Trace caught his first Chinook (king) Salmon!

Lars woke up and asked Trace if he wanted to go fishin' in the boat or on the river today. Trace voted to fish the Situk river..... it was a little rainy but who cares, we live in AK. They headed out and on their way to Nine Mile Trace saw a rabbit and looked over at his dad and said, "I have a good feeling about today dad."

When they got there they saw a few Germans fishing so they moved down stream. (after bush whackin' a few hundred feet) They came upon a nice deep hole, they caught about 30 Coho but only landed 5 or 6.

It was beginning to really pour and Lars was ready to go when Trace asked if he could cast a few more times. Trace casted about 6 times and the next was lucky number 7! He had been trying to get a nice Chinook to take the bait, and sure enough it took it hook, line and sinker!

Trace starts saying "dad it took my hook, I got it on!" Lars continued to gather fish as he looked to the side of him and saw this Chinook race past him with line attached. Lars couldn't believe it. Trace started gettin' excited and was afraid he'd loose him, so he asked his dad if he would help him out. Lars looked at his son with a gleam in his eye (and jealousy) and said "Son, you got this one!, remember give him the line and tire him out." So Muck starts playin' the fish. The Chinook runs up stream and then down stream. He circles Trace a few times, because Trace is knee deep in the river. The Chinook takes another trip up stream and his dad yells out, "You gotta turn him son!" and Trace puts on the breaks and starts fightin' him and all the sudden the Chinook is done!

He reels it in..... and it turns out to be a 42 pd 2.5 ft girth and 42.5 inch. length "NICE-ASS" Chinook... caught on 15 pd. test with a little spin rod that Uncle Nick bought at Cabella's!

Yeee Haw! We are going to get it mounted for his 10th Birthday!

Hiking Indian River Trail- Sitka, AK.

Happy Fathers Day to all you fabulous Fathers! This morning I woke up and headed out with the girls and hit the trail. What a nice hike. The trail ran along the Indian River then back and forth across a few times on huge trees made into bridges. Way Cool! We came across a nice 5 foot deep water hole with a rope swing hanging from a tree. This brings back a funny memory; I took the 5 girls when they were around the ages of 11 to 15 to the water hole at the bottom of Provo canyon. We had hiked up Bridal Veil Falls and decided to go try the rope swing across the freeway. Elyse and Amanda went together and Elyse lost hold and down she went! When she hit the water all you could hear was her screaming obscenities and dog paddling like crazy for the shore. Holy cow Elyse, I am so sorry that I laughed so hard, but it just couldn't be helped. I was there for you the whole way! Anyway......so the gals and I decided that we need to come back in the afternoon and try it after we have hiked our butts off and need to cool off, so maybe next time. I will definitely bring Lars and Trace, they will love it!
With all of this new exercise that I have been getting we started talking about building our core muscles. I was telling them how Neisha started hula-hooping, one gal said that she wanted to try Belly-dancing, another said that she wanted to get into pole dancing! Yes you heard me right, Pole Dancing! I just about peed my pants. She claims it builds the core muscles too..... can you imagine what her husband is going to say when he comes home and there's a pole installed in their bedroom? I told her she better go see her Dr. and get on Birth Control!
One our way back I was telling the gals that I had attended that Tlingit beach gathering and learned that the Skunk Cabbage is used to cook fish. So we gathered some cabbage and were hiking out when we were approached by two ladies. They turned up their noses at us and asked "What are you doing with Skunk Cabbage?" I turned around and said we are taking it home so we can roll it up and smoke it! No way was I going to give this new learned secret away to just anyone! Suya Quasatine!

Enjoying the Tlingit Culture

Listening to the song was entrancing, very cool!

Suya Quasatine! (goodbye in Tlingit)

Tlinget gathering on the beach - Sitka,AK.

I was with some clients and we were invited to come down to the beach and be apart of the natives traditions. The Tlingit people were so very kind and generous, not only did they make us feel welcome, they even shared their smoked fish, yum! We began by digging holes in the beach to cook the fish. We then gathered flat rocks to line the pits with and then build a fire. Once their were coals we gathered skunk cabbage ( it didn't smell like a skunk...huh?) and got them set in the sea. Then we layed them over the coals and placed the Salmon that was garnished with lemon, peppers, onions, butter and seasonings then rolled in a cabbage leaf onto the layered leafs in the fire pit. Layering again the cabbage and placing more coals on top then waiting while it cooks! I didn't get to stay around to sample the Salmon, but I did get to enjoy a few peices of smoked salmon (middle pic) Delicious! Goonecheesh! (that mean thank you in Tlingit!)

