Mother Carey's Kitchen

The Outer Coast

2011-02-26T20:53:00.001-08:00

The Ocean

"I am in love with Ocean

lifting her thousands of white hats

in the chop of the storm,

or lying smooth and blue, the

loveliest bed in the world.

In the personal life, there is

always grief more than enough,

a heart-load for each of us

on the dusty road. I suppose

there is a reason for this, so I will be

patient, acquiescent. But I will live

nowhere except here, by Ocean, trusting

equally in all the blast and welcome

of her sorrowless, salt self. "

~~Mary Oliver~~

There's ocean all around the city of Vancouver, but you have to go west to Vancouver Island to get to the place where there is only ocean. An early morning ferry from Horseshoe Bay does part of the trick - although I recommend avoiding the acrid concoctions of Karma Organic Coffee. The next step is a three hour drive through some of the most beautiful scenery I've experienced on the roads of the northwest coast. Along the way is Cathedral Grove, they say it is a postage stamp of the old growth that once was.

On the other side of the island is Tofino and the Pacific Rim National Park. Here is Chesterman's beach, open ocean, and everything in between.

The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls

"The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;

Along the sea-sands damp and brown

The traveler hastens toward the town,

And the tide rises, the tide falls.

Darkness settles on roofs and walls,

But the sea, the sea in darkness calls;

The little waves, with their soft, white hands

Efface the footprints in the sands,

And the tide rises, the tide falls.

The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls

Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;

The day returns, but nevermore

Returns the traveler to the shore.

And the tide rises, the tide falls."

~~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow~~

Prayer

2011-02-04T22:57:00.000-08:00

Om!

That (Brahman) is infinite,

and this (universe) is infinite.

The infinite proceeds from the infinite.

(Then) taking the infinitude of the infinite (universe),

It remains as the infinite (Brahman) alone.

Om! Peace! Peace! Peace!

~~Shanti Mantra~~

The Cosmic Dance

(Dance of Krishna, Dance of Kali)

Two measures are there of the cosmic dance.

Always we hear the tread of Kali’s feet
Measuring in rhythms of pain and grief and chance
Life’s game of hazard terrible and sweet,

The ordeal of the veiled Initiate,
The hero soul at play with Death’s embrace,
Wrestler in the dread gymnasium of Fate -
And sacrifice a lonely path to Grace.

Man’s sorrows made a key to the Mysteries,
Truth’s narrow road out of Time’s wastes of dream,
The soul’s seven doors from Matter’s tomb to rise,
Are the common motives of her tragic theme.

But when shall Krishna’s dance through Nature move,
His mask of sweetness, laughter, rapture, love?

~~Sri Aurobindo~~

Prayer (from the Prophet)

Then a priestess said, Speak to us of Prayer.

And he answered, saying:

You pray in your distress and in your need;

would that you might pray also in the fullness

of your joy and in your days of abundance.

For what is prayer but the expansion of yourself into the living ether?

And if it is your comfort to pour your darkness into space,

it is for your delight to pour forth the dawning of your heart.

And if you cannot but weep when your soul summons you to prayer,

she should spur you again and yet again, though weeping,

until you shall come laughing.

~~Kahlil Gibran~~

Contesting Basho

2010-11-25T15:34:00.000-08:00

“Winter solitude

in a world of one color

the sound of wind.”

~~Matsuo Basho~~

In an Inupiaq village on the north coast of Alaska you are always reminded of family. I sit in a living room in Wainwright, surrounded on two sides by a collage of watching eyes - nearly a 100 years of family, both deceased and alive. An old black and white print of a grandfather and grandmother in traditional parka and kuspuk. The faded color photo of a husband looking fine in his button-down shirt. Glossy pictures of daughters at graduation, sons graduating into the marines, Semper Fidalis , and a multitude of smiling granddaughters and sons.

In the open kitchen, 3 green thermoses, 2 coffee makers, and 2 kettles are testament to a life spent in the cold - or perhaps just a strong desire to drink coffee and tea. The former perhaps most plausible in light of the parka bundled on the floor that dwarfs the chair I am on, or the calf-high Cabella's snow boots that look like they were made for giants. This is the land of winter's cold and the warmth of family.

This is also the land of no trees, although the village is blessed with one of the biggest chain saws I've seen. Only eight of these in the world - "not a precision instrument" the operator said as he trenched down hoping to miss, and sometimes missing the village's waterlines.

