Veni Vedi Vivi

Dall Sheep, Coyotes, and Bears, Oh MY!

2009-09-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

A few dall sheep wandering around Polychrome Mountain. These two year old coyotes are playing in the snow along Sable Pass.

Sow with spring cubs running around on top of Polychrome Mountain.

March/April Trip to Thorofare

2009-09-14T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is the lower Toklat cabin.

Travelling up river across ice with a nice video below.

Bear investigating my sled with Denali in the background. Check out Remus with her face into the wind.

The dogs sleeping on the stake out lines at Thorofare cabin.

Jade

Muldrow glacier as we make our way back.

That is one tired puppy. Adama was the hardest working puppy on the trip and one of the hardest working dogs as well.

Arctic oven tent that we used after the first few nights of staying in a cabin. This time we stayed on the road at mile 53 (Toklat)

Apollo looking adorable. It was his first time to be in the truck box for the trip back to the dog yard. We were picked up at mile 22 then travelled North of the park back to Stampede Road.

Trips!

2009-02-28T22:34:00.000-08:00

Snowed in Bilbo

Jon, Guest, and Denali

The Bus and Puppies

Shushana Cabin

Apollo (7 month puppy) wanting to be pet

Snowed in Dogs

January Days Gone Bye!

2009-02-28T21:24:00.000-08:00

Welcome to sleepy Healy, Alaska where even the locals aren't sure why there here. It is a beautiful central Alaskan winter day. The sun is shining (somewhere behind the mountain), the dogs are barking merrily (translates to "Help! Bring warm water, my tongue is frozen to my bowl again), and the day is calm (only a slight 15-20mph breeze), but the temperature leaves something to be desired. For about 2.5 weeks the temperature dipped below -40 F only to warm up for 5 days of 50 F.

While out enjoying a cool dog sled ride, the temperature dropped below -50 plus the slight breeze mentioned earlier. All told with the wind chill it was about -70 F. Just to clarify for the cold weather impaired that is 102 degrees below freezing. Oh no I've gone blind, wait wait sorry my eyes just froze together. Dang it now my hand is stuck; nope, sorry, only my mitten freezing to the handle bow. :) Water freezes so fast that it crackles to ice before touching the snow. It is amazing, beautiful, and cold. We have to take check the dogs feet periodically b/c the cold makes the snow turn so abrasive it can cut their feet. Frostbite is a constant concern (Jon, my boss, got a little) if anything is exposed for several minutes.

This winter was one of the most prolonged cold that even Alaskans were talking about the cold. The last time it was comparable was in the early 1980's. So the perfect time to become an Alaskan and spend the winter up here. :)

We'll keep the lights on for ya!

2008-10-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

My cabin

Neighbor's Cars

Down the Road

This is a few shots from last night's northern lights. I was finally able to get my computer to work again today so I could post these pictures. The display was amazing early on with white, green, and the occasional red/purple. I was too awe struck to get my camera out.

Random Pictures!

2008-08-14T00:40:00.001-07:00

I hope to add more soon. Construction has made using the internet...annoying.

Pups on the move!

2008-07-05T23:23:00.000-07:00

Me running pups

Anna (Kennels Staff)

Emily (Kennels Staff)

Few Adorable Puppies!

2008-06-29T12:11:00.001-07:00

More to come later.

Wildlife Patrol!

2008-06-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago (June 7th) we received the strangest call of an owl stuck in a car. The way it sounded the bird was either inside or stuck in the windshield. Above is Jessi (co-worker) and Amy (Law Enforcement) examining the bird while I take photographic evidence of the incident before Amy opens the car. After popping the hood I took the grill off while Jessi held the Hawk Owl. Extracting it from its cramped space we put the owl into a cardboard box with puncture holes for transportation to Fairbanks where it is being rehabilitated for trauma to the chest. It should be released in a few days.

Primarily of late I patrol for moose jams and make sure food is stored properly. Here is a small moose jam with a man I was about to go talk with about wildlife distances. Note the moose on the left a few yards from the photographer.

Sometimes I meet some interesting people. Here is what a couple of guys had driven up from Iowa.

More blogs in a couple of days about Wonder Lake and Puppies.

A day in the life of a NPS sign!

2008-06-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

Always forgotten and uncared for over the winter I sit in a metal Connex shipping container 6 months a year. I think the NPS rangers are under the impression I hibernate. Let me tell you it is cold! Imagine leaning against metal when it reaches -40. Brrr...gives me chills just thinking about it.
But I digress. I have an interesting job and I can be very versatile. I wear many hats as it were, such as being a closure sign for a wolf den, a danger sign for moose calving or a bear kill, or a critical habitat sign. I get to see some interesting places, travel occasionally, and spend lots of time out in the park (including areas where only a few backpackers visit).
I really feel like I accomplish a great deal. I warn the public of dangers and I feel like I am personally protecting some of the parks amazing creatures. I get really upset when people just ignore me or feel like what I have to say doesn't apply to them. The rangers must like working with me since they seem to get upset when others don't heed my warnings. Also they always seem so happy when they are taking me out into the park. Although, I must admit, I am not a big fan of getting hit repeatedly on the head. I say to the rangers "Hey, that hurts", but it always comes out as "creak"...I must have suffered brain damage from all the hammering.

Here is a great photo of me soaking up the sun and scenery near the Teklanika bridge. I was protecting wolves that day...I know your jealous! :)

Here is one of my cousin, he was always the funny one. He drew on himself and was posted near the water to warn people about "Killer Beaver"...ha ha...killer beaver...only he would think of that...whew, well back to my story.
The other day I was posted a few miles beyond Toklat to let people know that I was protecting the Western boundary of a wolf den closure. Everything was normal for a few days, you know fun, sun, and sight-seeing. Then one day I was standing around minding my own business, when I was attacked from the back. I was clubbed on the back of the head and dragged away. Eventually (I presume a bear) chewed on me and reduced me to shreds. When the rangers came by to ask how I was doing, it took 30 minutes to locate me. They could not believe the damage so they took a picture of me. Look there I am torn apart on the ground (covered in teeth marks). Hmmm...this is kind of like an out of body experience.

So long all and good luck to all my brothers and sisters still out there fighting the good fight.

R.I.P. NPS sign R.I.P.

Dog Sleds

2008-05-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I witnessed this wolf relaxing in the sun. We were posting signs so that others would stay away from his den. Below is a video of some of his cousins. My dog, Tonzona, is the "wheel" dog pulling the sled.

The first position on dog sled teams are called the lead dogs. Usually we run two instead of one lead dog here at Denali. The second position is called the swing dog. They will swing wide so that the sleds turn is more gradual. The third position (not in the video) are team dogs who help pull. Last comes the wheel dog. These dogs start the sled, break out the runners if they are iced up, and pull most of the weight. Usually during the runs around the track they have two dogs in wheel and one in the swing position. In the video you might notice that there are two swing dogs and Tonzona is the wheel dog all by himself.
These are Alaskan Huskies. They are not a true breed b/c they are bred as work dogs (function) not for looks. The are larger than racing dogs that you see in the Iditarod. Most racing dogs are around 50 lbs, while Tonzona (largest in the kennel) is closer to 100 lbs. They also have long legs for breaking trail, large compact feet so they don't get iced up, two coats of fur (one small for warmth, one long to keep dry), busy tail to breathe through at night, and hair in their ears to keep out snow. Our dogs are generally most comfortable at -10 degrees F. They start pulling a sled when they are 2 and retire to loving northern climate families around age 9.

Tough Life!

2008-05-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

This week we added a new area closure and inspected some recently posted. This picture is of Teklanika's wolf den.

Also we have had to keep an eye on a Moose cow and 1 year old calf. This picture was taken after we intervened b/t the cow and a small dog. Neither were hurt, but the dog was visibly shaking. Also note this is one of a few moose that we have collared for a study.

Lastly a few pics of my "adopted" dog. I am walking a husky named Tonzona for the kennels over the summer.

Ghost of Driving Past

2008-05-06T00:27:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to add a little to the story and imagery of my drive up to Alaska. Mostly a few images :).

The drive up was beautiful. At Dawson Creek, British Columbia is historical mile zero which continues 1,390 miles through beautiful country, passing many animals living and splattered, ice, frost heaves, behind slow motor homes, terminating in Delta Junction, Alaska.

Along my trip I saw many sights including a strange and weird forest of unknown origin. Maybe it is just nature trying to blend in with human society. The natives I met called it a "Sign Forest", but I was unable to get a translation of this saying...maybe it means metal trees. :) This bizarre sight can be witnessed in Watson Lake, Yukon Territory.

