Dear One and All,
The Expedition has begun. We are in Alaska. We were based out of Skagway from Wednesday the 13th through Monday the 18th. Wednesday we met up with Barton and Sarah Jennings had a walk around town. Sarah volunteered to stay with my dog, Giclée, Thursday night while Ken and I went to Juno by Ferry. Giclée loves Sarah even more now.
The “Ferry” ride to Juno was spectacular. We were on a Catamaran motor craft that moved really fast, and our captain wanted to make some time. He stopped frequently and we were able to get some fabulous shots of Humpback Whale cows feeding with their calves, a Stellar Sea Lion Rookery, Porpoise, Eagles, and a landscape that takes your breath away with its relentless magnificence.
That evening we did the Orca Whale Watch with Captain Larry, a very famous man in Alaska, whom I was able to get a great interview on camera with at the end of our evening. It was our first interview with the camera running and Ken did a great job. Captain Larry, with his long white hair, matching beard and mustache, seems quite the character until he opens his mouth and then you learn about the wisdom this man possesses and he is great on camera.
The next day we were blessed to have the opportunity to have lunch with Riley Woodford, the Wildlife Conservation Information Officer for the Alaska Game and Fish Commission. He was a wealth of information and after and long and very interesting meal he agreed to go on camera and Ken put us in a great spot on the waterfront that worked real well until the tide started coming in, but with a minor adjustment we were back to business with him giving great information for all of us about Alaska’s animals and their lives here in this magnificent state. Learned two things I didn’t know. One, there are no raccoons in Alaska. Two, Polar Bears are not under the jurisdiction of Alaska Game and Fish because they are considered a marine mammal. What a wonderful afternoon spent with an articulate, intelligent, dedicated man. What a wonderful thing for Alaska to have him.
Coming back on the Ferry was fast and fun, we stopped to photograph a very active pod of Orcas and an Eagle sitting atop a buoy eating a fish. Ken got the photo of a lifetime and we will be posting it soon so you can all share in his skill and luck.
Saturday and Sunday were uneventful days spent getting things done in the coach and catching up on our rest. The sun never really goes down and you find yourself working until after midnight and you think it’s before dinner! You will wake up at three in the morning and think it’s got to be time to get up because the sun is shinning. Yikes!!
Monday, Ken headed for White Horse to take care of business while Barton and Sarah and I joined together to do an interview with Sandy Snell Dobert, the Information Officer for the Skagway National Historic Park. We went to the archeological site of the remains of the town of Dyea. Here, we stepped into the past to learn about Alaska’s Wildlife now. It was a fascinating interview, (thanks Barton for such a good job handling the camera) with a very knowledgeable woman. Our wildflower walk just turned out to be Lagniappe. Then it was over the Chiakoot Pass and up to White Horse to join Ken and head for Beaver Creek.
Today was most interesting. When we crossed into Alaska we went a few miles and we were at the Alaska Information Center, a marvelous log edifice crowned with a tundra roof. The real treat were the Upper Tanana Athabascans women inside. My conversation with Cora Dimit was extraordinary, a woman who was raised by a grandmother who hunted for the food to feed her five orphaned grandchildren and lived to be 114 years old. There will be more about this lady, but, as with all the native people so far, I did not ask to take her photo or interview her on camera. They just don’t like that and I didn’t want to spoil an opportunity for fascinating information for an interview. We will be coming back here at the end of our trip to meet with the Federal Biologists here at the Tetlin Wildlife Refuge.
We hiked into Hidden Lake today in the Tetlin Refuge and it was full of Rainbow Trout! We, meaning Barton and Sarah Jennings, and Ken and I. This is the home of the Trumpeter Swan, a bird that was on the endangered species list until they started their program with them here. But, we’ll talk about that recovery when I come back so you can get it from the horse’s mouth. Today I had a short conversation with Buddy Johnson, the lead biologist. He said they are looking forward to my return and are all planning to get together with me. Wow! That will be some session!
Now it’s really getting late and I need to say good-bye and good night and go to sleep. We have a really big day tomorrow. We will be driving deep into the Tetlin Wildlife Refuge in the Jeep.
I Love You All,
Susan