Hiking Thimbleberry Trail-Sitka,AK.

This hike starts off right from the road and ends up at a lake that has a small dock that you can jump off and cool off in. On our way up we passed several piles of bear scat. I was wondering if this was the sign to turn around and go back! We had our trusty bear protection Lance and Simon but, I decided to use our "back up device" my marine whistle! Ya, I blew my whistle the whole way up and the whole way back. It kind of ruined the ambience but no bear problems. Thank goodness! Oh how I love the Great Outdoors!

Hiking Herring Cove - Sitka,AK.

Wow! I have never hiked that many stairs in all my life put together! Whew! I am not sure if I have noodles for legs or none at all! It was amazing. The lakes, the cool rocks that form tunnels with trees growing out of them. Once you make it to the top 3 miles up, you can see forever!, and bigger mountains. Tons of flowers and ferns, Beautiful and not one Bear! (Knock on wood) Those are my friends guard dogs that are in the pictures Kia, Lance and Simon, they swam more that did any protecting. I wish Copper could have been there. He may not have made it up those flights of stairs, it was crazy. And if you noticed I didn't take any photos on the way up or down because I couln't steady the camera with all my heavy breathing! I definately want to hike that trail again, that is when I get a little better conditioned!

Hello from Sitka!

I arrived in Sitka and have finally settled in. I live in a quint little apartment next door to my job. If I don't show up for work they just knock on my door and then I get up. JK! I bet it would work though, well maybe once.....I had better not. I love being in the mountains and relaxing on the beach. Sitka has tons to do, but I wish my boys could be here with me to do it all. Andrew and Trace are trying to take the Ferry for my b-day next month. I will be in Sitka until somewhere around the first week of Aug. I have my weekends off to stroll around and watch the boats come and go. When the huge cruise ships come in this place gets crazy, people are everywhere! It is really good for the local economy. There are amazing peices of Art that I want to put in my house.There are theater shows playing next week put on by an Artist that uses expressions through Masks. I am hoping to be able to see one of them. I will keep you up to date if I do anything fun. Bye!

I'm baaack!

Ya, I know it has been quite awhile, but hey I'm here not aren't I?
Actually I am in Sitka, AK for the summer for training for my new position as Behavioral Health Technician which I will take back with me to Yakutat and implement into the school.
I will shadow those children that use our services, which are confidential, and work with them to utilize learned skills to be a productive citizen. I am in the begining stages of the program so I may have a different definition when I get done with training. :)
So, I live in a little 2 bedroom apt. in a 4 plex. the downstairs is joined and is the Family Center. Upstairs in one apt. is our offices, and the other apt. is mine. I do share it with another gal that comes in 1 a month then she is back out in the field, so I am living alone.
I have some great co-workers that love to hike and enjoy the out doors.
We are getting ready to hike Mnt. Edgecomb, a dormant volcano next weekend. We will be hiking small trails in the evening to prepare ourselves. I am sooo excited. And yes I will post pictures.
Andrew and Trace are back in Yakutat catching tons of Halibut and are putting the net backin the water now that the Sockeye are running. I am bummed that I won't be there. Yesterday Trace said the he was tired, they brought in 4 Halibut and a 200 pound Halibut followed up the one he caught and tried to swallow the weight! Yea, it took off with the wieght and along with the hooked Halibut so Andy took the pole and fought it back to the surface an hour later and the 200 pounder was gone thank goodness!
The boys will be coming in on the Ferry for my birthday in July. We will get to celebrate the 4th in Sitka this year. I can't wait for them to get here, I miss them like crazy!
Saije graduated in May! She is in Fairbanks for the summer. She applied for RAHI, Rural Alaska Honors Institute which is a science program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She is staying in the dorms, which gives her a taste of how housing will work next year when she attends the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau, AK. She is taking two classes in Molecular Biology and leave with 9 credits toward her college degree. They also provide activities like waterskiing, hiking, kyaking along with dances and BBQ's. I spoke with her after her 1 week and she is having fun and getting alot of support with her studies.
The most recent news: Andy's oldest daughter Amanda is engaged! Yes, she is getting married some time in August. We are so excited for her! We don't know much about him, but hope to get to meet him soon.
I will try to keep you posted on my adventures in Sitka, Bye!