I also say the usual Dall Sheep and Stone Sheep, which are the same except the latter has a brownish coat. Also a few...hundred buffalo. Try to find the Ptarmigan (pronounced Tarmigan) in the snow picture. Funny story: A city in Alaska argued so much over how to spell Ptarmigan as the city name that they gave up and called it Chicken. :)

I also captured a picture of the hideous fiend, monster of monster, most unholy creature from Monty Python and the Holy Grail...THE SNOWSHOE HARE! Alas Brian, standing "conveniently" two feet closer, was ravaged by the BEAST shortly after this picture and is presumed dead. Fortunately for those of you with a weak stomach the end came quick to Brian, the name I had given to the bush outside my house ;).

Bear Update

2008-05-05T23:59:00.000-07:00

Well technically I am still in training, but I am now giving orientations to park and concession employees. This last week I went on a road patrol with my compatriots to place some area closure signs. These were to prevent people from hiking into areas where wolves are denning. Soon the some females should be having pups. I am really excited to monitor the dens and hopefully see the little guys walking around. Also the wolf that had a snare on its neck was darted and treated on Friday. This wolf looks like it is going to make it. Check out Fairbanks local newspaper from the previous week to see details on the story.

On our return trip I saw my first bear of the season. A male, who was looking quite healthy, but not the size of a Katmai bear. These bears get less food so they do not grow as large or congregate in mass numbers.

One day this weekend I shocked my eyes and ears with the hustle and bustle of city life that can only be described as Fairbanks, Alaska. With approximately 83,000 people you can just imagine this is like going to NYC especially when you have only seen 25 people in the last month. I could only brave this hectic conditions for a few hours which gave me enough time to shop for myself and two others (yes, it is required to buy for others if you go to town ;) ) and see Iron Man. Movies are a personal vice, but hey it could be worse and I don't get to town often. The rest of my weekend is was pretty relaxed except for Sunday.

Sunday started just like any other day, except this Sunday morning was rudely interrupted by lots of loud banging. Fortunately it was not a hangover (I quickly remembered I don't drink), but was just my roommate getting snow and mud off his boots before entering the house. Anyways it was time to get up b/c I was meeting several people for a hike up Mt. Healy. The journey was treacherous. Crossing vast ice sheets, raging rivers of snow melt, and daunting heights of snow and mud. Actually it was a great hike and let me get to know several people while enjoying a wonderful day. Sadly most of these people are heading out to the west side of the park next week. Curiously it strikes me as funny (odd) that you can get such a good tan when there is so much snow...who needs a beach.

Calm before the Storm

2008-04-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

Hello again. I am officially a Park Ranger now and I have the photo of my badge to prove it. :) So far things have been going well here. The few of us who are here early are just going through training and reveling in the 3 plus feet of snow we have gotten in two weeks and the occasional 50 degrees and sunshine (coincidently the sun makes that warm enough for T-shirt weather).

I just received one roommate who is on the fire crew and may receive another (hopefully not) who works on the trail crew. Apparently b/c of construction and a few other factors we get to possibly experiencing the joy of that lovable fish the sardine. The cabin I am in is great though, but I cannot wait until June when we get to use running water in our sinks. We all share a communal bath house in C-Camp that has our showers, bathrooms, and laundry. There is also a pretty nice rec hall that has computers, pool table, foosball, and a TV.

Essential my job will involve patrolling the east end of the park making sure that food and trash are stored properly, crowd/animal management when they encounter each other, wildlife sightings/info, and wildlife incidents.

I expect that this should be a pretty good summer. And look forward to showing some cool pics. I have also been exploring even through the snow. This is such a beautiful place and I am anxiously awaiting the start of the season. With some luck I might get to walk one of the kennel huskies. Below is a neat picture of melting snow that is curving off the roof.

New Beginnings

2008-04-17T22:27:00.000-07:00

Hello out there. I'm back. Hopefully this season will be better, but i make no promises. I hope to blog about 4 times a month.

This seasons starts off much the same as others. Boy wants job, boy applies to 53 jobs, boy get job, and boy drives 3900 miles to job. That's right, 3900 miles. I am working this season as a wildlife tech in the wonderful Denali National Park. Finally a job where I get paid for my work.

I started my journey on April 1 and I'm not fooling you that it was not an easy drive. There I was battling the elements, first rain and wind, then blizzards so strong that all traffic had to pull off the road b/c visibility dropped to about 5 ft. Amazingly I had not even made it out of Minnesota, but like the postal workers neither rain nor sleet nor snow could stop me.

I continued up into Canada with the occasional light flurry until I reached Edmonton, Alberta to visit with my brother and pass the half way point. After arriving it snowed 5 inches which is more snow that I had seen in the whole of my 5 years in Chattanooga. We lived out our boyhood dreams and recreated Calvin and Hobbes "Snowmen House of Horror".

From there my journey continued through British Colombia into the Yukon Territory, home of the Gold Rush and something more sinister. Lurking in various locations throughout this wilderness lies a fearsome and hideous beast so terrifying it defies imagination. No, This great beast is not the fabled Snowshoe Rabbit of Monty Python and the Holy Grail (which coinidently a few live under my cabin). It is something more terrifying, deadly, and evilly lying in wait for its next victim...the MOOSE. These crafty creatures cannot wait to pounce into the car of any unsuspecting driver.

I luckily enough did not get waylaid by this monstrosity. I did however see several other cohorts of this beast on the side of the road, such as the buffulo and big horn sheep. In all honesty my drive through British Columbia and the Yukon was beautiful. But beware the lurking beast! Moose and buffulo carcass sadly were all over the sides of the road so do be careful if you ever drive this way.

Finally I reached the safety of Alaska and its never ending snow. I have been in Alaska for a week and have been blessed with a fine spring. We have had only 18 inches. The northern lights are still around when the clouds part at night and the moon striking the snow is inspiring. It reminds me of a Thomas Kincade painting of a cabin out in the woods covered in snow.

I feel lucky to be hear and will hopefully get some good pictures to share with you as the summer continues and we hopefully get the road open. Til then...Tah!

Travel Abroad!

2007-10-10T20:45:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry that I have been so terrible at blogging this year, but I have been too busy living life to take the time to sit down and record it. I really am sorry that I could not share more with you, but maybe when I return. For those not in the know I am traveling to Greece, Turkey, and Egypt from Oct. 12 through Dec. 14. Hope you're all doing well and that I get to see you when I get back.

Katmai Caldera

2007-08-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

Katolinat

2007-08-15T17:12:00.000-07:00

Maybe just a word to you, but an accomplishment to me. I will discuss more later, but for now here are some pictures.

Its Got To Be The Shoes!!!

2007-07-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

Tonight I did something that I thought that I would never do again. First I want to say that I have not run since the end of June. It is not that I was afraid of bears; instead it was the fact that bears were getting to close to the bridge that it would be closed down for multiple hours making one have to wait on one side or the other. Let me tell you that it is not ideal to be stuck waiting to cross for a few hours when you have been sweating and your cloths start to freeze. Needless to say it was a good excuse to be lazy.

Today I decided that it was high time I started to run again. I felt measurably tired all day and was not looking forward to my decision to run. Then my running partner Jen went to the Valley of 10,000 Smokes with her sister (completely understandable) making me even less inclined to go running. Well slightly after getting off work I talked myself into running at least a short distance with a max of 3 miles.

However, when I started running I felt darn good and next thing I knew I was looking over to spot the 4K (K=kilometer) marker. I continued on to the 5K (3.1 miles) and decided that I should just go the extra 3K out to five mile pit. To ensure that I ran the full distance I went a little further than the 8K marker and turned around. Half a K after turning around I started to doubt if I could still make it all the way back so I made little goals for myself to help me along with the additional line of "all take a break at the next one". Once I reached the 6K marker I felt rejuvenated and I fell into the zone. I ran back at a great pace and finished my 16 kilometer run in 1 hour, 31 minutes, and 37 seconds. That is 10 MILES for those of us who are not on the metric system (go USA). If you do the math that works out to just over 9 minutes a mile for 10 miles. I must admit that I am pretty proud of myself.

Until next time with stories a plenty as we journey into the final day of July.

Mageik Lakes!

2007-07-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

July 19-21 I traveled the path less trod and went up the right side of the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. My destination was the Mageik Lakes so named b/c they are at the base of Mageik mtn. But the destination is not the journey and the latter is what makes traveling fun.

