Oncorhynchus nerka

June 26 & 27, 2013

I’ve borrowed a rod from Jon and put my reel on it until St Croix ships me my replacement.  Jerry and I hit his favorite hole, “the German Hole,” I presume because some Germanic tourist held onto it when the discovered the ease of catching running Red Salmon.  The Swiss and German is the usual tourist aside from the lower 48 people.  Anyways, Jerry and I had an easy time Wednesday but we bagged the smaller salmon.  Three fishermen joined in as others limited and they caught all large fish as we were cleaning up.  For the day, Jerry had one large and two smaller as mine were between18 - 22”. 

Thursday, we left Jerry’s camp at 8:10am and returned at 12:30pm.  The fishing was slower and Jerry landed one every half hour or so and limited before I even caught a fish.  The same three fishermen showed up an hour into our adventure and Janet slipped into a spot just up river (eight feet from me) and landed three in 15 minutes.  They had been holding no more then five feet from my feet, just behind an underwater snag.  The snag created an eddy in the water that breaks the current.  The salmon rest in these areas before struggling upward upstream to spawn.  Janet’s were smaller, like mine the day before but she got to visit with Jerry while her husband snagged and released his foul hooked fish.  Their 10 yr old grandson, Taylor, whom had nailed three monsters the day before was skunked and his attention had waned because the fishing required more concentration today.  Finally, I hooked a fish but it was foul hooked (hooked in an area other then the mouth) and had to release it.  It wasn’t a salmon anyways but a small 10” Whitefish.  About two and half hours in, I began catching fish every 15 minutes or so.  I hit the large variety this time as the two bucks were 28” and the hen was 27”.  Nice fish and the fillets overfilled the gallon Ziploc bag I reused from the day before.  Yesterday’s catch was a little over half full so, “Size Does Matter.”

June 28, 2013

“Fish on,” I cried to myself as I was fishing the opposite side of the rushing Klutina River.  It was pulling hard upstream and stronger then the usual sockeye.  The fish made a dreaded left turn, hit the heavy current and was soon going downstream at an alarming rate.  The drag was screaming as I tried to tighten it up.  The fish kept going as I watched the last few wraps of 170 yards of line get pulled from the reel.  The only thing left was the slip knot of 17 pound monofilament so I began running downstream the best I could.  The footing was wet and a misstep would put me face first in 40 degree water.  I reached the end of my line and lifted the tip of the pole.  It would make it easier for the salmon to rid itself of the hook or the fish would gain my hook, sinker and 170 yards of line.  Something gave and it was the line near the sinker.  Whew!  I could reel in the remaining line and continue fishing.  A new rig and soon I had one red (23” hen) on my stringer.  I filleted it and met Jerry for our departure to GULKANA.  It seemed to be a definite lull in the runs this day as fisherman were not observed catching their limits, not even in the producing holes.

After lunch I made a run to GLENNALLEN for a bit of grocery shopping then headed down to the Klutina since I was halfway there.  I chose new spot and met up with “Naked Larry.”  Larry fishes barefoot and is often shirtless and only wearing gym shorts.  He is a fishing fool and a minimalist when it comes to everyday comforts.  Apparently he owns five rentals in Fairbanks and fishes whenever he can.  Larry had one caught and had just switched sides of the river.  Soon Larry landed another and I just kept casting away with no strikes.  I would stop from time to time to study his techniques and ask questions.  We were working fast water and trying to catch fish a foot or two from the bank.  WHAM!  I had one on and headed to shore.  Then the fish had another idea and headed into the current and downstream.  Again the drag was screaming and I was chasing a fish toward the Alder choked banks.  My line was under two consecutive clumps of Alders and after two soakers in my rubber boots, the fish was gone.  I breathed a sigh of relief as once again I retained enough line to fish on.  We worked the area for another hour and I completed my limit with a pair of 25” hens.  I caught both fish about a foot from the shore.  Larry had four on his stringer (his three and he possessed a proxy for three) and he took over my spot while I filleted my fish.  In between fish, Larry told me he had to on, a foot from shore and once the touched the bank, they both shook themselves free.  I returned home at 10:00pm for dinner, shower and bed.  Oh!  Jerry called and wants to leave for the Klutina at 7:00am.