Today, sunrise was at 12:25pm and it set again 2 hours later at 2:26pm. The moon was up all day. Outside of town, I walked past the snow fences that guard the village from drifts that could engulf houses - but in their resting moments act as screens for the light and colors of dawn -

and dusk-

Amidst the white - gold

Between the flurries - laughter

luminous winter

This was a brief two weeks of life in the far North of Alaska, among the short days, long blizzards, and warmth of a people blessed with the art of sharing.

A Riddle - On Snow

"From Heaven I fall, though from earth I begin.

No lady alive can show such a skin.

I'm bright as an angel, and light as a feather,

But heavy and dark, when you squeeze me together.

Though candor and truth in my aspect I bear,

Yet many poor creatures I help to insnare.

Though so much of Heaven appears in my make,

The foulest impressions I easily take.

My parent and I produce one another,

The mother the daughter, the daughter the mother."

~~James Parton~~

Life, Death, and Renewal

2010-10-30T21:52:00.000-07:00

Pacific Salmon

"River-born fugitives, red muscled under sheathing silver,
alive with lights of ocean's changing colours,
the range of deeps and distances through wild salt years
has gathered the sea's plenty into your perfection.

Fullness is the long return from dark depths
rendering toll of itself to the searching nets
surging on to strife on brilliant gravel shallows
that opened long ago behind the failing ice.

In violence over the gravel,
under the burn of fall,
fullness spends itself,

thrusting forth new life to nurse in the stream's flow.
The old life, used utterly,
yields itself among the river rocks of home."

~Roderick Haig-Brown~

Last weekend we saw part of the biggest run of sockeye salmon in a century. They had toiled out of the ocean where we sail on weekends, upstream for endless miles, through the coastal rainforest, into the mountains, lakes, and flats, to their natal spawning grounds on the Adams River, where they flirted for a moment, spawned, and died.

For me, after a night in the caboose that was reborn as a hostel, I returned home to see the signs that another summer was drawing to a close. Termination dust had appeared above Vancouver, and leaves glistened yellow, red, and everything in between. Now a week later, most of the leaves have fallen, and with a chill in the air, the biking trails are slick and the armwarmers are on.

Autumn Song

"Like a joy on the heart of a sorrow,

The sunset hangs on a cloud;

A golden storm of glittering sheaves,

Of fair and frail and fluttering leaves,

The wild wind blows in a cloud.

Hark to a voice that is calling

To my heart in the voice of the wind:

My heart is weary and sad and alone,

For its dreams like the fluttering leaves have gone,

And why should I stay behind?"

~Sarojini Naidu~

It is now time for Diwali - a festival of light as darkness encroaches. This is Lakshmi's festival - the Hindu goddess of light, beauty, good fortune and wealth. A time to be thankful for what we have, and have experienced as our journey's continue.

A perfect morning at Hakai

2010-08-28T11:28:00.001-07:00

"Morning Poem"

Every morning

the world

is created.

Under the orange

sticks of the sun

the heaped

ashes of the night

turn into leaves again

and fasten themselves to the high branches ---

and the ponds appear

like black cloth

on which are painted islands

of summer lilies.

If it is your nature

to be happy

you will swim away along the soft trails

for hours, your imagination

alighting everywhere.

And if your spirit

carries within it

the thorn

that is heavier than lead ---

if it's all you can do

to keep on trudging ---

there is still

somewhere deep within you

a beast shouting that the earth

is exactly what it wanted ---

each pond with its blazing lilies

is a prayer heard and answered

lavishly,

every morning,

whether or not

you have ever dared to be happy,

whether or not

you have ever dared to pray.

~ Mary Oliver ~

This is where my journey west ultimately led - to West Beach on Calvert Island on the central British Columbia coast, within the Great Bear Rainforest, and where north America plunges down into the Pacific. This is the region where the Heiltsuk, Wuikinuxv, Nuxalk, and Kitasoo First Nations live. This is where, with friends and colleagues, I can now stare out from the lush green of the land into the uninterrupted abyss of the ocean. It is where we all smile and marvel, but above all are inspired by the patterns, rhythms, and fabric of a place. A place that is continuing a timeless transition of reinvention.

This is what I wanted.

"The Morning Walk"

There are a lot of words meaning thanks.

Some you can only whisper.

Others you can only sing.

The pewee whistles instead.

The snake turns in circles.

the beaver slaps his tail

on the surface of the pond.

The deer in the pinewoods stamps his hoof.

Goldfinches shine as they float through the air.

A person, sometimes, will hum a little Mahler.

Or put arms around old oak tree,

Or take out lovely pencil and notebook to find a few

touching, kissing words.

