Rock Skating Finale

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The drive back to Colorado was as uneventful as it was long.  We stopped in Oregon and Utah, making the trip back in three long days of driving.  

It's great to be back home!   Nothing makes a small house feel spacious like spending ten weeks in a camper.  

We arrived home Sunday evening around six and I started back to work at school bright and early the next morning.   I'll continue to post periodically throughout the year until we make a decision as to whether we'll return to Alaska again next summer.  Thanks for reading!

Ferry to Bellingham

We boarded early Wednesday and after a few short hours found ourselves on a four hour layover in the rain capitol of SE Alaska - Ketchikan.  In keeping with the rest of the summer, it was a cloudless day.

Ketchikan is not my favorite city in Alaska.  The town's flavor is driven by the enormous cruise ships and the hoards of tourists that they bring.  Nowhere else in the world will you find a town of a few thousand with more jewelry shops - at least eight of them offering a huge assortment of tennis bracelets, Rolex watches, and multiple caret rings.   Ahhhh, free market capitalism, for better or worse, it's magical.

The weather during our trip was magnificent the entire way.  We saw loads of humpback whales, heaps of dolphins, and a bevy of bald eagles.  

We pulled off the boat at 9 am this morning and the coffee express began, taking us all the way to the Evergreen State, Oregon.  

More tomorrow.

August 6th - The Final Day on Wrangell

Jack and I spent our final day working the South end of the island.   I wanted to cut brush at those sites since it had been over a month since their last trim and finishing these two sites would mean that every rec area would be nicely cut for the remainder of the season.

The weather's odd mix of periodic thick, low hanging clouds and intermittent sun continued throughout the day.  We saw no wildlife whatsoever so we preoccupied ourselves over the long drive with two new podcasts.  

When we returned to the site. Glenn and Mike were there to pick up the picnic tables and our bear box.  We said our goodbye's and spent the next couple of hours getting the camper ready for takeoff.  

After dropping the rest of our gear at the ranger office, I ventured over to the shooting range with Bob to let him take the 50 cal for a spin.  While we were there I was able to shoot his Marlin 45-70 lever action primarily a bear defense rifle that kicked like a mule - the shells were as big as my middle finger.  

Bob had sent an invite out to the ranger office staff for a dinner at the Stikine Inn.  There was an incredible turnout with about forty people at its height.  It was a beautiful afternoon and the Stikine's deck overlooking the ocean is hard to pass up.  Jack retired to the camper early while I retired to the Totem Bar with a few colleagues.   After being over-served, I ventured back to the camper (parked at the ranger office) and loaded the freezer and its finned contents into the truck.  I did manage to get a few winks in before pulling the truck over to the ferry terminal at five the next morning.  

It's been a spectacular summer.

August 7th

I got the freezer packed and loaded and was the second in line at the ferry terminal early this morning.  We loaded the ferry without incident and had a beautiful float down to Ketchikan were we had a four hour layover in the rain Capitol of Alaska.....beautifully sunny, of course.  

We'll be out if cell connection until Friday night so check back later this week.  Thanks, by the way, to all of you who've been reading the posts and making comments.  

August 3rd

We took Janet to the airport, making it there just in time to get her through security screening just in time.   If it hadn't been for the group of a dozen or so teachers leaving Wrangell, she would have been the third of five to board.  

We said our goodbye's and headed out to the forest to complete our rounds.  I cut brush at several sites while Jack spruced up the outhouses and camping pads.  

In the afternoon, we grilled some of the last of our chicken and relaxed at the site.  

I've had a request to list some prices of commonly purchased grocery items.  Here is a short list from our trip earlier that morning:

Milk $5.65/gallon

Yogurt (16oz) Greek Gods Honey $5.45

Sun Chips large bag $5.75

Eggs 2.45/dozen

Gas 87octane.  4.89/gallon

Alaskan IPA Beer $11.25/six

August 4th/5th

The past two days have been pretty uneventful.  The weather has been cloudy and cool with low clouds and intermittent drizzle.  The no-see-ums have been ungodly and have become quite a nuisance inside the camper.  Fortunately, they are attracted to light and, as a result, are drawn to the windows during their peak at dusk.  I would douse them with window cleaner,  killing two birds with one stone, giving me bug free nights with a crystal clear window unto the world.  

We've begun the preparation for our departure.  Jack and I took down the large rain cover that shields the picnic tables from the rain the normally falls throughout the summer, took down and folded the US and USFS flags, and removed the flagpole from its base.  

