Navigating Ocean Currents

Would this be a family outing time which I simply needed to endure, survive? 

As my paddle accidentally bumped Stuey's paddle, he would turn around in disgust and  cry out "Moooommm!!!'  then return to aggressive paddling. To make matters worse, Patrick and Nora were far ahead of us and Patrick  was going as slow as he could with Nora.  This made Stuey more disappointed with me- as our fastest kayaking was still slower than Patrick's slowest Kayaking. Sigh. I felt like a part of me was on the water to check that box '-tried kayaking as a family'.

As we weaved along the coastline and passed graveyard point, I realized I was actually enjoying myself. I found the 'deep' water only mildly scary and the security of Patrick nearby helped ease my mild anxiety of being in the ocean in such a small vessel. Stuey and I found our rhythm of paddling together and we seemed to get more patient with each other. When he put his paddle all the way in the water with nice long pulls through the water, I complimented him and he'd reply with the sweetest little, "Thank you." 

My goal was to to reach a point of land which was far away from our campsite and I was curious what was around it.  We made it there in a few hours with a few beach stops and snack breaks. As we turned the corner, the ocean current  was quite strong-pulling us farther from our origin. Patrick encouraged us to turn around, as the tide and winds would make it a hard return unless we waited until later. 

I'm already scheming future kayak trips in Afognak. Possible overnights, portages when the kids are older. And nearby cabins and people we can visit. Kayaking in Afognak has opened up a whole new world of possibilities of adventures.

And I love the inflatable kayak design. I'm sold.  They are stable, fast, and can withstand a good thrashing around on rocks, etc from kids. And I can bend my legs up to give them a little stretch. I realized that the thing I've never enjoyed about standard kayaks is how your legs are straight and its hard to get position changes AND you're worried about scratching the kayak on rocks. All elements which are a non-issue in the inflatables.

Many more cliffs and beaches to be explored and ocean currents to navigate together as a family!

Zoya

Stuey and Nora also kayaked on their own - there was on onshore breeze that kept them  on the beach.  Periodically we had to push them off the beach.

We sat and watched them kayak - hours of entertainment

They improved dramatically and we closely monitored a trip around the point -  John S is just off shore in a skiff and we walked along the beach

Salmon on the Beach

One of my favorite things about camping on Afognak is eating freshly caught salmon cooked over a campfire on the beach.  In August the silver salmon and pinks are running and they are easy to catch from shore with a rod and reel.  But in June the only salmon running on Afognak are red salmon, and they don't bite lures.  About the only way to catch them is with a net.

Unfortunately our family does not own a net. However, our camping spot is situated at one of the best subsistence set net spots in Afognak Bay, and so plenty of people come to fish the point.  If they are catching enough fish they can often be convinced to share one with us.

Our friend John S came over and fished the point and the kids were fascinated with the whole process.  I must admit I am tempted to get a net of my own, but my worry is that with no coolers full of ice I'd catch too many fish to can or eat all at once.  What would happen if the net got slammed and I caught 20 salmon all at once?  Maybe we'll try and find a really short net that we can deploy and tend by kayak.  I already have my subsistence permit and canning equipment.

In the meantime I am quite content to eat the occasional red salmon caught by someone else.  And later in the summer we'll be catching salmon from shore ourselves  Patrick.

Camp or Cabin?

When we go to Afognak we camp out in tents and use a big old teepee with a woodstove for the camp kitchen and mess hall.  Early on we decided to not build a cabin.

And it seems to work. I can set up our camp in under 2 hours and it comes down in about 1 hour.  We do not have to worry about maintaining a cabin or the cost of building one.  We camp, we leave, and while the place is a bit trampled it is in pretty much in the same condition as when we arrived (this time we did leave a tub). No worrying about squirrels filling a cabin with spruce cones, hunters leaving a mess, or otters denning up under the foundation.  Best of all the kids learn about camping.

