Late New Years eve and on New Years day we were greeted by another snow storm. Not really a blizzard as it is not snowing, the wind is in the 30mph range and it is blowing the heck out of the existing snow. The fire works were canceled because of it.
This is the view after sunrise at around 2pm New Years day.
Christy came in to visit on December 30th and stayed until January 5th. We weren't able to get out much due to the weather but we did manage a short snowmachine ride on the second.
Cathy went out with Aucha a local Inupiat and her son Frank over the weekend of January third and fourth. They went to a camp across the sound where they spent the night by the heat of two wood stoves. Saturday Cathy helped cut meat with Aucha while Frank cut wood. The next day while riding they came across a group of caribou. Aucha wounded one with a rifle then Frank using his snowmachine and Cathy's .44 revolver brought it down along with another fine bull. Cathy was in hot pursuit right along with them on her machine. The animals were towed to a spot suitable for dressing out and cleaned on the spot. The meat was then taken back to the camp and hung on racks in the cold for storage. Many people live at these camps year round and almost all of their food comes from the land. This meat and the hides will not go to waste, it will all be used. Both the animals were males that had shed their antlers last month. Looking at the closest one he probably had a rack that any big game hunter would love to have on his wall but in the words of an Inupiat, "you can't eat the horns".
Just a few pictures depicting daily life here in Kotzebue.
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Last updated:
08/29/05
/100_1075.JPG "Sunrise approximately 2pm New Years day as seen through blowing snow.")
/100_1079.JPG "Our apartment on the lower right.")
/100_1081.JPG "It is not snowing-the wind is just moving what is already there.")
/100_1086.JPG "Beside the storage building.")
/100_1087.JPG "The view west.")
/100_1088.JPG "More hospital housing.")
/100_1089.JPG "Patty in the nice warm apartment looking at the fool-me.")
/100_1091.JPG "Across the back bay towards the east side of town.")
/100_1095.JPG "The entry to our apartment building. That is not frost, it is snow blown onto the building by the wind.")
/100_1109.JPG "Christy bundled up and ready to ride.")
/100_1096.JPG "The sunrise towards Russia. This is looking over the frozen sound.")
/100_1100.JPG "Cathy on her Arctic Cat Z570 with Christy putting on more layers in the background.")
/100_1101.JPG "The girls are ready to ride.")
/100_1103.JPG "Christy on our Arctic Cat Bearcat 570 2up trail machine.")
/100_1104.JPG "Cathy fully decked out and ready to go.")
/100_1107.JPG "Riding through town.")
/100_1111.JPG "Daybreak around noon Sunday. There are trees where the camp is in case you had not noticed.")
/100_1114.JPG "The dogs who live wild at the camp.")
/100_1116.JPG "Frank.")
/100_1118.JPG "Aucha and Frank preparing to dress two fine bulls.")
/100_1119.JPG "This animal probably had a set of antlers that many big game hunters would drool over. But antlers are not edible and so not prized by the Inupiat.")
/100_1120.JPG "Aucha taking a break during the cleaning while one of the camp dogs waits for scraps.")
/100_1121.JPG "A fine hide.")
/100_1123.JPG "Frank checking the rifle.")
/100_1125.JPG "After the meat is cut up it is hung where it will keep in the dry cold. The netting is to keep out birds.")
/100_1124.JPG "The sun preparing to set about 3:30 pm.")
/100_1129.JPG "Patty on the way to do some daily errands.")
/100_1126.JPG "Patty Inside the post office.")
/100_1131.JPG "The stop sign is visible although not the oncoming traffic(which could be cars, trucks, snowplows, 4 wheelers, snowmacines, pedestrians with sleds...)")
/100_1132.JPG "Across the sound.")
/100_1133.JPG "Hauling snow out of town-this truck is on the back bay.")
/100_1135.JPG "Thats right-both of these vehicles are driving on the frozen back bay.")