~ Mary Oliver ~

Pondering Reality

2010-08-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

Wrapping up the road trip, I found myself pondering a quote that Eggers had used in Zeitoun - a quote from the Qur'an. It sat with me as I rolled out of Wyoming and into Montana and Idaho, and then on through the grain fields of eastern Washington state. It sits with me now, so I write it down as I start this new West Coast life.

"In the name of God,

The Merciful, The Compassionate,

The Reality!

What is The Reality?

What would cause you to recognize

what The Reality is?

The Grand

The Faithful

The Yellowstone

A previous reality

The end

The Road is Life - Kerouac

2010-07-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

Whenever I fly from the east to the west coast, there's the undeniable feeling of freedom and space when I arrive. I had pondered if I'd feel this same difference on the slower transition provided by a drive...or if at the slower pace the transition would be imperceptable. Maybe it was the chaos of Chicago traffic that meant by the end of that particular day anything would have been different.

That evening while leaving the tranquil cafes of downtown La Crosse I found my answer...

Immediately after crossing the Mississipi River, Highway 90 wends it's way up onto Minnesota. After a little over 1000 miles of driving, the sky suddenly felt that much higher, the air a little thinner, the green fields and trees a little greener, traffic quieter (and there were certainly no more of the incessant tolls), and the driving easier. I was happy...

...or as Kerouac would say:

"What is that feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? - it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies."

I drove on, the Air Conditioning crisp on my face, marvelling at the sheer abundance of corn lining the voluptuous contours and curves of Minnesota - occasionally dotted with a red barn or elongated aluminium silo. I passed the mighty Missouri river, but kept driving into a sky that just got bigger until I was finally stopped by tornado warnings and a storm that forced me into a motel for the night.

The next day Badlands came out of nowhere - this was now quintesentially the west as the flat of the prairie transitioned to relief of Badlands and the Black Hills of the Dakotas. The darkness at night brought out the stars and planets - Venus, Mars, and Saturn.

The first overlook

Warnings...

Lots of flowers this year

Wallace Stegner may best sum up the West:

“ There was never a country that in its good moments was more beautiful. Even in drought or dust storm or blizzard it is the reverse of monotonous, once you have submitted to it with all the senses. You don’t get out of the wind, but learn to lean and squint against it. You don’t escape sky and sun, but wear them in your eyeballs and on your back. You become acutely aware of yourself. The world is very large, the sky even larger, and you are very small. But also the world is flat, empty, nearly abstract, and in its flatness, you are a challenging upright thing, as sudden as an exclamation mark, as enigmatic as a question mark.”

Mount Rushmore next and the little town of Keystone. For those Alaskans, think of McKinley Village but increase the tourist heinosity by an order of magnitude...or two. The carved faces are undeniably impressive though, epitomizing the mantra "build it and they will come."

That night, Devil's Tower glowed in the evening light as I arrived and walked the trail around it, whisps of cloud above and a few dozen circling vultures. The crowds were not here - they were all in Keystone. I'd had the tower's image in my mind since I started climbing and saw a picture of Catherine Destiville stemming one of the dihedrals...or maybe it was close encounters...either way...an impressive spot.

Prairie dogs burrow through the flats around Devil's Tower...and a few are working on their chop stick handling...

...while others just get to know each other better...

...and then back on the road headed for Jackson, Wyoming. Settling in to perpetually beautiful scenery, this time through the Big Horn mountains...

...and taking a break for now

"Life must be rich and full of loving--it's no good otherwise, no good at all, for anyone." Kerouac

Going West

2010-07-11T22:53:00.000-07:00

I'm heading West...wasn't really sure what that meant until I looked out from a Horizon jet on Canada Day and saw the snowy peaks that lined the route between Seattle and Edmonton. I felt like I'd come home, but to a new place. N. Scott Momaday reminds me to experience this new place as fully as possible - the next posts will hopefully share some angles and sense of the place I'm now in....

The Earth
"Once in his life a man ought to concentrate his mind upon
the remembered earth, I believe. He ought to give himself up
to a particular landscape in his experience, to look at it from
as many angles as he can, to wonder about it, to dwell upon it.

He ought to imagine that he touches it with his hands at
every season and listens to the sounds that are made upon
it. He ought to imagine the creatures there and all the faintest
motions of the wind. He ought to recollect the glare of noon and
all the colors of the dawn and dusk.
For we are held by more than the force of gravity to the earth.
It is the entity from which we are sprung, and that into which
we are dissolved in time. The blood of the whole human race
is invested in it. We are moored there, rooted as surely, as
deeply as are the ancient redwoods and bristlecones."

