Elim Ski Meet

The elementary cross country ski team took their trip to Elim this weekend, another site in the district. Coach Kelly asked me to come along as a male chaperone, and I was happy to oblige. I've wanted to see Elim because I've heard they have it all--trees, a beach, and a new school! In the arctic sunlight the school sure looks new and shiny:



The skiers had a lot of fun! There were relay races and races by grade. You can see everyone getting ready here, with the old Elim high school in the background. The old high school was built in 1980 as a provision of an act that required the state to provide an alternative to boarding school for high school students. 25 years in the arctic have done a lot of damage to the building:



I even had some time to myself during the meet to take an hour-long walk. The trees never looked so beautiful! We have trees in Shaktoolik too, but I have to walk about 3 miles to get to them, so it sure felt convenient to have the trees right there!



I had to crawl through the woods on my hands and knees for a while, I never did invest in any snowshoes. I started sliding on my belly through some of the downhills, but then I saw the trees mysteriously end...



WOAHAHAHOAH! That's a 200 foot cliff right there! I clutched onto the last tree above the cliff and looked down, thankful that I decided to stop sliding around. If only it was a little less sheer, I'm sure it'd be a lot of fun to slide down. I headed back to the school where there were some shallower cliffs for sliding. It was a blast! It's hard to believe that there is a massive cliff overlooking the ocean right in front of the school, but for now, it's just a fun slide:



The next day, it was time to get back on the "bus" and head home. It is insanely bright out there:



Goodbye Elim!



Best of luck to Nick and all of the staff returning next year. In fact, all of them are returning! Have a great summer and a good year! You live in a truly beautiful village.