Good friend, like a brother, c/o '94 just posted to Fort Wainright this summer. Like maroon's co-worker I dare say the data is insufficient to draw full conclusions - but he's already thinking of buying a little property to enjoy post-retirement.

That said the abundance of fly fishing pics I receive, as well as all the pics and videos over the Labor Day weekend when he and his wife drove the Dalton haul road and visited Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay have me super jealous. Again, they haven't wintered there yet.

Its cold as hell in the winter and dark AF. Summers are nice and very long days. Youll need blackout shades for your bedroom windows to sleep and "sun" bulbs in the winter as seasonal depression is a weird thing.

What you don't know is AK is full of very large, armor plated wooly mosquitoes. Not the little tiny TX mosquitoes, the kind that can be frozen solid for 6 months and wake up angry with hate in their black hearts. When they hit you its like being harpooned.

Population is 31,7xx. Its a tiny city or big town. If youre single the odds of meeting woman are very slim. Men outnumber women by a decent amount. If you are married she had better be of the right mindset. I grew up in Anchorage, the "big" city and it was only 200k back in the 90s.

The seasons are 9 months of winter, 1.5 months of mosquitos/summer, 1 month of fall and .5 months of Breakup, when the ice melts and relationships die.

You'll know after the 1st winter if its for you, as will any relationship be tested.

You will need a 4x4 or AWD and 2 sets of tires, 1 studded, 1 not. It was a glorious place to grow up but being an adult would be very difficult. Also learn to cross country ski, you have to get out in the winter. But watch out for mooses. They will kill you if youre not cautious.

Little brother lived and worked there for 4 years (actually lived in North Pole just outside Fairbanks) for a large O&G company. One of his kids was actually born there.

Best I can say is that he spent the 1st year telling us all it wasn't really that bad and that cold there, then spent the next 3 years begging for a transfer back to the lower 48. He got transferred to Houston and would never go back.

The winters are long and dismal and there is little to do there. They pay you well to go there for a reason.

how many years we talking here? if you're 47 and the pay is so good it would enable you to retire by 52... then can you suck it up for 5 years? use all your PTO in Jan/Feb and get down to mexico or something for some sun? maybe you meet great people and deal with it just fine-- maybe you hate it but put up with it?

if you're 35 and have to make to 52... that'd be different .. but a few years- can do anything for a few years, right?

Retiring is over rated.
There is a reason the pay is good there.
I wouldnt take the job unless you were single and 27, in which you wouldnt make it to 52.
Stay in CO, enjoy the Alaska shows on tv

As a follow up, 2 more things. If you're a borderline alcoholic you wont make it.

You also need to have indoor hobbies in addition to getting outside several times a week and hitting a gym. Have to keep busy doing something.

The cost of living, and cost of travel out of the state is high. I always tell people its cheaper to go to Europe than it is to AK. And getting anything delivered is also expensive. All the ads always say, free shipping*

*AK and HI excluded.

The hobbies thing is true.

One of my mom's friends went up there to build the Alaska Pipeline way back in the day. He took a guitar with him so he would have something to do in his down time.

He became very good at the guitar because during the winter it was all there was to do when he was not working.

If he was building the pipeline on site, then there was literally nothing to do.

Depending on where you are in life, if the opprotunity has a major career advancement beyond just salary (and make sure that bump both covers COL plus a real salary increase), 2-3 years and out is also an option. That goes for anyone. When Alaska is having a good day. Its the most beautiful place on earth.

The official footwear of AK

instead of elk hunts, you'll have to switch to moose, caribu, and bear hunts.

If your Land cruiser is like mine, you'd better bring gas cans. Gas stations are few and far between up there, and those tractors don't get crap for mileage.

I lived in Anchorage and Eagle River for over a decade before retiring from the Alaska Air National Guard. I traveled all over the state and loved Anchorage and the Valley. That being said you couldn't pay me enough to live in Fairbanks.