As such Jen and I left for the trail after work and hiked out to 6 mile (you can guess why it got that name :>) where we camped our first night. Other than being over cast and slightly windy it was a beautiful afternoon and night in the valley when we set up camp at 11:30 pm. You have to love Alaska and its long days. :) That night Jen had a little trouble trying to sleep b/c we heard some noises a few yards from the tent. I being the rational one with more experience told her to cover her ears. Covering the ears was not so that she could sleep, but so that she would not be more startled when I broke the nights silence by yelling at the noises. Some scurrying was heard afterwards followed not too much longer by our departure into the land of dreams known as sleep. The next morning after while Jen was heeding the call of nature I scouted the perimeter of camp to find that a bear, wolf, and wolf pup had all scouted our tent from about 8-12 feet away. Obviously for not only Jen's sanity, but my own, I neglected to tell Jen this information until we were on our way our of the Valley the following day.

That afternoon we reached the lakes where we set up camp in a less windy area and scouted around the lakes. It was beautiful with a green/blue color that came from the glacial flour or fine sedimentary particles floating in the water reflecting the light. There were also 4 waterfalls on the side of the lake opposite of us.

The night passed without incident and we headed out the next morning. The overcast sky always seems to be the best view of the Valley b/c that is when the red/orange color seems to come out most making the ridges and canyons look amazing. We were not going for a speed record, but we still walked the 15 miles from the Mageik lakes back to the Three Forks Cabin overlook in about 5 hours.

It was an amazing trip and I recommend it to anyone who can go with a small addition of crossing over to Novarupta if you only have one weekend. The 25th will be our Christmas in July party that I organized, complete with gifts. Sometime in August I am going to try and summit Mt. Katmai and see the Caldera.

Bear Crazy! and Future Plans...

2007-07-13T02:21:00.001-07:00

I just returned from a trip out to Research Bay. I was planning on staying the night, but the only islands to camp on all had bear signs. I saw tracks, trails, day beds, and scat including one with shell pieces. Then I saw one bear on shore running around, so I called in to say I was on my way back. During the radio call I saw 5 bears which increased to 8 by the time I left. I canoed back with Racheal 7-8 miles in just over 2 hours. On the way back there was an amazing sunset. It was a bright orange that turned to red as it set. The moraine kept the light from falling opposite on Katolinat everywhere, but the break in the moraine. It created this beautiful reddish haze on research bay.

Here in camp a few salmon have started turning red early so we have to throw at least one back to get a silver fish. This can be problematic since the bears have been so prevalent in the lower river area. The water is about 2.5 feet lower than average which makes it really easy for the bears to catch fish. However this is not so fun for visitors since there are lots of bears around the bridge closing it down for 1-7.5 hours at a time. It is also more interesting trying to get your salmon since you fish with bears within a hundred yards of both sides of you. In other words we are getting pretty darn good at catching, thumping, and bagging a fish.

As the unofficial event planner for Brooks Camp I organize playing cards, movie nights, group dinners, and other small social events. I am currently starting the "Christmas in July" potluck. It will be held on the 25th and will include a Secret Santa gift swap for those who are interested. There will be other fun things as well, but many ideas are still in the development stages.

This next weekend I will be going off to visit Mageik lakes in the South East corner of the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. I am really excited since this will be my third attempt in 2 years to get out there. Ranger Jen also wanted to go so she switched weekends so that neither of us had to go it alone. It should be a blast and very beautiful area complete with waterfall ranging as high as 100 feet. The lakes are glacier fed so they are very brisk.

I am also finalizing plans for a trip to Katmai Caldera in August. This shall be an interesting trip since it involves some glacier travel...I will be prepared so don’t worry. If it works out Greg, Jen, Ralph and I will be making the trip the 2nd week in August. Depending on the schedule Erica and Mason want to come as well, but we might just have to take a second trip up with one of the original 4 leading these 2. It would be great if we could all go the same weekend, but we shall have to wait to see what can be worked out.

Tis all for now since I need some sleep so I can get up early to beat the crowds to the Falls. I shall try to update the blog once a week from now on, especially after big events.

Survival of the Fittest!

2007-07-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

Quick update for you:
A few weeks ago I cut my hair, which does not look to bad b/c my curly hair covers up the patchy spots. Also the salmon are running strong. The bears are being crazy this year. We have had to escort people around bears tons in the last few weeks. Also the bears have been completely closing the bridge across Brooks River for hours. This is not so bad since people want to watch bears, but it does cause some issues and tension.

Friday the 29th was a most interesting day for me. I had the day off, so I traveled to the falls in the afternoon since there was a bear jam (bear blocking any crossing of the river) all morning. I witnessed several bears fishing and had a good time talking to visitors and watching the bears. I left around 5:20 to head back to camp when I spotted two young adults wrestling about 20 yards from the end of the ramp along the falls trail. Being the good off duty ranger I helped get people to the ramp as they approached.

After the bears left I waited a few minutes to proceed down the path so that the bears might have a chance to clear out. 60 yards from the ramp the pair came running down the path behind me, so I stepped off the trail to let them pass me. The first bear stopped about 20 feet in front of me while the second stopped 25 feet behind me. Still not worried. Then a third sizeable male bear runs towards me from the left while woofing at me a couple of times. Speaking kindly I stepped further off the trail into the woods. This is when I get a tiny bit scared. To my right a large dominate male bear bluff charges down a hill towards me to stop about 3 feet away. A bluff charge is when a bear runs at you and stops some times coupled with foot stomping as it stops (as in this case). I stood my ground, unclipped my bear spray, and watch the bear cowboy walk (sideways straddled steps), then turn sideways to show me his large profile. The 2 younger males have run away at this time, but I am still between these two bears, a stand of trees in front, and a large dead spruce behind me leaving no real exit strategies. Then the third bear woofs a few times at me from the left, which causes the dominate male to bluff charge a second time with accompanied foot stomps. Honestly you don't know a bluff charge from a real one until the bear stops. Also bears can run 40 yards in under 3 seconds and this bear was only 10 yards on the second run. Luckily the third bear woofed a few times and walked away, which I promptly followed giving the fourth bear a chance to leave. So all in all it was and eventful night.

I left out July 2 to go on a kayaking trip down the Ukak River and back to camp. B/c of a bear jam we were not able to arrive at Three Forks Cabin (overlooks the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes) until 10:15 at night. We portaged one Kayak and some gear, in the rain, down 1.7 miles and 850 ft loss of elevation to below Ukak Falls. The next morning we got up and portaged the other kayak and gear down in order to start our day. We had walked part of the rim that overlooked the river the night before to check out the quality of the rapids which were supposed to be class 5. Turns out that they were only class 3 when we ran them. It was great. Greg Fahl and I cover the 1st mile in less than 2 minutes.

After that the river slowed down and the guide book we had read, copyright 1973, proposed that the rest of the river was class 1. About .5 miles later we hit more rapids that are way more intense. This is a little scary since we are surrounded by a 75 ft high canyon wall with 34 degree glacier fed water. In these rapids is when Greg flips his kayak and goes in the water (aka attempts suicide by river). Through clear mind and a little skill I was able to back paddle, unbuckle the throw rope, and toss it to with in 3 inches of Greg (text book toss) in about 3 seconds (Greg has been bragging on me ever since we returned). Next I paddled forward while keeping hold of Greg in order to ram my boat between two rocks, thus safely bring him up on the only bank available. After Greg was discovered to be ok, I took off down river and managed to get the kayak before it was too far down river. I was able to get out about a half mile down river and pull out the boat. Greg walked over the ridge to catch back up with me at which point we tossed the rope back and forth so that I could tie the kayak to it then let him drift it back to himself on the other side. Some how, we cannot crack this mystery, Greg ended up with the paddle so it was not lost, but he was not holding it when he was pulled ashore. While we were getting Greg and his kayak back together we were getting hypothermic.

To add insult to injury it started to rain and the wind picked up. Two hours after the flip we were back in the water paddling towards an area to get out and get warm. The river still had some good rapids which we managed well. It was interesting to see the Novarupta ash end so abruptly...it went from 60 ft cliffs to no ash 3 ft later. The weather got better and worse over the day as well so we went from hypothermic and back several times, but we knew we had to finish the river in order to get a chance at a boat pick up from Neknek Lake. The rest of the day went pretty well and we even recovered an item that Greg lost from the Kayak later on in the day. The rain had an interesting effect on the river in places. It would cause the river to stack up creating 4-5ft waves in the center of the river which would slacken into mostly flat water then back again to huge waves. I went through it once for fun, but interesting enough you could paddle to the left or right of the wave and be close enough to touch the wave with your hand. Finally we reached the braided stream at the end that feeds into the end of the Savanoski River quickly followed by the Iliac arm of the Neknek Lake. The last .5 mile of the Ukak was so shallow the boat would catch on sand so you had to hip thrust the boat into a narrow channel that lasted 3-6 ft. Needless to say my abs hurt and we eventual decided to get out and walk through the cold water to the side of the river and out to the lake.