June 29, 2013

Southbound at 7:05am, we stopped at the Hub in GLENNALLEN for Jerry’s morning cup of coffee.  Every morning, Jerry buys his first cup at the Hub, waits for his penny change ($0.99 cup), and complains about the “average” quality and the worker’s lack of speed and compassion and ability to keep the pots full.  Every morning!  We arrive in COPPER CENTER, which had seen its population triple in the last 12 hours.  Fairbanks and Anchorage area residents made their way to the Klutina for the famed “Copper River Reds.”  We would not be alone and space for the easy holes would be a premium.  I plugged my way downstream for an hour, casting, snagging up and moving into any spot that looked promising.  Finally, I had out walked the crowd and was all alone.  On my fifth cast, I had my first fish on and a minute later, the gills had been cut and one red was on my stringer.  I looked up after rinsing my hands and there stood Jerry, grinning, “I thought I’d find you here.”  I smiled back and we continued our day’s mission.  Jerry had too much weight on his rigging and did not want to lighten it so he gave up and moved downstream.  Just after Jerry left, a father and his two sons joined me.  We talked and fished.  We hooked up and lost fish.  I lost three in total while the dad and eldest son each lost their first.  They both landed a fish apiece before I tired out and headed back to find Jerry and depart for GULKANA,  Jerry had given up an hour and a half before I did and had visited with the disappointed area fishermen.  I snuck into the campground, used the fish cleaning station that is reserved for campers, then returned to the truck without incident.  Before leaving town, we stop at an espresso trailer, again for a coffee refill for Jerry.  This refill is $1.50 and Jerry stops whenever it is open.  Once I asked if he tipped for the coffee.  Jerry replied, “No, she owns it.  I’d only tip a worker.” 

Now a word about the fish we are pursuing and the techniques used.  A sockeye salmon (red) is not a predatory fish, it feeds on zooplankton, microscopic animals so it does not “bite” bait and lures like other fish.  Of the five Alaska salmon, sockeye are the only ones that live out their first two years (up to four years) of life in a fresh water lake before going downstream for another two years (up to four years) in the ocean.  Of course this part is “old news” but salmon only return to the stream they were born in, but “everyone” already knew that.  So, how does someone catch a fish that doesn’t bite…put the hook in the mouth and “pull.”  The technique is known as “flossing” not snagging.  Snagging is using a weighted hook, casting it into the bottom and yanking it skyward when a fish pass over the line and hook.  The snagging hook catches the fish somewhere and the fight is on.  While flossing, a single hook has a piece of colorful yarn, threads or hair, about three to four feet of leader and a sinker heavy enough to get the hook and leader on the bottom as soon as possible but light enough so the current can still carry this rigging downstream.  Second thing that is happening is the salmon have to have their mouth open while swimming.  This is an automatic response once they hit fresh water.  Thirdly, the salmon swim on the bottom of the stream or river.  Now I’ll put it all together.  I cast slightly upstream, keeping the rod tip down near the water and pointing at or slightly ahead of the line that is skipping downstream.  The leader and hook will be near the bottom and moving slightly faster then the weight and hopefully the leader will slip into the gaping salmon mouth.  You feel some resistance then give a yank and set the hook in the salmon’s mouth.  It sounds like snagging and basically it is, but it’s the legal kind of snagging allowed for sockeye.  When you can find the fish resting in a hole or area with slow current, those are the easy holes.

The Glory and Bounty of the World

June 22, 2013

Sourdough PBJ’s for breakfast, then workout, major housecleaning and trip planning for VALDEZ.  I have eleven lakes and rivers and the ocean to fish in the 128 mile trip to downtown.  Dolly Varden and Rainbow trout, Arctic Grayling, Sockeye and Pink salmon are all game for the next few days.  I’ll be taking the tent and roughing it for the first time.