Another reason we have not built a cabin is that when I go to other bays and places on Kodiak it always annoys me when I find a cabin.  It sort of destroys the wilderness value of the place and seems sort of selfish - a cabin screams that someone thinks they own the place.  I like to explore the places on Kodiak where there are no cabins.

Still people often ask us why we don't build a cabin.  On remote properties everybody seems to build a cabin.  And I have to admit, to a small extent, Zoya and I have wondered if we should build a cabin.  I think the deciding factor has always been about how much time we would spend at a cabin.  If we spent the entire summer on Afognak every year then I think the maintenance and other costs would be justified.

All of these thoughts came to mind when I went on my archaeological survey of Uyak Bay a couple of weeks ago.  There are a lot of cabins in Uyak Bay. A few of them do get used every summer and fall (and even year round), and they seem totally justified. These individuals and families get to live a totally awesome lifestyle out on the land. I am always a little envious (and in awe) of setnetters, guides and other people who have the wherewithal to make a living out on the landscape.

But what was shocking about Uyak Bay was how many of the cabins NEVER get used.  Many of them were built and used just once, and most of them are slowly decaying into wreaks. A remote piece of Alaska with a cabin on it seems to be a common dream.  But it also seems to be a dream that very few have the commitment to follow through on.

Our teepee and woodstove are looking pretty good!

Patrick

Afognak Soul Food

With only Patrick and the kids on the beach, I scrambled to shed my layers of summer carharts, long sleeve shirt and vest onto a pile on the beach rocks- to finally enjoy the hot tub I'd been dreaming about since last summer. The warmth of the water pleasantly surprised me, as well as how comfortable and deep the tub was.

The various water floaties and organic matter from the pond water circulated their way through the tub but didn't bother me in the slightest. Just an added bonus to the Afognak hot tub experience!

The 14-ish buckets of water came from a small swamp behind the beach filled up our hot tub and something about climbing in after made it feel more "earned". For the first few tubs, Katelyn and I took turns fillin' the tub up-so gratifying to see the water swirl into the cast iron form and see this neglected tub have a second life.

 Making the beach hot tub a reality was a combined efforts of many friends-starting with John S. who found the abandoned tub in a friends yard (see prior blog post). Thank you, John!

Then 4 friends in 2 boats helped haul it over from Anton Larson (John, Robert, Brooks and Jason). Upon arrival they hauled  it up the beach to where we found it on our arrival later that day. I thank my lucky stars that no spines were hurt in that delivery!

All the tub needed was some serious scrubbing with a brush found on the beach and some tub plugs. Patrick recently learned an adage from Jack W…."What ever it is you  need, the ocean will supply you with". Our beaches supplied exactly what we needed to make the final pieces of the dream come true.

The true inspiration in this whole experience is from  our friends the Myrick's fish site in remote Kodiak. Both Katelyn and I have soaked in their beach hot tub at different times in our life under the stars in Uganik bay.  That experience really stuck with me and fed my soul and its great to return to this beach experience. 

Zoya

Getting the beach ready for the tub's new location. 

Arranging the base of support, so crab cooker could fit underneath. 

Teamwork!! (Katelyn, John, Robert, Patrick and myself) Crab cooker heated the tub~took approx 1 hour of heating time. Plywood plank kept us from burning our bottoms!

Rub-a-dub-dub...scrubbin' the tub...with a brush found on the beach!

And the moment we've been waiting for...

Ahhh.....

Afognak hot tub

Today we head out to Afognak for our first trip family trip of the season. The weather is clearing, clouds are parting and the weather forecast is now due to be good for the week. 

Since last year, I've been dreaming of the prospect of having a hot tub on the beach at Afognak. An Alaskan style hot tub is one where you light a camp fire underneath and are able to soak under the stars, alongside the ocean. 

The  first challenge was finding a tub.

I put a request out on Facebook..."Anyone have a clawfoot or cast iron tub to get rid of?" No bites.

Then I looked on-line and got dismayed by shipping prices/hassles, etc...