It is about 7 pm when we stare down 2.5 ft white caps and a strong head wind against us on the Neknek. Being such a terrible location and so cold we had to tough it out and paddle for the closest reasonable area to camp. Luckily we knew of an island that turned out to be amazing. It had a nice flat spot protected from the wind that was perfect and enough dead/down wood (also drift wood) for me to make a fire to warm ourselves. We reached the island by 8 and called back to Brooks Camp to let them know we had arrived on the lake. We made dinner on our stove and went to bed not too long after.

The next morning was 40 degrees and strong winds. We called about getting a possible ride in to camp, but no one was available and bear jams prevented getting out a boat. So we braved the white caps, cold, and head wind. As the day progressed it became very nice. I switched from sweater and rain jacket to just a t-shirt and the sun even came out as we were paddling the main stretch across the lake. That blessing became a curse as I got really sunburned especially on my elbow where I had scratched off a good bit of skin saving Greg. When we reached the moraine break, which separates the iliac arm from the main body of Neknek Lake, we encountered a sharp increase in wind which created several waves about 4 ft high with white caps. Luckily we made it through with no problems and reached camp just before 6 pm.

Today was just another fun day working with bears and bridge closures. The sunburn has been a little tough, but worked out well and I was even lucky enough to get a back rub last night. All said and done we had a good time and it made for a great story. "The Ukak Gauntlet" as we are naming the trip was probably the first time it has been run in 30-35 years and might be a while before another sole paddles its length again. Good night & happy thoughts to all until we meet again.

Please Stand By!!!

2007-07-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

I truly apologize for not writing more. This year has been incredibly busy. I feel like I have so little free time and the summer is half way through. I should be writing more on the 5th involving hair cuts when surrounded by cackling witches, my July 2nd-4th adventure kayaking around Katolinat (1st time run in 20+ years)...people are praying for us to make it back with out radioing about a tragic accident. Don't worry though we are both returners who know the area very well and will laugh in our critics faces at our triumphant return. Also I will tell the harrowing adventure of how I escaped being trapped by 4 bears and stood my ground during not one, but two bluff charges. So stay tuned readers until the next exciting issue of the King blog. Know that I will see you later and hope that all is well for you and me.

Small Triumphs!

2007-06-08T21:59:00.000-07:00

I am having a great time up here in Alaska. The bears have been showing up more and more, but they are not as willing to show themselves around the river with the rough weather we continue to have. By rough weather I mean the constant day in day out wind that blows through at a minimum of 20 mph. To quote Jimmy from South Park, "I mean, come on"... in other words we have had five day without that pesky wind. Also the bears don't like to be in the wind b/c they rely on their sense of smell, so in effect the wind is making them blind to their environment.

I have had some things occurring to me up here that seem wondrous. Two days ago (June 6th) at 1pm was the 95th anniversary of Novarupta erupting, which was consequently the largest eruption of the 20th century and 5th largest in recorded history. On that same day I caught sight of a very elusive white creature that is generally referred to as a wolf. :) That is actually the first one that I have seen at Katmai. In a previous blog I mentioned that I have been running every other day since arriving out here on May 12th. Well I had a milestone day today. I ran with one of my running partners for a little over 11 kilometers, aka about 7 miles for us Americans. This is a big deal for me since it has been at least 6 years since I ran anywhere near that far.

Also I received a package from the parents the other day (thanks again) which is always a joyous day. There is something that is so satisfying to receive any kind of mail let alone a package. Generally you will be informed of this miracle of post by at least 4 jealous rangers before you ever make it to the mail/laundry room.

Strangely enough while up here you can never stop eating, which is probably caused by all of us having increased activity coupled with it being cold up here, mostly due to high winds cutting through to the core of your being. With this ensuing increase of appetite and our limited resources we get by quite well. One would be amazed at some of our choices of cuisine and more so by the ability of some to adapt and over come. In other words most of us are becoming very adept cooks. The best of us, Mike, has even been creating English Muffins and Bagels from scratch. We have been creating many variety of dishes and a few interesting fish recipes, which I imagine will increase to 5 star excellence by the time salmon season is over. We cannot help but laugh at ourselves as well since our most common conversations revolve around food.

I hope all is well with those of you in the lower 48 and feel free to drop me a line.

Extreme Sports!!!

2007-06-02T22:29:00.000-07:00

I believe that the brochures for South West Alaska should read: Welcome to Bush Alaska where even the mundane is extreme. In other words the people of Brooks Camp have developed a new sport, "Extreme Running". For this sport you need: running wear, bear spray, mp3 player (optional), and a prayer to some deity. Now the goal of this sport is to run a minimum distance of 3 miles without being mauled by a bear or the occasional rabid band of red squirrels.

Why its interesting: The first rule when in bear country is "Do Not Run from Bears" b/c they will see this as a sign of playing or that you are prey making them chase after you. Another fun thing to do, when your spaced out on the road to a good tune, is turn a corner to see a bear make a funny face and crap itself in fear, which is ironically the same thing you did. :)

In all honesty I do have to admit that being around people who are healthy or trying to be can make you start acting the same way. Thus I have been running 3-5 miles every other day for a few weeks. I did actually "run" into my first bear today just as I was finishing my run.

Today was one of the most beautiful since I have arrived. There was no wind blowing at 30 mph or more and the sun was out. Which is probably why the bear was stretching his legs and checking the lower river for Sockeye salmon (which should arrive in 2 weeks).

The little things we take for granted!

2007-05-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

Being in Alaska is not too bad for most people since they have what most American's refer to as essentials, if only for a higher price. Living in bush Alaska is not quite the same. First you come to realize that fresh fruit and vegetables are hard to come by as you slowly see your massive stockpile you brought to camp dwindle down. This can be some what relieved but never satisfied by canned foods. Next you realize you have Alaskan prices for food and then some since it cost a ton to fly food to your location...who knew gas prices affect more than cars. Don’t think that I am complaining though...I love this place, this job, the people, and where else do you see bears every day. :)

For me personally I love bread and sandwiches. Last year began my attempts to alleviate this lack of grain intake with occasional biscuit making thanks in part to bisquick. This year I decided to kick it up a notch. Let me tell you that it is a proud moment when you slave away dedicating time and attention to preparing dough, letting it rise, beating it down (the key is to utilize your weeks frustration ;) ), and watching it take shape as it bakes and turns golden brown in the oven. Being my first attempt at making something that seems so relatively simple, I was a little scared. Normally if you fail you can always go to the store for more ingredients or just get a loaf from the corner market, but here in bush Alaska everything is precious. So as the moment of it completion neared Mason, Jen and I waited with ravenous anticipation. I had also prepared an amazing chili that only the three of us were willing to brave since we had a taste toward the slightly blazing aka I put in a ton of spices, jalapeños (amazingly hard to transport to Brooks camp), and brown sugar to sweeten the taste. So when my first attempt at baking bread came out near perfect, I beamed with pride as I presented it "like a proud father" to my waiting compatriots. This picture was taken within a few short minutes of its exodus from the oven.

Maybe this story will make you appreciate the ease with which we obtain food in the south. Enjoy it cause I know I will when I return.

Memorial Day Weekend!

2007-05-28T00:17:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day. I had a great time. I backpacked in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes (VTTS). I will post pictures later when our internet is not so problematic. I organized a group, picture to left(Erica, John, Mason in background, Jen, Mark, Rachael, Jeanne, Mike, and yours truly taking the shot), consisting of 7 interp and two maintenance staff (aka the Twins, Mark and John). We traversed the pumice terrain enduring cold and some light rain making a soupy mix that is very...annoying to walk/sink through.

We ended our long day of hiking and camped out at the Baked Mtn Huts half way up Baked Mtn. The Huts are actually left over from a USGS survey base in the 60's.
Let’s just say that it was very cold that night. To keep some of us warm we slept 5 deep on the floor with Jen and I covering ourselves with an old emergency sleeping bag that was left in the cabin. Note to all you reading this: 1. sleeping bags are rated to survival temp, not to be confused with comfort temp. 2. 6 years of losing down feathers from your bag means that your bag is no where near its rating any longer. The moral of the story is that Jen and I (the two really frozen people) are going to invest in new bags eventually. Hopefully then we will not have to rely on the kindness of strangers...or there body heat.

