Love letters from our public lands: Fred Blixt Cabin

Let’s tell it how it is. Romantic weekend getaways in Alaska look a little different than they do in the Lower 48 – especially in the winter. Romantic getaways with an interpretive BLM Park Ranger in Alaska in the winter, even further off the beaten path. I think that’s justification enough for how I ended up in the White Mountains National Recreation Area at the Fred Blixt Cabin with my husband rather than lounging on a sunny beach with a drink in my hand.

While the convenient flight to Hawaii was more than enticing, I have to say that this cabin has its own unique charms. Eager to share his world of public lands with me, my husband suggested that we spend our fifth anniversary deep in the wilderness of the White Mountains. Our lodging, a remote cabin as opposed to a crowded resort on an island. And I won’t lie, I had my hesitations. Significant hesitations.

As he explained it, the original cabin on this site was built by a trapper who went on to become its namesake, Fred Blixt, in 1935. The first structure stood tall until a fire wiped it off the map in 1991, only for a local log home builder to reconstruct it in 1991. What we are calling home for the next three days is essentially Fred Blixt 2.0, a lovely little shelter that sleeps up to six.

But an all-inclusive resort, Fred Blixt is not. After following the Elliott Highway to Milepost 62.5, a short gravel road was all that stood between us and complete serenity. That, and the labor of love it would take to get ourselves set up for the weekend. We had to pack in quite a bit: fuel for the lanterns and cookstove, maps and compass, matches, sleeping bag and pad, extra food items and water, and warm clothing.

Just the thought of lugging all that gear through the snowy landscape almost had me reaching for my bathing suit and flip-flops and wishing my love a safe and solo White Mountains weekend. Fortunately, the effort was worth the reward. The cabin’s cozy lantern-lit kitchen came equipped with a woodstove, table and benches; the perfect table for two to celebrate our special day. And I must say, I’m a convert.

We spent the night preparing our anniversary meal, a stovetop stew perfect for an Alaskan February, and drinking the same Bordeaux that we shared for our wedding toast. With the snow falling outside and a fire in the stove, the bottom bunk offers a unique opportunity to cuddle up with the man I love. I think we might be swapping Hawaii for the White Mountains again, very soon.

Write your own adventure story at the Fred Blixt Cabin in the White Mountains. Visit Recreation.gov to reserve: Site Fred Blixt, White Mountains National Recreation Area - Alaska Cabins - Recreation.gov