We did venture into town to drop off the bulkier items that we kept at the site- gas cans, water cans, axes, shovels, and the like, before heading to the bunkhouse to take much needed showers.  Afterward, we headed to our friends, Dave and Paula Rak's, for burgers on their beautiful deck.  

Earlier in the summer, they purchased Icelandic sheep to keep the grass mowed- they seen to be doing a good job in spite of the incredible noise that they make.

August 1st

While we were gone, the island's only sawmill was destroyed by a fire.  A slash pile that had been burning slowly for months burst into a conflagration that took the mill and most of the surrounding machinery.   Fire is not something that you'd think of in the rainforest but it's been so dry and hot that even the muskeg feels like dry and brittle.  

The mill was our source of firewood so campers will now have ti enjoy tge view without the comfoting glow of a fire.   Given the number of unattended campfires that Jack and I have discovered, its probably a good thing.

Without firewood to split and deliver, we've been able to focus on other items on our list. 

I cut brush at several sites along the Nemo Loop - the lack if rain has stunted the growth of the alder and grass but sections of it continue to grow, requiring me to cut the entire area for a more uniform look.  

I also dug out a rusted grill that was beginning to fall from the post.  The huge concrete base was more than I was willing to try to lift so I hid in the brush until reinforcements can arrive early next week.  

There is a huge hemlock tree that is beginning to lean over a popular swimming area - yes, people do swim outdoors here in Alaska - mostly young kids  and over-served adults but there are people who'll willingly subject themselves to frigid water under cloudy skies.  I'm hoping that we get to drop this hemlock before we leave as the impact will be incredible.  

We spent the evenings relaxing at the site, enjoying Janet's last couple of nights with us.  

August 2nd Potluck

We ran into to town early today as we were running low on fuel - truck and camper.  While we were there, we decided to take advantage of the incredible weather and had lunch on the deck of the Stikine Inn for Janet's last day in Wrangell.   

Even though the weather continues to be as sunny as ever, the temps did break a bit today - giving us a break from Thursday's oppressive heat.  

The potluck featured an entomologist from Juneau who spoke about invasive insect species in SE Alaska.  It was fascinating to hear about the challenges of lab work in getting an invasive species to thrive in lab conditions.  It is apparently very tough, even though they thrive in the cold, wet environs of Alaska, replicating them indoors is a challenge for researchers.  

The potluck was well attended with only one visiting camper - a woman from Quebec who spoke very little English.  When I invited her, she said that she had no food but woukd bring me a beer if I would provide her portion.  When she arrived, she brought a can of maple syrup.....and a beer for me.  A French Canadian with beer and maple syrup.....the only thing missing here is the tuque and some back bacon, eh?  Take off you hoser!

July 29/30

I borrowed my friend Rod's boat for a trip to the Berg Bay cabin, located on the mainland about fifteen miles south of Wrangell.  We'd tried the same trip twice before in prior summers but were always foiled by some fuel problem.  

The weather this week has been some of the most beautiful sunny weather on the face of the planet.  There was a cool breeze that prevailed over those two days that kept all but the most skilled flying insects in their place.   

Rod's boat performed beautifully and whisked us down the back channel at a brisk pace.  While there, we managed to convince Janet to hike the trail over to the Aaron's creek drainage- a remote area frequented by brown bears and wolves.  She's not crazy about bear encounters and would rather avoid any chance for one.  While we did pass bear scat and numerous bear trails, the marauding beasts decided to stay hidden.  

While we hiked, a very sleek helicopter seemed to follow us through the woods.  We all wondered if a search and rescue was under way or if homeland security was doing a preemptive sweep of the Alaskan hinterlands.  Later that evening, we took Rid's boat over to fish the mouth of Aaron 's Creek.  As we rounded the southern edge of Berg Bay, we saw an enormous black yacht - when I say enormous, I mean it.  There were six boat slips at the stern and a helipad at the bow.

It wasn't until we returned to town that   we discovered that the yacht belongs to Yuri Schefler, a Russian  businessman who owns Stolichnaya, a large vodka company, in the motherland - amazing what a few hundred broken thumbs does for business.  It is one of the largest yachts in the world, measuring over 493 feet in length and is valued at $330 million. Serene is the name of the yacht - Google it if you dare.

July 28th

Jack, Janet and I drove into town early to be there for the start of the day's race.  I may have mentioned this previously but Jack and Janet were running the Bearfest 5k and I was running the 1/2 marathon.  