The next morning I led my roommate Mason and Jen to the horseshoe overlook to investigate Novarupta (site of 20th century's largest eruption). Let me just say that lots of snow in semi-warm weather is not very conducive to walking over it, but is more like post hole digging with your feet. Anyways we eventually slogged our way to the top of the horseshoe's rim. Before us was the amazing site of Novarupta, in its 500 ft (yes feet) of glory. It was so amazing that Mason did not see it at first. The plan was to climb Novarupta, but I dissuaded (very easily) the others that this was not feasible due to snow hiding the already treacherous and jagged rocks. That climb along with a trek to the Mount Katmai caldera is destined for later in the season. Since we had to be back to meet the NPS vehicle we hiked at amazing speed to catch up to the rest of our group (who started returning while we investigated Novarupta) and switched places with our Law Enforcement staff who were going out for a two days.

The ride back was a blast b/c I drove and you know what that means...crossing 3 rivers in an excursion. :) Very satisfying. On the road we turned a corner to witness a bear being spooked off by the vehicle and had to keep from running over some spruce grouse (possibly one of the planets least intelligent creatures). Back at camp one of our old bears "Popeye" returned taking our number of bears sited to 7, which could mean that the bears will be here early this year.

Quick Visa Recap
1. Sleeping Bag $150
2. Backpack $200
3. Stove & Pots $80
4. Various Clothing $180

Enduring mind-numbing cold to visit a volcano with new friends in an area inhabited by the world's largest concentration of Brown Bears....priceless.

Training!

2007-05-15T00:16:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I have successfully made it out to Brooks Camp once again. Currently I am undergoing training to prepare for the up coming season. I am still a volunteer but might be hired on later in the season. This year I have taken on more responsibilities including campground host and supervising an invasive plant removal team (in the month of June).

I have seen only one bear, but it is not a shock since most have not left hibernation yet. I have also witnessed a river otter and moose. Yesterday after training I traversed the steep hillsides of Mount Dumpling to the overlook with 2 co-workers. On the way back we watched a poor beaver have to walk along the beachside due to the 20 mph winds creating waves that were pushing him back to shore.

I have a day off tomorrow, but I will try to help out with the Motorboat operating class. If nothing else I will takes a short swim in the 33 degree water to get clean since out water pipes are still frozen. Not to worry I am having a blast and cannot believe that I am lucky enough to be here a second season. I will write more as things develop here and as I slowly figure out my cameras and how to transfer images/video to the blog.

The Return

2007-04-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hello again everyone!

I am returning for another summer season at Katmai National Park and Preserve. I will be working May through September this year, which means I will get to show pictures of big fat brown bears before they hibernate.

I think that this year will turn out to be full of new wonders and hopefully I will be able to capture a few with the help of my new camera. I cannot wait to get back to Alaska. Hopefully you will enjoy some of what I experience through the eye of my lens and the jovial nature of my words.

OH THE POWER!!!

2006-07-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

Well everyone my season here at Katmai is drawing to an end. I however still had one goal I had yet to accomplish before I left this amazing N.P. I still needed to journey to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and see that amazing volcano Novarupta. So after work on Thursday the 27th I embarked on this epic journey with my constant sidekick and roommate Pete Bruno. After our 23 mile drive out to the Valley we were dropped off at the Windy Creek trail head. From there we made our way through an overgrown forest of cow parsnip and various trees to the 1st of our many river crossings in the Valley. For those who have inquiring minds you might wonder why I would include some mysterious plant named COW PARSNIP. Readers beware that this plant is the stuff of legends and nightmares. This most unholy and foul plant (whose roots taste deliciously like licorices) secretes a substance that when it contacts the skin makes it photo reactive. In other words your skin is now covered in the equivalent of -75 SPF sunscreen. That’s right there was a minus sign (du du dum). Effectively anywhere this plant touches skin it will get very bad sunburn. Luckily the magical powers imbued on us as Rangers protected us from this terrible peril. Bust I digress. The Valley is actually a very beautiful place with tons of red-orange color, yet very deceptive on how large an expanse it contains. What may seem a mile to the trained eye is actually 3 miles. Pete and I did not mind since we believed we could make the treacherous Lethe River crossing in a few hours. Due to the fact that we had neither been to the Valley we followed a trail or footprints when we could find them. However as the hour grew later we had more and more trouble finding footprints which made us wonder if we would find the crossing before dark. The night may only get twilight still in July, but that is still remarkable hard to follow footprints. Finally after much wandering and debating we arrived at the Lethe river crossing. Now let me just say that crossing the Lethe at Midnight is not the greatest idea even if it is not 40 degrees and 25 mph winds. The Lethe River is a glacier fed river with a temperature around 32 degrees year round. The Lethe is more well know for the many victims it was claimed. The Lethe crossing is the only crossing for the river since it is the only area that is not a carved out gully. If you should happen to slip, fall, and be swept down stream there is no hope of you surviving the many dangerous twist and turns. We made it across with only mild hypothermia and continued out journey up baked mountain to the notorious huts. No I don't mean any STAR WARS reference, but the Baked Mountain Huts which were previously the site of a USGS research station. Speaking of Science Fiction/Fantasy, I would like you to form a mental image of Gandalf the Grey's tall, slender form in his loose robe with his wood walking stick and odd hat. Now that you have that picture add some color to the robe and hat, a backpack, and brown hair instead of white and you will understand what my hiking partner looked liked. :) Ah the little things. We stayed the night in the huts after my roommate scared the only other occupant at 1:30 when we arrived. Even after such treatment this young man left us rain water that he had collected during the previous week’s storm. With rest and some water in our packs we continued on to see the Great and Powerful Novarupta, by way of summiting Baked Mountain. Novarupta was the site of the largest eruption in the 20th century and dwarfed the Mt. Pinatubo eruption (for those that remember) in the Philippines. Surely this must be an amazing site! While to me this was quite awe inspiring you cannot help, but relate it to the Great Wizard of OZ and that maybe its all some trick. To prove it was real, I climbed to the top of the lava plug and was treated to a few fumerals which are practically all that is left of the 10,000 smokes. Having accomplished this task it awed me to know that such a small thing once held such incredible power. Even though it was terribly destructive it created something very beautiful and allowed me to have such an interesting job. We stayed out last night at the huts alone. The silence was so amazing, but I was perturbed. I was frustrated b/c I was not able to test that old expression of "being so quite you can hear a pin drop". Instead I sufficed with dropping a rock just to hear something besides our breathing and movement. The next day we made great time and might have set a record for returning from the Baked Mtn Huts to Three Forks Cabin in 4.5 hours. I hoped you have all enjoyed this story and the pictures that will come soon.

The Stars will Come Out Tomorrow (Bet Your Bottom Dollar)

2006-07-25T00:19:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful day! The East wind stopped blowing so now we can operate at normal status. Usually we work out of the VC (Visitor Center), but on East wind days it is too dangerous for pilots to land on Naknek lake. Instead pilots land on the nearby Brooks lake. For who ever is on the D schedule that means that instead of working in the VC your happy job is to spend most of the day up at Brooks lake giving bear orientations on the beach. With that clarified let me tell you about my July 22. My day started moderately early at 7 am in order to get prepared to meet planes at Brooks lake at 7:45. I enjoy bear orientations b/c they give me the chance to meet lots of interesting people. Sometimes we are lucky enough to give orientations to influential or famous people. I have met several people from National Geographic, Discover Channel, high level government officials, and the man who broke the sound barrier (Chuck Yeager). After giving several orientations through the morning, I saw a most unusually colored plane land up the beach. Normally I did not think about it too much more than wonder where this new plane was from and where its occupants might call home. The plane held people from all over the world and a family from Mass. Normally this would not cause too much excitement for most people, but it turns out that the world travelers were a film crew and that the family was none other than Animal Planet's Jeff Corwin and family. All very nice people, but sadly I did not ask for a picture since it would be rude and against my job position. As awesome as it is to say I gave them their bear orientation this was not the end of my day. After a day of orientations and "Roving the Falls" talking to people, I got off work to go eat a well deserved meal. After making delicious pasta with baked salmon marinara I started to sit down to my dinner. However, the squirrels under my cabin were making such a racket I got up and started stopping on the floor to hopefully get some peace. Finally...Quiet! Just as I sit down I hear another noise. I look towards the floor under my sink and just in time to see the pipe under my sink move! Thinking to my self in dismay: "That has got to be the largest squirrel ever or there is a bear under the cabin." I moved to the window on my door and could just make out a big blonde behind. I started stopping on the floor and kicking the door to move it from the pipe it was obviously digging around. After a few seconds it moved enough for me to get the door open a crack and start banging on the front step. Word to the Wise: I am a trained semi-professional do not ever try to attempt these actions in the presence of a bear (It might decide to fight back). When it moved a few feet from the door I came running out on the step and started yelling at it like it was a big dog that was being naughty. Apparently my voice must sound scary b/c it bolted. I notified the "authorities" aka an on duty ranger and helped track down the bear to determine if it was leaving the area and try to match its identity for later records. Now think about how boring it must be when you sit down to eat at home :) All I can say is this place is wonderful! Other things that make my day: I had a couple today that I gave an orientation to that came up to me later to tell me what a wonderful day they had experienced. They were retired and had wanted to visit this place for 15 years. After all that time they were finally able to afford to come out for the day and they thought it was the best thing they had ever done in their lives. That ladies and gentlemen is the definition, which I could not explain better, to why I work in Katmai National Park. I hope you have all had a wonderful summer. Mine is sadly coming to an end, here at brooks camp. In two weeks, I leave to go visit some professors in Fairbanks and visit Denali National Park for a few days before returning to Tennessee. With a little bit of luck there will be a blog about this place next year (except I will be a paid ranger)...(cross you fingers).

