tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31822940322381973882024-03-12T19:01:59.883-07:00Dirk's Adventures in AlaskaAs my adventure continues, I find myself living in another part of Alaska, teaching new students, exploring new areas, and living a new adventure.Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-19612297573984116842014-07-06T10:36:00.001-07:002014-07-06T10:43:53.332-07:00Adventures in AnchorageSo, I know my posts have fallen short... all right, come to a complete halt recently. I just feel that I haven't done much out of the ordinary in eek lately, and I guess I've just been plain lazy.<br />
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So, I will share some of my adventures in the anchorage area to round out my summer vacation. Yesterday, Katja and I watched two quarter final World Cup games in our hotel room. By the end of the second game, we were both feeling restless and guilty for not using such a beautiful day for more outdoor ambitions.<br />
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I had to make a quick stop at REI for bear spray (I don't want to risk an encounter without it), and then we headed up to the Glen Alps parking lot to just cruise up Flat Top to stretch our legs. Apparently, all tourists are told to hike Flat Top while they are in anchorage, because the parking lot was completely full and more people were rolling in. We dicided to try a different trailhead.<br />
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checking the map and trail book a couple of times, we decided to attempt Wolverine or Near Point. The hike up starts on the Power line trail which is pretty popular and we ran into about a dozen people. As soon as it started to climb, everyone disappeared and we had the entire trail and mountain to ourselves. It was fantastic. <br />
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The hike down was painful...literally. Apparently, I never cooled down after my last ride in Maryland, when I was hustled home to avoid a t-storm. That lactic acid in my legs caused me much suffering, but we made it down. Eventually, it subsided.<br />
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Finished out the evening at Spenard Roadhouse with a fancy Moscow Mule, bacon stuffed mushrooms, and coastal cheddar grits and shrimp for dinner, and a King St. Hefeweizen for dessert!<br />
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Turned out to be quite a day! Tomorrow, the long drive to Fairbanks.<br />
<br />Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-8044727738146907262013-07-09T07:58:00.000-07:002013-07-09T07:58:42.299-07:002013 summer - part IWell, I've been here since May 31st when I got picked up at Reagan National airport by Molly and my parents. I was glad to be done with traveling for a while and I think katja would have agreed with me.<br />
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Molly, my folks and I got to spend a couple of days together before Molly had to head back to Anchorage and back to work. We did have a very interesting two days keeping the dogs at peace. Katja was surprisingly at ease with everyone, but my parents dog, Molly, was not so easily relaxed. She had to establish her authority several times and each time the situation had to be broken up. Even after Molly Cobbs and her dogs left, Molly, the dog, was on edge. (Yes I realize that between my girlfriend and my parents dog, my descriptions may be confusing). Molly (the dog) and katja actually had some altercations of their own, but after the one, katja submitted and they have been great ever since.<br />
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Almost immediately after Molly, Scout, and Cooper headed back west, I hopped on my road bike and started getting into shape. My goal for the summer was to get in at least 500 miles on the bike before I headed back west. That goal was reached with a week and a half to spare. I did a lot of riding with the crew from Shepherdstown Pedal and Paddle. I also got to ride with my buddy, Scott Gordon on one of his "recovery rides." And of course, I spent many miles by myself reaquainting myself with Washington County roads.<br />
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Other highlights and events include fishing on the river. Molly, Dad and I started fishing the river by running up to Dam #4 and got into some feeding small mouth bass. Molly caught her first couple of smallies on the river. She also got to experience Beaver Creek and Antietam Creek. She caught her first couple of trout on Antietam. There will be many more to come. Dad and I continued to fish the river by riding the bikes to specific walls and ledges on the river and fishing them in the evenings. Some nights were a little slow and some evenings were outstanding! We never did get to the big Pennsylvania trout streams. We did get up to the Savage River for a morning. Most of our fishing was definitely spent right below our house on the Potomac.<br />
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I also had an opportunity to work with DNR and do a fish shocking on Beaver Creek. I kind of want to go back and fish that a few more mornings, but there is not enough time. There are some fine<br />
brown trout residing in that spring creek. I volunteered collecting and recording measurements for the trout in the creek. Very fun!<br />
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The last part of my summer was spent down on the Eastern Shore in Kent and Queen Anne's County visiting my friends (and 2nd family) from Echo Hill Outdoor School. I met up with many people that I have not seen in many years. I also got spend a little time on the Skipjack Elsworth helping Capt. Nick and Capt. Andy put the boat away in its slip and secure it safely for next weeks group of young explorers. Thanks to Michael, Beth, and Everett (and Boe) for hosting me once again. Thanks to Rob Comfort making our annual ride to Rock Hall happen.<br />
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And now, it's time to clean up, get organized, pack up, and re-boot for the 2nd part of my vacation with Molly Cobbs. Molly and I, with all three dogs, are exploring WA, MT, and ID for a couple of weeks before we venture back up the ALCAN to Anchorage again. Looking forward to it.<br />
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<br />Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-31109403992887803312013-07-09T07:23:00.000-07:002013-07-09T07:23:28.866-07:00Driving the ALCAN - southMy vacation started on May 25th when Katja and I hopped in my car and drove out of Anchorage towards Tok, AK. I chose to take a short day and do a little more research on the roads through the Yukon and BC. After that first day, we tried to cover at least 450 miles a day. That doesn't sound like a lot, but you have to understand, the road conditions are equivalent to serious road construction that most of us have experienced in the lower 48.<br />
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Katja and I ended up camping out twice, once at Squanga Lake and again on the Sikanni river. Both offered fishing, but conditions did not produce successful fishing. Katja had a great time non the less. She is always glad to spend time outside of the car and her seat (aka her kennel). Hopefully, the fishing will be very different and much more productive on the drive back north.<br />
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We got to see an abundance of wildlife on the drive. Thankfully never too close. I was amazed at how many bison live throughout the Yukon and British Columbia. I also didn't expect to see Dall Sheep, which are more often found high in the mountains, climbing the treacherous cliffs with ease.<br />
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I did stop at Fort Nelson along the way to purchase some miscellaneous fishing gear and contact some people to let them know how the trip was going. I went to the local library and got online to touch base with Molly and my folks. <br />
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Some other highlights of the trip down were driving along the Frazer River. We also stopped in the small town of Clinton, BC (not even marked on my map) and got in touch with some people while enjoying a wonderful Dirty Chai. Shortly afterwards, we turned onto Rt. 99, also known as the Sea to Sky Highway. This was probably one of the most amazing roads I have ever driven in my life. It included some extended ascents and descents sometimes at 13-14 % grades. My little Subaru loved it! Katja probably did not, due to the windy road conditions. It had spectacular scenery!<br />
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It was only when I started approaching Vancouver that I realized I actually missed my last hotel stop, so I just kept going and finished the drive a day early by driving on to North Bend, WA to visit and regroup with my northwest friends before I finished my trip home by flying into Reagan National airport.<br />
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It was a great trip and I'm looking forward to the return trip with Molly and two more dogs.Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-30666635875173144932013-03-31T15:59:00.000-07:002013-04-02T08:46:39.250-07:00Another Contract, Another Year!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nle5ViJLIbQ/UVr9BL86_FI/AAAAAAAAAvU/xawv7ApxoJo/s1600/AKAirdog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nle5ViJLIbQ/UVr9BL86_FI/AAAAAAAAAvU/xawv7ApxoJo/s1600/AKAirdog.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a>So it is done! I've signed my contract for another teaching year in Eek, Alaska. I know...I know, I told many friends and family that this last year would be the last year. Believe me, there is much thought and deliberation that goes into deciding each year whether or not I will return. This year, I was thankful that I had Molly to bounce ideas off of and after careful consideration of where we are in our relationship and where we are personally, we decided that me staying in the bush for another year, might benefit us in the long run. Either that, or she is trying to keep her distance from the crazy bush teacher and his semi-feral dog! Katja is healthy and energetic as ever, always excited for our next adventure.<img src="webkit-fake-url://0F3BBEAC-C76B-4BA9-B5E0-F42BDAC1E5B0/imagejpeg" /><br />
