Cookies!!!
Tree hunting!
Christmas at 3913
Anthony's snow elephant -- SO CUTE!
22nd Birthday
Cloud City's Hats, Heels and Hankypanky Party....Quite the success!
Starting the New Year off right with wonderful friends.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Monday, October 24, 2011
October has gone by quickly
Fall is my favorite time of year: the leaves, colors, crisp weather that is perfect jacket weather, but not necessarily rain jacket weather...I love it. So did my mama. It's October 24th. I can hardly believe it has already been a year. So much has happened and so much time has passed and I haven't been able to share any of it with her.
I decided in September that instead of moping, I would do something positive around the 1st. On October 30th, this Sunday, I will be running a 5k for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with my roommates and some friends. I think we'll be dressing up as a school of fish, which I must admit I am excited about.
I will take pictures and post them in my next blog. Until then, I must continue my running. I've been trying to run 3-5 times a week. I'm getting stronger and faster. It feels good. All I want is to know she'd be proud. I'm so proud of her and I know she feels the same.
I decided in September that instead of moping, I would do something positive around the 1st. On October 30th, this Sunday, I will be running a 5k for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with my roommates and some friends. I think we'll be dressing up as a school of fish, which I must admit I am excited about.
I will take pictures and post them in my next blog. Until then, I must continue my running. I've been trying to run 3-5 times a week. I'm getting stronger and faster. It feels good. All I want is to know she'd be proud. I'm so proud of her and I know she feels the same.
Love you mama! Look out for us running on Sunday
fish tales
Laura and Me
Laura and I became really good buddies -- from the first time we emailed til the last day at camp together, we were close. At the beginning of the summer, we made a deal to take a photo together every day over the course of the summer to see how we'd changed, but that goal kind of flopped .... Here are the photos we did take.
Out on the tundra -- think about mom -- missing liz
I loved being out in Togiak, but there were days when I really missed mom, Coco, Liz and Amanda. I think the hardest thing was not being able to share my adventures with mom. She would have been ecstatic knowing I was in Alaska all summer -- I got my adventurousness from her. There wasn't a day I didn't think of her.
fought with dan about doing dishes
Dan and I always fought over doing the dishes...Who knows why, but it was a great way to clean our hands, which were grimy from working with fish and doing tasks around camp.
Heading to Togiak will all our gear.
Laura slept in my tent our first night due to cat issues....
First official day at camp -- standing on the tundra to seem tall.
After long day putting in the weir and fighting off mosquitoes.
So sunny -- sitting by the boats.
Manning the gillnet -- waiting for the fish.
At the top of Exercise Hill with Dan. We went hiking!
Such a hot day -- everyone was stripping down.
Out on the tundra -- think about mom -- missing liz
I loved being out in Togiak, but there were days when I really missed mom, Coco, Liz and Amanda. I think the hardest thing was not being able to share my adventures with mom. She would have been ecstatic knowing I was in Alaska all summer -- I got my adventurousness from her. There wasn't a day I didn't think of her.
fought with dan about doing dishes
Dan and I always fought over doing the dishes...Who knows why, but it was a great way to clean our hands, which were grimy from working with fish and doing tasks around camp.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Camp Stories
20 days without showering
One thing I had to quickly get used to was not showering daily. I live in a city and when I'm home I shower everyday. It really wasn't that bad of an adjustment -- we normally went into town every 2 weeks to bathe ... Steph and I were town buddies and one time we went 20 DAYS WITHOUT A SHOWER ... It was pretty disgusting. I felt fine and then as we were packing up the boat to head to town, my head got incredibly itchy all of a sudden. It was terrible, but then we got to shower .... Refreshing ...
Uker or not
It seems Uker is a Midwest card game, which I had never played nor heard of until this summer. Well, in my opinion there's a good reason for that .... because I suck at the game. Jeremy taught everyone how to play last year, so they were already pros. Jeremy tried to teach me on several occasions and it just didn't click. He was SO PATIENT. I'd play with everyone, but would go in with kind of a poor attitude because I knew I wasn't any good. Jeremy even made me a cheat sheet -- he was very supportive and believed I could learn the game and be a flawless player, but no cigar.
