Greetings out there,
Gee, did I insult you folks with the comment about eat your heart out? I
finally got a reply last Sunday from one of my cousins at least letting me know
my letter got out, I was beginning to wonder. Whine, whine,
whine.................... There, now I feel better.
Spring is here. Talk about seasons changing.......... A little over three
weeks ago Old Man Winter still had an iron grip on the land and we were still
buzzing around on the snowmachines with anticipation of doing so for another
couple of weeks. Then Mother Nature caught on and flipped the thermostat to
spring, thus bringing us to where we are today-the only place the snow remains
in town is where it measured in feet prior to the defrost. The sound still has
over three feet of ice covering it but there is anywhere from one to two feet of
water in a lot of places on top of the ice where the melted snow has pooled.
Some folks are wading out a half mile to fish and some are still using
snowmachines to skip across the water from dry spots to dry spots but our ice
days are over for the summer (I hope).
The plans for the weekend are to mothball the snowmachines for the summer
(put the skids up on pallets, jacks to lift the rear tracks off the ground, fill
the fuel tanks with gas laced with Stabil and running the engine for a bit, then
covering them up all snug). Then there is an EMS open house at the medevac
hanger Patty graciously volunteered our services to. Sunday we may make our
first attempt to get down to the beach. Of course the prediction for the
weekend is for rain-rain after an almost perfect week of weather (starting
Monday evening of course and I will explain that comment later).
The worst of the water from snowmelt is gone but now all floors have
scattered coatings of mud and gravel from the still moist ground. The good news
is at least when it's wet, it's not dusty. The bad news is that the basketball
court across the street from our bedroom window is uncovered and we are almost
to the 24 hours of daylight point meaning it will continue to warm up so we will
leave the windows open and kids will be on the court until their bedtime (self
imposed; somewhere around 8-9am after school lets out). Also, most folks that
live here's circadian rhythm is set where they arise somewhere after 2pm and go
to bed around the time I'm getting up in the morning. So, that means almost
everyone with a 4 wheeler just has to make at least one pass on the road next
our bedroom window. Add to that the fact that when the snow is gone and it
dries up outside (very low humidity you know, so it happens fast) those wheels
kick up a whole lotta dust. I believe that at the end of summer if we didn't
keep up with it, we could plant a garden on the dining room table. I know, I
know: why do you live there?
Patty traveled to Anchorage on business a few weeks ago not long after
Christy and Mike's visit. She left on a Saturday morning spending the weekend
with the kids and had a seminar that Monday and Tuesday. She did the usual
shopping and shipping-a normal facet of Alaska bush life-but did get to do a few
fun things. She would call and tell me about the birds, the green grass, the
mid 50's temps, the mountains, on and on. All the while I am looking out at a
still white, frozen landscape. I enjoyed the time alone but was glad to have her
back. Talk about empty nest syndrome with both kids in Anchorage and the wife
there too. I would like to say I trashed the place like the stereotypical male
slob but noooo-I cleaned like a maniac that Saturday and kept it spotless and
straight until the little woman returned. I've never been know to fit into any
mold (I have grown plenty though).
Well, last week it was my turn to travel to Anchorage and I flew out on the
noon jet Wednesday. I did the required shopping on arrival and also ate at Red
Robin with Christy and Mike. I spent that Thursday and Friday in lectures and
felt like bar-b-queuing Friday night since the skies were blue, the temps were
in the upper 50's to low 60's, there were birds-sounds like what I just wrote
about Patty's trip huh? All they had at the house was an upright barrel smoker
they had been using as a grill and when I told them my plans, they promptly told
me that it would not hold enough food to feed the 4 of us plus Gary-total=7.
Naw, it was five of us but I swear the boy can eat like three. So, Saturday
bright and early I went out and bought a new pit (and did more shopping). Mike
put it together while I watched a movie. Rough life huh? When he and I finished
our appointed tasks we lit some coals and after four hours of letting the cast
iron season we tossed some chickens, some sausage, some garlic bulbs, and some
portableo mushrooms (and you thought Alaska was all primitive) on the grate. As
Alton Brown on the cooking channel says, "Good Eats".
