Above Zero

Yes we are finally above zero.  It was so much warmer than it has been that I walked to work.  The first time in months.  It felt so good to be out walking again.  The sky was black as it had snowed earlier.  You could hear a slight breeze through the trees.  The only other sound was the snow crunching below my boots.  Even my body stopped fighting the cold that has invaded me and enjoyed the silence. 

No birds chirped in the night.  No hares darting back under the trees.  It was just me and the solitude.  Even the creek that fought so long to stay unfrozen was quiet.  Only one car passed me on the road.  It was me lost in thought but I don't remember thinking about anything.  I just know that once I made it to the office I was sorry it was over.  I hope we stay above zero at least for a few more days as it is nice to enjoy the wilderness again.

Yesterday I went to Naknek.  I needed to buy a new shovel and pick up a few nails.  I have been battling a cold since I got home so I just wanted to go in and come back.  The temperatures were warming but the winds were picking up.  Enough so that even though the temperature was 20 degrees warmer the wind chills were -55 so it felt colder.

I took off about nine in the morning.  The winds were blowing snow over the ice covered roads so I decided I would take my time.  It was a beautiful day with the sun coming up and turning all the clouds a rainbow of colors and the mountains in the distance were covered in white.  If you didn't know they were mountains you might have thought there were some huge clouds building.  I hadn't been to Naknek in a while so when I got to the place on the drive where you could see the river I saw some strange objects.  At first I thought they were fish houses.  Then they disappeared from view. 

I was wondering what type of house they were as they were big and chunky and odd shaped from any other fish house I had ever seen.  Then when the river came into view again I realized I wasn't looking at fish houses but huge boulders of ice thrown about the river and shoreline.  They were the size of small shacks.  It was very weird.  I thought about going to the bay to see the sights but like I said I am fighting s cold and I really didn't have the energy to go. 

First stop was the hardware store.  Picked up one shovel and 50 4 penny nails.  I could not believe the price $36.90.  But since I needed them and I had not figured out how to get a shovel on the plane I paid the outrageous price.  Then it was to the grocery store.  I didn't really need anything but since I have to buy my dairy products here I like to look for bargains.  Which I found in the cheese section, I picked up a small chunk of ham and some sour cream.  My price was $19.  Another $50 went into the gas tank and I had spent a hundred dollars in less than an hour. 

Most everyone likes to go to Naknek to grocery shop but I like the little AC in King Salmon better.  The people are friendly and cheerful and I think they have better prices just not so much variety.  The people in the Naknek store all seem so crabby.  That is my two cents for the day.

What You Learn From the Parking Lot.

What can you learn from the parking lot?  If you work for the park service in January quite a lot actually.  For instance, yesterday when a fellow coworker came in she knew that it was so cold that I had borrowed the neighbors car to get to work.  Which was true as my neighbor is gone until the second weekend in Feb. and I have access to her car until then.  Yesterday the work thermometer showed -47 so I did not feel like walking.

She also knew that another coworker was afraid her hybrid car would not start at the end of the day as she backed into her parking spot.  She knew that a lot of people had decided to wait to see if it warmed up before coming into work as very few cars were in the lot.  Also true.  She predicted that one workers truck did not start as the wives car was in the lot.  True.  And finally she new that our coworker who normally rides bike to work actually drove as his hardly ever seen car was in the lot.  Funny what you learn by driving into a parking lot.

It was so cold yesterday that when we heard that it was only -3 in Anchorage we were all thinking about flying there for the weekend to warm up.  How sad is that.

Still in the Deep Freeze

For most of this winter we have been below zero.  I never imagined it would be this cold here as we are so close to the ocean.  But today when I got up it was -35.  Yesterday everyone was talking about the very cold temps.  I got a weather lesson about the jet stream and low and high pressures that want to do nothing but bring icy cold air our way.  We have had a low pressure system by us dropping cold air for 20 days and it doesn't look like it is going to move until sometime next week.  Then above us is a high pressure system that is dumping lots of snow in Anchorage but bringing more cold air to this area.  Lucky us.

With these very low temps even the neighborhood dogs don't want to be outside.  Camille hardly goes five feet from the door when I let her out.  It is comical to watch these animals try to move and stand without placing paws on the ground.  I haven't even seen hare tracks in the snow for days.  It is like everyone is burying themselves in homes until the weather changes.  More people from the office are abandoning us for warmer areas.  Wish someone would bring back some heat with them when they come home.  Not no 80 degree heat but enough to reach the zero mark.  I feel like the good year blimp every time I go outside I am so bundled up.