I was T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E and some members of the crew wouldn't let me forget it.
Mandala
My Aunt Vickie sent me mail weekly and one time she sent me mandalas and colored pencils. A mandala is supposed to represent a period in your life. She sent some that had flowering suns, which were supposed to represent fruitfulness, positivity, growth and self-improvement. I thought it would be neat to color one and then hang it in my tent .... so the activity began. It was a lengthy process, which I worked on for a few minutes before bed every night. Well, one day I had the day off and decided to work on it in the main weather port. Everyone could see what I was doing and was asking questions. Dan was in there with me and I asked him for some suggestions. The center was empty and I needed ideas for what to put in the middle ... He suggested bright honeycomb shapes.
It was almost complete. I asked Jeremy for his opinion on color combinations and Dan for hexagon placement...A little green here ... a smidge of orange there .... some blue in that region. It was finally done.
Well, once completion had arrived, Dan pipes up with:
"So, do I get to have it? I helped you make it."
My lip quivered slightly. It took so long to finish it and I was looking forward to putting it in my tent. And now Dan wanted it ... It was alright. I had others I could color. Vickie did send me multiples of the same mandala .... But it took me so long. Blarggg!
Sure Dan. You can have it.
Ah, thanks Syd.
But, you better hang it in your tent.
I will. I will. - Said with a smile and wink.
Later that evening a uker game was requested. God damnit -- uker? Oh no they want me to play. They know how bad I am. Why do they feel the need to torture me? I ended up playing with Jeremy, Steph and Dan. Sweet Jeremy was always my partner and always encouraging. I felt bad he was always stuck with me.
Ok, so the game gets going and my plays are so idiotic it's like trying to watch a worm tie shoelaces ... Have you ever seen a worm tie shoelaces? I can imagine it would be pretty embarrassing. Well, that's how this game played out ... It was humiliating! And it didn't help that Dan was throwing verbal punches at how bad it was. I tried to suck it up, but was secretly pissed. I wouldn't lay off. This was unusual -- Dan generally didn't act like that. As soon as the game was over I got up and sort of stormed off to my tent -- I was pissed, but I didn't want them to think I was.
When I got back to my tent, I got in my jammies and zipped up in my sleeping bag. Soon after I'd turned out my light, a voice sounded:
Syd?
Yeah?
Was I too hard on you?
No!
Sorry if I was. I didn't mean to be a jerk.
I'm a big girl Dan. I can handle it.
Oh ... ok ... Night.
Silence
The next day, I felt dumb for getting upset and did my best to get over myself, so I was quiet and kept to myself most of the morning, which was unusual for me. I'm usually pretty chipper and smiley in the morning, so the fact that I had my nose buried in a book and I wasn't saying hello to everyone as they entered the weather port for b'fast, was a bit odd.
Later while I was brushing my teeth, Dan came over and asked if I was ok. I reassured him that I was fine. I was upset the previous night -- he hurt my feelings. I knew I was a terrible player and didn't want to play, but they wanted me to play. He said he felt bad and apologized again. I felt better. He was supposed to go to town that day and spend the night, so I asked if he had any plans for his evening stuck in the cabin. He said no and asked why:
Would you like to color a mandala for me since you took mine?
Sure.
Awesome -- I'll get you the supplies. Thanks Dan.
I went out with the fishing crew that day and didn't expect to see Dan when we returned, but they didn't end up going to town due to weather I believe. When I got back to camp that night, I found a beautiful mandala waiting for me with writing on the back:
To: Syd the Kid
From: Some Man Named Dan
It was perfect! I thanked Dan and immediately hung it in my tent. It was so nice waking up to that every morning.
Huevos rancheros with Dan
One thing I had to quickly get used to was not showering daily. I live in a city and when I'm home I shower everyday. It really wasn't that bad of an adjustment -- we normally went into town every 2 weeks to bathe ... Steph and I were town buddies and one time we went 20 DAYS WITHOUT A SHOWER ... It was pretty disgusting. I felt fine and then as we were packing up the boat to head to town, my head got incredibly itchy all of a sudden. It was terrible, but then we got to shower .... Refreshing ...