Sunday we took a ride up a road that starts about 10 minutes from the
house. It travels through an area of scattered homes built here and there in the
trees and inclines more and more steeply as it travels up the mountains to the
east. The road then enters a state park and turns to gravel before culminating
in a parking lot that has snow dappled peaks behind it and the whole Anchorage
bowl spread out in front of it. This area is called Flat top and after a short
walk we stood leaning on a rail surrounded by a variety of terrains. Behind us
as I mentioned were the peaks of the mountains we were standing on. In front in
a crescent shape was Anchorage bordered in the distance by Turnagain Arm. To the
right beyond the arm were low mountains with Mt. Foraker and Mt McKinley visible
in the distance. To the front right was the range called Sleeping Lady because
it resembles a woman nestled comfortably on her back for a much needed rest. To
the front middle and running all the way to the left there was a jagged range of
totally snow covered mountains as far as the eye could see. Looking down at the
area known as the Anchorage bowl brought about a startling realization that it
really is mostly forest with houses seeming like an imposition here and there.
When driving around the city it appears as a large metropolitan area with major
thoroughfares complete with scattered greenbelts every few blocks. From the
heights it was easy to see that the populated areas are based around the few
major thoroughfares. The impression now is that the civilization we pass through
when driving around is just a thin veneer placed solely for the benefit of it
feeling like a real city.
This time I got to see three moose, two on the side of a 4 lane highway not
far from the house. There is also a pile of moose droppings in the backyard.
The newspaper spoke of bear problems and fines pending for folks placing their
garbage out too soon. This occurring no more than a couple of miles from the
house. About 5 miles from the house lies Potters Marsh that contains a stream
populated by three different types of salmon on the way to spawning when it's
time and is also populated by migratory birds all summer. It is also the start
of the Kenai Peninsula which travels along Turnagain Arm where about 10-15 more
miles from the house you can spot beluga whales at certain times of the year.
Just a few miles past that is Girdwood, home of the largest ski area in Alaska.
Just a couple of miles past that you can tour a museum, watch salmon running up
a stream, and catch a tour boat that travels on a glacier lake as it makes its
way to the face of Exit Glacier. Oh, I forgot to mention that the drive down to
these places pass streams where fishermen fish most of the summer for salmon and
trout. The road continues to a point where you leave the Arm behind and travels
through a pass that has snow almost year round. Finally you come to a fork in
the road in the middle of which is a marsh inhabited by migrating swans. Here
you need to decide if you will go right towards Soldotna and the best salmon
river in the state or on to Homer, the "Halibut Capital" of Alaska. Or, you go
to the left which takes you to Seward where cruise ships dock, the Seward
Sealife Center is located, whale and wildlife tours go out of, and of course
more halibut and salmon fishing. The whole drive is through breathtaking
mountains and valleys, along green rivers and rolling plains. There is always
the chance of spotting sheep along the Arm, and moose along the road.
Sorry, got carried away there.
After coming down from Flat Top we made another stop at Red Robin for lunch
as it was still too early for my flight and we sat and chatted a while watching
the cars go by (with the ever-present snow dappled peaks behind {getting a bit
sickening with that huh?}). Interspersed with the usual traffic were the
increasingly present motor homes and campers-the largest migratory species that
visit Alaska each summer. Or is the largest the humpback whales? Since we still
had time we rode to another park in Anchorage situated along the Arm. This one
had a dirt motocross type track that you can take your 4 wheeler or dirt bike to
any time and ride.
Finally they dropped me off at the airport for the anticipated one hour and
15 minute return flight to Kotzebue (Two and a half depending on the flight as
they alternate on a circuitous route that takes it to Nome first then Kotzebue
on one, then Kotzebue to Nome on the next). Well, unusual for Alaska Air we
left the gate only 10 minutes late. Of course we sat on the tarmac for 45
minutes as they fueled and loaded the luggage-something about call-ins, too many
planes at once-the usual efficiency. It was a clear beautiful flight to Kotzebue
and the mountains of the Alaska range along with Denali (Mt. McKinley) were just
lit up and sparkling in the sun. This was before the Captain announced that the
weather was clear and beautiful throughout the entire state of Alaska-except for
Kotzebue. See, I have spoken of ice fog in the past and how it just does not
act like regular fog. Well, since breakup has not occurred in Kotz yet that,
combined with the warmer temps, causes the fog to just appear suddenly and it
can disappear just as rapidly with no rhyme or reason. The plane went through
its usual routine on landing, you know-slow down, descent, flaps out, wheels
down, approach.............. But in this case the power suddenly increased and
the flaps and wheels returned to their dwellings before we even touched the
whiteout visible below. After a few minutes the captain announced he had
descended to close to 500 feet and had not even touched the clouds so we were
now headed to Nome. After spending an hour on the plane in Nome the captain
announced we would fly back to Kotz and take a look. If it looked good and they
attempted a landing but had to abort we would have to return to Nome to refuel.