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I've come to terms with my decision and feel pretty confident that it was the wise choice for me right now. I would like to tend to some unfinished business, particularly another Cross Country & NYO season, and perhaps re-starting our Future Educators of Alaska program at Eek. Maybe I'll even start playing some basketball with the adults. Probably not....<br />
I just finished a visit to Anchorage over Easter. Molly and I got to enjoy another trip down to Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, AK for some more tele skiing. The weather was very warm and there was plenty of fresh snow which made the skiing spring like. We also got to ski with some other great people that will hopefully ease my transition into a healthy social scene when I do eventually move to Anchorage. It was a very good visit. Previously in early march, we finished the Tour of Anchorage 40K freestyle ski "race." It is the farthest ski either of us have done in one outing, and we both finished wearing <img src="webkit-fake-url://ED0DC776-EFA9-4C85-BC69-2EB963B46B72/imagejpeg" /><br />
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We are also starting to get our summer plans more finalized! Quick visit back east together, then meeting up again in WA or ID for a little fishing and back country adventure, and finally making the drive back up to Anchorage together.<br />
So I guess I can say congratulations to all of you out there, because you get to live vicariously through me for another year. Despite the long intervals of blogging inactivity, the blog is not dead yet! I'll keep writing if my followers keep reading. I will try to include more pictures as well. Until next time, enjoy your spring.Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-26965942772345784452012-12-09T21:19:00.000-08:002012-12-10T14:09:26.885-08:00Salmon Return to the Classroom<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g5fxptIPul0/UMYW0xLp3UI/AAAAAAAAAtY/L2Qt12i8CWY/s1600/SalmonProj.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g5fxptIPul0/UMYW0xLp3UI/AAAAAAAAAtY/L2Qt12i8CWY/s320/SalmonProj.1.jpg" width="320" /></a>The school year holds many things to look forward to as we trudge along; back to school dance, Labor Day weekend, cross country, NYO, Halloween, haunted house fun, thanksgiving break, basketball season, Christmas and winter break. There is one other time of the school year that the students start asking about around September..."When are we getting the salmon?", "Are we getting salmon again this year?", "Are the salmon eggs here yet?" Well, the eggs arrived and the 10th graders have been caring for and monitoring the eggs since their arrival in Biology class each day. And on December 5th, we had our first alevin hatch from its cozy egg sac and squirm out into the gravel.<br />
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During the weekends I make a habit of checking the tank just to make sure things are still going well in our little 30 gallon artificial habitat, and today I noticed that the egg basket was virtually empty. That is right, there are only about 10 eggs left that did not hatch. As in nature, not all will survive and I had to pull about 10 stillborns out of the tank and dispose of them. But out of approximately 500 eyed eggs, we only had a 1-2% mortality rate. I am very pleased with the outcomes of the project thus far, to say the least.<br />
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The fish tank is going to need some more routine maintenance before Christmas break. The hatching of the eggs produces a foamy film that is toxic to the young alevin if it isn't removed, so we will have to perform some water changes to keep maintain good water quality. We still may have some alevin that don't mature or die for other reasons and these will need to be removed (turkey baster style.)<br />
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By the time we are ready to leave for winter break, the alevin should be at a stable state where they simply lie on the gravel bottom and gradually consume their giant yolk sacs attached to their abdomen. When we return from break in mid-January, we should start to see some of these alevin progressing into the next stage of development, the salmon fry stage. This is when they start venturing up into the water column and taking air from the surface to fill their swim bladders. Then they will remain in the water column getting stronger and feeding on the fish food that students add to the tank everyday.<br />
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The project will continue until the middle of May, when we have to wrap up the project and the school year in general. Look forward to more salmon posts to keep everyone updated on the progress of this awesome project and incredible learning experience for our students.Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-31649482389993437522012-12-01T14:30:00.002-08:002012-12-01T15:28:27.019-08:00Things to be Thankful forThis year for the Thanksgiving holiday, Katja and I traveled into Anchorage again. The visit was full of new surprises that left me thankful for many reasons.<br />
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1. Anchorage has more snow than most other parts of SW Alaska, which meant that I needed to drag a packed ski bag for winter fun. Molly and I got to skate ski a couple of times in some beautiful terrain. Alaska does have some of the best skiing in the U.S. that is within minutes from your door (depending where in Alaska you live). Molly also lives within a 2 minute walk from a nice sized park for letting the doggies run around. The park also has a small pond that was covered with enough snow to pack down a ski trail that we found ourselves on more than once, skiing, throwing frisbees for dogs, wrestling frisbees away from dogs, and observing doggie snow angels. We also got down to Girdwood to tele ski for a few hours at Alyeska, which honestly could have used another 24 inches of snow. It was good to jump on tele skis and make some turns. It was even nicer to watch Molly make some masterful turns on her skis. I've got a lot to learn.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i7i42BQHcZ8/ULqEoo79MYI/AAAAAAAAAs8/3Y0yR6iYbuI/s1600/IMG_0164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i7i42BQHcZ8/ULqEoo79MYI/AAAAAAAAAs8/3Y0yR6iYbuI/s320/IMG_0164.jpg" width="239" /></a>2. Katja is a little possessive of me and her things, which I guess she gets from having "only dog syndrome." None the less I was thankful and impressed with her tolerance in meeting Molly's dogs, Scout and Cooper. Scout happens to be Molly's possessive four legged friend, which caused a little tension with Katja. Unfortunately, Katja also tended to take her tension out on Cooper dog also, who is nothing but four legs of furry lovin'. There were moments of hostility, but overall the dogs seemed to get along all right and no one got injured (too badly). Hopefully, the next doggie play date will be a much faster and smoother transition towards dog BFFs.<br />
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3. My girlfriend is amazing and wonderful in so many ways. Molly has an incredible circle of friends that are very fun and outgoing. We had a wonderful dinner with her friends Stacy and Brady in their magnificent house. The following night was dinner with her friends Carrie and Craig with a short introduction to the sauna. Next time, maybe we can come ready to fully appreciate the experience. My point is that Molly is a great friend to have and people recognize that. And Molly is so willing to jump into any adventure that is thrown her way. We both tackled our first home made pies complete with home made pie crust. It may not sound like such a big deal to all you dessert aficionados, but we had our struggles (mostly me) and I'm happy to say, we worked through them beautifully and produced some fabulous pie crusts and in the end ... whole pies. We had a busy busy schedule in the beginning, but managed to slow things down and enjoy some quiet time with just the two of us ... and the doggies of course.<br />
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It was a great way to spend Thanksgiving. I hope to have many more Thanksgiving holidays that resemble this one.<br />
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I hope everyone else had an enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday where ever you were celebrating.Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-28508274641576273232012-10-23T11:26:00.000-07:002012-10-23T11:30:26.720-07:00Adventure partnerTo all my viewers that have been following my exploits in the wilderness, I finally found my adventure partner that has been missing in my life. Who knew I would have to spend 6 1/2 years in Alaska. All that time finally paid off. Due to my extreme location, I did have to rely on cyberspace to connect to this amazing woman. From the moment at which our nano-seconds aligned, we were chatting constantly for about 2 months. Then this past weekend, I got a visit from one Molly Cobbs of Anchorage. <br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7D4twhZGBdc/UIbg-ji0CQI/AAAAAAAAAsc/nrxa9yxL_Vs/s1600/blog.pic.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7D4twhZGBdc/UIbg-ji0CQI/AAAAAAAAAsc/nrxa9yxL_Vs/s320/blog.pic.jpeg" width="320" /></a>During her visit, Molly got to see many of the amazing sights in the village of Eek; many of the cozy homes and buildings through town, the Eek dump, the school and my classroom, the frozen tundra on a run with me, and a brilliant display of the stars with almost zero light pollution. We also hashed out some future adventure plans for the year. Skiing in the Chugach over Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years on the east coast, more Chugach adventures in early January, February, and hopefully March. Over the summer, there are potential hiking, camping, and of course...fishing adventures in Montana, Idaho, the NW, and Alaska. So you should expect this woman to be included in many if not all of my future adventures and I could not have hoped for a better birthday weekend.Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-86807299317708088962012-09-23T18:00:00.002-07:002012-09-23T18:07:08.914-07:00Summer UpdatesSo I decided to change the title of my blog to something a little less cheesy. It may not be as glamorous as other blogs out there, but I'm not a literary genius by any means. Plus, I'm not sure people are looking a philosophical or spiritual journey as you peruse through my ramblings in life.<br />
