CHIP's Alaskan Adventure continues

May 13, 2013

GULKANA, Gloomy weather day that had a high of 36 degrees, light rain most of the day and finished off with wet snow that has yet to accumulate.  Made a morning trip to GLENNALLEN for internet access and posted first entries onto my BLOG.  Stopped by the Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game office and ran a few questions by the guys.  Hunting and fishing license is $48 for the calendar year plus an additional $10 for the King (Chinook) Salmon Stamp.  Under this license I can harvest just about anything that walks, swims or flies throughout the state. 

BIG GAME

Bison – special drawing

Black Bear – up to three 

Brown Bear (Grizzly) – one, but coastal areas require a $25 tag

Caribou – one; two; up to five per day, above Arctic Circle

Moose - one

Musk Ox – special drawing area, $500 for bull and $25 for cow; or $25 for either sex in another area

Dall Sheep - one

Mountain Goat – one

Sitka Black-tailed Deer – up to four

Wolf – up to 20

Wolverine – one

SMALL GAME

Grouse (Spruce, Sooty, Ruffed, and Sharp-tailed) – five to fifteen per day

Ptarmigan (Willow, Rock, and White-tailed) – ten to fifty per day

Hare (Arctic and Snowshoe) – five per day to no limit

FUR ANIMALS

Beaver – no limit

Coyote – two to no limit

Arctic Fox – two to no limit

Red Fox – two to ten

Lynx – two

FISH

King Salmon (Chinook) – one per day/four for season; less than 20” is ten per day

Coho Salmon (Silver) – six in combination with those SALMON listed below/per day

Chum Salmon (Dog)

Pink Salmon (Humpy)

Sockeye Salmon (Red)

Arctic Char

Rainbow Trout

Arctic Grayling

Lake Trout

Dolly Varden

Northern Pike

Whitefish

Sheefish (a large species of Whitefish)

Burbot (fresh water COD)

Lingcod

Halibut

King Crab

Dungeness Crab

Tanner Crab (Snow)

You get the idea…so many species, so many areas, and so many restrictions and limitations.  There are four different fishing area regulation booklets.  Lucky I am not a duck hunter.  Who has that much time and money?  Well I’ve seen some of them…boats, planes, ATVs, all the TOYS.  And I have to squeeze in GOLD panning on top of it all.

Last task of the day was to share a beer with Jon King, my next host.  Great guy who has offered me everything he has, sort of.  Tomorrow or the next day, I’ll move the Raptor to his property for two week storage while I visit Jerry in JUNEAU.

May 14, 2013

“What a difference a day makes, twenty four little hours.”  I awoke to find 3” of wet snow and upper 20’s, that’ll push back departure to JUNEAU a day or two until Jon’s place (GULKANA) dries up.  Made sourdough hotcakes, tended to generator and cleaned off the Chevy…leaving the snow on the slide-outs and roof for insulation.  I’ve been reading RV manuals, Fish and Game Regulations, playing FreeCell, and waiting for the next adventure. 

May 15, 2013

Good Morning from the suburbs of GULKANA, Alaska, it is 6:30am local time and in the thirties.  If you haven’t been following along, I’ll describe where Gulkana is.  From ANCHORAGE, take Highway 1 (Glenn Highway) ENE (east northeast) 189 miles to GLENNALLEN (a town that the Trans Alaska Pipeline runs through).  You’ll come to the south Junction, Highway 4 (Richardson Highway) that you travel N about 15 miles where the Gulkana River crosses the highway.  June and July this river is full of King Salmon fisherman and all have their sites set on catching 40 and 50 pound salmon…remember they can keep only one per day and four per season.  – OR - From TOK, take Highway 1 (Tok Cutoff) SSE about 120 miles to GAKONA at the north Junction, Highway 4/Highway 1, south about a mile and a half is GULKANA. 

Finishing off yesterday’s hotcakes and crossing all fingers and toes that the thaw comes soon.  Jon said the other day, “Thaw has not been this late in the twenty years I’ve been living here.”  Speaking of cold, have you ever thought of setting the thermostat lower then 60 degrees?  For the past three days, I’ve kept it between 52 and 60 degrees and the throw Megyn made for me keeps me warm.