Uker or not
It seems Uker is a Midwest card game, which I had never played nor heard of until this summer. Well, in my opinion there's a good reason for that .... because I suck at the game. Jeremy taught everyone how to play last year, so they were already pros. Jeremy tried to teach me on several occasions and it just didn't click. He was SO PATIENT. I'd play with everyone, but would go in with kind of a poor attitude because I knew I wasn't any good. Jeremy even made me a cheat sheet -- he was very supportive and believed I could learn the game and be a flawless player, but no cigar.
I was T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E and some members of the crew wouldn't let me forget it.
Mandala
My Aunt Vickie sent me mail weekly and one time she sent me mandalas and colored pencils. A mandala is supposed to represent a period in your life. She sent some that had flowering suns, which were supposed to represent fruitfulness, positivity, growth and self-improvement. I thought it would be neat to color one and then hang it in my tent .... so the activity began. It was a lengthy process, which I worked on for a few minutes before bed every night. Well, one day I had the day off and decided to work on it in the main weather port. Everyone could see what I was doing and was asking questions. Dan was in there with me and I asked him for some suggestions. The center was empty and I needed ideas for what to put in the middle ... He suggested bright honeycomb shapes.
It was almost complete. I asked Jeremy for his opinion on color combinations and Dan for hexagon placement...A little green here ... a smidge of orange there .... some blue in that region. It was finally done.
Well, once completion had arrived, Dan pipes up with:
"So, do I get to have it? I helped you make it."
My lip quivered slightly. It took so long to finish it and I was looking forward to putting it in my tent. And now Dan wanted it ... It was alright. I had others I could color. Vickie did send me multiples of the same mandala .... But it took me so long. Blarggg!
Sure Dan. You can have it.
Ah, thanks Syd.
But, you better hang it in your tent.
I will. I will. - Said with a smile and wink.
Later that evening a uker game was requested. God damnit -- uker? Oh no they want me to play. They know how bad I am. Why do they feel the need to torture me? I ended up playing with Jeremy, Steph and Dan. Sweet Jeremy was always my partner and always encouraging. I felt bad he was always stuck with me.
Ok, so the game gets going and my plays are so idiotic it's like trying to watch a worm tie shoelaces ... Have you ever seen a worm tie shoelaces? I can imagine it would be pretty embarrassing. Well, that's how this game played out ... It was humiliating! And it didn't help that Dan was throwing verbal punches at how bad it was. I tried to suck it up, but was secretly pissed. I wouldn't lay off. This was unusual -- Dan generally didn't act like that. As soon as the game was over I got up and sort of stormed off to my tent -- I was pissed, but I didn't want them to think I was.
When I got back to my tent, I got in my jammies and zipped up in my sleeping bag. Soon after I'd turned out my light, a voice sounded:
Syd?
Yeah?
Was I too hard on you?
No!
Sorry if I was. I didn't mean to be a jerk.
I'm a big girl Dan. I can handle it.
Oh ... ok ... Night.
Silence
The next day, I felt dumb for getting upset and did my best to get over myself, so I was quiet and kept to myself most of the morning, which was unusual for me. I'm usually pretty chipper and smiley in the morning, so the fact that I had my nose buried in a book and I wasn't saying hello to everyone as they entered the weather port for b'fast, was a bit odd.
Later while I was brushing my teeth, Dan came over and asked if I was ok. I reassured him that I was fine. I was upset the previous night -- he hurt my feelings. I knew I was a terrible player and didn't want to play, but they wanted me to play. He said he felt bad and apologized again. I felt better. He was supposed to go to town that day and spend the night, so I asked if he had any plans for his evening stuck in the cabin. He said no and asked why:
Would you like to color a mandala for me since you took mine?
Sure.
Awesome -- I'll get you the supplies. Thanks Dan.
