Alaska Memories

My mind is so full of Alaska memories that I'm going to do one more post to clean out the corners of my mind. Just some random thoughts.

We were in Fairbanks, discussing how on earth you deal with temperatures that can go to forty below zero. One of the guides said that she lived in a cabin out of town with no running water. (That's one way to avoid frozen pipes) My thought was about living with no bathroom. She laughed and said that she did indeed have an outhouse. My mind refused to even think about "bare-ing" it all for a potty break. She replied that you simply kept your toilet seat inside and took it with you when nature called. Good story, but I'm betting they all have a good old fashioned "thunder mug" under the bed.

Ketchikan, of Deadliest Catch fame, is a wonderfully picturesque town that rambles along the shore with mountains jumping up right behind it. The locals tell you that the town is 3 blocks wide and 1 mile long. One of the neatest places is a series of shops that tumble down the banks of the creek running down the mountain, through the town, and to the sea. When it is high tide, you can stand on the bridge and watch the salmon begin their struggle from the sea to their inland spawning places. Creek Street is now home to a thriving collection of shops catering to the cruise trade.

It was in one of these shops that we paused to view the collection of beautiful hand-made jewelry, needle crafts, and wood carvings. The owner shared that this was her studio and she lived here year round. She said that the best part was all the fresh fish she could eat. At the end of the day she simply walked out on her balcony and dropped in her line to catch her supper.

A little further down was a prime example of Alaska ingenuity. A small booth was renting out fishing poles for $25. (They also sold fishing licenses for another fee). You would then take your pole to the bridge and fish for salmon. The salmon, which were pooling under the bridge waiting for high tide to flood in to start their journey, were quickly being reeled in. As you reeled it in a young man would help you land your catch and take your picture (with your camera) of your great Alaskan salmon catch. The fish was then returned to the water, unless you wanted to deal with icing it down and flying it back to the states. During this time, you can keep up to six fish a day, but these people were on a cruise ship, so it was a moot point. Tidy little profit for the local boys.

The people in Ketchikan think that anyone that lives in Fairbanks is crazy. The people in Fairbanks agree with them.

I spent some time talking to a lady in Skagway who lived there year around. Once it was a boom town that grew out of the thousands of miners who landed there to begin their trek to the Yukon over White Horse Pass. It is now a sleepy little community with the main income derived from the cruise ships that arrive during the summer months. The rest of the year they just snuggle in and do whatever they can. There is no hospital and no roads to get to a larger place. The common source of travel is either boat or plane. One shop owner revealed that a quick labor almost had her little boy delivered in the plane on the way to the hospital.

Alaska is our last frontier. It is occupied by that segment of the population that doesn't always take the easy road, look for the easy solution, or yearn for the easy life What they are is independent, hardy, and best of all, free to do things their own way. They live life to the fullest and meet all obstacles head on. It's the spirit that settled America and continues to make it the great country that it is. I hope, after visiting with these new acquaintances, I remember their zest for life and bite off the complaint about my "hard times" that was on the tip of my tongue.