Alaskan Expedition: May 2013

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Last Year, Same Time Same Place / 2012

May 2012, during my Black Bear hunt south of JUNEAU with Jerry, on Jerry’s boat we caught Dungeness Crab and had the crab and coffee for breakfast.

Random shots of Sea Lions, the curse of Salmon Fishermen

My first Black Bear, she was under 6 foot but biologist found that she was 17 years old. That is old for a bear. Explains the absence of hair on her face.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Being Retired is really hard work...

May 23 – 26, 2013

The last four days have been average as far as Alaska is concerned. Jerry, Ian and I moved a 500 pound plus Gill Net from storage to their house so it could be mended. We packed for a two day camping/Beerfest in HAINES and early Friday departed on the Ferry for the 4 ½ hour trip. Dan picked us up in my truck and we made a quick once over in town before settling on the Chilkat State Park. Ten dollars a day for the site with bathrooms and no showers but a light drizzle fell as the camp was set up. Waterfalls were plentiful during the drive to the park so a picture presented itself. With time before the festival available, we visited the Chilkoot River State Park and observed a working fish WEIR. Alaska Department of Fish and Game workers count salmon as they pass through openings in the weir for spawning. They count each species and once it is determined that enough salmon have passed into the spawning waters, commercial fishing in the bay can occur. Good science and practices ensure a thriving fishery.

Chilkoot River

Fish Weir

Workers collecting Smolt (young salmon headed for ocean)

Locals contended that the Beerfest was attended by JUNEAU and WHITEHORSE residents, later I concurred with this statement. Saturday was the festival and all attendees received a six ounce glass for the day’s UNLIMITED samples. Haines, Alaskan, Denali, Skagway Breweries plus another ten or so, set up tents with their popular brews. Everyone got their fill from Lagers and Pale Ales to the heavy Stouts and Barleywines. I tried my first Mead (made with honey as the main ingredient) and was surprised with the light pleasant taste. Some unfortunate soul set their sampling glass down an hour after the opening, I then was double sampling after that. The four hour festival was enough for me but the others used it as a primer for the remainder of the day. The town was full of tents in the public spots but our camp was 10 miles out so noise was not a problem.

Sunday was a lazy drive around HAINES before having to depart for JUNEAU on the 5:00pm ferry. The sun shown brightly throughout the day and was probably 60 to 65 degrees, untypical for this part of Alaska and certainly uncharacteristic to have six consecutive days of this weather. Had Ling Cod for dinner on the ferry and was NOT disappointed…the taste was exceptional. The three of us milled about the boat, spying glaciers, seabirds and mountains all the while we bathed in the summer-like sunshine. Being retired is HARD WORK.

just an average day on the Alaskan Marine Highway (ferry)

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Vanilla Porter

May 22, 2013

Up early to have a political breakfast with the movers and shakers of JUNEAU. I had an interesting listen and discussion on the goings on of Southeast Alaska. The sentiment is that the SE is the neglected step-child of these United States. The Federal Government succumbs to pressures to keep ALL of Alaska pristine and free of development therefore development of new areas or links to the mainland are squashed. After breakfast it was back to the house to create our Vanilla Porter. That cooking process took about five hours from start to finish, then it ferments for a week or so and bottling around the third week. Consumption takes about another month but this was built with cellaring potential in mind.

I got to help with some household and vehicle maintenance on a day as beautiful as the last two. Lisa grilled cedar plank Black Cod and it was luscious, very reminiscent of Prime Rib fat that would just melt in your mouth. I unwound the day with a 22 of Belgian Special, a pair of IPAs and Django Unchained. I’ll drift off to sleep as the carboys bubble away with our Vanilla Porter.

The WORT cooking away with the hops.

Finished wort with cooling tubes.

Jerry racking the cooled wort with pitched yeast into the two fomenter carboys.

Carboys sitting in my bedroom for fermentation.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Honey Blonde and Seafood

May 21, 2013

JUNEAU’s second day of sunshine and 60 degrees is very unusual for this time of year or anytime of the year. Jerry racked his current Honey Blonde Ale into the second fermentor and I planned tomorrow’s brew, a Porter. We took a trip to the store for malt and such and on the way back, Jerry had us stop at the fish market for fresh oysters and a Black Cod (for tomorrow’s dinner). Lisa (Jerry’s wife) prepared cedar plank Sockeye Salmon and Oysters on the half shell for dinner’s main course. Then it was more homebrew and hockey for the remainder of the day.

Jerry ferments five gallons of brew in two separate five gallon carboys...prevents potential messes as A. Perkins can attest to.

The two batches are again made whole in the second fermentation carboy.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Twenty days from Michigan

May 20, 2013

A very complete night’s sleep was followed by a shave, sourdough hotcakes and coffee. I visited, helped a bit with a screen door installation for the greenhouse, and drove to town with Jerry. I enjoyed three different ales from Jerry’s brewing efforts (Nut Brown, IPA and Russian Imperial Stout) and tasted two others (Amber and Belgian Special). I would purchase these beers if available and all represented their categories well. The beer was overshadowed somewhat by the DETROIT RED WINGS victory. The first playoff game of the year that I got to watch…

Wooden WHALES that are bottle openers

The MOUNTAIN and Living on the Gulkana River

DENALI or Mt McKinley to you in the Lower 48

Who was Mt McKinley named after? The Answer is at the bottom.

Juvenile Bald Eagle

Duck, duck, duck, duck, ....

Sourdough Hotcakes

Momma Bald Eagle

ANSWER: Not the 25th President of these United States of America, President William Mckinley...it was named after presidential canidate, William McKinley (later the 25th President).

Looks like we made it

May 07, 2013...we made it to the 49th state

Caribou

Lucie and A Mari...Lucie is the hitchhiker we picked up in TOK, 18y from France who was alone and hitchhiking Canada and Alaska for the past FIVE months.