June 23, 2013

Let me see, should I get out of bed…VALDEZ awaits.  I fueled up in GLENNALLEN and made a quick stop to wish Hannalorre and Dieter well, in COPPER CENTER.  Dieter was absent because the sockeyes are starting to hit on all eight cylinders.  Weather was sunny and 65 before crossing the Thompson Pass summit and 55 on the south side.  Thompson Pass is an infamous winter highway that receives several feet of snow in the cold season.  Worthington Glacier was a nice site and very manageable hiking distance for the adventuresome.  After passing over this summit, I spied one of the small lakes to fish (Summit Lake).  I was joined by a father and son whom snuck out of Valdez to do some flyfishing.  No fish were caught by anyone that hour so we all left for greener pastures.  I finally arrived in VALDEZ around 2:00pm, ate and did some grocery shopping.  I checked the city docks and four people were using cut bait for bottom fish.  Before leaving town, I spotted a young black bear grazing on the sedge grass in the tidal flats.  I wasn’t alone, six other vehicles stopped for the photo opportunity.  I continued on for Dayville Road (AKA Oil Depot Road) where Allison Point and Solomon Gulch Fish Hatchery were located.    I was a few weeks early from the peak Pink Salmon run but I felt I could land a few early fish.  Word is the fish are in tight to shore nearing high tide so after spotting Harbor Seals catching fish, Bald Eagles beachcombing, and Sea Otters feeding and rolling about in the surf, I returned to town for the public library WiFi signal to check the tide table for Valdez.  It was due to return at 1:40am and I was a bit tired.  I rested my eyes for a half hour before starting at 10:30pm.  By midnight, I had had enough casting and empty hooks.  I pulled up stakes and headed out of town…Jerry had called earlier and reported limiting out on Reds both Saturday and Sunday.  Everyone says Reds taste the best and Pinks are just fun to catch so Klutina, here I come.

Bridal Veil Falls (area of Thompson Pass)

 Worthington Glacier (Thompson Pass north of Valdez)

 Young Black Bear, perhaps 2 or 3 years old (Valdez, city)

Sea Otter (Allison Point, Valdez)

Bald Eagle, immature, about 15 yards away (I was sneaky)

Drinking from a fresh water seep into the tidal flat

 Bald Eagle, adult beachcombing with opportunistic Fish Crow in the ready position (between Solomon Gulch Fish Hatchery and Allison Point, Valdez)

June 24, 2013

I made it back to Summit Lake around 12:30am and fished it again for another hour before giving up and getting some rest.  At 7:00am, I was again throwing my tackle box at the fish but nothing responded.  Around the corner I went to Blueberry Lake and had a repeat of Summit.  I headed north for the Klutina but stopped to enjoy breakfast near the Thompson Pass summit.  As walked toward an edge, I spotted two black orbs about 300 yards away.  Two Black Bears were wrestling and I assumed they were probably fresh from being kicked out by their mother.  The binoculars proved otherwise.  Instead, I witnessed and recorded an intimate moment between the boar (male) and sow (female).  They would jump on each other, bite, and swat before the boar mounted the sow.  He would hold on tight and bite her back during their romps.  When she had enough, she gave a quick nip and swat and he was off.

After making it back to the Klutina, I had a heck of a time trying to locate the fish.  Everyone around me was catching Reds, limiting out and cleaning the fish before I got so much as a nibble.  It was getting warm, I lost five hook ups and after three hours, I was hot.  I moved for the fifth time and lost some hooks on a new hole.  Jerry had arrived 20 minutes before and it looked like he had limited out across the river.  I returned to the scene where I lost the five fish.  Thirty minutes later I had lost two more but caught my first, about a 24” hen (female) Red/Sockeye Salmon.  I cut the gills to bleed the fish out (improves the taste) and on the stringer it went.  The next fifteen minutes was nothing, then another short hookup and loss, followed by a 25” buck (male) Red.  Up to this point all the losses had occurred from “No Hook Set” but the next loss was an exceptional hookup, battle and fish.  It bent the pole in half and made the strongest run downstream.  I could only get it back five feet before it had enough and was gone.  DARN…but just after that, I landed number three, a 27” hen and I had limited out.  Instead of filleting on shore and tossing the remains into the fast moving water, I opted to clean mine on the Gulkana, after the picture session.  Throwing the remains is the best way to rid of the scraps especially in bear country.  Imagine over a hundred fish carcasses scattered along the shore in a mile stretch of river, every day for a week.  That would attract more then one bear.  Besides, after spawning, ALL salmon die and those that are not eaten, rot in the nutritionally void rivers and streams.  Hakuna Matata. 