Navarre Scott Momaday

Canada Day in Edmonton

The West -- Day 2 -- Mount Baker with long-time wilderness compatriot Julie

Glacial melt and sun

Mount Baker - a light breeze and perfect corn snow

Happy!

"I know that there are many ways to live there in the sun or shade.
Together we will find a place to settle down and live with the space
without the busy pace back east, the hustling, rustling of the feet,
I know I'm ready to leave too, so this is what we're going to do,

Go west, life is peaceful there.
Go west, lots of open air.
Go west to begin life new.
Go west, this is what we'll do." ---PSBs

Spinning Down the Road

2010-05-31T20:25:00.000-07:00

"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking."
Arthur Conan Doyle

The C and O Canal runs 184 miles from Cumberland MD to Washington DC - A pleasent spin for sure, good company with Trevor from Alaska, and certainly enough milage to get our attention.

Mellow trails

Paw Paw Tunnel

Waterworks

Great Falls

At the last lock in Georgetown, Washington DC. A fun ride while encountering Eastern painted turtles, snapping turtles, black snakes, garter snakes, a river otter, and a host of birds.

Snow

2010-02-10T10:09:00.001-08:00

After a hiatus from blogging, I missed the creativity that the spontaneity of facebook suppresses. So here's to blogging again...with a little help from Billy Collins.

"Today we woke up to a revolution of snow,
its white flag waving over everything,
the landscape vanished,
not a single mouse to punctuate the blankness,
and beyond these windows

the government buildings smothered,
schools and libraries buried, the post office lost
under the noiseless drift,
the paths of trains softly blocked,
the world fallen under this falling."

Heading to Tryst and coffee - nostalgia for snow and first tracks--

Quiet at work today --

SHOVELING SNOW WITH BUDDHA -- Billy Collins

In the usual iconography of the temple or the local Wok
you would never see him doing such a thing,
tossing the dry snow over a mountain
of his bare, round shoulder,
his hair tied in a knot,
a model of concentration.

Sitting is more his speed, if that is the word
for what he does, or does not do.

Even the season is wrong for him.
In all his manifestations, is it not warm or slightly humid?
Is this not implied by his serene expression,
that smile so wide it wraps itself around the waist of the universe?

But here we are, working our way down the driveway,
one shovelful at a time.
We toss the light powder into the clear air.
We feel the cold mist on our faces.
And with every heave we disappear
and become lost to each other
in these sudden clouds of our own making,
these fountain-bursts of snow.

This is so much better than a sermon in church,
I say out loud, but Buddha keeps on shoveling.
This is the true religion, the religion of snow,
and sunlight and winter geese barking in the sky,
I say, but he is too busy to hear me.

He has thrown himself into shoveling snow
as if it were the purpose of existence,
as if the sign of a perfect life were a clear driveway
you could back the car down easily
and drive off into the vanities of the world
with a broken heater fan and a song on the radio.

All morning long we work side by side,
me with my commentary
and he inside his generous pocket of silence,
until the hour is nearly noon
and the snow is piled high all around us;
then, I hear him speak.

After this, he asks,
can we go inside and play cards?

Certainly, I reply, and I will heat some milk
and bring cups of hot chocolate to the table
while you shuffle the deck.
and our boots stand dripping by the door.

Aaah, says the Buddha, lifting his eyes
and leaning for a moment on his shovel
before he drives the thin blade again
deep into the glittering white snow.

Some questions you might ask

2008-09-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

In all the hub bub of a PhD it's easy to forget the balance in life. I've been trying to find that again and last weekend spent a little over 4 days canoeing the 109 miles of Birch Creek, which is a few hours drive out of Fairbanks. With me was Kyle and of course Spruce. Fantastic weather, northern lights, colors at their peak, fun rapids ...what more could I ask for!

If you look carefully, you can find mama bear and a couple of baby bears. Elsewhere, were moose, caribou, wolves, and an endless line of beaver tracks.

Some Questions You Might Ask

Is the soul solid, like iron?
Or is it tender and breakable, like
the wings of a moth in the beak of an owl?
Who has it, and who doesn't?
I keep looking around me.
The face of the moose is as sad
as the face of Jesus.
The swan opens her white wings slowly.
In the fall, the black bear carries leaves into the darkness.
One question leads to another.
Does it have a shape? Like an iceberg?
Like the eye of a hummingbird?
Does it have one lung, like the snake and the scallop?
Why should I have it, and not the anteater
who loves her children?
Why should I have it, and not the camel?
Come to think of it, what about maple trees?
What about the blue iris?
What about all the little stones, sitting alone in the moonlight?
What about roses, and lemons, and their shining leaves?
What about the grass?