Congratulations!

2006-07-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

For all those who don't know my older brother Ryan has finally gotten engaged. He became engaged on July 4th to Tara Allmond. I was not very surprised, but I am grateful that it takes the pressure off of me. :) Now Ryan can have all the fun questions concerning grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I hope he is not upset that I posted this blog about him and Tara, but it was the only way to tell them congratulations since I never can find thier email addresses. Congratulations Ryan! I am glad that you and Tara are getting married. I only ask that you get married when the whole family is in town. (The King family travels alot) Everyone wish him good luck on finishing his masters and starting his doctorate this fall. Congratulations again to Ryan and Tara....yeah!

Good 'ol Days

2006-07-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

Now that we are in the middle of the busy season things have become hectic. People are getting cranky, populations of people and bears are on the rise, and Rangers tolerance of stupidity lowers. It seems like only yesterday I arrived and I realize that soon I will have to leave this great place. For me I am looking at returning to school for one last semester before graduating. But I remember that when I first arrived at Brooks camp one among us decided to forego his graduation walk to help us travels the path of Ranger. In honor of the walk that he missed we, his proud fellow (male) rangers, decided that he should go through Katmai's illustrious initiation ceremony. However to be initiated by the Katmai Polar Bear Swim you cannot travel that road alone so several of us volunteered to help him celebrate his achievement that he left behind. Tim "Tickles" Chu was accompanied by Matt King, Pete Hamel, Pete Bruno, Greg Fahl, and Shane Harrington. To set the scene: It was a warm 43 degrees outside with a 3-5 mph wind and the water was a balmy 32 degrees. Oddly enough on this nice May afternoon we were not that cold...until we ran into Naknek lake. Due to inappropriateness I cannot show some of the funny photos which contain my roommate trying unsuccessfully to hold up his thermal pants. We ran out about 350 yards to get waist deep so we could dive into the water. By the time we dove in head first our feet were numb. Once we reached the beach we could not feel our feet. Several of us were sweating not from exertion, but from being hot since we had gotten so cold. Luckily we only had mild cases of hypothermia. :) Just imagine we were freezing while most of you were sweating outside.

Hi Ho! Hi Ho, its off to work I go!

2006-07-13T21:48:00.000-07:00

Depending on how your letter falls you will be working different shifts through out the day. One of the many shifts I work is the VC or Visitor Center. This shift is very important. When working in the VC your main job is to give a bear orientation to everyone who visits Brooks camp. To the left is a picture of me in one of my many bear orientations. We have so many people coming in during July that we might be giving two orientations at a time and having orientations run back to back for a few hours. The orientation consist of a ten minute video followed by a talk given by a ranger highlighting a few special points about what to do around bears in the park. Besides giving these orientations Rangers, answer questions and run a register. By the way, we do take Visa and Mastercard since we use an old swipe carbon copier. :)

Close Encounter of the Furry Kind!

2006-07-08T02:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks to comments and requests I will elaborate on my July 3rd adventure with bears on the corner.
The setting: North is the road that leads to camp. East leads out to Naknek lake via brush then beach. South is the edge of the corner and the Brooks river. West is the road that continues on to the bridge.
The Situation: July 3rd 5:45 shift ends in 15 minutes. I just finished an eventful end of day hour long bear jam. The nice thing is that I am about to get off shift and a sow with her spring cub is out in the river fishing. The bridge has been closed again. One man comes up to watch the sow before going to dinner. Of course this would be the time when the mighty beasts would head in our direction. As training taught me I pulled off the corner with my 1 visitor to allow the bears room to pass us. Before going 10 yards my radio sqwuaks out a warning that a large male sub adult is on the trail heading in my direction. Realizing the gravity of my situation and wanting to avoid a potential confrontation. I decide our best course of action would be to exit stage right for the lake and walk around the bears along the beach. The brush makes for slow traveling so I turned after 10 ft to check on the bear's location. Shocked and awed would not even begin to cover what I beheld. Not only had the subadult already covered the distance to stand where we had left only moments before, but the sow followed by her cub were rushing at the sub adult. I bid the visitor to walk with a little more purpose (we cannot run in Brooks camp). The next thing I know I see the sow growling inches from the sub adult's face before she clocks him with a Chuck Norris style round house front paw to the head. Needless to say this action (and obviously impressive fighting skill) led the sub adult to do what its short life experience had taught...FLEE. The best exit for the sub adult happened to be toward the beach and us. Seeing this I pushed my visitor out of the way while I used a tree as a spring board to clear myself of the brown blur. Fear can make people and animals do many things...some stupid and some smart. Fear urged this bear, after his initial 10 yard sprint, to decide it would be best to change tactics and circle around us. Smart for the bear, but horrible for us as I realized he was trying to push us toward the sow and spring cub. As the gap between us and the 3 bears narrowed to 10 ft or less on either side I saw my opening for freedom. However, leaving a visitor in shock was not an option. I moved back to my frightened visitor who was trying to stay back from the sow and did not realize the sub adult was coming up behind us. I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out to the trail while keeping an eye on our furry friends. Having avoided any problems we made our way down the trail to camp. My shift being over, with a wary eye on the bears, my only thought was to regret not getting a photo. :) I did not see the visitor on the trail the next day and was told that he went to the bar where he stayed for a long time, before going to bed and catching his flight the next day. To the right is a picture of the one punch machine gun and her cub.

Old Man and The Sea! Well, The River at least. :)

2006-07-05T23:26:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! July 3 was probably my most eventful day here in Katmai so far. I started my day by working the falls platform and was treated to several bears catching fish. One bear even had an unusual way of summoning the fish to him. He would stand on the falls and bob his head! It did however seem to work remarkable well since after every 3rd bob the fish would jump into his mouth. Sadly he would only have time to tear some skin off the salmon before a larger bear would approach and steal the fish. The younger guy would actually challenge back, but seemed to forget that growling involves opening the mouth and thus results in loss of the fish. Later when I was working the corner I got pinched between a sow with a spring cub and a sub adult male. The sow actually growled at the sub adult then smacked it in the face. Interestingly it head it straight for me and a visitor...talk about getting the ol' heart pounding with adrenaline. As fun as all that was it was still not the highlight of my day. Later at 8 pm I bought a fishing license and by 9:15 I finally hooked a slamon in the mouth. I was able to bring it in after a 20 minute fight. Picture it: I am knee deep in the water fighting this grand fish in a back and forth battle to see who is master of the river. In the end I was triumphant and brought in a 8 pound Sockeye salmon. It was amazing.

Lets hear it for your 2006 Interp staff!

2006-07-03T00:11:00.000-07:00

From Left to Right: Me, Lily Williams, Pete Bruno, Rachel Jencks, Greg Fahl, Shane Harrington, Sabrina Diaz, Pete Hamel, Amy Stasch, Pat Chapin, Tim Chu, Tim Downey, Nikki Questor.

I will be updating this page in the next few days with details about our rag tag group.

Crazy Days Ahead!

