Winter mood and what you can expect this summer at Sven‘s. How are we handling the Pandemic?
Greetings to you all !! Another "Hello" from the Basecamp after Fairbanks just went through its real cold spell of the winter. We saw temps of 30 below for about a week. I guess we are getting a little bit weak when it comes to the cold. In the past that used to be a normal winter temperature that lasted for several weeks. These days we are crying "foul" if the thermometer drops that low for longer than a few days.
We also just got blessed with a little more snow. About 4" hit the ground which will make our dog and skiing trails a lot smoother. We are slowly entering my favorite time of the winter. March in Alaska is an incredible month. Longer daylight, warmer temps and usually clear skies, which makes for great Aurora viewing.
Over the past few weeks I received quite a few messages about how Fairbanks and my Basecamp are handling the pandemic so I'd like to talk a little bit about that so you know what to expect once you arrive here at the airport in Fairbanks. First off, things are pretty chill here in town. People are required to wear their masks in most public places such as grocery stores and shopping areas. All restaurants and bars are open and run at full capacity. All gyms, yoga studios and parks are open. As we are all aware that things could still change until Basecamp opening day (May 15th 2021) but so far Fairbanks has been a great place to live during these weird times. You are not required to wear a mask outdoors but are encouraged to social distance and wash your hands often.
Sunrise run with Chad chasing me up a hill...
Lady Aurora Borealis dancing over my winter home
At my Basecamp we will be very open to anybody's handling of the situation. You will not be required to wear a mask at entering but if you'd like to, of course please go ahead. We do not want to judge. We want to give everybody the freedom of choosing for themselves while offering a clean and disinfected facility during your stay. Important: you are not required to enter Alaska with a negative covid test (I will keep you posted should this change) at this point.
I want to provide a fun and relaxed and safe atmosphere for anybody staying with us. As it has been the case for the past 8 seasons my motto remains the same: live and let live !
Unfortunately, Canada is keeping their border closed and you really need a very solid and believable story to convince the border agents to let you into their country. Sadly I don't see this changing until winter/spring of 2022. With that being said, we will miss another season with those worn out, happy and road marked motorcycling faces. Nothing we can do about it so it's not worth losing sleep over it or get mad. Patience is a big word these days isn't it? Should you want to enter from Europe I don't have better news for you either, the US is not letting you in unless you want to quarantine in Dubai for 2 weeks and then push on to America. Talking with a border agent in Seattle after returning from Mexico that is how tourists are making it these days. I cannot imagine it being a very affordable way to enter. How badly do you want to come to America is the question here.
On another note, I just returned from Mexico 2 weeks ago and had a fabulous time down there with my friends Mike, Franky, Charly, Sandro and Ulli. If you ever find yourselves in the Puerto Vallarta / Guadalajara area, please do yourselves a favor and stop by these 2 wonderful hotels: (highly recommend !)
Alright guys, thanks for checking in with me, be patient with this damn virus and don't forget to just keep on living !! Fairbanks is the place to still be free this summer and move about. Coffee is always on and we are excited to meet you this season. Stop in !! See you this summer.
Sven