year-of-adventure

Salmon and Seward

Alaska salmon are legendary for their flavor, color, and just plain healthy goodness.  We were lucky that James was a great fisherman, and we had a lot of wonderful king and silver salmon.   It's not uncommon for Alaskans to burn out of salmon in season and freezers get filled for later.  In Hope we had seen the depressing sight of nature where chum salmon are coming upstream in the jetty and the tide goes out, so literally hundreds of the fish lay dying in the sand.  There is no efficient weay of catching them  (chum are best for canning because of the light colored meat and not-so-good fat content).  The ripples on the water at the left are clusters of chum  The link describes the types of Alaskan salmon salmon information and tips for fishing .  On the drive down, stopping at a side road lets you see the salmon running (and multiple waded fishermen in the stream trying to catch them.)  They are so plentiful that you could easily reach down and grab one.  These reds are medium-sized according to the guys fishing next to us, but great eating!  In our trip from Hope, we migrated down toward Seward.  We'd spent a day in Seward on the Alaska trip with a wonderful Kenai Fjords trip Kenai Fjords cruises, but had rushed through and wanted another shot at this part of the state.  ONe of the highlights of this area is the ability to hike up to a glacier and to get a sense of the impact of global warming.  Exit glacier is just outside of Seward down an easy road with a moderate hike to get up to the glacier itself.  The impressive part is that the Forest service has year marks for the location of the glacier as far back as the 1800's and up to a few years ago - the rate of receding is much faster now, so a hike up was required to get a feel for the power of a glacier Exit glacier.   The rocky landscape was a reminder of the rocks and dirt a glacier carries as well as the blast of REALLY cold air coming off. The walk up was 65 or so, and next to the glacier was dramatically colder. 

On the road, it's great to have some healthy snacks - this is a typical breakfast with wild Alaskan raspberries or blueberries .  My choice for lodging here was a nice little place called Box canyon cabins  - a new set of nice cabins and surrounding excellent rockwork.  Cozy and more typical Alaskan .

Fishing is king in the Kenai and there are fishing lodges, the "chief's kick ass cafe", and  Gwin's- the website has some great views of the Kenai. The advantage of Gwin's was that we got there right at the start of their fall discount sale on clothing - got some great deals at 70% off - unfortunately, most of the stuff is in the airline baggage that remains lost 6 weeks after we returned.

Maybe a trip back another year!

Chilling in Alaska

A shot of one of James' projects - as you recall, he was working with Brian for the summer and is an excellent tiler and stone mason from Maui.  He was called by a friend to tile the interior of a sauna - the building is as unique for a tiler on the inside as on the oustside.

After leaving Brian and the greater Talkeetna area, we had planned to go south to see a bit of Alaska that we had not seen before.  I booked a cabin experience in two spots; widely different to feel the culture of central Alaska - Hope and Seward.  

Hope is "at the end of the road" and proud of it - a small sparsely-populated old gold mining town across the arm from Girdwood, it is an oasis of alaskan characters.   The first is a gold guide and storyteller at the local gold mining museum - old gold Jack  - drives an ATV for gun rack and moose guard.  Hoep had a brief surge of gloary as Alaska's friendliest town by Alaska magazine - Hope Alaska.  Our cabin was at Bowman's - the plush place in town with old log cabins, not the fancy new kind around a lake    - communal bathrooms, no water in the cabins , but a brand new horseshoe pit out back.  I had some choice halibut from James that we were going to cook on the grill, but could not get the charcoal to light, so Melanie offered to cook the halibut for us on her own stove (to avoid health department issues using the cafe's stove).  It was magnificant! 

Hope is beautiful and quiet, and uncrowded.  Some local shots from there including a close road-side encounter with a moose family

    After 2 days in Hope with nice cozy beds and thick plankets, it was time to move back to civilization and truck on to Seward, a large fishing port in the Kenai peninsula

Thanks and lessons

We are getting ready to leave Brian's in a few days to start a little vacation in southern Alaska - hope to be able to post some if internet available.