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I also thought I would give people an overdue update on what I've been up, so here it goes. My summer started out with me getting licensed for driving a motorcycle. That's right, I'm road certified. It's probably going to be while before I own a bike, but some day I will enjoy the freedom of the open road on a motorcycle. I chose to purchase a car instead, because it was more practical and I couldn't find motorcycle with a side car for Katja. Once I had the car, the miles just starting ticking off. A week on the Eastern Shore visiting friends, day fishing trips with Dad, and finally, my trip out west. My first stop was Ohio to visit my dear friend Erin Schalk. We kicked it in Uhrichsville, OH for a few days and then headed to Sheridan, IL to pick up our former colleague, Traci Buckle. I got to do a little bass fishing in Sheridan to help satisfy my fly fishing addiction. Then onto Hayward, WI for another friend's wedding. Rachel and John's wedding was awesome and hanging with friends from LKSD and Seattle in a quaint cabin near the Namekagon River was incredible.<br />
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After the wedding, Erin and I said farewell for now and continued west through S. Dakota. A quick detour through the Black Hills area for lunch and a sneak view of Mt. Rushmore and our compass guided us farther into Wyoming and eventually into the Montana. By the way, Cassie's Steak House in Cody, WY is definitely a place you want to stop for dinner. Once we got into Montana, my anticipation of more fishing starting giving me the shakes and tremors. We had to swing through Yellowstone Nat. Park and see the sights. We entered the park from the east and drove up to the Northern end of the park and then out through West Yellowstone, MT. There we stocked up on some light groceries and headed up the Gallatin River towards the Greek Creek Campsite where we spent an evening, me fishing and Erin relaxing with Katja and watching me fish. About a dozen trout later and a good nights sleep, we headed over to the Madison River and I proceeded to get skunked by the mighty trout that lie in Quake Lake. Then it was onto Gig Harbor, WA where we stayed with Erin Kavanaugh and tried to accept the inevitable. Erin was catching a plane back to OH, where she was going to be getting ready for her own adventure in Abu Dabi, teaching at an all girls, private school.<br />
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I, on the other hand, still had to drive to Bellingham, WA to catch a ferry that would take me to Haines, AK. I stopped at REI and made it to the ferry with plenty of time to spare. Katja and I got loaded onto the ferry and then started exploring the deck of the boat only to quickly realize that dogs had to stay in the car deck. Needless to say, Katja had cramped quarters for 3 days while we sailed up the inland passage of SE Alaska. She seemed to handle it okay, but I could tell it was getting to her. I was enjoying deck lodging in my tent, which stayed fairly dry despite all the wind and rain we received. We stopped in Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau, and finally Haines. Katja and I almost missed the boat on our first stop in Ketchikan. Literally, it was so close, we almost got turned away from the ferry, which would have meant we buy plane tickets and meet up with the ferry farther along its journey. But, we made it and we made sure we stayed closer to the ferry terminal from that moment on.<br />
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When we got to Haines, we investigated the town a little and decided to stay a night to fish and camp before we jumped back into the car for more cramped quarters. I got some good tips on the Chilkoot River, so we headed up to the nearby campsite and fished the river for fresh Sockeye salmon. That was an amazing experience. Strong current and strong, finicky fish kept my adrenalin pumping. Although, after one night, we were ready to hit the road and make the long trek around the Alcan, up into Canada, back into AK, through Tok, Alaska, and then down to Anchorage. We took two days and tried to relax and enjoy the scenery. It was absolutely beautiful, despite the road surface that tested every ounce of my new car's suspension. I did receive one nice chip in my windshield, a formal welcome to the Alcan from Alaska. We spent the night in Tok and also spent some money at Fast Eddy's restaurant. On the drive down from Tok, I saw a Black bear with two cubs. Katja was asleep.<br />
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We finally made it down to Anchorage, where we stopped briefly to resupply, then continued south towards the Kenai Penn. We found a couple campsites near the Russian River and fished that for a couple of days. I found out that Katja does not have the same enthusiasm for fishing that I do, because after 6 hours on the river, she decided to head back down to the car. Therefore, I had to follow. She would not turn around and come when I called. She was done. So, I had to leave her in the car for the rest of my Russian River adventures. Fishing on the Russian was fantastic. I caught many nice rainbows on dry flies.<br />
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After 3 days at Cooper's Landing, I headed back up to Anchorage to do some laundry and clean myself up a little before heading back to Bethel and eventually, Eek...aka home. The Subaru handled the whole trip just fine. Now she is resting and awaiting our next adventure at Agen's Garage. I'm looking forward to breaking her out and hitting the snow covered roads along the Seward Highway seeking fresh powder for Katja and I to play in.<br />
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Well, I think that wraps it up for now. Sorry I waited so long and made this post soooooooo long. Non the less, I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time, stay adventurous.Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-5936498219317886602012-04-26T18:00:00.000-07:002012-04-26T18:00:19.940-07:00Spring Update<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zhz6rWyq2Wg/T5nsmAr6G9I/AAAAAAAAArE/VLrTOrczLVE/s1600/Chugach-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zhz6rWyq2Wg/T5nsmAr6G9I/AAAAAAAAArE/VLrTOrczLVE/s320/Chugach-1.jpg" width="320" /></a>This spring has brought many new adventures that have taken me to new levels of accomplishment in both skiing and living off the land. I'll focus this post on skiing. Back in late February, I joined a group of skiers as for the Sugar Ridge Back Country Tour which was put on by NSAA (Nordic Ski Association of Anchorage). I don't own any Tele skis or back country equipment except for an emergency shovel, so I rented some gear from AMH (Alaska Mountaineering and Hiking) and made some other purchases from REI, including an avalanche probe and avalanche beacon. The group I was with included about 6 members of the NSAA back country ski patrol and avalanche safety instructors. Needless to say, I felt that I was in good hands and no one would leave me in the back country. We had a great day of skiing and were completely exhausted by the time we returned to the cars.<br />
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I returned to Anchorage again in early April only this time, Katja was along for the adventure and I was my own back country guide. Again, I rented gear from AMH and talked to some locals at REI to figure out where I could go. I was led to the Ram Valley, near Eagle River, which turned out to be a day of steep climbing and bushwhacking. That's what I get for trying to find my own way up a mountain. Katja and I met an unexpected ski buddy, Lyra, that followed us all the up and back down to the car.<br />
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The next day, I decided to follow someone else's tracks so I drove down the Seward Highway to a popular ski area called "Tin Can." The lower part of the mountain was very crusty, but the upper sections were nice and powdery and the weather was very sunny, so things started to really soften up by noon. I made it near the top of the front face and decided I was high enough. <br />
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Great adventure! I think I discovered my new winter passion, Back country tele skiing. That means two things. One, I get to buy more gear and Two, I get to visit the Anchorage area more often. Both are pluses.<br />
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And finally, I apologize for keeping my followers in suspense for so long.Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-28843405206528119782011-01-04T06:40:00.000-08:002011-01-04T14:43:26.038-08:00Productive Christmas Break!Christmas break has been truly wonderful this year. I decided that I wasn't going to drive up and down the east coast (all right, MD and PA) trying to visit everyone I knew like I did last year. I just spent some quality time with my folks and some friends that were actually visiting the area as well including some that just live here.<br />Here are some of the things that I got accomplished during my Christmas break.<br />1. - Got my parents wireless router to work so that I may update FB and the blog from anywhere in the house on my computer or i-pod touch.<br /><br />2. - Convinced my Dad<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TSOfSls6ycI/AAAAAAAAAqw/gc0cmxsOM7s/s1600/IMG_0235.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TSOfSls6ycI/AAAAAAAAAqw/gc0cmxsOM7s/s320/IMG_0235.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558461506812299714" border="0" /></a> that he needed a new computer and then further convinced him that the computer he should purchase is a new i-mac.<br /><br />3. - Purchased wooden <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TSOfNMGMHsI/AAAAAAAAAqo/LLQEs4ln4u0/s1600/IMG_0233.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TSOfNMGMHsI/AAAAAAAAAqo/LLQEs4ln4u0/s320/IMG_0233.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558461414039625410" border="0" /></a>dowel (1 inch) and molded, widdled, sanded, and treated 4 identical Indian Stick Pull sticks for Eek school that will be used in our home NYO meet in early March.