Winter Watch

by James Ramsey

Ramsey, who lived alone for 266 days in the Arctic, tells of how he coped with the long, cold darkness in the remote Brooks Range of northwest Alaska.

Library Binding

First published April 1, 1989

About the author

James Ramsey (b. 1929), who spends his summers as a guide in Denali National Park, Alaska, has spent his winters in other remote spots on the globe.

Reviews

[Ryan]

really enjoyed this :) my grandpa died when i was really young so i don't remember him at all. i'm very grateful he wrote this and that it's so personal and conversational. was really crazy how many passages read like something i would write. i'm just like him fr :)

[Ms. Leigh-Reavis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because I love reading about living off the grid in Alaska. I would have liked more detail and imagery about the cabin though. I also would have liked more of an in depth understanding of Ramsey's thoughts and life outside these nine months. The end seemed rushed. I liked the journal format and the descriptions of his surroundings.

[Melissa Guimont · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an awe-inspiring account of one man's quest to live off the grid and escape to the northwest corner of the Arctic Circle in Alaska. James Ramsey lived in a log cabin for 266 days and tested himself physically, emotionally and intellectually. He coped well to the lack of sunlight and the bitter cold during the winter. He survived a charging bear and the aftermath of that. He adapted perfectly well to the remoteness and solitude. In fact, he relished in it...."the silence here is so pervasive that the simple cry of a chickadee can be the signal for a joyful and profound celebration." After 7 months of isolation, he proclaims that he has had "human interaction with fewer then ten people. It would be nice to find a place where it wasn't so crowded." He stays so long that he gets to encounter the most amazing landscape transformation: the great thaw and the completely unpredictable river. He also witnesses 39 days of sun without a sunset. When asked if he would go up there again, he insists he would and says the most amazing statement I've ever heard: "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps he is hearing a different drummer." He also believes that "what most "normal" people see as pleasurable is what they are told is pleasurable; a diamond ring, a second car, a new hairdo. For me, it's a spruce tree, an animal sighting, a sunset." I wish I could escape humanity like James did and find as much content and peace as he was fortunate and brave enough to find. This book is an inspiration to think outside of the norm and follow your own path.

[Matt Thome · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, a good book. It's a memoir of one man living in the arctic for a few months. It's a quick read and entertaining.

[Mamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by a 2nd cousin of mine so it had a personal touch to it.