I went out with the fishing crew that day and didn't expect to see Dan when we returned, but they didn't end up going to town due to weather I believe. When I got back to camp that night, I found a beautiful mandala waiting for me with writing on the back:
To: Syd the Kid
From: Some Man Named Dan
It was perfect! I thanked Dan and immediately hung it in my tent. It was so nice waking up to that every morning.
Huevos rancheros with Dan
One morning, while Camp Happy Beaver had a crew of 9, Dan and I decided to get up super early and make breakfast for everyone. We decided on Huevos Rancheros. Dan makes amazing breakfasts, so I was really just his su chef, but it was a lot of fun. We made it with hashbrowns instead of tortillas and then added black beans, eggs, cheese, bacon, avocado and salsa. It was SO GOOD! It's making my mouth water just writing/thinking about it. Everyone loved it and to top it off, Steph made delicious blueberry muffins. Yum!
Dan cooking his bacon. Our crew ate a lot of bacon.
Voila! B'fast a la huevos rancheros. I'm ready to eat!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Mosquitoes, hives and tight leather pants
My first night at camp, a mosquito happened to bite my left eye. When I woke up the following morning, it was swollen. There wasn't a mirror in my tent so I took a bunch of pictures of myself to see how bad it was. It was pretty bad! Later I found out from my crewmates, who were trying to be polite, that they thought I had a lazy left eye...Jeez people! A lazy eye? No way -- How embarrassing!
Well, it got better. My second or third day there, we started putting in the weir, which was a full day process that required a lot of muscle. The guys did most of the intense stuff in the water like laying down fencing and pounding in metal stakes -- I filled and delivered sandbags and floating panels to where they were needed. By the end of the day, I was covered in bug bites and my face was burning. I dunked my head in the river -- SO REFRESHING -- and then kept on working. I didn't want stupid bugs to get in my way. Apparently my face was swollen and red...god, that must have been attractive. Eventually, my boss had to order me to go up to camp to get out of the bugs. Needless to say, I was slightly frustrated and upset. I was trying to make a good impression and just wanted to work. Leaving the job was the last thing I wanted to hear...In the long run, it was good that I left because while I was changing in my tent I discovered hives down my torso and my arms felt like they were wearing tight leather pants from being swollen. Later Theresa had me call a doctor for a consultation, who said I needed to get to the village clinic as soon as possible for further examination. The next day Chris and I headed to town. The ladies at the clinic were so nice and helpful. The nurse I met with gave me antihistimine blockers, which I had to take twice a day for the rest of the summer. Whew -- a quick fix.
Jeremy's mullet
Not long after Laura and I arrived did Jeremy announce he wanted to grow a mullet while in Togiak, but he needed a haircut. Who was cut out to do the job? Well, someone likely more skilled than I, but I stepped up to the challenge and boy was it challenging. Dan brought out some haircutting shears and I used a comb Laura kept in her pocket. Snip here, snip there, take out a patch above Jeremy's right ear...No big deal, right? He wanted a mullet -- I'm just shaping the sides a bit. Well, with Greg hovering over my shoulder....Actually everyone was hovering over my shoulder. Comments were made and made loudly.
"Oh my god Syd! What did you do? I told you not to cut off that much?"
"Oh! It's just hair -- it will grow back and you wanted a mullet after all."
I felt bad and Jeremy decided to have Greg finish my mess. Greg is quite skilled as a barber actually. I was impressed. It turned out well and Jeremy had a good lead on his mullet look.
Bolts and washers -- learning how to cast/fish
I'm a fisheries major at the University of Washington, but I had no idea how to fish before coming to Alaska. When I arrived I asked if someone would teach me how to fish -- I brought a cheap pole I had picked up in Dillingham and just needed some guidance. Jeremy volunteered his services -- in his normal Wisconsin life he's a substitute teacher and enjoys teaching others, so I was grateful for his willingness to help. One day while we were the only two at camp. Everyone else was out fishing and tagging, I had the day off and Jeremy was on weir duty, so I asked....
"Hey Jeremy -- will you teach me how to fish today?"
"Sure, first you need to get the hang of casting."
I didn't have any lures ... silly me, I bought a pole, but no lures. The problem was I didn't know what to get...there are so many options.