<br /><br /><br />4. - Went to church ... one time!<br /><br /><br />5. - Helped my parents select a new 10 month old puppy, Miss Molly McWiggles. (as mentioned in previous blog postings).<br /><br />6. - Six 3 - 5 mile runs along the C & O canal/Potomac River with Katja.<br /><br />6.5 - Went on a couple of bike rides (once on rollers)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TSOgNlxMJQI/AAAAAAAAAq4/G2xMa_Hi_9c/s1600/IMG_0243.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TSOgNlxMJQI/AAAAAAAAAq4/G2xMa_Hi_9c/s200/IMG_0243.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558462520442496258" border="0" /></a><br />7. - Received a free professional full body massage from my good friend, Aimee Grahe.<br /><br />8. - Visited a woman who is possibly looking for a new home for her 7 year old male Husky named Maverick. Alaska...Katja's house??? An update will follow.<br /><br /><br />9. - Participated in my AK Math Consortium class.<br /><br />10. - Brought in 2011 with good friends, good beers, and good times.<br /><br />10.5 - Got to catch up with some high school friends from 20 years ago. Thanks Jimmy, Carrie, Billy, and Gaver.<br /><br />11. - Visited my Grandparents and some other relatives in PA.<br /><br />12. - Managed to catch a couple of beautiful trout.<br /><br />All in all, a very productive Christmas break.<br />Hope you all had a nice Christmas holiday as well.<br />Thanks for reading.Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-88265568422294477522010-12-28T07:28:00.000-08:002010-12-28T10:13:58.774-08:00Little Miss Molly McWigglesThis Christmas was extra special for the Martin family this year. As Dad and I were doing some Christmas shopping, Dad suggested that we swing by the Human Society and take a look at what kinds of lab mixes they had. I rarely pass up a chance to check out unwanted or abused pets that need a good home. As we walked around looking at the various mutts that were kenneled up some looking excited and friendly, and some looking wary and very skeptical, we saw <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TRoX7EF9pNI/AAAAAAAAAqI/sA8xpxW6GNk/s1600/IMG_0177.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TRoX7EF9pNI/AAAAAAAAAqI/sA8xpxW6GNk/s320/IMG_0177.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555779393793402066" border="0" /></a>about three dogs that may fit the picture at the Martin household. Then I came across this scrawny but friendly African wild dog looking wiggling pup standing in the middle of her kennel trying to determine if she could trust me or not. About ten seconds later, she was pressing up against the chain link so I could pet her more. Then she sat back against the wall and waited to see who would come around and say "Hi" to her next. She had been in the kennel for about 5 - 8 days and had 2 - 3 p<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TRooKiMy82I/AAAAAAAAAqY/SPcSmGNHS6A/s1600/IMG_0185.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TRooKiMy82I/AAAAAAAAAqY/SPcSmGNHS6A/s320/IMG_0185.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555797251759207266" border="0" /></a>eople interested in her. My Dad agreed with my selection of a possible dog and we filled out the paper work for possible adoption.<br />Two days later, we brought both Mom and Katja back to visit her and see how everyone would get along. Holly, recently changed to Molly, had just gotten out of surgery, so she was pretty mellow. Katja had greeted her long enough to get annoyed with "in your face" puppy behavior. Mom really took a liking to her as well. By the end of our visit, including extensive paper work, she had officially become ours.<br />Molly has been at the house for almost a full week now and she is getting along <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TRoogirlW1I/AAAAAAAAAqg/85nX_5AdJeI/s1600/PC280244.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TRoogirlW1I/AAAAAAAAAqg/85nX_5AdJeI/s320/PC280244.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555797629845461842" border="0" /></a>pretty well. Katja maintained her distance during this time and whenever annoyed would retreat to my bedroom upstairs to escape. Recently, they have been playing more inside and out. Poor Molly gets rolled over and over again as they tear around the yard. They have developed a mutual respect for each other. Molly has learned how to interact with Katja without getting snapped at and Katja has been much more receptive to Molly's p<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TRoj-C_bPkI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/OzLxjkoGyko/s1600/IMG_0215.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TRoj-C_bPkI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/OzLxjkoGyko/s320/IMG_0215.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555792639176687170" border="0" /></a>uppiness during the last couple of days.<br />Dad loves the dog because of her loyal nature and her level of intelligence. She now responds to "Molly" and will seat, stay, and heal pretty consistently. She also has a mellow nature and spends a lot of time either curled up in front of the fire place or stretched out in the sunniest part of the house napping or just observing the mindless interactions and goings on of us humans. She is learning that her kennel is where she sleeps at night and freely goes in on her own accord now. During the night, she still wakes up and starts whining and asking to get some attention. A quick reprimand, a little tough love, and she usually quiets down again. She still does have the occasional accident in the house, which is also troubling to my Dad. It's been 12 years since he has had to train a puppy. I won't say that "you can't", but it is "hard to teach old dogs new tricks." They do like to take a little nappy nap time each afternoon. Dad's best friend.Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-1004927201719194742010-12-09T14:33:00.000-08:002010-12-10T15:47:57.553-08:00I love my LeathermanSome of you may know that I am the proud owner of a snow machine (snow mobile) now, a four year old Yamaha Venture Lite. Some of you may also know that I don't always stay on the road, stay within the lines, follow the crowd. So last night, I decide to take my machine out and run Katja. It also goes without saying that my students have been excited to follow me on the new ride out over the frozen tundra. Luckily, one of my students decided to follow me last night. As I cruised out the trail, I decided to check out a little short cut that I noticed last year. As I approached the the little short cut, I noticed that it was drifted over and there was not a trail cut through the area as there was the previous year. I stopped to right on the edge of the drop off, which was only about 2 - 3 feet, and decided to back up and go around. Unfortunately, my "tank" of a snow machine didn't want to back up and started digging into the deep snow. So, the only other way was to plunge ahead and make for the best. Upon arriving to the scene, the first words out of my student's mouth was OMG - what have you done? <br /><br />To make a long story short, I got stuck among the willows in the drop and had to use my student's assistance to run back to my house for a shovel and my leatherman. Returning to the disaster, I quickly cut the willows away from my machine with the saw of my leatherman and then did a little digging to where I could lift the front of the machine around, which enabled me to drive out of the ditch. I love my leatherman! My machine might still be in the ditch if I didn't the WAVE to help quickly clear and free it from the willow branches.<br /><br />I imagine that most first time snow machine owners have done something stupid like this and had to learn from their experiences. I'm sure that won't be the last time I have to call on someone's assistance to get me out of a jam with my new toy. I'm just glad that I didn't roll it over. My Yamaha is very heavy and I don't think that I would be able to flip it right side up again. <br />Lessons for the day:<br />1. Keep the rubber side down.<br />2. Stay out of the ditch.<br />3. Always carry a leatherman.<br /><br />Stay tuned for more adventure from ... Qasaq with a snow machine.Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-2332470401553446912010-12-05T15:49:00.000-08:002010-12-05T16:26:57.226-08:00The alevin are coming! The alevin are coming!In mid-November, the Eek junior high and high school students started incubating salmon in the classroom as part of their science classes. For the first couple of weeks, the students just monitored the eggs as the embryos squirmed around inside. Keep in mind, at this stage, we could see the embryos, particularly their eyes, inside the eggs. Around November 28th, we started noticing some of the eggs hatching and alevin (salmon embryos) emerging. We currently have about 60 - 70 alevin s<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TPwtoFYzyyI/AAAAAAAAAp8/1TkUtQaSGlg/s1600/EekAlevin.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 155px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TPwtoFYzyyI/AAAAAAAAAp8/1TkUtQaSGlg/s320/EekAlevin.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547359007677860642" border="0" /></a>quirming around the bottom of the fish tank. Some have swam out of the basket that holds the eggs in the tank. Many are still mixed in with the remaining eggs that haven't hatched yet. The early hatching of the eggs came as a little bit of a surprise. We were anticipating the eggs hatching around the middle of December. Apparently, the hatchery in Anchorage sends out eggs that have been fertilized a slightly different times and have been developing longer than others. Therefore, we witnessed eggs hatching right around 400 ATUs, which is normal for Coho salmon. I am expecting that we will still have some eggs that haven't hatched by the middle of December, but most of them should be hatched. Keeping my fingers crossed.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TPwrNC4xC6I/AAAAAAAAAp0/uEkh621z4Rk/s1600/Salmon%2Bhelpers.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TPwrNC4xC6I/AAAAAAAAAp0/uEkh621z4Rk/s320/Salmon%2Bhelpers.