NOTE:  Tidal variations are smaller in Valdez (6 - 10’ average) then what I’m used to in Juneau (14 – 20’ average).  It is measured from the tides highest point to lowest in about a 12 hour period.  Example: Juneau on June 24 had High Tide at 1:56am, 19.7’ and Low Tide at 7:41am, -4.3.  That is a 24’ variation and it exposes a lot of the tidal flat.  Valdez for the same day was +14.6 and -0.4 for a 14’ variation.  Birds, bears, wolves, foxes, humans, etc. take advantage of this and collect all sorts of edibles.  Items such as: clams, mussels, sea urchins, small fishes, crabs, kelp (seaweed), etc. from tummy filler to collectibles.

 Black Bear couple and coupling (Thompson Pass) about 300 yards away

 Miscellaneous wild flowers, alright already, I’ll work on the taxonomy (Thompson Pass)

 The Prudhoe Bay to Valdez “Alaskan Pipeline”

My first, second and third Sockeye Salmon (Reds, derived from the red coloration when spawning), 24-27” (Klutina River, Copper Center)

 Hygiene is important in the bush but I fared alright after an overnighter and sweltering 80 degree day, but things must change

A shower and yes, a shave does the body and soul good

June 25, 2013

Sunny again but that is old news and a running five week story.  Jerry and I will be back on the Reds but the early, beat the crowd mornings are over with.  Laying back and relaxing, I picked up Ken Hughes and Jerry and I took him fishing on his 83^rd birthday.  Jerry and Ken went to the “easy hole” and I went back to my spot.  Twenty minutes in and I had my first Red (25” buck),  I missed the next two but nailed another.  I had it close to shore but missed the first attempt to net the fish.  The Sockeye had other ideas and made a run downstream.  SNAP!!  And the fish was off and the top section of my rod was broken.  Done fishing for today so I packed up and headed to meet up with Jerry and Ken.  Jerry had limited out and limited out on Ken’s proxy permit for Ken’s wife.  Ken was having difficulty but managed one Red by himself.  Jerry loaned me his pole and I stepped in the second best “sweet spot” and 10 minutes, I had number two (25”hen) and three (26” buck).  Jerry and I filleted everything to this point then Jerry and I each hooked up on a Red and handed the pole to Ken for the landing.  It took another 10 minutes but we walked out with a dozen salmon.

Ken bought us sodas in GLENNALLEN and thanked us for the day.  I dropped Jerry off at his camp and Ken invited me to his house for lunch of baked beans and a salmon spread sandwich.  I thank my host for the great lunch and hurried home in the 87 degrees to contend with the past two days’ catch.  I completed the cleaning, filleting, vacuum sealing, and cleanup by 6:00pm.  I was reminded that one does not venture outside unless one is protected.  As I put the fish in Jon’s outdoor chest freezer, I was immediately attacked by dozens of mosquitoes.  The shorts, tank top and sandals did not provide any protection and I still itch as I write this blog.

 Day 2 limit of Reds and Fillets

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what if there is no picture

June 17, 2013

I was up Bright and Early this morning at 4:15am for the 5:00am departure to the Klutina River.  As I hit the highway, it appeared that the sun had been up for a couple of hours, the darn thing was in the NNE for crying out loud.  Jerry and I walked a mile or so through the Klutina and along the banks to reach a point where it met the Copper River.  There were a couple of “resident” gulls and arctic terns flying about but not many.  If the fish were in, there would be dozens of gulls and bald eagles.  They follow the fish as they migrate upstream and never venture too far from their next meal.  We gave it a couple of hours before giving it up for the day.  We’ll be back tomorrow.