2006-07-01T00:43:00.000-07:00

July starts tomorrow and is the busiest month for us here at Brooks Camp. The Sockeye Salmon are running in increasing numbers and the bears are starting to fish at the Falls. Besides an increase in the number of bears, the population of people will double to 300 plus people a day. Let’s just say that it will be interesting trying to manage hundreds of people and over thirty bears.
Typically a day for me can involve staffing the Visitor Center, the corner, the lower platform, the falls platform, or giving a cultural walk. The Visitor Center is a combination of NPS store, information, and bear orientation for incoming visitors. The lower platform is often referred to as the "bear traffic control tower" since the position watches bears to avoid bad situations along with opening/closing the bridge. On the falls platform a ranger cycles people in and out while keeping the number of people on the platform to 40. The cultural walk is an interpretive stroll to the cultural site giving information about the area, its early inhabitants, and the areas cultural importance to the Americas (Bering Land Bridge people). Last, but not least and my personal favorite is dubbed the corner. The corner is all about fun, excitement, something new, and an adrenaline rush. Not all feel this way about the corner, but I do....and will until a bear scares the crap out of me by rushing me. :) The corner stops visitors when the bridge is closed b/c of bear traffic jams aka a bear is on the trail. What makes this interesting is that sometimes bears come from all directions to trap you and/or force you to move to a new location. Interesting enough 3 days ago when working the corner I was watching one bear blocking our path back to camp when a sow with her cub (403 nicknamed Eggberta) stepped from the brush 8 yards away. I was able to safely get everyone back up to the platform on the other side of the bridge. I enjoy the challenge that is presented by managing the bears and people, but my job is more about managing people. Let it be said that bears may look like cute animals that remind people of a dog with human qualities, but they can be extremely dangerous. Many people seem to forget that distinction. Point in case: We ask people to not carry food around with them. The other day (before the salmon run started) a bear seemed to be particularly interested in one gentleman.
Ranger: Sir, That bear seems mighty interested in you. Do you have any food on you?
Visitor: No.
Ranger: Sir, are you sure you don't have any food on you.
Visitor: Well... I only have a little smoke salmon and some tuna.
Ranger: You do understand that IS food, sir.
Visitor: But it’s only a little.
Also the bug population of the park is starting to increase. Namely the mosquito population. Fun fact: Alaska is home to 27 species of mosquito. Once, in a highly infested mosquito area of Alaska, a scientist slapped another scientist on the back and counted over 270 mosquitoes from the single swat. As for myself, I have come to identify 5 separate species by sight and movement alone. For these reasons I pray to have a slight breeze to keep the mosquitoes away.

Hallo Be Thy Name!

2006-06-24T22:42:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. I have survived the void that is nonaccess to internet. Actually I have just recently returned from Hallo Bay which is located about 63 miles East of Brooks camp and 40 miles from Kodiak Island along the Katmai NP coast. I left on Brooks on a clear day only to arrive in a cool, rainy, and windy environment that comes from the Shelikof Strait. Little did I realize that this wind is probably something that came all the way from Antarctica since there is no landmass south of the coast until you hit that most frozen of deserts. So as not to leave anyone in suspense my boss Pete Hamel and I were assaulted by rain in a most Forest Gump fashion every day except a few precious hours on the eve of our departure. Why did you get to go some might ask? It turns out that not one but two people had family coming in that made them turn down the offer to go visit the coast. By a lucky twist of fate (I have to return for school) I will be the first volunteer to leave so that means I would be the least likely to go on any adventures...so why not send me now. So with 12 hours notice I packed what I had or could borrow for the trip. Wow, what a copious amount of bears we encountered. But woe is me...we were there to work. I was subjected to the horrible fate of camping, hiking the valley/bay area, and contacting visitors. (That was sarcasm for those who didn't catch it) Really our main goal was to conduct visitor opinion surveys for the first time in park history. We gave out 36 total surveys for the week. The bears were amazing and seem very content to eat the sedge grass (26% protein) or dig for clams. I did meet some very interesting people who included researchers for the Northern Bear Institute, a former head of NPS bear biology, and the head researcher for NOLS. Well I met a lot of other people too. Also, I saw so many 10,000+ cameras that they could have opened 20 separate wolf camera stores. Funny enough most people spend a minimum of $3,000 to sightsee for a few hours and I actually got paid a per diem to watch bears and talk to a few people. I did have a setback though. To get from where we camped to the visitors we had to walk 2 miles to cross Middle Creek and another mile to the visitors. On my second day of crossing Middle Creek I had a little problem. Little background first: Middle Creek is formed mostly by glacial melt which makes the water 32-34 degrees Fahrenheit. Also the ocean tide can make the water 2-6 feet higher depending on high or low tide. Now on to my story. Pete and I came to middle creek slightly before high tide...1st mistake. Pete having waders that didn't leak and cause his right foot to be soaking wet went first and showed some signs of difficulty. Once Pete made it across I decided to would be best to cross a shallower stretch about 100 yards up stream. Amazingly the first 3/4 was only waist deep at most. I was walking across a log/rock when I was getting closer to the other bank with the water getting lower. Then I stepped into a hole. I tried to step forward to gain the bank, but realized I could not touch bottom as the creek carried me down stream. After making some funny facial expressions I started to swim. Let is be known that the crawl is not a very effective stroke when you have on a backpack. Needless to say I quickly switched to the slightly more advantageous breaststroke until I gained the other bank. After realizing I was not frozen solid my boss had a few chuckles over "the priceless look on my face” as we recrossed the creek to head home. All I can say for the week is that I have never been more wet, nothing would dry out, Gore-Tex is worthless, and man did I have a great time. One redeeming feature to some for Hallo Bay is its amazing abundance of collectables...i.e. trash. Within all the miles of drift wood can be found helmets, fishnets, and anything that can float. One highly prized item is the Japanese Glass Fishnet Float. Lucky enough I was able to find one of these sweet babies and will attempt to make the trek home without it shattering into thousands of pieces. Well I have rambled enough for today. I hope that you enjoy the pictures of the bear and the glass ball.

I Apologize!

2006-06-23T23:30:00.000-07:00

Everyone! I am so sorry that I have not added anything to this in the last 12 days. I have not been around to enjoy the semi benefits of a computer. I just returned tonight from Hallo bay, which is along the Katmai coast about 63 miles East of Brooks Camp. I will hopefully be adding some stuff tomorrow once I get some of my pictures downloaded. I would have posted something about me being gone but only had 12 hours notice before I had to leave. I lucked out and was given the place of someone who had to cancel because of scheduling conflicts. I hope your summers are all going exceedingly well and I will post as soon as I can.

My Name is Matt and I am a Survivor (Dunker Training joke)

2006-06-10T02:08:00.000-07:00

Our opening week bear orientation should have gone something like this:
(Important Note: This is only a joke i.e. there is no bird flu)

Hi, My name is Matt King and I would like to welcome you to Katmai NP. Normally, I would give you information on the bears in order to help keep you safe and enjoy your visit. Instead you won’t have to worry about that since the bears are avoiding all human contact. If you have not noticed yet I am one of 3 rangers around Brooks Camp at this time. Currently a plague has swept through and infected the entire camp exhibiting symptoms similar to a combination of strep throat and the flu. Also a few birds have been found dead in the area, so this could be the first documented case of bird flu in the U.S. We cannot be sure of this since the only personnel trained to judge such a situation are currently bed ridden with high fevers. I would like to wish you good luck and hope that you brought various types of medication with you. If not I look forward to seeing you on my cultural walk at 2 pm where I will point out plants the native Aleutiq people used to treat illnesses.

In truth many in camp had this illness. My roommate felt bad for a week before finally sleeping for 36 hours straight. He was flown into King Salmon on Memorial Day where he stayed for 5 days and was proscribed 56 antibiotic pills that he is still taking (that’s 4 a day for 14 days). Most people in camp who started feeling ill with similar symptoms started taking the antibiotics they had the foresight to bring. Even with all that illness floating around, I am currently not sick...knock on wood. I guess something should be said for building up an immune system by living in a house for 4 years that is kept dirty by 11 roommates that smoke. :)

Are You Wearing A Blue Scarf?

2006-06-10T01:02:00.000-07:00

Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I love going to work. It is full of interesting thing a people. June 8th at midnight was the official start of fishing season. Even though there was a slight wind chill that made the temperature of the air match the temperature of the water at a balmy 38 degrees there was still somewhere between 25-33 people trying to catch the first fish of the season. To me it was something funny to watch since only river trout are running and they are catch and release by regulations. For those who care it took only 4 minutes to make the first catch.

