) was an important On any given day in late May or early looking at? Then I took a class and became
site recognized within the Qawiaraqmiut traditional June, you might find yourself driving past hooked on all the different species and their
territory with a long history of use that continues open tundra where many shorebirds nest sounds.”
to the present. Honored as a very special place directly on the ground, then skirting coastal Today, she offers private tours tailored to
where animals and edible plants were available wetlands where the land meets the sea in a each traveler, whether that’s a photographer
for subsistence even in winter, the Native people blur of motion, climbing toward rocky ridge chasing the perfect shot, a seasoned birder
respectfully used the springs in times of need, tops where entirely different species take with a target species list, or a curious traveler
enjoying healing hot water soaks surrounded by the shelter, and finally descending into brush- simply wanting to understand what they’re
lined corridors alive with song. seeing. Not only is Gales familiar with the
roads out of Nome, but she also understands
“There’s a big diversity,” Gales explained. the variety of species and the nesting
“Different species prefer different habitats, habitat of the different birds. However, her
and because of our roads, you can actually get commanding knowledge doesn’t end with
out to all of them.” birds; she also offers history tours of Nome,
For travelers, that accessibility is everything. which everyone is encouraged to take to
In much of rural Alaska, wilderness remains understand the town’s heritage.
just out of reach. In Nome, it’s right outside Unlike group tours, her approach is
your windshield. personal and flexible.
The Season That Changes Everything “With me, you have a private guide who’s
Timing, however, is everything. doing what you want to do,” she said. Her
The magic window—when the landscape knowledge of the area is invaluable, whether
and wildlife align—is brief. Late May through you are an experienced birder checking off
early June marks the peak migration and your “must-see list” or one who has just
nesting season, when birds arrive from across picked up a pair of binoculars.
the globe to breed under nearly endless And maybe that’s one of the unique draws
daylight and feast on an abundance of insects. of Nome. Not just that it sits at the edge
It’s also when they are most visible and the of Alaska, but that it quietly reveals how
most vocal. everything beyond it is connected because
“They’re establishing territory and trying the same birds you see in Nome will be the
to attract a mate,” Gales said. “So they’re ones that fly to Australia, Hawaii, Asia, and
being very loud and very visible. It’s the best the farthest reaches of the globe.
time to see them. Also, many bird species Once you start looking up, you may never
molt into more colorful plumage when trying see travel the same way again.
to mate, so a drab grey bird running around To book a tour with Roam Nome, visit www.
on the beach in Florida may look completely roamnome.com or call (907) 304-9058. The full
different with beautiful, flashy feathering interview with Roam Nome can be viewed at
while mating in Nome. www.travelguidesalaska.com

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