I biked to talk with Walt, whom had reported reds being caught on the Klutina.  A neighbor had caught eight reds the night before at the mouth of the Klutina, at the confluence with the Copper River.  I relayed this info to Jerry then confirmed story firsthand with Dawson, the fisherman.  Dawson used a jetboat (an outboard motor that sucks in water, then jets it out in lieu of a prop) because a prop gets tore up on shallow rivers, to get to the confluence and dipnetted eight reds, a friend caught two additional through conventional means, hook and line.  Dipnetting is putting an oversized net (up to five foot diameter) into the water to scoop out the migrating salmon.  Dipnetters net the areas where the salmon congregate and rest while migrating.  That and my truck drove me back to the Klutina for a two mile walk to the confluence.  Two hours and nothing happened although the gulls and eagle were a bit more frequent.  During the hike back to the truck and would stop and fish or speak with fellow fisherman.  One flyfisherman had caught two reds in five minutes only to be displaced by someone else while attending to his catch.  This second &*@$%^@ fisherman caught one in that spot but it had since dried up.  They tend to swim upstream in large groups and hopefully this is a sign that the first are arriving from Prince Williams Sound by Cordova, Alaska.  A noticed a haze in the sky to the north while driving homeward.

June 18, 2013

Up at 4:15am for the days fishing and Jerry and I were soon southbound.  We could smell a bit of smoke and smoke drifted into the area.  Later I learned that there is a fire burning in the Chena Hot Springs area, northeast of Fairbanks (refer to your Alaska area map…it should be a “FAVORITE” on your internet by now) some 250-300 miles away and we were experiencing the smoke and haze.  Fishing was uneventful and it we gave it a few hours.  Nobody else had caught anything either so we departed for Gulkana.  Lunch at 10:00am was followed by a shower (to get rid of mosquito spray smell) then a three hour nap to catch up on lack of sleep.  As I write this, I am constantly reminded of the fire again changing the landscape.  The willow will come up like gangbusters in the upcoming years making that area a hotspot for moose feeding on the favored willow shoots.

June 19, 2013

Up early, a pattern is developing…fishing by 6:00am after a half hour drive and 15 minute walk.  Water was wicked, Jerry was disappointed and I fished an hour or less.  Spoke with another fisherman who had caught tree the day before and his current spot had yielded one this morning.  After the midday stuff at home, I headed back and busted brush to the Copper River.  Nothing along the confluence but on the way back I made a space just above two other fishermen along a tag alder choked bank.  After 30 casts I had my first red on the hook and had it almost within grasp twice before it made the third and final run.  It left the hook in a tag alder stump along the bank and it was gone.  I fished another half hour and walked back to the truck wondering what might have been.  Tomorrow I’ll have a landing net by my side that should do it.

June 20, 2013

Another early one and my body must be getting accustomed to the hour as I was awake by 3:30am but dozed until the 4:00am alarm.  Jerry and I split up as I headed back to yesterday’s scene of my crime.  After two hours of effort and one lost rigging I went to find Jerry.  I found him with one red and two that got away.  I joined him for a bit but that flush of fish was over.  Jerry did a quick fillet and bagged his catch before we walked the mile back to the truck.  Dieter was camping on the Klutina River and put six in the cooler in the last three days (one, three and two for the past days).  The daily limit is only three and he did achieve that once.  Being on-site has its advantages for fishing because you always are there for every run of salmon.  Jerry was now a bit more optimistic and we plan on returning this afternoon.  At 3:06pm I heard the low rumble and felt the shake of a minor earthquake.  The whole event lasted about five seconds.

The afternoon was the same as any morning and nothing exceptional happened on the river.  A few reported limit catches but by in large, most went away empty handed.  I watched the evening news for the earthquake report but it was a non-event as this state has between 5000 and 6000 per year/13 per day average.

June 21, 2013

Friday morning would be the last early morning for me because I have to shake things up.  We were either too early, too late or both to get the holes where fish held and were caught.  It was a cool 70 degrees today and the breeze was nice.  A little precipitation would be nice as the sand and dust covers everything.  The longest day of the year for everyone in the northern hemisphere but that is not an event for me.  I’ve had to shut things down while it is light out.  In fact, you lose all sense of time while working or playing outdoors as the sunshine and light never seem to fade.

Ho-Hum and Heights

June 13-14, 2013

Thursday was a ho-hum type of day doing chores, goofing with fishing poles, frying Arctic Char for lunch and cooking up a three-day dinner.  Mixed a visit with Dieter and Jerry to talk fishing, a twelve mile bike ride, and personally killing over 50 mosquitoes.  Jeremiah (Jon’s son) arrived home with a new Samsung front load washing machine.  I offered assistance but he declined and said a friend would help.