Months past and out of the blue,  our friend John S. said he found us a tub-abandoned in the woods near a friends house. He asked the landlord if we could have it and they said, "Yes!".

Last night after dinner, John, his brother Robert, Bob and myself went to retrieve the tub. It is a heavy beast. It is being loaded into John's skiff today and it will be brought to the beach....somehow. The part that seems the most challenging to me in getting it out of a deep skiff and onto the beach. John re-assured me that they could tip it out of the boat into the ocean and pull it ashore. Keeping my fingers crossed it all goes smoothly. I"m most appreciative of all these tub efforts!

Now to finish up packing and prep to leave in 5 hours! Packing lots of drawing supplies and books. I'm excited for our little Afognak getaway. 

Zoya

Enjoying first garden-grown greens of the year while planning Afognak Trip 

The abandoned tub~ready for a new beachside home!

And its a BEAST. Cast iron, super heavy. 

Some more pictures from Uyak Bay

View down the Shelikof Strait from Bear Island

Uyak Bay is a beautiful place and while I was there on survey I took a lot of pictures.  Here are a few of my favorites.  A special thanks to the Fields and Dodges for their hospitality and for showing me around the bay.  Patrick

View up Uyak Bay from the top of Harvester Island

Red Chert cliffs on Harvester Island

Uyak Bay fox - we saw a lot of these guys catching small fish spawning on the beaches

At the mouth of a gold mine adit

The gold mine has a number of shafts and adits and even had an ore crushing machine

Woes of the patchy type

Learning outdoor skills together with troop #118

Going into this prior school year as a novice girl scout leader, I knew there would be serious learning curves-the art of running a troop, the girl scout rituals and patches. The prospect of ordering and handing out patches was the thing that I was most  concerned about-because some of the other leaders are very passionate about the patches and doing activities  for the chances to earn cool  patches. I could intellectually understand the importance of the patches in girl scout tradition, but sensed perhaps an overemphasis on the patches.   Experiences are experiences. Its the time together, the conversations shared, the knowledge of the world gained…not always the $1.50 sent patch that gets sewn onto the vest.

With Brownie troop #118 this past year, I did the best I could with patches. But it was by no means the focus of my troop or meetings.  We had time together  identifying birds, navigating trails, compass use, fire starting, tent skills, etc. I ordered a couple batches of patches and my co-leader ordered some as well. The girls weren't patch-neglected which I felt proud of and I called it good.

Until the phone call.

Several nights ago I returned a phone call from the regional girl scout council leader, Susan*, who checks in periodically with the local leaders in her region. This phone call was an end of the year phone call to help wrap the year up. The conversation was going along as expected until she brought up a concern several of the parents in my group had about the patches. Evidentally 2 of the parents had "complained" that I didn't give out enough patches this year. I was aghast and in shock that grown adults would "file" such  a complaint about a first time scout leader with 22 girls in her troop!

A wave of great sadness and disappointed washed over me after I heard about the patch complaints. I said to Susan, "Maybe I'm not cut out to be a girl scout leader if patches are the only thing parents care about." Tears welled in my eyes.  When leading such a group, you never want to feel like anyone is disappointed. But then, as Susan and I talked, I realized that with a group of 22 girls, there is ALWAYS going to be something that 1 or 2 people aren't happy with.

Susan emphasized that with girl scouts there is no requirement for patches or uniforms. She informed me that a girl can be a girl scout without a uniform or a single patch. It was reassuring to my soul that I hadn't broken any girl scout laws, at least! ;-) By the end of the conversation, Susan and I were laughing together and I was not feeling as let down by the patch complaints.

This next year, I"m limiting my troop to 12 girls which will help make the mechanics of my troop much smoother. And parents have offered their help, which I'm taking folks up on. A friend of mine will be the "patch" mom and in charge of ordering the patches. I"m also considering having patch ceremonies where the process of handing out the patches is really honored and time is spent on it as opposed to handing them out when they arrive in the mail.

