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...