 I wanted to thank Brian and Katie for their exceptional Alaskan hospitality for we "interns" from Interim.  Brian and I have had many discussions about how much it takes to mentor an intern in rock work, construction, or any trade.  Most of his interns have been young people, and he feels the trip to Alaska, the work, and the travel have been life-changing experiences for them,and he has gotten some nice things done with their help and work.  I tend to agree about the life-changing part, but from a different perspective.  We more mature interns have different needs and expectations, and although we may be more independent in some aspects, require the same committment of time from him to make the experience work - directing our work, educating, and worrying about the usual things of food and shelter and finding something for us to do when it's raining.  Our lives are changed, but more by what we bring to it rather than what it brings to us.  I admire Brian for doing this. He has a real life outside of this and  I thank him for his dedication and instruction as well as the hardships it takes to house, feed, educate someone not in your family while maintaining his own life and job.  That coupled with the SHORT work season for this type of work in Alaska Thank you Brian!

As I may have mentioned, he and Katie are using one of the 3 houses as a B&B - a great business in Talkeetna with folks coming through town for 1-2 nights or longer.  Kathryn and I have enjoyed painting, rock work, carpentry, and visiting.   This shot of Brian and Katie was today on the dump run - you are charged for refuse by load, so it make the most sense to fill the truck if you have to pay the $10.

One of Kathryn throwing mud onto the wall of this new rock project as a scratch coat.  

Experimenting

After 3 rainy days it's finally gotten sunny - can't really complain about the rain though, we were abel to get some inside work done on a new pantry and gave me some added carpentry experience with brian's excellent carpentry experience mentoring.  

Since I've been here, kathryn has asked me not to shave, and I've accommodated that, experimenting with a bearded look. It's downright uncomfortable, but with some getting used to it may work, but itchy!  I shaved yesterday, but the photo is of me at the local bar with a "real" bearded guy in he background.   My look is perhaps more grunge than distinguished.

  Friday night is a local favorite with berger and a brew for $7 - a real bargain (photo).  

While walking outside saw some outstanding rhubarb plants and West Rib is reputed to have magnificent rhubarb pie.   I noted on previous log posts I've included some tasty food shots, so here is hot of some thick halibut James caught earlier this summer - so nice for him to share - a little seasoning and broiled with some oil and it is as close to fish heaven as we can get.   

The work site is unusually muddy after all the rain, but we were back at it today to start a new rock project on an outbuilding that Brian plans to convert into a room for their B&B.  He is nice enough to let us do the rock work before the rest of the structure has its transformation into a nice private room . 

Rock update

The weather here is beautiful - high 40's at night (cool enough for covers) an most days are sunny and warm (70's).  I don't say this to nanny-nanny those in the loner 48 who are sweltering in 90+ heat or my niece and her husband who just got back from rome on their honeymoon with 106 temps and huge lines, but rather to share with you the beauty of coming to cooler climates.  Latest photo of the rock project - laying the last course at the ceiling today - mortar dries slower in this temp, so have to wait a bit between courses.  The rocks require holding a bit, especially the big suckers. 

Had a tour of the new Talkeetna community playground; great earth-friendly artistic displays for kids to jump around on.    The project was designed by 

Planet Earth Playscapes and the equipment set up/donated by community volunteers.  Brian will be doing the rocks at the concrete foot bridge - not enough of them for us to do them before we leave.

Kathryn has been doing the painting for Brian - changing the green on the house used for the Bed and Breakfast.  She does love painting, but the choice of brushes is limited  

Brian was telling stories last night over dinner about his early days of climbing and of a climbing legend Fred Beckey, 85 and still climbing.  If you recall, one of the goals in coming to Alaska was to meet some characters, well, I did not get to meet fred, but his stories from Brian sound as if he qualifies NY Times article about Fred Beckey.

In the pantry at Brian's are multiple large cans of chili, oatmeal, and other canned and boxed foods that have come back from one or another climbing trip.  I came across a recent cnn post on the subject of when to eat and not eat mold or out-of-date materials - check it out if you think expiration dates are more of a guideline than a rule  Don't eat Mold

Continuing excitement

Alaska is great, but being in Talkeetna adds some challenges.  Brian's home is 5 miles from town and so conveniences I was used to at home are not readily available.  The trip to town is a hike/hitch down the hill 5 miles into town.  Downtown Talkeetna has not changed since I was here 2 years ago except fro a wonderful new Brewery  (Denali Brewery) and microbrews cold and fresh on the deck.  A waitress at one of the popular restaurants, the Roadhouse (one of the few open all year round with lodging and food, bakery) posted $1100 herself in a morning breakfast.  Those tourists coming through town must have a hankerin for a good sourdough pancake breakfast.  On real advantage of Alaska is the ready availability of rhubarb.  Katie went to visit a friend and came back with some tender red shoots.  Normally I would do a double crust pie, but such was not available here, so the single crust prepared shell had to do.  No vanilla ice cream either, but the pie was great (even if out of focus)  

The rock work is moving along with a nice tarp over the area for those rainy days (better idea than in my past rock experience).  The sun hits the rocks nicely when it's out, but if not, the mortar takes forever to dry.