The weather has been absolutely perfect and today was the start of the current stretch.  It was a bit cool with a light wind when the gun sounded at 8am sharp.

Jack's time was just under 40 minutes - beating his mom by a few minutes and  I ran the half in an hour forty-one, placing first!   It's part of my fifteen minutes of fame.  

After the race, we showered.and headed back to camp.  I let Jack relax with his mom while I worked the remainder of the day out on the road.  

July 27th

Janet joined us on our rounds today.  The forecast called for periodic rain and slowly clearing skies - a prediction that proved to be right on the money.  

We saw a brown bear on the far side of the Nemo loop, very close to the Thom's lake trailhead.  We could see the bear's big butt swaying back and forth just over a rise in the hill as we approached.  We were able to follow it for about a quarter of a mile before it either heard us or caught a glimpse of the truck.  It sprinted off into the woods as soon as it became aware of our presence 

Later that evening, we drove to town to register for the Bearfest half marathon and 5k.  Bearfest is a "celebration of the bears of SE Alaska" and is organized by a local outfitter.  It is a weeklong event that features a golf tournament, an assortment of games for kids, and symposiums on topics such as bear research and nature photography.  

July 26th

I made my second appearance as Smokey Bear this morning at the library in conjunction with the UFSF's "Read with a Ranger" program.    The reaction of the kids was the most entertaining part - ranging from enthusiastic bear hugs and high fives to shock and sheer terror.  They had lots of questions like "why's that bear got pants on?" and comments like  "there's a human in that bear".   One of the little girls brought me a tea cup and poured tea for me while looking up "my" nose at my nose.  

We then hiked up the Dewey trail above town to the beautiful platform overlooking the harbor. Year ago, it is said that John Muir built a huge fire at the top of Dewey Mountain claiming that it was the best fire he'd ever built.

We picked up supplies and headed back to camp for a dinner and a campfire.  

July 24th

Janet arrives, rain falls - it's an axiom not unlike the fact that any three noncolinear points define a plane.  

In our three summers in Wrangell, I've never seen rain fall like this for such an extended period of time - especially given the incredible weather that we've experienced so far this summer.  

Bob gave us a ton of sockeye and we knew that now was the time to get it vacuum sealed.  I'd filled our cooler with ice from the cannery near Heritage harbor - it's a brine ice that is far below 32 degrees.  Janet and I spent several hours filleting and sealing under the potluck tent out of the torrential diwnpour's reach.

As it was our day off, we decided to head to town to restock with food and water, throw in a load of laundry, and to hit the library.   Heavy rain fell periodically throughout the day, with showers that were more reminiscent of a fire hose than a bathroom.

We had a dinner of king salmon and sacked out early.

July 25th

It had been several days since Jacj and I had visited the Weangell island sites.  It had also been several days since Jack had studied Japanese.  Since Janet is here, I decided to let him spend the day with her at the campsite while I took care of the sites.  

It took three truckloads of wood to cover the sites around the island - a chore that would normally require half a truckload.  It seems that the masses have chosen to recreate regardless of the weather.  

After I finished my rounds, we headed to town to see one of Janet's favorite bands, "Pearl Django" - no relation to the Quentin Tarantino movie character.  They are a group of five musicians who style themselves after the famous Belgian guitarist Django Reinhardt from the fifties.   Although there wasn't much of a crowd, the music was incredible.  

July 23

Jack, Janet, and I headed to the ranger office early so that we'd have an entire day at the Anan falls.   We would be joined by a bear behavior expert who had worked at Anan during the early years when scientists were just beginning to collect data on bear populations and behavior in the Anan creek area.  

There are two large sets of falls near the mouth of Anan creek.  Twenty years ago, most of the bears congregated near the upper falls where the salmon are forced to swim a narrow bottleneck in order to access their spawning ground higher up.  The bottleneck means easy fishing for bears.   Today it is the area surrounding the lower falls which draw the most bears, even though the salmon run numbers have remained the same.    The types of bears have also changed over time.  Twenty years ago, it was mostly black bears who frequented the area, with only an occasional brown bear feeding at the stream.  Now brown bears are seen as frequently as black bears and are, at times, the predominant species.  The number of brown sows with cubs greatly outnumber black sows with cubs which may indicate continued growth in the number of brown bears at the falls.  

We had an incredible day.   The number of bears in the area is astounding as was the size of the salmon run.  

We got back to town late.....not so late that we didn't have time for a pizza at the Marine Bar - great pizza to boot.