I"m leading the troop again because I love all the fun things I can do with the troop-especially outdoor adventures. This next year there is going to be 2 local brownie troops, which will ensure my troop is smaller and make the big adventures like camping more do-able. And I'm looking forward to getting to know the girls better with the smaller numbers.

My goal is to keep the "outing" in scouting and the rest is just details…..

Zoya

*Susan is not her real name...

My Uyak Bay Survey

Harry and Brigid showed me around the bay

Yesterday I got back from an archaeological survey of Uyak Bay. The bay was already surveyed in the summer of 1985 during the Bryn Mawr Archaeology Project which surveyed the Karluk, Sturgeon and Uyak areas, and so going out I was not expecting to find many new sites.  I even had visions of re-surveying the entire bay.  Boy was I wrong.

For the first part of the survey I stayed with Harry and Brigid of Kodiak Treks near the head of the bay, and they took me around in their skiff to look for sites.  It seems every time I touched shore I discovered a previously unknown archaeological site. And every time I found a site I had to document it in my notebook with a sketch map and description along with photographs and video.  I was finding so many sites I started to dread going to shore.

Prehistorically it seems Uyak Bay was a VERY popular place.  No where else on the archipelago have I seen such a dense concentration of archaeological sites.  And most of them are pretty substantial sites with housepits and thick shell middens. Needless to say, but I did not have the time to re survey the entire bay.

In 6 days I found 31 new archaeological sites and re-visited another 20 already recorded sites which I also sketch mapped and documented. That's a lot of sites!  I figured out that while on actual survey I was finding a new site every hour and that's including travel time between sites and the time to document both old and new sites.  My fingers hurt from writing so much in the notebook.  To put the number of new sites in perspective, together with the Sturgeon Survey I found 50 new sites in under 2 weeks.  That's around 5% of the total known sites from the archipelago! 5 of the already known sites I examined were found subsequent to the 1985 survey so I was finding better than 2 sites for every one found on the 1985 survey. Also I did not do any subsurface testing and only found sites by examining eroding exposures or finding old house depressions.  So I did not find the less obvious and deeply buried sites with no surface features.

Ironically, back in 1985 I was a part of the Bryn Mawr Archaeological Project and remember wanting very badly to join the survey team in Uyak Bay.  But I was needed to excavate at the Karluk One site, and never got to go on survey.  Well, it seems after 29 years I finally got to eat my cake - it tastes good!  Patrick

Harvester and Bear Island and the Alaska Peninsula in the distance - I stayed with the Fields for the second part of the survey

Shooting Star

Anemone and Purple Orchis

Lupin

The coolest site I found was on top of a 30 foot cliff on the outer coast - a place to wait and watch for favorable weather to cross the Shelikof Strait?

Chipped stone point and intended destination in the background

The house in the foreground is where I stayed the last time I did any archaeology in Uyak Bay - an excavation at the Uyak Site in 1988

Still Skiing!

Looking down from the top of the run

Yesterday while flying back from an archaeological survey in Uyak Bay Rolan, the pilot, made a slight diversion to check the snow on the back of Pyramid.  As he put it, 'I figured you'd be interested'.  He knows me well.  And as we flew past I saw that the North bowl of Pyramid still has snow, and, most importantly, that you can ski from top to bottom without crossing grass.  The middle still has not melted out.

And so today after work I went skiing.  I got to ski Pyramid in June afterall.  And I must say I am impressed with how the snow is holding out.  Back in early May it looked really bleak, and now it still looks bleak but it's a month later!  Patrick

Looking down from the bottom of the run

Still some snow connecting the top (upper right) with the bottom!

Horsemanship

Horsemanship (noun); The art or practice of riding on horseback. 

The lesson began with a seemingly simple instruction of walking Smokey up and down the arena-from one end to the other with him listening to my stops and starts. WIth the long purple lead rope in hand, i gave a little tug, clucked with my tongue against my cheek and started walking forward-hesistantly. He wasn't budging. My sweet Smokey wasn't buyin' it. I turn towards Smokey, perplexed.  Becka, my teacher, reminded me how Smokey can tell who is in charge. "You can't turn your whole body to him. That shows weakness.  You need to stand up taller and walk forward more confidently for him to take you seriously." What? Isn't he supposed to take all humans seriously no matter what?  

