On Feb. 20, 2026, Dillingham Pathfinder Club set out for a winter weekend at Camp Polaris. Snow machines were loaded with food, bedding and other necessities, including plenty of warm clothing for the cold ahead. Traveling in groups, members crossed the frozen lake as the machines carried them toward camp through the broad Alaskan winter landscape.
Upon arrival, club members quickly put teamwork into practice by preparing the cabins and settling in for the night. Over the course of the weekend, two young men assisting the club collected and split firewood to hold back the cold. Other camp tasks — including fetching cooking water from a nearby unfrozen stream, organizing supplies and preparing food — were also shared among the group.
After everyone arrived, the group shared warm soup and bread and gathered for a brief worship service. Tired from the journey, members soon retired to their respective cabins and settled into warm sleeping bags. The boys’ cabin had a bit of excitement during the night when smoke filled the room, but the situation was handled and everyone stayed warm enough.
On Sabbath afternoon, following a late brunch, the group met in the boys’ cabin for a service filled with guitar music. Pathfinders led a worship thought about trusting God and closed with a trust-fall exercise that brought the lesson to life. Later, several members took turns climbing into a sled and gliding across the snow behind a snow machine, enjoying the open winter air.
After dark, some Pathfinder staff members and children played a game of sardines beneath the winter moon and a sky bright with stars. Laughter carried through the stillness as players searched for one another around camp. That night, two group members tried a maqi, an Alaska Native steam bath. Meanwhile, the women slept beneath the open sky, watching the faint glow of the northern lights shimmer overhead.
As the weekend ended, the group felt thankful for fellowship away from city lights and amid Alaska’s great outdoors. Members remained cheerful and helpful, sharing responsibilities and finding blessing in deep conversations made possible by a slower pace of life. The journey home carried them back across the frozen lake with fresh memories of worship and friendship renewed in faith and vigor.