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547356344126868386" border="0" /></a><br />The students have been very willing to help maintain the water quality of the tank and to help remove eggs that died before hatching as well as some alevin that didn't fully emerge from the eggs and thus died. When the alevin start hatching, the embryonic fluid inside the eggs starts to build up and create a foamy layer on the top of the water. This is a critical period of time for maintenance and doing water changes to minimize the amount of foam in the water. These embryos require very high water quality and will die if toxins build up and don't get cleared out. In the natural environment, this embryonic fluid flows on downstream and allows the alevin to develop in the fresh water.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TPwq2PRyjmI/AAAAAAAAAps/uoPqjtzbswU/s1600/Mad_Alevin.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 204px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TPwq2PRyjmI/AAAAAAAAAps/uoPqjtzbswU/s320/Mad_Alevin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547355952316059234" border="0" /></a><br />Thankfully, the alevin do not need much maintenance after they have hatched. The carry a giant yolk sac, like some grotesque, over-extended stomach. This is their food supply for the next 4 weeks. So when I return from Christmas break in early January, I will most likely find that some of the alevin have "buttoned up", meaning they have used up their yolk sac and will be looking to start feeding in the water column. During this time, the salmon fry will shoot to the surface and take in gulps of air to help inflate their swim bladder, which will enable them to maintain their buoyancy level in the water column. The tank will take on a whole new look. Then again, since this is my first experience in raising salmon in the classroom, I'm not really sure what to expect when I get back to my classroom. We'll have to wait and see.<br />Stayed tuned!Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-29615200682844362812010-11-24T13:28:00.000-08:002010-11-24T14:35:08.226-08:00Temperature Fluctuations - Only outsideI don't know if it's global warming that causes this region to always have a warm spell hit this time of year, or if it's just a natural cycle that I need to get used to. I do know that one weekend, I'm waxing skis and getting ready to hit the trails and the next weekend, I'm wiping mud off my boots and sweating in the classroom. It has warmed up, above freezing, for the past week, ever since the NYO team went to Chefornak one and a half weeks ago. And it's been raining almost non stop since then. Now, today it is finally cooling off below freezing again. There is still some light precipitation, but oh oh oh... only if all that precip we had earlier had been snow. We would wading through snow drifts up to our waists. Oh well, I guess we will have to wait a couple of weeks again.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TO2RCLL3hNI/AAAAAAAAApM/v1RgMjPyhME/s1600/PB170229.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TO2RCLL3hNI/AAAAAAAAApM/v1RgMjPyhME/s320/PB170229.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543246182911280338" border="0" /></a><br /><br />One place that the temperature has been very stable is in our school's new Salmon Incubation Tank. Yes, we set up the tank on the 13th and 14th in preparation for the arrival of 500 Coho salmon eggs. I had four students, two high schoolers and two middle schoolers help set up the filtration system, cooling system, add the water, and insulate the outside of the tank. Then on Tuesday evening, we received our shipment of salmon eggs. Again, students helped to safely transfer the eggs from their chilled shipping environment to the tank water, which had been chilled to approximately 8 degrees C. (46.4 degrees F.) When I checked the eggs the next morning, there was only one casualty. I safely removed the dead egg with a turkey baster, and since then, all the eggs look viable.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TO2RV_2BX2I/AAAAAAAAApU/S-Td6fZIudg/s1600/PB170230.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TO2RV_2BX2I/AAAAAAAAApU/S-Td6fZIudg/s320/PB170230.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543246523464245090" border="0" /></a><br />My students then had to calculate the estimated time the "eyed" eggs would hatch. I wanted them to hatch close to our departure for Christmas break, so that we wouldn't have to worry about maintenance of the tank while we were gone. The egg development depends mostly on the temperature that we keep the water. Students have been measuring the water temperature everyday and calculating the ATUs (Accumulated Thermal Units). Coho salmon eggs hatch usually around 450 - 500 ATUs. Today, we calculated that the eggs have 371.5 ATUs at this time. We lowered the temperature of our tank to 7 degrees C. (44.6 degrees F.) so that the eggs would hatch around Dec. 11 - 13 and we would have enough time to do the 3 - 4 water changes necessary to maintain good water quality. During this time, we will lower the temperature of the tank down to 4 - 5 degrees C. in order to lower the biological activity.<br /><br />While we are on Christmas break, the Alevin will be hiding deep in the rocks of the tank, slowly absorbing their gigantic yolk sacs. When they finally "button up", they will emerge from the rocks again and be free swimm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TO2R6xqDvGI/AAAAAAAAApc/wAnzmgzB62A/s1600/PB170233.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TO2R6xqDvGI/AAAAAAAAApc/wAnzmgzB62A/s320/PB170233.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543247155311131746" border="0" /></a>ing salmon fry.<br /><br />Overall, the students are pretty excited about the project. I usually don't have to ask for volunteers to help with maintenance and data recording for the tank. It actually presents another factor of classroom management that I have to deal with. Students love to just sit there and watch the "Salmon TV."<br /><br />So stayed tuned for updates on Eek School's Salmon Incubation Project.<br />Thanks for reading!<br /><br />DirkDirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-65444106060133083352010-11-08T08:44:00.000-08:002010-11-08T09:09:41.838-08:00Getting Ready for Winter Fun<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TNguf7BvWHI/AAAAAAAAApE/lXyJBzW8EcU/s1600/PA310163.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TNguf7BvWHI/AAAAAAAAApE/lXyJBzW8EcU/s320/PA310163.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537226867807836274" border="0" /></a><br />Well the temperature has dipped below the freezing mark. We actually got snow back in the end of September. It didn't last long. I believe the current snow will be here until April.<br /><br />So in preparation, I set up the ski waxing station and prepped my skate skis for my second season of ski fitness. I am very much an intermediate skier and even less experienced at waxing, but I was very happy with the outcome of my wax job this time. Waxing skis is a very detailed and scientific process. There are numerous different waxes for specific temperature ranges. There is wax for new snow and old snow. There is high temperature (iron temp) flourocarbon wax and lower grade wax that you have to apply more often. And its pretty darn expensive. Yeah, leave it to me to find an expensive hobby.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TNguFwhSVcI/AAAAAAAAAo8/lqBqinMgVEo/s1600/PB050167.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TNguFwhSVcI/AAAAAAAAAo8/lqBqinMgVEo/s320/PB050167.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537226418310763970" border="0" /></a><br />All this will hopefully lead me to be geared up for the Tour of Anchorage again this coming spring. 25 Kilometers of rolling, scenic, perfectly groomed ski trails around Anchorage. Last year, my first year, I was brutally humbled at my lack of fitness and my lack of preparation of enough fluids and energy food. This year, I hope to crush my time from last year.<br /><br />More importantly, these preparations with the skis is getting Katja very excited for another season of skijoring. We actually went out on Saturday this weekend, although the amount of snow was a little lacking for skis just yet. I know this because I fell a couple of times due to my skis hitting rocks just under the snow. I fell hard. I have a bruise on my hip and a mangled elbow to prove it. But that will heal and leave me stronger and more armored for the rest of the season.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TNgtxauqM1I/AAAAAAAAAo0/IRMHMjRZ1aI/s1600/PB050166.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TNgtxauqM1I/AAAAAAAAAo0/IRMHMjRZ1aI/s320/PB050166.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537226068863890258" border="0" /></a><br />So for now, my fingers are crossed for more snow and suitable temperatures for outdoor fun and adventure. I do have a snow machine (snow mobile) this year as well, so that will be beckoning me to head out for longer adventures. I might even be able to scoot over to Quinhagak (35 miles away) to ski with some friends there.<br /><br />And with that, I wish you all a wonderful winter with bountiful amounts of snow and sunshine. Happy Trails,<br />Dirk and KatjaDirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-53213653030704042542010-11-08T08:27:00.000-08:002010-11-08T08:43:31.144-08:00Salmon WorkshopHi all,<br />This event is actually quite old by now, but it is still worth posting. I had the great opportunity of venturing to Fairbanks for 4 days and attending a workshop to bring Salmon into the Classroom. It is a salmon incubation project to help expand the awareness and educate students about this amazing and extremely valuable Alaska resource. <br /><br />We learned about some incredible information <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TNgoaGP8xII/AAAAAAAAAos/zHsr3ABTEq0/s1600/P9230134.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TNgoaGP8xII/AAAAAAAAAos/zHsr3ABTEq0/s320/P9230134.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537220170671244418" border="0" /></a>regarding ocean acidification, cultural history, life cycles of the different salmon species, and a host of great resources on line to enhance and supplement curriculum in all areas of education. We were actively engaged in many classroom activities related to salmon migrations, human impacts on salmon populations, and salmon anatomy.<br /><br />I got lucky and was able to come back home with a complete kit for the Salmon Incubation Project and will be receiving 500 Coho (silver) Salmon eggs on Nov. 16th. My middle and high school students will then be in charge of caring for the eggs until they hatch and raising the young salmon fry until the end of the year. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TNgoGQCamfI/AAAAAAAAAok/ZTIG60PaiSU/s1600/P9230127.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TNgoGQCamfI/AAAAAAAAAok/ZTIG60PaiSU/s320/P9230127.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537219829701450226" border="0" /></a><br />Unfortunately, we will have to destroy the young smolt at the end of the school year, but next year I hope to take the project to the next level and actually collect eggs from our local Eek River. Then we can release the salmon smolt back into the Eek River again at the end of the year.<br />It was a very exciting and rewarding workshop and I am very "egg"cited to get started with our project. The students are excited too and keep asking me about when we are getting the eggs.<br /><br />Stay tuned as I will try to write some posts on our progress with the project.<br />Until next time...Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-49534334617204411652010-09-29T22:55:00.000-07:002010-09-29T23:32:21.702-07:00New Digs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TKQuviwPDbI/AAAAAAAAAoc/yDSc_45Avco/s1600/Living+room.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 186px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TKQuviwPDbI/AAAAAAAAAoc/yDSc_45Avco/s320/Living+room.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522590437380918706" border="0" /></a><br />When I left Eek last year, I had moved myself out of the new teacher 4-plex and into more modest living quarters. It is still very homey and I have a place to myself again, which I happen to prefer right now. I also only have to worry about Katja chewing up my belongings and not anyone else's. Most recently, she chewed up my new stereo remote.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TKQsQ9641oI/AAAAAAAAAoE/TNEZ0Rvx5Rs/s1600/Kitchen.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TKQsQ9641oI/AAAAAAAAAoE/TNEZ0Rvx5Rs/s320/Kitchen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522587713074157186" border="0" /></a><br />Some other perks about my new living arrangement are ...<br />1. I get my own laundry appliances. I don't have to share with anyone else. After all, I am an<br />only child.<br />2. I can play music as loud and as late into the night as I want and no one complains about it.<br />Katja may not like it too much, but she doesn't complain.<br />3. I now have cable T.V. as well. This could be one of my downfalls this year. As my friends can tell you, when I watch T.V., nothing else gets done. Conversation is lost. I truly zone out. Like a zombie. Until I fall asleep. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TKQs0duXlvI/AAAAAAAAAoM/98pu1CZn4yk/s1600/spare+bedroom-fly+room.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TKQs0duXlvI/AAAAAAAAAoM/98pu1CZn4yk/s320/spare+bedroom-fly+room.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522588322907002610" border="0" /></a>It's not something I am particularly proud of.<br />4. I can clean as often as I like...which ends up being less often than I should most of the time. I<br />do clean up eventually.<br />5. If I burn dinner, no one else knows about it. It happens to everyone once in a while.<br />6. I have a spare bedroom that I reserve for guests of the school, friends, and a place to store my fly fishing equipment and tie flies.<br /><br />My classes this year are exciting as well. I'm teaching 7th and 8th grade math, science, and health/P.E. and High School Biology, Algebra, and Alaska Studies. I enjoy teaching High School level classes, although I do feel more pressure for getting grades in for transcripts and such. Things are going pretty smoothly. I have 15 middle school students and 10 high school students. I definitely deserve to have some smaller class sizes after teaching 23 students last year that ranged from 4th to 8th grade...for every class...all day long. Last year was rough. I am taking on more responsibility as well this year. I coach Cross - Country in the fall which starts up on the first day of school. I also coach our NYO (Native Youth Olympics) team in the fall and spring. I am also acting as the Athletic Director this year for all sports. I am feeling good about the roles that I'm taking on this. I just don't want to have to be the acting Site Administrator if need be. I will gladly let someone else take on<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TKQtZAiXT-I/AAAAAAAAAoU/uvkQhbC1S7Q/s1600/Eek+on+river.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/TKQtZAiXT-I/AAAAAAAAAoU/uvkQhbC1S7Q/s320/Eek+on+river.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522588950727184354" border="0" /></a> that responsibility.<br /><br />The last picture here is a view of my village along the banks of the Eek River. The river is tidal here and in order to catch fish, one has to travel up river about 15 - 20 miles. This fall has been particularly rainy, so the river levels have been extraordinarily high and the fishing has been pretty bad...at least for me. Therefore my world is far from perfect. I hope to get some fishing in before the fall season is over. Stay tuned.Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-84195109606824476032010-04-24T18:53:00.000-07:002010-04-24T19:27:12.876-07:00Spring is in the airI say this, but we will still have mornings of 23 degrees F. and occasional snow squalls. For the most part, spring has arrived and the winter season is slowly trickling away. Each day gets up to about 40 - 50 degrees now and more and more snow disappears for another 8 or 9 months. With the temperatures warming throughout the region a couple of things happen.<br /><br />1. Ptarmigan start to appear and you can hear them clucking and laughing across the tundra in all directions. They still have their white winter foliage for now, but they will be quickly molting and starting to adapt to their brownish environment again. I actually got out a couple of weeks ago with a couple of students and bagged 3 - 4 ptarmigan. They will go nicely in a stir fry or stew. With the ptarmigan out, the students are itching for the end of each school day to rip across the tundra on their snow machines or 4 wheelers with their 22 rifles or 20 gauge shotguns to bag as many of tundra chickens as possible. They usually have to travel at least 3 - 4 miles to find descent sized flocks of birds to hunt.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/S9On48NiKII/AAAAAAAAAnk/8pOJ0JUL2os/s1600/P4220081.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/S9On48NiKII/AAAAAAAAAnk/8pOJ0JUL2os/s320/P4220081.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463895369607948418" border="0" /></a><br />2. All that wonderful white stuff is melting and running into giant puddles and mini lakes across the landscape. The actual lakes are still quite frozen, but the top layer melts more and more each day the sun shines down it. This gives the kids an excellent opportunity to go "skipping" or "sliding" on their snow machines across these water covered pieces of ice. So, all evening long, the intermittent screaming of snow machines can be heard as they race across the water. If you keep your speed up high enough, you won't sink and swamp your snow machine. Even if you did, there isn't any real danger of sinking to the bottom of a lake...yet. That day will be coming soon and each day, the risk increases.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/S9OoNDJjiuI/AAAAAAAAAns/B6UKu-u1qcY/s1600/P4220083.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/S9OoNDJjiuI/AAAAAAAAAns/B6UKu-u1qcY/s320/P4220083.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463895715067693794" border="0" /></a><br />3. The snow is really mostly gone already. There are occasional patches of the white stuff left, but most of the trails that were used in the winter are now turning to torn up strips of tundra moss, blueberry, blackberry, and cranberry plants, and other types of vegetation. We actually had an elder gentleman from the village visit several classrooms in the school and talk about reducing the human impact on the fragile tundra by staying off of it with machines. And just like kids everywhere, there are always some that ignore the wisdom and advise of adults and do whatever the heck they want. The fact is that the tundra does an incredible job of bouncing back. This has been happening for years now and each fall when I return, the tundra has returned to it's springy, supersaturated carpet of vegetation. It's still sad to see the condition of this ecosystem as the season changes from winter to spring and no one wants to put their machine away for the summer and fall. They are just to darn fun!<br /><br />Walking across the tundra with Katja on our daily explorations is kind of nice this time of year. You definitely need your muck boots to keep your feet dry, but with the permafrost still pretty shallow, you can walk across some more swampy areas rather easily. Katja usually finds about 12 - 15 bones that have been covered up by the snow and will find a spot to settle down and gnaw on the skeletons of the dead every so often. I've taken to walking because... obviously I can't ski (much to my dismay) and I don't feel like trashing my bike in the muck. The running shoes will be broken out soon enough.<br /><br />Time is ticking away for the school year! In another 28 days, Katja and I will be walking barefoot on the grass around my folks home in Maryland or running the C&O canal along the Potomac River. Looking forward to it.Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-76206224743351029102010-04-04T13:37:00.000-07:002010-04-04T14:05:17.577-07:00Skijoring on the Tundra<object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10675526&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10675526&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/10675526">Untitled</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2827173">DirkMartin</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br />Well winter is dragging on. Not that I'm complaining about it. I'm actually glad that we still have enough snow for skiing. This video is from two weeks ago when I went out early in the morning and just kept on going. I got out to this video site and rested for a while playing with my camera set up. Then I just continued on to a nearby fish camp on the Eek River. I was still feeling fresh, so I went about another 1 1/2 miles up river and then turned around. Looking at my GPS, I figured I skied about 15 miles total that day. It was the longest distance I've skate skiied since the race in Anchorage. When I got home, I laid around the house nursing my sore, tired muscles and my new blisters from my boots. Katja slept for the rest of the day. I love my skate skis!