Adventure partner

To 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.
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.

Summer Updates

So 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Spring Update

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.

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.

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. 

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.

And finally, I apologize for keeping my followers in suspense for so long.

Productive 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.
Here are some of the things that I got accomplished during my Christmas break.
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.

2. - Convinced my Dad that he needed a new computer and then further convinced him that the computer he should purchase is a new i-mac.

3. - Purchased wooden 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.


4. - Went to church ... one time!


5. - Helped my parents select a new 10 month old puppy, Miss Molly McWiggles. (as mentioned in previous blog postings).

6. - Six 3 - 5 mile runs along the C & O canal/Potomac River with Katja.

6.5 - Went on a couple of bike rides (once on rollers)


7. - Received a free professional full body massage from my good friend, Aimee Grahe.

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.


9. - Participated in my AK Math Consortium class.

10. - Brought in 2011 with good friends, good beers, and good times.

10.5 - Got to catch up with some high school friends from 20 years ago. Thanks Jimmy, Carrie, Billy, and Gaver.

11. - Visited my Grandparents and some other relatives in PA.

12. - Managed to catch a couple of beautiful trout.

All in all, a very productive Christmas break.
Hope you all had a nice Christmas holiday as well.
Thanks for reading.

Little Miss Molly McWiggles

This 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 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 people interested in her. My Dad agreed with my selection of a possible dog and we filled out the paper work for possible adoption.
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.
Molly has been at the house for almost a full week now and she is getting along 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 puppiness during the last couple of days.
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.

I love my Leatherman

Some 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?

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.

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.
Lessons for the day:
1. Keep the rubber side down.
2. Stay out of the ditch.
3. Always carry a leatherman.

Stay tuned for more adventure from ... Qasaq with a snow machine.

The 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 squirming 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.

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.

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.
Stayed tuned!