Fishing in a dress
When you think of fishermen, you probably don't picture dresses and you definitely probably don't think of fishermen wearing dresses while they fish. Well, I brought a dress with me out to field camp primarily for a presentation I had to give in Anchorage, but then decided it would be great to wear while fishing weather and mosquitoes permitting. The day had to be perfect -- unfortunately, the perfect day for such an event happened to be the same day Dan and Steph left Togiak.
The sun was warm, the bugs were mild and I was determined. So, I put on my boots, grabbed my pole, shimmied into my dress and headed for my fishing hole. Now, I didn't catch anything that time, but I had a hell of a time doing it, which is all that really matters.
Packages from Vickie and tons of mail
Everyone always gave me a hard time because whenever anyone went to town they returned with mail for me. My Aunt Vickie sent me so much mail! It was wonderful -- she sent me some cool packages and great letters. I loved getting her mail and having a pen pal. One time she sent me all of the ingredients to make a casserole dish, which was delicious. Another time she sent me mandalas, which I colored and then hung in my tent. I made one for Dan too....well, actually he took one I was coloring for myself, but made up for it by coloring one for me.
My first night at camp, a mosquito happened to bite my left eye. When I woke up the following morning, it was swollen. There wasn't a mirror in my tent so I took a bunch of pictures of myself to see how bad it was. It was pretty bad! Later I found out from my crewmates, who were trying to be polite, that they thought I had a lazy left eye...Jeez people! A lazy eye? No way -- How embarrassing!
Well, it got better. My second or third day there, we started putting in the weir, which was a full day process that required a lot of muscle. The guys did most of the intense stuff in the water like laying down fencing and pounding in metal stakes -- I filled and delivered sandbags and floating panels to where they were needed. By the end of the day, I was covered in bug bites and my face was burning. I dunked my head in the river -- SO REFRESHING -- and then kept on working. I didn't want stupid bugs to get in my way. Apparently my face was swollen and red...god, that must have been attractive. Eventually, my boss had to order me to go up to camp to get out of the bugs. Needless to say, I was slightly frustrated and upset. I was trying to make a good impression and just wanted to work. Leaving the job was the last thing I wanted to hear...In the long run, it was good that I left because while I was changing in my tent I discovered hives down my torso and my arms felt like they were wearing tight leather pants from being swollen. Later Theresa had me call a doctor for a consultation, who said I needed to get to the village clinic as soon as possible for further examination. The next day Chris and I headed to town. The ladies at the clinic were so nice and helpful. The nurse I met with gave me antihistimine blockers, which I had to take twice a day for the rest of the summer. Whew -- a quick fix.
Jeremy's mullet
Not long after Laura and I arrived did Jeremy announce he wanted to grow a mullet while in Togiak, but he needed a haircut. Who was cut out to do the job? Well, someone likely more skilled than I, but I stepped up to the challenge and boy was it challenging. Dan brought out some haircutting shears and I used a comb Laura kept in her pocket. Snip here, snip there, take out a patch above Jeremy's right ear...No big deal, right? He wanted a mullet -- I'm just shaping the sides a bit. Well, with Greg hovering over my shoulder....Actually everyone was hovering over my shoulder. Comments were made and made loudly.
"Oh my god Syd! What did you do? I told you not to cut off that much?"
"Oh! It's just hair -- it will grow back and you wanted a mullet after all."
I felt bad and Jeremy decided to have Greg finish my mess. Greg is quite skilled as a barber actually. I was impressed. It turned out well and Jeremy had a good lead on his mullet look.
Bolts and washers -- learning how to cast/fish
I'm a fisheries major at the University of Washington, but I had no idea how to fish before coming to Alaska. When I arrived I asked if someone would teach me how to fish -- I brought a cheap pole I had picked up in Dillingham and just needed some guidance. Jeremy volunteered his services -- in his normal Wisconsin life he's a substitute teacher and enjoys teaching others, so I was grateful for his willingness to help. One day while we were the only two at camp. Everyone else was out fishing and tagging, I had the day off and Jeremy was on weir duty, so I asked....