<br />I'm not looking forward to the snow leaving us here, but it's going to happen sooner than later. It will be interesting to see what happens in Eek. I imagine that things will turn pretty swampy and marshy, but it still won't be as bad as my experience in Toksook Bay last spring. There, I lived in one of the lowest areas in the village and basically had a small river running past my house and emptying into a small pond just below my house that almost flooded my knee high boots when I waded through it. Hopefully that will not be my experience here in Eek.<br />On a brighter note, the warming temps will bring the Ptarmigan out of their winter hiding. I hope to take the bike or skis, which ever is more efficient, or buy gas for one of our students to take me on a snow machine. Either way, I want to do some hunting. Ptarmigan is really good in stews and stir fry. Since my salmon supply is almost gone, I need to look for other bounty of the Delta. I'll keep you posted. Hope you enjoyed watching the video as much as I did making it.<br />Thanks for reading,<br />Dirk and KatjaDirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-5177759542348586752010-03-15T12:38:00.000-07:002010-03-15T16:45:49.982-07:00My First "Last Great Race"I've been in Alaska for almost 4 years now and have yet to see a dog mushing race. So, when a couple of friends mentioned that they were going in for the <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/S57BZkEQUaI/AAAAAAAAAnE/K3JCPOmjj48/s1600-h/IMG_0782.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/S57BZkEQUaI/AAAAAAAAAnE/K3JCPOmjj48/s320/IMG_0782.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449005244087292322" border="0" /></a>2010 Iditarod and the Tour of Anchorage nordic ski race, I jumped at the opportunity. I asked for a couple of personal days to allow myself a relaxing stay in Anchorage without having to rush back to work right away. I'm glad I did that, because I had a hard time walking around after my ski race.<br />I stayed with some friends<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/S57Cu_fFNhI/AAAAAAAAAnM/KG7VcVrIBEw/s1600-h/IMG_0778.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/S57Cu_fFNhI/AAAAAAAAAnM/KG7VcVrIBEw/s320/IMG_0778.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449006711736448530" border="0" /></a> from Eagle River, which sits right at the base of the Chugach mountains. My friends stayed downtown Anchorage at the Millenium hotel, which happened to be the base of operations for the Iditarod Race. The lobby of the hotel had tons of gifts and memorabilia for purchase and there was always lots of people mingling around the tables and displays.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/S57DDVYWQjI/AAAAAAAAAnU/WgLntavbb6w/s1600-h/IMG_0779.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/S57DDVYWQjI/AAAAAAAAAnU/WgLntavbb6w/s320/IMG_0779.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449007061211169330" border="0" /></a><br />Saturday morning was the ceremonial start for the Iditarod. The first musher started around 10 am and others continued a staggered start every two minutes until around 1:00 pm. They ran the dogs about 4 - 5 miles around Anchorage. The city of Anchorage had to truck in tons and tons of snow to fill the streets of town so the dogs could actually pull their sleds. The official start of the race was Sunday at 2:00pm in Willow, AK near Wasilla where there was plenty of snow. We were concerned about parking, because "Fur Rondy" had <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/S57DrhaEN5I/AAAAAAAAAnc/uRS13A29Kv8/s1600-h/IMG_0781.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/S57DrhaEN5I/AAAAAAAAAnc/uRS13A29Kv8/s320/IMG_0781.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449007751634368402" border="0" /></a>been going on for a couple of weeks and downtown had been crowded the whole time. Fur Rondy is a two week celebration focusing on the Iditarod, Native Arts, and culture. We happened to find relatively close parking spaces near a part of the course that was not too crowded. We were able to stand right on the edge of the course near a corner with plenty of space to take photos and catch the candy filled dog booties.<br />The race is coming to a close with three top contenders battling it out. Lance Mackey is in front with Jeff King and Hans Gatt closing in from third position. If you want to follow closer, check out the following site, <a href="http://www.iditarod.com/">http://www.iditarod.com/</a> to read all the stories. Now in honor of celebrating the winter season with your dog, I'm going to go skiing with Katja. See ya!Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-71774394399462786612010-02-21T14:23:00.000-08:002010-02-22T13:17:50.103-08:00Those Crazy Kussaqs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/S4HGXlModTI/AAAAAAAAAm0/mlzRn-DSWMk/s1600-h/P2200052.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/S4HGXlModTI/AAAAAAAAAm0/mlzRn-DSWMk/s320/P2200052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440847933264655666" border="0" /></a><br />Winter in the bush of Alaska can be a blessing and a curse depending on the weather and where you live in the bush. Coastal regions tend to get more wind and sometimes more snow, but definitely more wind. For that reason, I'm thankful that I moved farther inland from the coast. Eek is inland about 12 miles from the coast and settled in nicely amongst flat interior tundra landscape, about 45 miles west of the Kilbuck Mountains. The Eek river is a vital asset to the people here. During the winter time, it provides a necessary highway to hunting and ice fishing grounds. The cold winter season allows people to travel to other villages via snow machine over the bumpy frozen tundra. In the case of Eek, many people travel to Bethel and Quinhagak throughout the season.<br />Those of you that know me at all, know that I need time to play outside. Especially after teaching 4 grades in all subjects for 8 - 10 hours a day. I've found Eek to be a very nice playground for my recreational pursuits. Aside from fishing throughout the fall, I've been biking, x-c skiing, and sometimes skijoring with Katja. The trail system around Eek is well used and there are a couple of options for directions to go. I've been biking farther away from the village than I travel on my skis. I purchased a pair of "skate skis" this year and they have allowed me to ski much longer than I normally do. So when the snow gets too deep for biking, I b<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/S4HGCSyOQLI/AAAAAAAAAms/tct93egNvcM/s1600-h/P2200058.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/S4HGCSyOQLI/AAAAAAAAAms/tct93egNvcM/s320/P2200058.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440847567544795314" border="0" /></a>reak out the skis and Katja and I skijor on the river and trails around the village.<br />This year, the weather has been rather mild as far as temperatures and the amount of snow that we have experienced here in Eek. The warm temperatures melt the snow, turning the trails into ice roads when it freezes again. With studded ice tires on my bike, I can cover ground pretty quickly. Yesterday, I rode up to a nearby fish camp 6 miles up river away from the village. It was about a 12 mile round trip, which doesn't sound like a lot, but when you are traveling over snow and ice, it is quite a workout for me and Katja both.<br />When ever I run into natives, especially my students away from the village out on the tundra, I am greeted with the same concerns that sound like this. "What are you doing out here?" or "You rode out here on your bike?" and sometimes, "Don't get lost!"<br />Fortunately, there are many trail markers out on the tundra. The lakes are sometimes as much as a mile across and have small trees planted in the ice to guide travelers across safely. Out on the tundra, there are many types of markers, such as poles, old oil drums, etc. Obviously I haven't gotten lost yet nor have I gotten frost bite. So get out there, get your fix, and thanks for reading my blog.<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxbu6q1t8BC0d0Z2Ybv-d_Sf2GAsk6NNq64Sc80YLgRqIcNYYRLMRH9GEXfkj3OVilSKL-glI91kfiHXzDlLA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-11967816756481881002009-12-22T09:16:00.000-08:002009-12-23T14:29:13.662-08:00Music in Bethel<object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7339413&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7339413&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/7339413">Sqeaky Eeks II</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1742138">Erin Kavanaugh</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p><p>This video is very old and should have been posted back in October...but better late than never. This was my birthday weekend and really made it a very memorable birthday for me. Traci Buckle, my roomie, and I decided to play at a benefit concert for the Bethel Council of the Arts. Actually Traci talked me into it and I'm glad she did. If it wasn't for her, I would never have dreamed of doing something so random as play my Ukelele and sing in front of 100 plus people. It usually takes me a couple of drinks (liquid courage) to get the gumption to perform in front of a crowd of strangers and since there are no bars in Bethel (yet...) I needed something else to motivate me. I don't think I'm a horrible singer, but I sure was glad Traci was there to enhance our vocals.</p><p>I bought a Ukelele on a whim back in late July for $40 and brought it out to EEK, Alaska, mostly because it would be easier to travel with than my big guitar. I found it very fun to play and it complements the guitar pretty well, at least according to Traci. Occasionally we fill our cozy home with music laughter that sometimes draws our neighbors over to join us. I only wish that I had gotten it when I could have practiced and played with some of my other Ukelele playing friends, Kale Iverson and Josh Cridler. Oh well, hopefully our musical paths will cross again soon.