LIFE in America’s most remote village is lonely and tough – yet still people choose to settle there.
Port Alsworth, Alaska, has no bars, restaurants or shops, and food deliveries come by plane just once every two months.
SWNSSalina Alsworth, 27, and her husband, Jared Richardson, 25, who live in Port Alsworth, Alaska[/caption]
Salina’s family moved to the village in the 1940s and she met Jared when he was visiting for workSWNS
The nearest city to Port Alsworth is a 200-mile airplane trip awaySWNS
Salina Alsworth, 27, is one the village’s 180 residents and has lived in the isolated community her entire life.
Her grandparents, Babe and Mary Alsworth, moved out there in the 1940s, and her family never left.
She met her husband, Jared Richardson, 25, a fishing guide, when he visited the village as one of its many tourists.
He relocated from Detroit, Michigan, to live work on the resort.
Salina said Jared has settled in well to village life, despite having to fly 200 miles to the nearest city.
Salina, a manager at Lake Clark Resort, said: “Jared and I are now a few years into marriage, and it is great.
“It was definitely a challenge at first, but it grew us in a great way.
“He has been living in the village since 2022. It has been fun sharing our village life with him.
“Being remote wasn’t totally new to him, but driving around in his truck is not something he can do around here – instead, we go around on four-wheelers.
“There isn’t a convenience store, so when you go to your buddies house, and you want some beers or food, you have to raid your own pantry.”
Americans were invited to move up to Alaska in the 1940s.
Salina’s great-grandparents both had to prove that they could live self-sufficiently and, in return, the government gave them land to live off.
Residents rely on the nearest city, Anchorage, for supplies, but the extreme weather conditions mean it can be a challenge to reach.
Salina said: “Snow and fog are a big factor, there are no hospitals here.
SWNSFood deliveries reach the village by plane just once every two months[/caption]
Salina hauling logs to burn in the stoveSWNS
“We have a small clinic which does basic stuff but if you have a baby or need surgery you have to get there by airplane.
“The only shop we have is our little gift shop at my family’s resort.
“There are no theatres, bars, or restaurants.
“We have two coffee shops, but they are the only places in town.
“Winter is a very challenging time, with us being so remote and everything coming from aircraft, snowstorms, and fog are a real issue for us.
“When there are certain weather conditions, only certain types of aircraft can fly – you can go up to a week without planes getting here.”
Sarah said there are food deliveries every two months in the village, but if you need something sooner, you have to fly to Anchorage.
She said: “We get food deliveries once every two months. I try to buy everything I need for the winter in October, when the season is over, and make that last until May.
SWNSSalina works as a manager at Lake Clark Resort[/caption]
The married couple say there are happy with their lives in the middle of nowhereSWNS
“In July, we will replenish our freezer with fresh-caught salmon.
“September is Moose season, we get Moose every two years in our family.
“I have been going to the mainland once a month this year for various different reasons.
“But usually it is every four to six months, depending on what is going on.”
Despite its many challenges, Salina said she has no plans to move and loves the community feel in the village.
Salina said: “This is somewhere I always thought I would live, I just can’t think of living anywhere else.
“Whenever there is an emergency, or if someone goes through something, we are always on hand to help each other out.
“Anytime someone goes to the city, they will reach out asking if anyone needs anything.
“We are always looking out for each other.”
AlamyAmericans were invited to move up to Alaska in the 1940s, and Salina’s family never left[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