"Hey Jeremy -- will you teach me how to fish today?"
"Sure, first you need to get the hang of casting."
I didn't have any lures ... silly me, I bought a pole, but no lures. The problem was I didn't know what to get...there are so many options.
Fishing in a dress
When you think of fishermen, you probably don't picture dresses and you definitely probably don't think of fishermen wearing dresses while they fish. Well, I brought a dress with me out to field camp primarily for a presentation I had to give in Anchorage, but then decided it would be great to wear while fishing weather and mosquitoes permitting. The day had to be perfect -- unfortunately, the perfect day for such an event happened to be the same day Dan and Steph left Togiak.
The sun was warm, the bugs were mild and I was determined. So, I put on my boots, grabbed my pole, shimmied into my dress and headed for my fishing hole. Now, I didn't catch anything that time, but I had a hell of a time doing it, which is all that really matters.
Packages from Vickie and tons of mail
Everyone always gave me a hard time because whenever anyone went to town they returned with mail for me. My Aunt Vickie sent me so much mail! It was wonderful -- she sent me some cool packages and great letters. I loved getting her mail and having a pen pal. One time she sent me all of the ingredients to make a casserole dish, which was delicious. Another time she sent me mandalas, which I colored and then hung in my tent. I made one for Dan too....well, actually he took one I was coloring for myself, but made up for it by coloring one for me.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
We are Camp Happy Beaver
The next few days were spent getting a feel for camp life and getting comfortable with everyone I would be working with the next few months. The crew did a great job of making me feel welcome and showing me the ropes....I was in heaven. In spite of all of my uncertainties, I loved what I had thrown myself into. It was so exciting.
Alright, so the crew was a lively bunch and included a host of unique characters:
Steph, our crew leader, is passionate and hard-working, doesn't put up with anyone's bullshit and loves talking about her puppy dog, Cleo.
Jeremy, second in command, is a Wisconsin boy who loves Miller Light, hunting, teaching and teasing. He sure enjoyed teasing me and taught me many things including how to fish and play uker (which I am terrible at, but he was patient).
Dan's goofy sense of humor, charming laughter, great smile and overall positive attitude make this "marshmallow on toothpicks" a fabulous coworker. If he's not playing his guitar or catching 34 inch rainbow trout or attempting to beat Steph at cribbage, then he's making you smile while cooking bacon and eating avocado.
Laura is hilarious and doesn't know it half the time -- she's very stubborn and tends to do everyone else' chores for them. We got really close.
Greg was the engineer for many of our camp gadgets and enjoyed working with his hands. He loved taking naps -- lots of naps and said "eh!?" several times a day. When he wasn't working, he had his fly rod in-hand.
Chris has a background in guiding. He spent 3 years guiding on the Togiak for various lodges in Alaska and knows the system thoroughly. That man LOVES to fly fish! I don't think that statement effectively describes his obsession -- I mean he REALLY LOVES TO FISH and spent all of his free time hunting for Hog Johnson (a camp legend and 34 inch Rainbow Trout that Dan caught off the dock by camp) and painting beads.
Theresa, the project biologist and our boss, came out a couple times during the summer and always brought the sun with her and fresh produce. She was spunky, red-haired and freckled. Theresa is AWESOME -- enough said.
Throughout the summer, we had volunteers come out to work with us in Togiak, but the seven of us were the core members of the Togiak crew.
We are Camp Happy Beaver...
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Hello Togiak -- I'm Sydney
Leaving for Alaska was one of the most exciting things I've ever done -- I really had no idea what to expect in the north country, but I knew I was ready to handle any situation I encountered.
At the SeaTac airport, I awaited patiently to meet, Laura, another BBNA intern I'd be working with ... I sat at the gate searching for her, but I had no idea what she looked like. No one seemed to fit the bill when I first sat down. Then a young woman with blonde hair and rectangular glasses approached me with a friendly smile and started talking to me about camp life. She wanted to be sure I had packed plenty of non-cotton socks...The previous summer she only brought cotton clothing and had to borrow warm clothes from many of the guys out at camp...I remember thinking: this girl is very nice and so funny. She'll be great to work with and I was right.