"In charge," I think. "In Charge. In charge of a thousand pound horse." My posture straightens and I stride off ahead like I have an important meeting to go to.  With nose slightly up charging ahead, its a very "non-Zoya" way of walking.  Smokey takes me seriously and he follows alongside. 

I'm a body language junkie, so this is right up my alley.  I love analyzing handshakes, eye contact, personal space, arm position in humans. As a PT, I work with lots of new people and am into reading into what their body language is telling me what they want/need from me. So bringing it to back to horses- yes, the trotting, posting is exciting, too but I never imagined I'd be so fascinated with learning how to read Smokey and how well Smokey can read my intentions. This is the part of taking lessons which I didn't expect to enjoy.  

When I told my sister Ella I was taking lessons, she had a slightly feigned, yet curious excitement. This happens on occasion, where i"m super excited about something and shes not. I think at times we expect each other to be excited, because we are twins after all!  

A few minutes after I told her about the lessons, she texted back and replied, "Oh I just got really excited for you about your lessons. I was thinking about you doing jumps in your fun horseback boots and gear." I chuckled to myself because jumps were seriously the farthest thing from my mind and I wasn't intending to buy an ounce of extra gear. But I liked her little spark of enthusiasm for my lessons. In lieu of jumps, trotting, cantering being the "exciting" part of lessons, I'm plesantly surprised by how fun it is to build a connection with Smokey. 

Yesterday was my second horseback lesson-since childhood, that is. I don't remember a whole lot from my childhood lessons aside from spending the bulk of the time grooming the horse. And never being good enough to jump. Funny how those moments stay strong in ones mind.  

As I squeezed my calfs against Smokey's  barrel of a chest, Becka encouraged me to "bring my energy forward, as if I'm going to take off running" to help bring Smokey to a trot. I squeeze more, and more. Slight weight shift forward, 'shoulders back' becka guides and then I finally feel Smokey respond. It takes the right cues all together-in unison.  Smokey starts to pick up his pace and a second later he is trotting.  The trot is effortless and coordinated and feels beautiful. 

Zoya

Buckin' the Salmon at Crab Fest

Here on a glorious Memorial Day Weekend, Kodiak kids spent time on bucking' salmon, bucking' bulls and other seriously fun, inflatable  times. 

Alas-for the first Crab Fest in god knows how long, there weren't carnival rides. The community first got wind of this news sometime last fall and we were all in shock wondering how it would affect attendance and the energy at our annual Crab Festival. As crab fest got underway, we didn't hear the shrill screams from the assortment of upside down/inside out mechanical rides and I wondered how Crab Fest would weather this loss. 

A "Tons of Fun" group in Anchorage saved the day with bringing over lots of blow up fun of all varieties. They truly saved the day in Kodiak. The bucking' bronco ride was a favorite of mine to watch; as Stuey mounted and attempted to do rodeo moves as he has seen-he didn't last long. Nora's approach involved holding on for dear life…hugging the bronco to death. It worked-as she stayed on the bronco for a wicked long time. I appreciated her tenacity. 

Kids of all ages were jumping, bucking', sliding, climbing away this weekend and the weather was a balmy 65+ degrees which really helped matters. I tried to picture the weekend with 40 mph winds and rain, and had a hard time imagining it being as much fun. If that had been the case, I would've titled this post "Slip Slidin' Away…".

Stuey vs. the salmon!

My little Russian Babushkas' (even though Babushka means grandmother in Russian! That can't be right…I always thought Babushkas meant kids. Thanks to the Baranof Museum for this fun booth at crab fest!)

Cowboy future?! Yikes!;)

Nora CLINGS onto the bull!

The kid "monster" truck rides. So fun for them! I see four wheeling in Stuey's future.  He was a natural. 

Zoya