Then the conversation turned to how long can you last with the amount of food stored in your house. I am not quite sure how long I could last may be a month. Most people can live about two months. Should I buy more food?

People who have can goods and soda stored in their garage are worried that these ever dropping temps are going to start effecting their food supply. Thermometers are being scavenged to watch the inside temps of their garages as we seem to be dropping deeper in to the cold. Never had to worry about that before but then I don't have food stored in the garage yet. Wonder if I should ?

A Job I Wouldn't Want

One of the things I love about my job is the research I get to do.  Yesterday, I was studying the history of one of the caribou herds that travel through Katmai National Park and found a report written in 1958 that I thought I would share with you.  It does not have to do with caribou but with beluga whales.  I hope you enjoy the story.

In 1958 a group of men decided that they would like to capture some beluga whales in the area and send them to California where a newly created sea park was opening, kind of like the sea worlds of today.  They put their heads together and came up with three different ways to capture the whales that they thought might work.  The first being using a harpoon and shooting the whale just deep enough to capture it but not kill it.  The second way was to use a salmon net and wrap the whale like a burrito in the net then haul it aboard.  The last way was to climb upon the whales back and place a collar over its neck.  Which way do you think they chose?

Why the third way of course.  They thought it was the least obtrusive way to capture the whales.  So they took a skiff and went out to get their whales.  They pulled the skiff next to the whale, a man jumped out of the boat onto the creatures back then maneuvered a collar onto it so that they could pull the whale to shallow waters.  Now this all happened in Bristol Bay which is known for its icy cold waters.  The report did not have a date so I don't know what time of year this occurred but I am sure it wasn't January as the bay is frozen right now.  Nor does the report say how many attempts it took to actually get on the whales back.  This is not a job I would like to try and tackle.

How did they do you might ask?  Well the first time out they captured two whales.  The poor whales did not last long and died before ever making it to California.  They tried again and this time captured two adults and one calf.  In the notes of the report were instructions for keeping the whales alive during transport.  They need lots of soft mattresses for the journey and you need to apply water to their skin regularly.  The two adults whales were sent to California and survived.  They were trained to entertain the public and that part of the task was considered a success.  The calf was sent to New York where it died shortly after arrival.

Now you know the story of how they first captured beluga whales in Bristol Bay.  I wonder what the natives thought of that job when they saw men trying to jump the backs of whales.

I am Back!

I am back in King Salmon and the adventure started right up again when I got on the plane to get here in Anchorage.  Weather on the peninsula was horrible yesterday.  I was sure they were going to cancel the flight.  Most of the passengers on the plane were going to King Salmon and make a connection there to Chignik which is farther down the peninsula.  The guy next to me had talked to his wife and she said the weather is horrible that visibility was about 50 feet.  He figured King Salmon was as far as he would get for the day.

The guy said that he was glad to have time in King Salmon because then he could go shopping.  Shopping in King Salmon.  I could not believe him as we only have a general store with not much in it and it is very expensive.  Especially compared to Anchorage of which we just came from.  I asked him what he was going to buy and he said they always buy their meat in King Salmon so he would surprise his wife with meat.  He said she would love it.  Us Alaska women are easy to please buy us some meat and you good to go. 

Of course King Salmon hamburger is $5 a pound and other meats are around $10 a pound.  If he thinks meat is inexpensive in King Salmon I wonder what it costs in Chignik or if they even have a store there.  We did not go into that in detail.  I may have to go check out that town before I leave to see why King Salmon got the man all excited.

We made our decent and we landed during a blizzard.  It was snowing and blowing.  Wind gust were around 50 mph and temps with wind chills were -40.  Welcome home.  The people I normally beg rides from I knew were out of town, either on vacation or at some trainings.  So I had decided that I was just going to call the taxi for a ride home but when I called for a ride I was told that the weather was too bad for him to come pick me up. 

I walked over to the office to see if I could find anyone to give me and my four boxes of junk a ride home.  The office was pretty empty as everyone had decided to stay home for the day until the wind died down or it got lighter for people to see.  I finally found a coworker that said he would take the work truck and come and get me.  For a few short minutes I thought I was going to have to walk home.  I had not brought blizzard clothing with me so it would have been a very cold walk.

All that said and done it is nice to be back.  I had a wonderful time with my family and husband.  I am rested and anxious to get on with the next adventures.