May 16, 2013

Last day on the river campsite so I packed for JUNEAU and secured the Raptor for the drive to Jon’s.  Overcast and windy start to the day and 36 degrees but it looks as if I can get the Raptor up the runway to the band mill site.  On second thought, nope…have to wait for it to dry up some.  Looks like another day or two at Jon’s place. 

May 17, 2013

Cloudy, drizzle and upper thirties to start the day so I did a few Raptor chores before heading outside.  I cleaned out the old sawdust from the band mill and cut a cord and a half of aspen for Jon.  Showered and washed stinky exhaust clothes before lunch (2:30pm).  I do a lot of reading and studying and that should make the next six months easier.  Jon returned from Wasilla with his girlfriend, Krista and after unpacking, he and I surveyed the Raptor move.  We’ll be shooting for 8:00am in the morning.

May 18, 2013

Awoke to rain drops about 5:00am, they slowed and stopped at 6:30am, by 7:00am it decided to rain, so at this point, moving Raptor is in a delay.  You can’t tear up a man’s runway with a one ton pulling 17,000 pounds.  On second thought, Jon said live Raptor where it is so to return his generosity, I helped him put a 107 ½” tall boat and trailer, in a 107” tall garage.  Jeremiah, Jon’s 16 year old son backed the trailer, Jon guided side to side and deflated tires to gain an inch of clearance (my idea).  I stood in cabin and cleared the overhead pathway.  An hour later, Jon could do repair in a heated garage/house.  I finished packing, loaded Jerry’s motorcycle into the pickup and headed for Haines, via Tok.  Road were general clear save the frost heaves where I had to touch up the ratchet straps.  Twelve miles south of Tok, the snow and icy spots started.  Had dinner at Fast Eddies and mistakenly tipped 40 %.  Weather worsened instead of improving as proven by one driver having a road-kill bird, frozen in slush on his front grill.  The driver said the worst was the last two hours before Tok.  Having finished dinner and nothing but time, I set out to the east for the Canadian border although slower then usual.  Forty to fifty speeds took about an hour longer but left enough time for Sunday’s ferry departure at 5:00pm.  Snow and blowing continued to increase for next two hours so I found a rest stop and attempted sleep.  Turned truck off and climbed inside the mummy sleeping bag as the outdoor temperature dropped to 21 degrees.  Sleep did not come so I cleared the snow and ice from the truck and was off about fifteen minutes behind a plow truck.  After an hour, my truck was the only truck eastbound and probably the only eastbound vehicle from Tok.  Skies cleared and road was precipitation free at none other then Destruction Bay, Yukon (on Kluane Lake).  Took video of a young bull moose in velvet that had been feeding on roadside willow around 11:00pm and no supplemental light was necessary.  Continued travel into Sunday.

May 19, 2013

Made Haines Junction and turned south for Haines (original location of Gold Rush), but was delayed 90 minutes for border crossing back into the U.S. (open 7:00am-11:00pm).  Just before Haines, passed Porcupine Bridge (leads to Big Nugget and Porcupine Creek gold claims) and the Schnabel’s home and business, Southeast Alaska Road Builders (Gold Rush).  Purchased ferry tickets and met my next hosts, Dan and Laura, retired professors from Southern Illinois University.  Laura is the gardener and Dan hunts, fishes, butchers his game and operates a cold smoke house, makes wine, beer, and distilled spirits.  Dan and Laura’s greenhouse, smoke house and butcher shop/sauna is surrounded by an electric fence.  It seems they have a pest that only electricity or lead can prevent a problem brown bear that tries to “taste” everything.  The next eight hours before boarding ferry was never silent as we had so much in common.  Dan has a Class C motorhome on a one ton Ford chassis and he pulls a trailer he reconfigured into half storage and half freezer box.  Dan and I started plans for an archery bowhunt at the Arctic Circle this fall.  Talked too much, arrived late and forced the ferry to delay departure two minutes while we loaded the motorcycle.  Off loaded bike with Ian (Jerry’s oldest son) and we had a short ride back to my first real house in 2 ½ weeks.  Jerry’s homemade Scotch Ale and lasagna hit the spot and off to bed after a 30 hour day.  I WILL work on pics and vids tomorrow.