</p><p>Thanks to Erin Kavanaugh for shooting this video and teaching me how to upload onto Blogger. She was a big part of energy that we emitted on stage that night.</p><p>Enjoy!</p><p>Dirk</p>Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-30022039469817030472009-12-01T18:31:00.000-08:002009-12-01T18:57:29.537-08:00Thanksgiving Break<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SxXWrdqmMSI/AAAAAAAAAl4/4YHFN5GBuF8/s1600-h/PB260021.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SxXWrdqmMSI/AAAAAAAAAl4/4YHFN5GBuF8/s320/PB260021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410466569541529890" border="0" /></a><br />Wow, what a great Thanksgiving Break I had. Traci and I had been planning to have a somewhat larger get together for the holiday and were very excited. A couple of friends flew in from outta town. Tania and her daughter Justine flew in from Toksook Bay and our dear and close friend Erin flew all the way from Bethel with her dog, Capt. Macy (20 min. flight). We spent most of Thursday cooking up a storm. Blueberry Cheesecake, Apple pie, Pumpkin pie, and Chocolate Peacan pie were on the dessert menu. Sweet potatoes, stuffing inside and outside of the turkey, two different ki<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SxXW7xeoNII/AAAAAAAAAmA/S9Ggb7ToFpI/s1600-h/PB260013.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SxXW7xeoNII/AAAAAAAAAmA/S9Ggb7ToFpI/s320/PB260013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410466849737946242" border="0" /></a>nds of cranberry relish, Garden salad, mashed potatoes, green beans, home made bread, and of course a giant turkey. It was pretty awesome!<br /><br />Katja got plenty of attention too. She took over as guardian for Justine and was really amazing at entertaining her. Katja would walk over to Justine and just flop over on her side. She would literally let Justine crawl all over her and just lay there and take it, as if it were one of her own puppies. I never would have guessed she would respond that way. Erin and I got the dogs out a couple of times for some late day, virtually night time runs. There was plenty of knitting, by the ladies of course. I don't know how <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SxXWRj7mNrI/AAAAAAAAAlw/GSErNHyNQ3g/s1600-h/PB270048.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SxXWRj7mNrI/AAAAAAAAAlw/GSErNHyNQ3g/s320/PB270048.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410466124546848434" border="0" /></a>to knit. I did tie some flies though. Just getting ready for summer. We played lots of music as well. Justine loves to listen to music, either live or on TV or ipod. We had a fantastic time watching her dance around the coffee table with a giant smile on her face.<br /><br />Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well. I look forward to seeing some of you over the Christmas break.Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-16857199644269115682009-11-03T21:41:00.000-08:002009-11-03T22:56:44.213-08:00Visit to QuinhagakThis post a few weeks old, but I wanted to have some pictures to show you as well. I got a chance to visit Quinhagak, AK to visit some friends and take a trip up the Kanektok river in search of Rainbow trout. I got into the village on Friday evening and met up with my friend Milt who helped me finalize plans with one of the local fisherman.<br /><br />The next morning, I met up with my fishing guide and another teacher from the school. We loaded the boat and headed up river for about 1 hour. Our first stop landed us in a pa<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SvEliD5SbfI/AAAAAAAAAlg/ulxNHXs63jc/s1600-h/KanektokDolly.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SvEliD5SbfI/AAAAAAAAAlg/ulxNHXs63jc/s320/KanektokDolly.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400138695285304818" border="0" /></a>rt of the river that hosted many Cohos, Dolly Varden, and Rainbows. I managed to hook up with all three species which was my goal. That was the first rainbow that I had caught since I had been in Alaska. That actually sounds a little embarassing when I say it outloud. Hmmm??? I fished downstream a little more and hooked a Dolly that had to measure at least 24 inches.<br /><br />We left that spot and hit a few other hotspots in that region of the river. We fished a section that was just inside Togiak National Wildlife Refuge and I got into a pod of Dollys. I must have hooked 20 Dollys in about an hour. It was laugh outloud fishing even though I landed less than half of the fish I hooked. After a while, I walked farther downstream to fish a tail out section. I rigged up with a double egg and large split shot to entice a nice rainbow. On my first cast, I laid my double egg rig out on the edge of the current and a huge rainbow came up and swallowed my indicator whole and took it right down to the bottom. My heart stopped, because I knew that I couldn't set the hook on the monster. The hook was no where near its mouth. I made several other casts, but I never saw the giant again. I left the hole with heart ache.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SvEkn7YIfmI/AAAAAAAAAlY/otMZr5cLUBk/s1600-h/Kanektok+River.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SvEkn7YIfmI/AAAAAAAAAlY/otMZr5cLUBk/s320/Kanektok+River.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400137696566345314" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Later, we crossed the river and fished the other bank. Just standing and fishing on the bow of the boat, I saw some huge rainbows making their way upriver. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to hook any of them.<br /><br />I was astounded when I looked at my watch and it was already 5 pm. We had to start heading back down river towards home. We did stop a couple of other places on the river as we made our way back down. During one stop, I waded down stream and crossed the river to a deep blue hole that was the confluence of two sections of the river. I made a couple of drifts at the upper end of the hole, but it wasn't until I let an egg sucking leech dead drift down into the bottom of the hole that I hooked the fish of the day. At first I thought i<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SvEaD6KDa_I/AAAAAAAAAlQ/ZNeErFbFtgM/s1600-h/Togiak-Kanektok.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SvEaD6KDa_I/AAAAAAAAAlQ/ZNeErFbFtgM/s320/Togiak-Kanektok.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400126082647288818" border="0" /></a>t was my trophy rainbow. The fish made several strong runs and it took a while before I could actually get a glimpse at it. Eventually, I landed a very nice Coho that had just started turning its color from its Ocean fresh chrome silver radiance to its light reddish tones. I gotta tell you, I was a little disappointed that it wasn't a rainbow, but it was the hardest fighting fish that I hooked all day.<br /><br />I can't wait to get back on the Kanektok river.Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182294032238197388.post-26286925627465354672009-09-29T22:51:00.000-07:002009-09-29T23:30:02.572-07:00Katja and the EEK<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SsL2qTSQnaI/AAAAAAAAAkw/CySdEjuU9kc/s1600-h/IMG_2127.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SsL2qTSQnaI/AAAAAAAAAkw/CySdEjuU9kc/s200/IMG_2127.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387139310880333218" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This past weekend, I ventured up the EEK river again with my fishing buddy, Seth. This time I brought my 22 rifle and Katja along for the ride. Seth's dog Ginger is accustomed to the journey, but it was interesting watching the two dogs interact. Ginger is a healthy female Chocolate lab who is very focused on bird hunting with Seth. Katja is a ... playful <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SsL1rXim2pI/AAAAAAAAAko/Z_msEjIeVFI/s1600-h/IMG_2131.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SsL1rXim2pI/AAAAAAAAAko/Z_msEjIeVFI/s320/IMG_2131.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387138229690882706" border="0" /></a>dog that doesn't like to work much at all unless it is on her terms. The dogs had their little tiffs, but all was fine in the end.<br />It was a little colder traveling in the boat this time and Katja wasn't used to the lower wind chill and having to sit still. Eventually she came around and joined Ginger up at the front of the boat to spot the hundreds of ducks we saw on the water. Katja must have gotten really keyed in on the birds, because shortly after this picture was shot, she leaped out of the boat, traveling at 30 mph, after some ducks that were flying along beside us. Hitting the water at 30 mph was quite a shock to Katja who skipped twice, spun, and then tumbled to a halt all within about 2 seconds. Seth and I were laughing hysterically. Katja wasn't. With her head about 12 inches out of the water she was making<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SsL1US4WJiI/AAAAAAAAAkg/NKUa-HqA07c/s1600-h/IMG_2134.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SsL1US4WJiI/AAAAAAAAAkg/NKUa-HqA07c/s320/IMG_2134.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387137833302894114" border="0" /></a> her way towards the shore and out of the frigid river. She shook it off rather quickly and was very willing to get back in the boat. She stayed still while the boat was moving in the future. I wish I had my camera out for that moment. It was priceless. Luckily for Katja, she jumped out of the side of the boat and not off the front. It could have been a little more tramatic for her and us.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SsL1D1Prb1I/AAAAAAAAAkY/9arVxNO2l-Q/s1600-h/IMG_2132.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zmJmWn6tVCA/SsL1D1Prb1I/AAAAAAAAAkY/9arVxNO2l-Q/s320/IMG_2132.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387137550469787474" border="0" /></a><br />Seth and I did manage to catch about 12 - 15 Grayling and a couple of pike. The Grayling were all pretty good size, some reaching almost 18 inches. I took a couple of them home for dinner and released most of them back into their chilly environment. Still looking forward to catching a couple of trout in this part of Alaska. Maybe next weekend. If not, I'll have to wait another year.Dirk Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506096987813612798noreply@blogger.com1