Friday started out bright, sunny and breezy so I went seeking information at a fishing charter business across the highway.  Pinks also will be delayed in VALDEZ so I’ll have to come up with an alternative for the mean time.  I went up to the house to check on the washing machine install and Jeremiah had it finished.  I told him I could smell the clothes washing and said that his first load last night was too large and the machine jumped all over the floor and knocked the liquid detergent to the floor, breaking the bottle and spilling most of the contents.  Jeremiah had also re-used the old hot and cold water hoses and I told him that wasn’t the best practice because of build up and possible cracks.  He was okay with it and was gone in a flash with a friend.  Then I heard the spin cycle on the washing machine and it sounded like he was washing his bowling ball.  I pushed it back into place and left the house.  Returning later, to use the internet, the washing cycle was complete and it looked the machine had tried to escape its new home as it was headed for the doorway.  Later I told Jeremiah that it was a leveling problem and I would set it up correctly for him.  Thirty seconds later, job was complete.

June 15, 2013

Or so I thought…I put a load in the washer and when it went to spin cycle, it pulled the plug from the outlet.  I re-checked level and re-started the spin…same result.  AHHHH, Jeremiah did not remove the shipping bolts…now they’ve been removed and it runs smooth.  I had a good phone call with Steve, only after he finished doing yard work at my house.  Now get ready to FISH.

Heading south on the Richardson (Hwy 4, if you are following along in your playbook), past GLENNALLEN to COPPER CENTER and the Klutina River.  It looked nasty even for a glacial river so I passed it by for a bit of trout on Pippin Lake.  Fish weren’t cooperating so I gave the Klutina a try.  Nothing like fishing BLIND, I was using new techniques on new fish in new water.  All I managed was a few snags, no lost gear and a foul hooked Arctic Grayling (12”) that I had to release.  The drive home was still enjoyable and I got a few more shots of Mt Drum and Sanford from a different perspective.

I am just impressed by Mt Drum (12, 010 feet)…it was probably another 500 -2000 feet taller before the darn thing blew its top.  It is a Stratovolcano…look it up!  It is also an Ultra Prominent Peak, one of approximately 1500 in the world.  I’ll give you this one, an ultra prominent peak has a peak of 1500 meters (4921 feet) or more from neighboring mountains.

June 16, 2013

I awoke to texts of Happy Father’s Day but did not smell coffee brewing or bacon frying.  I’d have to get perpendicular for that to happen.  I had a bit of trouble falling asleep probably because of the later then usual activities and dinner…I saw 2:30a before drifting off and it was still twilight.  I couple of hours passed and daybreak happened (4:00ish).  I know because the buzzing of a renegade mosquito buzzed my head and wakened me.  I killed him and the next one real good then I was back to sleep.  Made the coffee but skipped the bacon for ANOTHER bowl of oatmeal and while it cooked, I called my dad.  I must say it was close to a personal record time for a phone call with dad, 20 minutes and 33 seconds.  If you know him you know what I mean.

Even though it neared 90 degrees today, I did an hour weight workout then biked to visit Dieter and Jerry.  The sun did not stop all day and after the socialization, I finished the workout with a ten mile trek.  Cooled off with a shower, hydrated and had dinner before setting up the fishing gear for tomorrows trip with Jerry to the Klutina…nighty night, 4:00am comes early, even here in Alaska.

You and I are small

June 11, 2013

This morn, after breakfast I cleaned the remaining trout and it looks like three or four more entrees are taken care of.  I went out to check on Dieter and the Klutina and Dieter had relocated and that river is still unfishable.  I visited instead with Jerry (Montana) and his girlfriend, Rochelle (Fairbanks, AK) who are at the Gulkana River every year for the King Salmon.  They are mid sixties and I had met them a few days prior while visiting Dieter.  Jerry and I then borrowed a cata-raft from a friend of his and will raft the Gulkana in the morning.  My job tonight was to prepare lunch for the eight hour trip.