Prepare Yourself For Winter Fun

Today is the first day of my ten day vacation. Today is also the day Craig moves back to the lower 48.  He has had enough of Alaska and is moving back to Sioux Falls South Dakota. So after today I am going to take a break from blogging to enjoy my family.  But I want you all to be prepared for the adventures ahead.

Fun times await in Feb at Katmai as the first ever wolf project begins.  We will be trying to collar nine wolves from three different areas.  At least that is the goal.  We will also be doing flights looking for moose to see where they are wintering.  Then preparation for the spring bear surveys will begin.  All kinds of adventures wait after I get back.

Not only is Feb full of adventures in Katmai but King Salmon also as the winterfest begins.  To celebrate winter there is the annual penguin dip.  What is that?  Well mighty Alaskans cut a hole in the ice of Bristol Bay and take a quick swim.  In Minnesota we called it the polar bear swim as we thought the arctic would be the coldest place to be in the water.  Alaskans, I guess, think Antarctica is colder.  Anyways, the swim takes place on the fourth of Feb. so you need to prepare. 

See you in ten days!

Hiring Help for the Summer

It is that time of year when the National Parks start hiring for the summer season.  Here at Katmai we see a high turnover rate of seasonal employees.  Our remoteness and expense makes it hard to keep people coming back year after year.  That being said our park is one of the most magical places to work.  You have days filled with endless sunshine, though it never gets hot.  The scenery is beautiful and you can enjoy a variety of activities on your time off.  And where else can you work with such magnificent creatures as the brown bears of Katmai.  If you are interested in a position for the summer go to usajobs.gov to apply.  Right now summer interpretive staff positions are being advertised, maintenance positions will open soon along with the Alaska Region call for wildlife techs.  Though right now we are not sure if we will be hiring a wildlife tech as all of last years staff has till Feb 1 to let us know if they are coming back.  Good Luck to all that apply!

Unwanted Adventure

Last night I was all curled up in my bed sleeping soundly when all hell broke loose.  The fire alarms went off in our house.  We live in a duplex and the alarm will sound in both houses if something is wrong.  Our neighbor is gone until Feb.  I fumbled my way out of bed and headed down the stairs.  Living in a government house there are many fire alarms with flashing lights and very loud sirens.  It was rather crazy.  Our alarm system is not hooked up to an outside service nor does it get reported to the fire department.  Craig went out to turn off the alarm and I walked through the house looking for what might have set it off.  Then I went next door.and repeated the process.  We saw no signs of a fire, decided it was just a freak misalarm and went back to bed.

I was just about asleep when the alarm went off again.  This time we were down the stairs faster than the first time.  After silencing the alarms we did a thorough search and again found nothing.  We talked about how weird it was and were wondering why it went off.  But I went back to bed.  I barely got the covers over me when it went off again.  Now I was getting scared we were missing something.

Craig went to shut off the alarm and I called our chief of law enforcement.  I got his voicemail, told him what was happening and was wondering if I should call 911.  I hung up the phone and made another run through both houses.  While at the neighbors the chief showed up.  He looked at the alarm system then made his own inspection inside and outside of the house.  Then he went through the systems log to see if a sensor was out or any other reason why it kept going off.  Nothing.  We waited a half an hour and nothing happened.  He decided that we should be all right but if it went off again call 911 and him.

I had such a hard time going back to sleep.  I kept wondering and waiting for it to go off again.  Luckily, or unluckily depending on how you look at it, I had shut off my alarm clock.  Not sure when but I must have done it, after the first alarm went off just out of habit.  Not that my alarm clock sounds like a fire alarm, that is the only time I could think of that I would have shut it off.  Anyways I finally went to sleep and no alarm woke me up so I did manage to get some rest.  Not the kind of adventure I wanted.

Flying Nightmares

The only way to get into King Salmon is to fly.  In the summer when all the fishermen and tourist are flying in by great numbers two airlines come in: Alaska and Pen Air.  During the winter we are down to just Pen Air.   There are two flights a day, one in the morning and the other in the evening.  Most flights right now are called triangle flights meaning that you leave here and fly to Dillingham than on to Anchorage making flight time 2 hours and 20 minutes where as a flight from here to Anchorage is 1 hour 10 minutes.

