The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Sue Aikens describes the extreme conditions she faces in her Alaskan home, Cavik. Her thermometer regularly drops to 100 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, and winds can exceed 100 miles per hour, creating wind chills of 200 degrees below zero Fahrenheit on exposed skin.
“My thermometer goes to 100 below zero, and I peg it every year. The winds go to 100 miles an hour plus. You're looking at 200 degrees below zero on your skin.”
“How do you plan for that and thrive? That's the challenge that makes me love it.”