We arrived in Anchorage and had a 5 hour layover. Our original plan was to rent bikes and go see Anchorage on one of the scenic trails, but we ended up staying at the airport and eating lunch. Soon after calling our loved ones, our flight to Dillingham was set to take off. An hour later, we were in Laura's hometown of Dillingham, which is quite small and has a large population of fisherman. We caught a ride from the airport to her mom's bed and breakfast, which was just 2 doors down from the USFWS bunkhouse where I would be staying during our week of training. I met Stacey who lives at the bunkhouse and works for the USFWS Togiak Wildlife Refuge. She was a great bunkmate -- we made spicy bbq chicken and blue cheese pizza. It was fabulous! We bonded and quickly became friends.
Once we were settled, Laura took me to meet our boss, Courtenay who supplied us with our gear and gave me a money for food. I remember being stunned by how much they gave me for the week. Could food really be that expensive? No! Laura drove me to the grocery store that night and I was taken aback by the $10 gallons of milk. I'm used to expensive groceries -- Seattle is not a cheap city, but this was ridiculous! The next week was spent training with Allen Miller and Dugan Nielson. We covered the ARPA Act, gun training (I have a picture with my moving bear target), MOCC boat training, which included boat safety, operation and maintenance, trailering and knot tying (I'm pretty good at making a bowline). It was a busy, but fun week. Laura showed me around Dillingham -- we got coffee at Bristol Express often where she once was a barista, talked to most of the residents in town (Laura knew everyone we ran into -- something I'm not used to coming from the city. It was neat).
The week concluded with final examinations and then we flew to Togiak on Saturday....This was it! We hauled all of our gear to Alaska Island Air and waited patiently for our trip. We rode in a tiny bush plane -- It was incredible. We saw moose and SO MANY LAKES! I was drooling. About 45 minutes later we arrived in the village of Togiak.
Oh goodness! I was so glad to be going with Laura. We hopped off the plane and my eyes started wandering. Hmm, people are driving ATVs, there are unpaved roads everywhere, there's a cute cabin ... hmm, there are two men driving toward us with a trailer. Could that be who is picking us up?
"Laura! Give me a hug."
"JEREMY! How ya' doin' homeslice?" -- or something to that effect.
We were greeted by Chris and Jeremy -- I thought both seemed nice and looked forward to getting to know them better over the summer. After unloading our gear, we ate some lunch, I had to jump into my waders and then we loaded up the jet boats. Oh jeez! We were headed up river -- oh man! Was this really happening? How did I get here? Unreal -- shit! (the good kind) Let's hit the water!
We had so much gear, we each had our own boat and driver. Laura rode with Jeremy and I rode with Chris. Enamored by the scenery, I ignored how cold and wet it was.
My tummy was in tangles -- I didn't know how long of a boat ride it would be before we arrived at camp. What would camp be like? I hope everyone likes me...I was nervous.
After about 40 minutes on the mainstem, we veered up a tributary called Gechiak Creek, where our camp is located. The channel was a skinny and shallow obstacle course -- one that constantly changed with rising and falling water levels. As we came around the final bend, we came up to a tall bluff where our camp sat. This was it! We were here! I made it -- Now it's time to meet everybody.
Deep breath -- we slowly ferried toward the post to tie up our boat. People came down the stairs to meet, greet and help unload.
The first person I saw was a tall, bearded, mountain-looking man. He was the first to say hello and I remember being surprised that he already knew my name. I hadn't introduced myself yet.
"Hello Sydney -- I'm Dan."
"Hi Dan -- It's nice to meet you."
whew -- that wasn't so bad.
Soon after, I met the rest of the crew and couldn't wait to learn all about them ... I could tell I was in for a great summer.
Hello Togiak -- I'm Sydney!
