Writing Sex (and other activities) in Alaska in the Summertime
Since many of my followers got a kick out of my last post about sex scenes in the cold, I thought I would follow-up about writing realistic romance (and life) in the outdoors of Alaska in the warmer times of year.
Yes—it does get warm here.
I can already here the question from a few of my followers:
So have you…you know…?
That’s a whole other blog post. For now, I’d like to share some of the more realistic parts of writing steamy romance in the great outdoors in Alaska (or extreme northern climates) in the summer.
The Midnight Sun
Whenever I have friends from other places visit in the summers, I always give them a beautiful sleeping mask as a gift—because while the midnight sun seems great at first, it makes it impossible to sleep. People always ask me if I have trouble with the constant darkness in the winter. Not as much as the perpetual light in the summer. Picture this…the sun is shining and everything is green, with a perfect temperature of 70 degrees. Sitting up and reading a book on the deck with an extra glass of wine is too tempting. Doing more yard work or taking another walk is too hard to turn down. Up north, in Prudhoe Bay and Barrow, the sun will be above the horizon for 24 hours a day until August. By fall, I’m exhausted and you just can’t override that diurnal urge to be awake when the sun is up.
Here’s a great article from 2019 explaining the phenomenon.
https://weather.com/science/news/2019-05-11-barrow-alaska-sunrise-sunset-august-83-days
Incorporating it into your story
One of the things to keep in mind is in the summer is that there won’t be any real darkness. Unless your characters have great blackout curtains, they still be able to see each other when they turn off the lights. At the same time, the low light is gorgeous. The sun does go down here in Anchorage for a few hours, creating a soft twilight setting. Use that to your advantage in your story.
The Mosquito—Our Other State Bird
Ahh—the bugs. And not just the mosquitos. But they are out there, and I have even managed to incorporate these annoying little pests into my stories at times. It doesn’t matter how much deet is in that bug spray, they’re still coming for your blood. That being said, they definitely like certain temperatures and of course boggy wet areas and forests.
Cow Parsnip
The scourge of Southern Alaska (and parts of the Pacific Northwest), you can find these plants over most of Southeast Alaskan trails. The stems and leaves contain a photosensitive chemical called furocoumarins. While some people have a more intense reaction than others, this chemical causes blistering burns on the skin after exposure to ultraviolet light. An article below details one hiker’s horrific encounter with the plant. It also gies you details of what the plant looks like and its growing conditions.
I mention this, because it could make a great plot point for some of you that may be writing revenge-type stories. My husband has a great story of a friend from the lower 48 who went camping for the first time in Alaska, chopped down a whole mess of it and used it as bedding. His trip did not end well to say the least.
Erratic Weather
There’s a saying in Alaska:
If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.
Ray and I love to joke about the inaccurate weather forecasts. To counter this, whether on a hike or a drive, prepare for changing conditions, and be ready for a little (or a lot) of inclement weather. Sure, the gorgeous blue bird days here in Alaska are wonderful to behold, but since the warm season is so short, we don’t let that hold us back from enjoying the outdoors. To be honest, we don’t let winter hold us back much either, but a hike in the summer is way more pleasant than a hike in the winter. At least in the winter, there’s no mosquitos or cow parsnip!
The Wildlife (they like to watch)
Okay, I don’t know if they LIKE to watch. But they definitely like to interrupt. I think what many people lose sight of, even here in Anchorage, is that we’re on their turf, not the other way around. One of the things that people comment on in my writing is that the characters ALL carry guns.
Is that for real?
Do I REALLY do that?
The answer is yes, I do. I also carry bear spray. What I will also say, is that I have never had to shoot an animal in self-defense (though we have had some pretty close calls). Most wild animals are curious, but really want nothing to do with people. If you make enough noise while hiking, most bears will go the other way. The two most dangerous animals are as follows:
Females and their young:
Moose
We see so many tourists trying to get close to the baby moose. I understand why. They’re cute, fuzzy and really awkward on those long spindly legs. But always keep in mind that nearby is one of the most dangerous animals in Alaska. Mama moose is about 1000 lbs of sheer rage when she thinks her baby is threatened. She can turn on a dime, too. More people get injured or killed in Alaska by moose than bear for two reasons:
- There’s more moose than bear (ratio of around 3:1)
- They seem less threatening
Here’s a great article from Alaska Fish and Game about agreesive moose if you’re looking to incorporate one into your story.
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm%3Fadfg%3Dlivewith.aggressivemoose
Bear
There’s a reason why there’s many jokes about protective Mama bears. It doesn’t help that the cubs are inherently curious and like to wander. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you, avoid at all costs. I’ve heard more than one horror story of a person inadvertently getting between mama bear and baby.
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=livingwithbears.main
Second most dangerous animal?
Any animal that has become habituated to humans and is no longer what would be considered wild. These animals now consider humans to be a source of food. This happens quite frequently with bears. Tragically, when this occurs, this is when an animal has escalating and dangerous encounters with humans. Fish and Game can sometimes tag and relocated the animal, but often the animal has to be put down. This is why there are so many strict regulations about food and bear proof containers in the back country. If you are writing about the backcountry and bears, here’s the specific page related to that:
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=livingwithbears.bearharmony
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, check out my Alaska backcountry horror novella, The Dark Land, available on Amazon now.
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