Now you have to add in the weather.  Which is always tricky.  This weekend there were blizzards in both Anchorage and King Salmon so both airports were shut down.  Anchorage was up and moving quite quickly but not here.  My neighbor was suppose to leave on yesterdays morning flight.  We had a blizzard on Saturday cancelling all flights.  The airlines called her and let her know that her flight yesterday morning were canceled but she was booked on the evening flight.  Yesterday afternoon she took her luggage to the airport to check them in and see how the flights were going.  Now she had to face the other problem with Pen Air.  Plane and Staff problems.

She was told that the weather was fine but that the flight had been delayed till 1 am do to maintenance problems with the airplane.  Now she started to worry as her connecting flight in Anchorage leaves at 6am.  She was told to call back at 7:30 to see where things stood.  At 7:30 she was told good news.  The flight would be leaving at 11:30 and she should be back to airport by 11.  I drove her to the airport and never got a call to come pick her up so I am assuming she got on.  Now I just have to hope that I make my flights on Thursday as I leave here on the morning flight and my connecting flight to Seattle is at 2 pm.  No wonder one of the biggest topics in Alaskan politics is transportation.

The Blizzard Strikes

Yes, the temperature warmed up and the blizzard started.  The wind blew and the snow fell.  Watching out the window you would see snow devils forming in the wind and be carried off down the street.  The wind blew raw and cold.  No one seemed to be moving at all.  No dogs were being walked.  No cars moved out of driveways.  No adventures were being had.

I watched a few movies.  Talked with the neighbor on the phone.  I was suppose to take her to the airport but of course her flight was cancelled.  I baked.  A lot.  I made about seven different kinds of cookies to take home to my kids on Thursday.  Not sure how I am going to get them all there but I have plenty.  And I read.  All the typical things that Alaskans do during a storm.  

I am hoping that the weather clears and the flights are caught up by Thursday. I would like a break from the sub zero temps and the wind chills.

Frozen Pipes and Frozen Cars

We have spent so much time in the deep freeze that everything is freezing.  Three out of the four trucks at the office were frozen and had probems this week.  Block heaters broke, radiator hoses cracked and engines just quit.  Then yesterday the heating pipes in the building froze.  Made for a very cold morning in the office.  I have learned I need to leave some warmer clothes in my office for events such as that.  People were wearing their coats and hats and big boots to stay warm.  Some went home to get small heaters to try and keep their space warm.  Others dug out the union suits.  Coffee, tea and hot chocolate were drunk by the gallons yesterday and it took me quite awhile at home to get rid of the chill.

So today the temperature is near zero but we have 50 - 70 mph winds.  That isn't much of a help as that makes it feel colder than yesterday and I didn't think I could feel colder than that.  From what I hear it is only suppose to get worse instead of better.  As long as the storm blows itself out by Thursday morning so I can get out of town, I will be happy. 

Back in the Deep Freeze

Since November most of the days here have been cold.  I was all excited as yesterday when I got up it was 4 above zero. It seems like we have not had too many days above that mark.   I thought that meant I would finally be able to start walking to work as in these below zero days I catch a ride with the neighbors.  I got on my coat, hat and gloves and was going to take my dog for a walk as she hadn't had one for awhile as her paws weren't made for below zero temps.  We just walked around the block but my cheeks were frozen.  Every time it gets above zero the wind comes in and we have wind chills in even colder temps than before. 

So what do Alaskans do in this frozen ice land?  Most people are either leaving for warmer places say Spain, Hawaii and South America.  The people I have met here are more traveled than any place I have lived in the lower 48.  Or they stay inside.  Netflix is huge around here.  Not only is it too cold to be outside but the amount of daylight is a little over five hours.  If that.  Puzzles are big.  Talks over where to buy your books has become a topic in the break area.  Some still try to be outside and do some skiing or jogging.  But most of them are just thinking where they are going to be.  Me, I am not going anywhere exotic or warm.  I am heading to Minnesota to see my family for ten days in a week.  Though I hear they are having record warm temps.  But if it does turn out that MN has cold like here, which is possible, than at least I will have my family to watch movies with,work puzzles or freeze outside with.

