Hunkering Down

Well it looks like Sitka's got a hold of us for the winter. We've decided to at least leave the boat here and explore more of their wonderful trails. The harbor's nice, and they promise not to have too big of a La Nina year, so we're looking for money-making opportunities so we can keep up the gypsy life next year.

Here are acouple of interesting trails we've hiked recently.

The first is the causeway built from Japonski Island to connect several islands for defence in WWII. Recently dedicated as Ft. Rousseau State Park, there are plans for interpretive stuff and boat launches to get over here from Sitka. The airport kinds of blocks access from land, so you can only get here by small boat or kayak. Regardless of the access issues, it is an interesting place. Built with antiaircraft gunnery, and concrete bunkers, there's still lots of cool stuff to see here.

This railway was probably a circle to roll the cannons for a 360deg view.  Waves have eroded many of the filled areas, and there are a few places where the trail is missing.

 The maze-like antiaircraft batteries were evidently covered with some sort of roof, but could look out in all directions.

 One of the abandoned bunkers is not quite empty. A rough-cut bar with stools, make-shift disco ball, and wood stove are ready for the next rave.

Blain thought he could get this old crane working again if he'd only brought his leatherman. Darn. We've been needing a crane.

 The causeway is exposed to the gulf waves, and it's a spectacular spot on a sunny day.

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The new deisel heater came in and Blain spent the better part of a day and a half putting it in. We are very happy to report it works wonderfully, and really takes the chill out of the fall air. Here's Blain trying to figure out the fuel metering pump and filter.

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 After the work was done, we tackled a couple of new trails. The Beaver Lake and Harbor Mountain trails.

 Gorgeous rock work and bridges really are raising the bar on trails in Alaska. Sitka Trail Works and the Forest Service have partnered to really build them right. And the citizens and visitors of Sitka reap the rewards.

After slogging and crawling through so many muddy rootwad tracks that get called "trails" in SE Alaska over the last year, we were utterly shocked by how good the Harbor Mtn trail was. Obviously built by folks to last a lifetime, it incorporates full bench construction, substantial rock causeways and stairways, and to the delight of Monique, neat stone benches and overlooks.

 The shelter at Gavan Hill was squat, but would be cozy if stuck in a snowstorm.

And the view. Well ya got to love it. The string of land between the islands is the WWII causeway (Ft. Rousseau).

 Obviously Sitka has done what few communities in Southeast have done - invest in their trails. We, for two, appreciate it.

Sitka Soup with Blair

We soak in Goddard Hot Springs, south of Sitka with Blain's second cousin once removed, Blair. He just finished up working on the Anchorage to Fairbanks and Denali railroad for the summer and met us in Sitka for a few days of sun, wine and fun. He's a great guy and a fine crew member and loves to cook. That was a good thing, too.

 Dinners were quite the treat. Blair's travelled extensively in Central America and China. Mexican night was quite good.

Then pasta night. Here Blair's rolling out the pasta and hanging it in the cabin to dry a bit before running it through the spaghetti attachment and was eventually topped by the last of the black cod.

The hot tubs were big round wood tubs and were great, but it was a shame there was no good weather tub to soak in. Lots of colorful grafitti to laugh at. A fine kettle of humans. A cannibal's dream.

 Blair's been on the boat twice - once back in Belligham, and we enjoyed a nice sail back to Sitka before the wind.

  

Blain put in a new solar-powered vent fan before the coming storm, but it still hasn't kicked on. The directions say it might need a few back-to-back days of sun before the battery is charged. We hope that happens before 2011.

The Monster that Ate a Glacier

Look at what we found -

Yeah. Woah.

A thirteen-foot long giant squid. Chance found it really, but he always finds the smelly stuff first. The claws at the ends of the longest tentacles were way scary. Nightmares for three days. Blain is reconsidering his swimming chores next time the propeller zinc gets loose.

This was washed up at high tide on the shore of Ideal Cove across Dry Pass from the Laconte Glacier and the Stikine River. It is just south of Petersburg, a town that knows their seafood. The newspaper girls saw it and said, "Woo, look at all that calimari!".

Appartently they wash up from time to time, but are usually 10 feet or under. This was a whopper. So gross and so cool at the same time.