James has been staying with Brian for a few months and is skilled tile  and stone craftsman.  I've not gotten to work with him yet.  He is learning the backhoe.  A shot of Brian's place with the driveway in progress (James did a great job of removing part of the bank with more to come a he rips into that quaint shed in the side of the hill - not the big one toppled, but the neat little one just to the side of the backhoe.  Peaking inside just cries out Alaska!  

The usual collection of interesting mushrooms coming up - love the colors.  As I've mentioned in Alaska #1 these are Amanita species mushrooms.  

I was told initially they were hepatotoxic.  Now they seem to be more of the hallucinogenic variety  Wikipedia for Amanita information

  Siberian shamans eat Amanita muscaria in order to enter a clairvoyant trance state and mobilize their shamanic powers of healing. Amanita muscaria are also ingested when they wish to communicate with the souls of their ancestors or to contact spirits. One to three Amanita mushrooms appear to be the usual traditional dose with initial Amanita effects being felt in about twenty minutes. It was the practice of Siberian and other tribes to recycle the urine of someone who had already eaten Amanita muscaria, and thus, because a substantial amount of active substances in it remained unchanged, it could be used for later or given to someone who could not afford to buy Amanita muscaria.  At any rate, not any that I want to try.

Locks in Anchorage - see one, do one

As I've said before, working with Brian is an adventure.  Arriving in Anchorage we were assigned to help with installing new electronic door locks in the local Days Inn.  An exciting project with lots of organization and challenge.  The instruction set is pretty short.  My job was to remove the old electronic locks - surprisingly short work for secure locks - takes less than 3 minutes to remove one.  The rooms we were working on were occasionally occupied and so moving around in someone else's room is a bit creepy, but you get used to it.  The next phases of lock installation are more challenging with mortising the new door opening    (Brian here getting ready to do that - dusty and noisy!).  Chris (the project manager got the fun part) with a metal grinder to cut out the stainless steel door frame to match the new lock.  Next I would drill door pilot holes and install the lock, Chris would come behind me and program the lock and it was done.  With a team approach we were much more efficient.

We did about 30 or so locks in 2.5 days and were sent back to Talkeetna as the job was nearly done.  Katie was headed back and there was not enough room to take all the people back.  The guys stayed and spent another 2 days delayed because of a variety of issues.    Several photos of Anchorage - first - potty humor abounds in Alaska ; second - the local watering hole is Humpy's -  wonderful mixture of tourists and locals and 

 some GREAT halibut .   If

If you've looked on a map, and follow Sarah Palin's career, you know that she was mayor of Wasilla, and  lives there as private citizen Palin.  She apparently is a regular girl and shops, drives herself to work (always in a pantsuit and heels) and fired the executive chef of the previous governor.  Katie drove up to Sarah's development which used to be readily accessible to we tourist types - here is as far as we could get . This shot of the Wasilla Walmart is to show you the largest traffic Walmart in the USA 

Preparing for stone work

Weather the last few days has been exceptional with cool mornings (high 50's) and sunny afternoons (70's with clear blue sky and only a slight annoyance with mosquitoes).  Lake walks at X-Y lake and blueberries are in - a good picking session and used them in pancakes last few mornings. The berries are smaller and more tart than those in NC  .

iToad stool pushing up from the ground cover at x-y lake
The house we're staying at is one of Brian's and is comfortable and cozy,  easy walking distance to work at the house we're doing stone work at.  Me in front of James' car (James, an excellent tile mason who's claim to fame is doing Oprah's house in Maui) .  Well, I came to do stone work - here is the "pre" of the area of the house I'll be finishing - Brian has given me lots of independence on this relatively non-visible side

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