At the SeaTac airport, I awaited patiently to meet, Laura, another BBNA intern I'd be working with ... I sat at the gate searching for her, but I had no idea what she looked like. No one seemed to fit the bill when I first sat down. Then a young woman with blonde hair and rectangular glasses approached me with a friendly smile and started talking to me about camp life. She wanted to be sure I had packed plenty of non-cotton socks...The previous summer she only brought cotton clothing and had to borrow warm clothes from many of the guys out at camp...I remember thinking: this girl is very nice and so funny. She'll be great to work with and I was right.
We arrived in Anchorage and had a 5 hour layover. Our original plan was to rent bikes and go see Anchorage on one of the scenic trails, but we ended up staying at the airport and eating lunch. Soon after calling our loved ones, our flight to Dillingham was set to take off. An hour later, we were in Laura's hometown of Dillingham, which is quite small and has a large population of fisherman. We caught a ride from the airport to her mom's bed and breakfast, which was just 2 doors down from the USFWS bunkhouse where I would be staying during our week of training. I met Stacey who lives at the bunkhouse and works for the USFWS Togiak Wildlife Refuge. She was a great bunkmate -- we made spicy bbq chicken and blue cheese pizza. It was fabulous! We bonded and quickly became friends.
Once we were settled, Laura took me to meet our boss, Courtenay who supplied us with our gear and gave me a money for food. I remember being stunned by how much they gave me for the week. Could food really be that expensive? No! Laura drove me to the grocery store that night and I was taken aback by the $10 gallons of milk. I'm used to expensive groceries -- Seattle is not a cheap city, but this was ridiculous! The next week was spent training with Allen Miller and Dugan Nielson. We covered the ARPA Act, gun training (I have a picture with my moving bear target), MOCC boat training, which included boat safety, operation and maintenance, trailering and knot tying (I'm pretty good at making a bowline). It was a busy, but fun week. Laura showed me around Dillingham -- we got coffee at Bristol Express often where she once was a barista, talked to most of the residents in town (Laura knew everyone we ran into -- something I'm not used to coming from the city. It was neat).
The week concluded with final examinations and then we flew to Togiak on Saturday....This was it! We hauled all of our gear to Alaska Island Air and waited patiently for our trip. We rode in a tiny bush plane -- It was incredible. We saw moose and SO MANY LAKES! I was drooling. About 45 minutes later we arrived in the village of Togiak.
Oh goodness! I was so glad to be going with Laura. We hopped off the plane and my eyes started wandering. Hmm, people are driving ATVs, there are unpaved roads everywhere, there's a cute cabin ... hmm, there are two men driving toward us with a trailer. Could that be who is picking us up?
"Laura! Give me a hug."
"JEREMY! How ya' doin' homeslice?" -- or something to that effect.
We were greeted by Chris and Jeremy -- I thought both seemed nice and looked forward to getting to know them better over the summer. After unloading our gear, we ate some lunch, I had to jump into my waders and then we loaded up the jet boats. Oh jeez! We were headed up river -- oh man! Was this really happening? How did I get here? Unreal -- shit! (the good kind) Let's hit the water!
We had so much gear, we each had our own boat and driver. Laura rode with Jeremy and I rode with Chris. Enamored by the scenery, I ignored how cold and wet it was.
My tummy was in tangles -- I didn't know how long of a boat ride it would be before we arrived at camp. What would camp be like? I hope everyone likes me...I was nervous.
After about 40 minutes on the mainstem, we veered up a tributary called Gechiak Creek, where our camp is located. The channel was a skinny and shallow obstacle course -- one that constantly changed with rising and falling water levels. As we came around the final bend, we came up to a tall bluff where our camp sat. This was it! We were here! I made it -- Now it's time to meet everybody.
Deep breath -- we slowly ferried toward the post to tie up our boat. People came down the stairs to meet, greet and help unload.
The first person I saw was a tall, bearded, mountain-looking man. He was the first to say hello and I remember being surprised that he already knew my name. I hadn't introduced myself yet.
"Hello Sydney -- I'm Dan."
"Hi Dan -- It's nice to meet you."
whew -- that wasn't so bad.
Soon after, I met the rest of the crew and couldn't wait to learn all about them ... I could tell I was in for a great summer.
Hello Togiak -- I'm Sydney!
Laura and me
Camp from Gechiak Hill
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