If they took a look and it wasn't good enough to land we would return to
Anchorage.
We landed in Anchorage around 10:30 that night after sitting on the plane
for over 5 1/2 hours. Alaska Air was gracious enough to book us on the morning
flight the next day-the one that leaves at 6am! I was one of the lucky ones
though. Patty knew what was going on and the kids were waiting to pick me up.
Most others were not so fortunate. They either opted to sleep at the airport or
rent a room and car for a few hours. I got to bed around 12:30 arising at 3:30
to return for the am flight. I was so restless I probably got less than an
hours sleep.
We departed at 6am, for once on time. We made the hour and fifteen minute
flight once again and once again the cloud cover was below minimum. We had
enough fuel to circle for 30 minutes of hoping before once again returning to
Nome. This time we deplaned as Alaska Air's plan was to load us on the noon
flight which stops at Nome first before continuing to Kotz. We got to sit in the
Nome terminal-no bigger than the one in Kotz of course-for two hours. One man
walked around giving out the by now travel weary Krispy Kreme donuts he had
carried for the last two days. A bleary eyed coworker sat next to me in Nome
clutching the smashed bag of Burger King hamburgers he had picked up for his
kids. Me? In my carry on backpack I had 8 cans of evaporated milk, a bag of
not so fresh anymore pea pods, and a Greek Salad I had purchased Saturday at
Costco because Patty likes them so much.
The plane actually arrived on time and as we left Nome the pilot announced
the fog was lifting in Kotz. and it looked good. No one cheered because everyone
was so tired. Taking off from Nome the plane seemed to climb at the same rate
as the peaks we were flying over but finally we started to gain altitude on
them. After a generous 3oz serving of OJ-I'm telling you, nothings to good for
the customers of AK Air-we arrived at Kotz and landed safely. This time folks
did cheer.
Patty met me and we once again found room for two bins, one luggage bag,
the back pack, and the two of us on a 4 wheeler. It felt so good to be home I
called work, told them I was alive and would see them tomorrow, and slept until
5pm.
That's life in the bush.
Speaking of life in the bush, as I have mentioned time and again it can be
dangerous. There has been a SAR (search and rescue) going on for about three
weeks now here. This time a man disappeared traveling from here to Noorvik, the
same village Cathy and Gary traveled to on their snowmachines when going to a
funeral. SAR so far has not found anything but the search continues. This winter
there have been a number of disappearances without a trace of folks traveling
from one village to another. I have to say though that most of them were
traveling alone and either left in bad weather, or were caught by bad weather.
Being so close to the magnetic north compasses may not be completely accurate.
We own a GPS and never travel far without it. I also bought a watch with a
built in barometer because the weather reports are so inaccurate. We also carry
a number of survival items in one or more packs when traveling. Heck, some
folks poke fun at me because on some things I have spares for the spares. What
can I say, I was a boy scout.
I also found out today that there were three deaths in Selawik this week.
Selawik is one of our villages with a population of around 1000 and sits about
70 miles south of here. All I know is that they were fishing and drowned. I I
don't know if the ice was open in the Selawik river and they were in a boat, or
if they were on snowmachines and ice skipping.
Again that's life in bush Alaska. Well, enough of that.
We've been here two years. Two years historically seems to be the magic
number for leaving and after both of us spending some time in Anchorage plus the
fact that both kids are down there.............................. We are
scheduled to travel to Kodiak in two weeks where we plan to take in the crab
festival, do some halibut fishing, sight seeing, and check out the hospital and
housing costs. We then have tickets for two weeks of travel to Anchorage at the
end of August, just in time for the Alaska State Fair.
After the trip to Kodiak we plan on making a decision on whether to stay here,
move to Kodiak, or just make the move to Anchorage. If we decide to move the
target date will be when we take the two weeks off at the end of August.
Anchorage is so attractive because we already have a house and a truck
there and the things I mentioned earlier in the letter. There are more biking
and hiking trails in Anchorage than any other city in America. The ferry system
is close by as well as an international air hub. I could go on and on (in fact
you probably think I have already gone on and on). We're just unsure if we are
ready to settle down or continue the adventure. We just don't know.
Stay tuned-as soon as we know we'll let you know.
Carlo
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Last updated:
12/28/05