Known as “The Last Frontier,” the state of Alaska is the biggest state in the U.S. and nearly twice the size of Texas. It is home to North America’s tallest mountain, Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley) and has coastlines on three different seas. The land was purchased from Russia, by the U.S. in 1867, for $7.2 million.
There are 100,000 glaciers in Alaska; representing five percent of the entire state. With less than two people per square mile, it is the least densely populated state in the U.S.
Those glaciers, and the opportunity to gaze at the tallest peak in North America, may have been two of the reasons that a biomed born in Flat River, Missouri and raised in Nashville, would make the long trip north and never look back.
Caleb Campbell is a Biomedical Repair Specialist with Alaska Clinical Engineering Services – a division of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC). He has also always been an avid sportsman.
“Our organization is contracted with various tribal health organizations to provide preventative maintenance services to their member clinics,” Campbell says. “I travel throughout the state to provide these services. Our scope of maintenance is very similar to most other ISOs, however, we also offer radiological contracts, biological hoods, dental, and even veterinary services. We are unique in that everyone on our team services every piece of equipment. I’m more of a general biomed.”
What may differentiate Campbell from his more southern fellow biomeds, besides the expansive area he serves, is the fact that he often travels by “small airplane, four-wheeler, snow machine and even dogsled.”
Not like the Lower 48
Beyond its mountains and glaciers, Alaska has 6,640 miles of coastline, not including islands. It boasts 70 potentially active volcanoes. Each year sees approximately 5,000 earthquakes. Despite these things, Campbell says that some of the challenges of living there are more mundane.
“One challenge is being able to obtain fresh produce,” he concedes. “Produce arrives in Anchorage via barge, and if there are any shipping delays, you may or may not be able to find what you are looking for. Even when you do find what you are looking for, produce tends to arrive either overly ripe or under ripe.”
He also says that ordering overnight shipping, when shopping online, can be challenging. Shipping costs sometimes exceed the cost of the item, and other times, retailers just don’t ship to Alaska. He goes on to describe some other trivia that those in the lower 48 may not have considered.
“Alaskans do not celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks. During the summer, we have close to 20 hours of daylight,” he says. “The majority of the state is not on the road system. Travelling to most communities involves at least (one) flight, boat, or ATV ride.”
And, he says that encounters with wildlife are the norm. It is not unusual to have to stop in traffic for moose or bears, even in Anchorage.
Adventurous Life
While some things may just be minor inconveniences, and others momentary challenges, it’s the great outdoors that has won over Campbell.
“My wife and I have both hiked the Matanuska Glacier and Portage Glacier. Glaciers can be particularly dangerous. Warm gear and crampons are a must. The most treacherous thing about glaciers is watching out for crevasses. One misstep and you can be severely injured or die,” he says “I would encourage anyone looking to travel to Alaska to explore at least one glacier. They are truly a sight to be seen.”
In addition to exploring glaciers, Campbell has experienced another Alaska activity that is uncommon for residents elsewhere.
“Gold panning is still a common pastime here in Alaska, on both a professional and recreational level,” he says.
“I sometimes pan recreationally up near Independence Mine in Hatcher’s Pass. While I’ve found little gold, the excitement is what keeps my interest. Generally, my wife and I will hike upstream and find a suitable location. We will spend several hours sifting through gravel with our pans. We may encounter moose, bears, and porcupines. It’s pretty neat to see the salmon swimming upstream in the summer time. We definitely don’t ever make a living out of it but the experience pays for itself,” he says.
Hunting is another pastime that Campbell has enjoyed, including hunting for moose.
“One thing people may not realize is just how large a moose is. Moose can grow to around 5.5 feet to 6 feet from hooves to shoulder and weigh in around 1,200 pounds,” Campbell says. “Transporting one of these animals out of the woods can be quite a chore as the quarters can weigh anywhere from 150 pounds to 200 pounds each. Typically you find moose in swamps and bogs so just reaching the animal can be grueling in itself. In Alaska, you don’t call in sick from work but it’s perfectly acceptable to call in and say that you won’t make it in because you’ve downed a moose.”
If the moose hunting and gold panning weren’t unique enough features of an Alaskan lifestyle, it is the travel between remote locations that also sets Campbell’s experiences apart.
He says that flying by small plane is a way of life in Alaska.
“Most of the larger bush carriers utilize the Cessna 206 aircraft. The Cessna 206 is a fixed wing, single prop aircraft. It is not uncommon to be flanked on either side by incoming mail and other weary travelers. We often transverse huge distances, rugged terrain, and less than ideal weather. We land on gravel runways in the middle of the tundra. The whole village usually greets the plane and mail and supplies are distributed,” Campbell explains.
Campbell says that once you debark from the plane, the journey still may not afford the comfort of a car or truck for transportation. He says that more likely, you will continue your trip to town by way of ATV, snowmobile or dogsled.
“Generally the locals will have a makeshift trailer attached to the rear of the transport vehicle and everyone needing a ride will pile in,” he says. “The town may or may not be fairly close to the runway. A short, white-knuckled ride later, and we arrive in town. It is not uncommon to be covered in mud and snow by the time you arrive. Allow at least 10 minutes for your beard and other appendages to thaw out.”
At the time of this writing, Campbell was planning a rafting trip.
“We are putting in at Paxson Lake in Paxson, Alaska and are rafting roughly 50 miles through the wilderness to Gulkana, Alaska. During this trip, we will be fly fishing for King Salmon, Sockeye Salmon, Rainbow Trout, and Dolly Varden. We will also be scouting for a caribou hunt that we are doing this fall via the same route,” he says.
Just when you thought you knew the life of the typical biomed; here comes this guy on a dogsled.