June 12, 2013

Jerry and Rochelle picked me up at 7:50am and after a great breakfast Jerry and I pushed off from shore at the Sourdough Landing of the Gulkana River.  The float would be well over the 21 road miles we drove as this river really winds through the country.  There were witness marks along the bank that the water was over four feet higher then now and Jerry figured it was still a couple feet over average years.  This year’s ice tore at the bank, trees and permafrost.  Erosion, landslides, trees in the river and the river takes on a new path.  Seven hours later we drifted into the Richardson Bridge landing.  I can tell now that I should have used a bit of sunscreen on the face.  I did verify a disappointing report that the King Salmon catch on the Gulkana River had been closed by Emergency Order.  Well I have the Reds (Sockeye) to look forward to and I could run down and pick off some Pink Salmon in VALDEZ too.

 The Cata-Raft
Sourdough Boat Landing, Gulkana R

 Trees torn from their bank by ice and water
The undercutting of the bank

 Permafrost is exposed to the open air, it melts and the ban collapses into the river

 The light band of earth about a foot from the top is a narrow example of Permafrost.  We did see other bands in excess of five feet thick.

 Here is the exit flow of the river that had breached the river bank a quarter mile upstream…in a few years, these trees will be gone and in its place, the new path of the river.

Gotta get some PROTEIN...Check

June 09, 2013

A mosquito kind of day, partly cloudy and no breeze to keep them at bay but I did get away while bike riding to the river.  Today was a hunt planning day so I won’t miss an opportunity in August-October should one arise.  I finally located a gold miner from CHICKEN, Alaska.  I’ll drive up to TOK to meet Clyde Baldwin (74y) and give him a hand around his house and find out what might be available.

June 10, 2013

Arrived in TOK at 10:00am to meet with Clyde and boy ole boy, he is a spry 74 year old man.  He said he doesn’t want to dive this year on his dredge because he’s feeling too old but after hearing him describe the work, I doubt it.  The mining claim is nine (9) miles down stream from the Taylor Highway (near CHICKEN) and all supplies go in by boat if the water is high enough, otherwise by ATV.  There isn’t a position for a rookie diver so Clyde gave me suggestions to try recreational prospecting.  I thanked him for the info and headed toward the Taylor Highway to go fishing.  The lake I found was a mile walk from the parking spot and all I could do was toss lures from the shore.  I noticed a man-made structure along the shore about a quarter mile away so I went for it.  Someone had built a wooden pontoon boat and equipped it with a paddle and chairs.  I jumped aboard and worked the shoreline for the next five hours.  I caught three keeper Rainbow Trout (12-13”) and released two others before catching two Arctic Char (a trout, 17 ½” and 16”) and finishing up with another three keeper rainbows (12-13”) and two more released.  Eight fish would supplement the diet nicely but I re-stopped at Clyde’s to offer him fresh fish.  Clyde refused the fish but did say I could stop by his claim if I made it up that way this summer. 

The two and a half hour trip to GULKANA turned into three and a half due to the gold panning in some promising creeks.  It looks like I may have some “color” but without glasses all I can tell is that I have black sand and a tad bit of gold looking stuff.  That is a good sign so I’ll stash it away for a later clean-up. 

About 11:30pm I had my last meal of the day, a whole rainbow trout…mmmm good!  Now to get the fish smell of my hands and off to bed.

A COMPLETED Stool (Not What You Think)

June 08, 2013

It was another SUNNY and 70 degree day that had very few mosquitoes when I began completing the stool.  About two hours in, they were back with a vengeance, biting and milling about.  I would step out into the airstrip where the breeze blew them away to finish the wedges but had to return to the saw mill for assembly.  Without resorting to the nasty OFF, I persevered, posed and shot a couple of pictures.  Thinking ahead, I planned for the extra length for stability, over-sized guests, and of course, a place to set my plate and/or beer.

Diamond Willow (green) were used for wedge material...hand-made in USA by an American

Finished afternoon with bike ride to the river and visited with Dieter and Hannalore.  I was introduced to Jerry (Montana) and his girlfriend, Rosalynne (Fairbanks) who are in Gulkana until August to catch King Salmon.  Jerry offered to take me out on the river in his boat once the water clears.  Nothing like firsthand instruction from a veteran.