Proposal Writing

There are two kinds of grant proposals.  Hard ones, that are from the National Park Service national headquarters.  I have been working on them for weeks.  If you want extra money for some study that is not in the budget then you have to write a proposal and see if you are awarded the money.  You are up against all the national parks.  I have finally finished writing four proposals.  One in conjunction with Denali, Lake Clark and Kenai Fjords to study wolverines, one to see if we have farmed fox on the islands off our coast and arctic char in Kaguyak crater, one to see if trumpeter swans are expanding their territory into Katmai and one to create an interactive app for visitors that will collect information on animals seen in the park.  Yesterday all four were park approved.  Now they go before the regional office to see if they get approved there and moved on to the national decision.  It felt good to be finished.  Now I start working on soft grants.  That is money from private industries or groups that donate to help further science.  I am going to try to get money donated to work on a wolf collaring project, my four hard proposals and I am going to try to get a cooperative international agreement with the park in Russia that is considered by some to be a sister park.  My goal today is to learn more about that park and to try to make an initial contract to see if they are interested.  I may not be in the field but I am learning great stuff researching information about these projects.  Keep your fingers crossed that I receive a grant or two because I am sure they will give me stories to tell.

Yes Virgina There are Moose in Alaska!!!!!

What a great day yesterday was.  The rocks bounced and we got to go to Brooks Camp which was beautiful all draped in white and frosted over.  The river was still open but the lakes were all froze.  We spent 2 1/2 hours out there doing the Christmas Day Bird Count.  It was so much fun.  The temperature in King Salmon when we left was -17 but it was only -8 there.  It felt so much better there than here. 


We counted 21 birds and had 8 different species which is more than we thought we would see since it was so cold.  The most amazing sightings was four American Dippers.  They were diving in and out of the water catching food and we were bundled up in lots of layers just amazed that they were actually in the water.  The other species we saw were Raven, black capped chickadees, dark eyed juncos, red polls, gray jays, downy woodpeckers,and  magpies of course.

On the flight back to King Salmon we saw them.  First one hunkered down in the snow.  Then we saw a mom and calf, sitting in the snow and then just before we landed we saw another one.  Four moose on one trip it was a great thrill to see them.  I loved it.  It was amazing!  Now I am happy!  On to the next creature I want to see.  I would love to see a wolverine next but I think I will concentrate on the wolves we will be collaring next month. 

Life here in Alaska - It is the best!

Let the Rocks Bounce

In 1900 the annual Christmas tradition was that after everyone had feasted they would divide up into teams and each team would go on a hunt to see how many birds they could kill.  It wasn't done to feed the family for the year, it was all just a game until one man decided that they needed to save the birds and he talked people into counting birds instead of killing birds.  It became what is known as the Christmas Day Bird Count.  Today people form all over the world participate.  It is the longest running scientific study and we have learned a great deal about distribution, movement, and where species are becoming scarce. 

The Christmas Day Bird Count is to be performed between Dec 18th and January 5th of each year.  However never has one been performed at Brooks Camp in Katmai.  I am hoping that today will be the first time.  I have to hope for two things.  1.  the weather is good for flying out to Brooks Camp and 2.  that we can land on the river.  Our pilot will be testing the strength of the ice by dropping 3 - 25 pound rocks out of the plane.  If they bounce we can land.  Let's hope the rocks bounce.

The holidays are over and it is time to go back to work tomorrow.  I am hoping going back to work means that the weather will cooperate and I will be at Brooks Camp tomorrow counting birds.  I am so excited.  No Christmas Day Bird Count has ever been performed at Brooks Camp.  It would be so much fun to do one.  Not that I expect to see a large variety of birds but to see Brooks Camp covered in snow and isolation has to be beautiful. 

Maybe while flying we will see that elusive moose finally.  I would love to see one.  Not that the males would be impressive right now as the antlers are falling off.  But just to say yeas they actually exist would be great.  We have a fresh snow fall today and the moose should be able to be seen more easily.  So today may not hold any adventures but tomorrow could be a whole different story.

Alaskan Resolutions

It is a new year and 2012 came in cold and quiet.  It is the time for people to make new years resolutions.  My resolutions are not about things to change about myself only about things I need to do this coming year here at Katmai and in Alaska.  I thought I would share my list with you.

1.  Can you guess what it is?  Of course it is to see a moose.  I need to make sure that they do exist.

2.  I would like to hike to the lava dome this year.

3.  I want to radio collar 8 wolves and monitor their movements.

4.  See the Katmai coast.

5.  Study anything at Aniakchak just to go back.

6.  See the Alagnak River

7.  Get a few soft grants to do more fun stuff here.

8.  Learn to salmon fish

9.  Get an ATV to travel around on.

10.  Learn to hunt.

The most important thing I would like to happen in 2012 is for my husband to get a job up here so we can share and explore Alaska together.