Spring Fever

A popular topic of conversation during springtime in Alaska revolves around how the bears are waking up, it’s the casual “bring your bear spray, it’s that time of year again,” in conversation among friends when discussing which hikes are on the docket for the future. Then there are the posts on Facebook of the prints in the dirt, and on the beaches, and we also start to see the scat on the trails. It’s the annual reminder that earth and her creatures are starting to wake up after the long winter.

“bring your bear spray, it’s that time of year again,”

It’s funny how aware of spring humans are as we watch the awakening of the world around us, but I think sometimes we forget that we are also coming alive again. Nature isn’t the only thing waking up. I’ve also heard the phrase “coming out of the wood works” a lot in conversation when discussing the energy of spring and the transition we all go through. Local businesses have said it to me when I’ve stopped in to shop and ask them how things are going. Friends have said it to me when they speak about their new found energy and willingness to make plans - myself included. Hibernation is over. 

What I’ve learned after living in Alaska for almost 4 years now, is that this is the land of the extremes. The winters are longer, colder, and darker. And the summers are busier, brighter and way too short. And the transitions between seasons are equally as intense. Fall lasts about two weeks so you must take advantage of any sunny day to get out and see the colors, and breakup season (spring) is a muddy, wet, mess. A restlessness can be felt during spring because we know what’s ahead, but on the contrary a winding down happens as the cold and darkness start to move in before winter. 

Here’s my observation though - I think we need the long cold and dark during the winter because the summers are the exact opposite. I don’t know about you, but it’s way easier for me to justify significantly less sleep when the sun is shining well past midnight. Do we even sleep during the summer months? Sometimes I’m not so sure. I think part of the course of living here is to learn how to operate in functional chaos during the summer months because there is much to do and so little time. There are mountains to climb, fish to catch, and backcountry trips to embark on - I mean after all we’ve only had 8 months to plan everything we want to accomplish in 3. The energy is go-go-and go, and everyone is on the same page. 

Then winter comes and things start to slow down. Darkness starts gaining on the daylight, and slowly but surely, we lose the sun, minute by minute all the way to December. Then the snow comes and blankets everything around us, covering any and all imperfections and suddenly everything is quieter. So we sit with winter in the dark, quiet, and cozy, after a short few months of busy, fast, and chaos. 

The transition times of spring and fall prepare us for both. Transitions are important! So yes, there is a beautiful peace in watching nature awaken and come alive during the spring, but there is also a transition happening within us if we pay attention to it. I think the difference between nature and humans however, is nature is graceful and accepting through its transitions and we humans can feel unsettled. Maybe it’s because we try to think our way out of it, we have to make sense of it rather than just accept what’s happening. I think that’s something we can continue to learn from nature. The trees don’t think about budding, when it’s the right time it just happens. Sometimes during the spring I can start to feel restless and disconnected, likely from the anticipation of summer being just around the corner. I find myself participating in conversations that sound a lot like “I’m just waiting for the trails to clean up,” “there’s still so much snow up in the mountains,” “it feels like spring is farther away than we think,” "What's on your list for this summer.”

Not that these are necessarily bad conversations - but are we wishing away spring? Are we wishing away the transition? As excited as we may be about summer and all that it brings, we shouldn’t wish away the transition. Let’s let spring do her thing so we can have the most magical summer we all want and deserve. Growth happens during transitions, it’s the most important part if you think about it. It’s when the roots burrow deep and build their strength. If the roots aren’t strong, the future growth is weak.

No more wishing away the transition period - it’s too important. We need to sit with it, and just be with it. We can prepare and acknowledge the excitement for all that is to come, but we can’t rush the transition, just as nature doesn’t rush spring and fall. 

TrailMates is waking up too. We went through some big transitions at the end of 2025. Our fearless leader decided to pass the baton to make space for new adventures, and myself and Sara are learning how to merge TrailMates into our already busy and full time schedules. Please don’t fret - we may have been a little quiet as of lately as we also were leaning into the energy of winter, but we are very much still here and excited about all the adventures this summer - and TrailMates - is sure to provide. 

The Bears are waking, the earth is blooming, and we humans are doing the same. If you have any hike ideas or mountains you want to tackle together this summer - please reach out via email! We’d love to hear about the adventures you want to be a part of as we prepare for the next season. Adventure is on the horizon!