I wish these pictures would come out better! Anyways...I digress. Remember that slight breeze that started at midnight, well it turned into a little more. When I started my 8-12 shift out on the lower platform I was surprised by how hard the wind was blowing. By 8:30 am the wind speed was between 45-65 mph with gust at 75 mph or more. The wind was blowing so hard that it felt like it was raining because the wind sent water from the river/lake up to meet me. Needless to say that it was pretty cold with the combination of wind, cool weather, and wind spray. When you looked over the lake it appeared as if it had turned into an ocean with swells that ranged from 4-6 ft. I laughed and made the remark that I spent a week in Florida before coming here and never saw waves this big. Luckily the park service has official speedos...no joke...too bad there were not any NPS surf boards or dry suits. Nearly all of us joked about going surfing. With all this craziness going on there were still some anglers out fishing to get that trophy rainbow trout picture before releasing it into the water again. Finally I got a break to go eat then work in the visitor center. When I returned to the river the wind was pushing hard enough to force some water up river. My last two hours were somewhat eventful and funny at the same time. I was stationed on the corner across from the lower platform. These next two conversations are real ...My number is 633, my boss Pete Hamel is 620, and my roommate Pete Bruno is 635.
Conversation 1
635-633: Any bears? 6*3-6**: (Crackle) 635-633: Say again, all I got was wind and static.
635: Nope, but I've been looking into the wind to watch an immature bald Eagle.
635-633: Are you wearing a blue scarf? 635: What? No. Why?
620-633: ... 633 this is 620 go ahead 633: 620 is there anyway we can replace 635?
620: Yea, why?
633: I suspect 635 might be getting hypothermic...he has blue repeat blue cheeks.
620: Ok 633, I am coming to replace 635.
Conversation 2
620-633: Do you see that boat floating off? 620: What I don't see anything.
633: It should float into view soon... 620: Oh, hmm that not good...hang on a sec.
Lodge staff-620:...be advised you have a boat floating against the current
Lodge staff: What??? K, were on root with ropes.

Next Stop...Heart Attack!

2006-06-09T23:58:00.000-07:00

On Saturday June 3rd Travis Hall, Greg Fahl, and I, Matt King, set out to conquer Mt. La Gorce. This traverse is not for the faint of heart. We started our 3183 ft. assent at 9a.m. that was mostly bushwhacking through waist tall grass, bog swamps, and forest. After we reach 1000 ft. we had made it above the tree line, but were assaulted by the seemingly never ending patches of alder trees which are essentially a semi-impenetrable wall of tightly packed bushes. We were also a little worried that our hike would be for naught since at times you could only see 20 ft. through a haze on the mountain. After that what could be so bad...let me tell you about boulder fields. It turns out that Mt. La Gorce (pronounced La Gore* SSS snake sound) was previously assulted by a glacier leaving a massive boulder field along the top when the glacier receded. For those who do not know...boulder field=broken ankles. We were lucky, however since we did not anger the gods. What gods you ask...I'll tell you...the gods of travel. The mischievous little buggers that make it rain if you forget your rain gear, a bear show up when you say I think were making enough noise (alas I said that), ect., and the worst of the worst asking "what else can go wrong". Under NO Circumstances should that question be asked for the gods will take it as a personal challenge that results in unspeakable actions toward the soon to be unfortunate person. We happened upon one unfortunate creature that we believed uttered those fateful words...the results of which can be seen in the picture of the "unlucky rabbit's foot". I mentioned earlier that I had said that we didn't need to yell "hey bear" since I thought we were making enough noise...the result was a bear 10 ft away when we crested that hill. The brown fuzzy creature was curious and followed us for a ways before losing interest. After all that excitement we traversed several snow deposits and went to three separate peaks to be sure we had reach the right one. We reached the top around 2:30 p.m. when the sky opened up just in time for us to see the surrounding area. We strolled around the top and ate lunch. On the way down we found a fun way to move a little faster across the snow deposits...we slide down backwards. :) After the first time of doing this, I realized how preposterous it was to do such a thing. Instead I slid face first on the subsequent patches of snow. We took a lightly different route back to the boat that was infested with flies, mosquitoes, and other biting flies. Needless to say our progress down that part of the mountain was extremely fast. All in all I was pretty tired when we reached the bottom around 8:30p.m. On this trip we saw a golden eagle, a ptarmigan in winter plumage, many birds, 1 curious subadult brown bear, a snowshoe hare foot, and 3 separate species of mosquitoes. When we reached brooks camp finally at 9:05 p.m. we had to push the boat up river against the current to where the boats are stored. 20 minutes later after we had finished with this exhausting work (tough even without the 15 mile hike) we saw a lynx, but neither Greg, Travis, or I had the energy to take its picture as it ran away. We all finished everything we had to do since when we sat down we were unable to get up...I was described, by a fellow ranger, as an 87 year old man with knee and back problems. :)

Cold Mountain!

2006-05-31T23:32:00.000-07:00

The other day we hiked Dumpling mountain in order to get a lay of the land and prepare for our guided hikes up the mountain to the first over look. Look closely at these pictures and remember that it is still the middle of May! There were points on our hike where we had to cross large patches of snow. Since the temperatures have been rising the snow has become softer and we had to wade through waist high snow when it didn’t support our wait. Normally our trips will only go up to the overlook, but the group went up to Lupin point and some of us even summited the mountain. Tim Chu and myself made a tiny snowman to place in our pictures. It is easy for me to say that I have a great view near the edge! This last picture brings to mind something I have heard at many National Parks...”We may not live in the best houses, but no one has a bigger back yard!”

Damn that water is cold!

2006-05-31T23:28:00.000-07:00

In order to use a boat I under went Motorboat Operator Certification Class (MOCC). We had to do obstacle courses, pinpoint turning, boat safety, obstacle avoidance, and a 100 yard swim to experience the cold water. Here is where I did my 100 yard swim after wading out 50 yards. We measured the temperature of the water and it came back as a nice and warm 32.5 degrees. Needless to say it was very cold and by the end your hands barely function, which is not fun when you have to enter a boat under your own power that has a free board (amount of boat out of water) of three feet. My roommate had mild hypothermia after the swim. The funny thing is we swam in the water 4 days earlier to celebrate one of the interpreters’, Tim Chu, graduation that he was missing.

Lions, and Tigers...Nope, but BEARS oh my!

2006-05-31T23:14:00.000-07:00

Generally brown bears do not show up around Brooks camp til late May. However, since the first full day we have been graced by the presence of three skinny subadults. The largest of the three subadults is staying to himself while a slightly smaller subadult is being shadowed my another subadult that is about half his size. All three of the subadults have been behaving strangely in our minds. They have been digging at the point of the sandbar just about every day we have been in camp. Some of us took it upon ourselves to conduct a careful investigation (or we checked out the hole when the bears were gone). We concluded that they must be digging for the frozen residue of dead salmon that had drifted down river, been buried under the sand, and frozen until may (in other words it smelled badly of fish). Since we had a bear orientation when we arrived, which is mandatory for all who visit Brooks camp, we decide we should have a look around our new home. We traveled over the river, through the woods, and up onto the Falls platform. As you can see in the picture there are no bears or salmon as of yet, but when mid-June arrives the falls will be packed with jumping “happy” salmon and tons of bears.

I appologize if I don't have pictures b/c I am having trouble transfering them.

What's that?

2006-05-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

As you can see from my previous post, most everything is still covered under snow and ice. Surely with conditions such as this we must be the only living things at Brooks Camp. However upon arriving in the "otter"(pic below), which is a type of float plane, my first steps on land almost covered a track (pic to right). Of course we all got excited because this meant that a bear was out of its din early. Slowly after looking around for several minutes we helped unload the plane and went to take a look at our new surroundings.

Periodically we were pulled away from our wanderings and unpacking to help unload other planes that were field with people and the rest of our gear. In reality it took 4 trips with various numbers of people to get most of our gear out to camp. In some cases gear did not arrive for several days. Tomorrow would begin our education on the park...just what I need more school. :)

Have plane will travel (to Katmai NP)

2006-05-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

I survived my confusing criscrossing of the country to finally land in King Salmon, Alaska on Sunday the 8th. My first few days landed me in a classroom setting so I could begin to learn a fraction of the knowledge that visitors to the park expect me to be an expert in when they arrive. The weather has been beautiful here and cold like I like it. Normally we would have flown out to Brooks Camp on Monday, but the lake was still iced over. After learning many fun ways to DIE in a plane we practiced exiting a plane that had crashed in the water. Finally we loaded up our gear on Friday and off we flew over 30 miles of mostly frozen lakes to Brooks Camp.