Mary Oliver

"Happiness only real when shared" -- Chris McCandless

2008-08-26T16:19:00.000-07:00

A trip back to the old country, great times with relatives and family, sharing my cousin Ben's wedding with Anna; and a special and growing (re)-connection with my sister Helene. I think of Carine McCandless and her reconciliation of loss. She's quoted as saying that her brother Chris was "an amazing person. Everyone can benefit from the lessons that are available within this great book [Into the Wild]and inspirational movie about him." For me, it will be of the happiness of making time to share with a great sister.

A River Runs Through It

2008-08-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

A beautiful day on the Shenandoah River, about an hour and a half away from DC. Blissful to be out of the city among the smooth flows and little rapids, waters running over rocky shelves every kilometer or so. The river was lined with large trees, interspersed with a healthy ensemble of great blue herons, little blues, egrets, kingfishers, and ospreys. Huge carp prowled in the shallows and feet were immediately nibbled on by a throng of little fish if you stood for more than a moment. People pay a lot for these fish pedicures at spas around here (go figure), but for us, it was just part of the package. About 20 km of paddling and much to smile about.

Sash (yes that is confusing), Crystal, and Mehzabeen

Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of those rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.

Norman Maclean

The Streets of New York

2008-07-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

Everyday I try and rationalize these new surroundings, make sense of it all. It's exciting and disturbing in equal measure; an experience that feels important but one that is maybe more type II than type I fun.

This guy was equal measure opera, irish jig, and something I can't put my finger on...

early morning on the walk between Penn Station and Central park

Plenty of ritz...

and trying to get it all in focus...

Outside of that, it's seeing a host of birds I've never seen...even cardinals are a new wonder...racking up the miles on some great bike trails...enjoying work...planning some adventures...and hoping that Ahmedabad settles back toward a peaceful state quickly.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

Into the Sauna (aka DC)

2008-07-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

The time came for the big move to DC, and Tupac was being careful to only sleep in places where he'd not get left

Arrived just before the 4th of July and watched the firewords from a neighborhood rooftop. These are the National Mall fireworks so I'm pretty close.

The sun streams into the apartment in the mornings, it's a nice time of the day...cool before the heat...

They can be like a sun, words. They can do for the heart what light can for a field.

St. John of the Cross

Thorsborne Trail and Neruda

2008-07-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

What better way to celebrate completing the PhD than a trip to Townsville, Australia to spend some time with Dipani. We traveled to Hinchinbrook Island and the Thorsborne Trail. It's a permit trail, so there was only a few others on it with us, and for the most part you'd never have known that anyone else was there. A mix of hiking in the forest and along beaches. Very beautiful, and even whimbrel was there - reminding me of Alaska!

Relaxing breakfasts on beaches watching colors change as the sun came up - espresso and bagels!

Warm water for swimming...

and the final few miles to the boat pick-up...highly recommended!

I want to tell you
the ocean knows this, that
life in its jewel boxes is
endless as the sand...

Neruda

Mountains

2008-06-07T23:34:00.000-07:00

The day seemed less than promising as we passed through hail and rain on the way north, but it turned out to be a stellar hike along the Pinnell Mountain Trail about 100 miles northeast of Fairbanks.

Runrig

But mountains
Are holy places
And beauty is free
We can still walk
Through the garden
Our earth was once green

The Russians are Coming!

2008-06-03T16:51:00.000-07:00

Like the prow of a Viking ship, sail billowing behind, the Dew Line radars of Anvil Mountain sit high above Nome; they mirror the same radars above Anadyr in Russia. There was something magical walking around these icons of the cold war with Russian colleagues - laughing and taking pictures only 2 decades after glasnost.

Spring is hitting Nome after snows just a week ago.

Musk ox are always a thrill...

and a bird watching trip out past Safety Lagoon produced a slew of birds as they migrate into these productive waters - among them red knot, bar-tailed godwit, tundra swans, and the always special harlequin ducks. It'll be my last time here for a while and it was nice to share it with Gay Sheffield as she celebrated a birthday, a new job here in Nome, and a new house by the Dexter Roadhouse. A 100 years ago she'd have been a neighbor of Wyatt Earp of all people!

The Summer Day

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean--
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down--
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

Mary Oliver

Madman Across the Water

2008-05-30T00:47:00.001-07:00

I started my bachelors with the album "Too Low for Zero"; moved onto "Live in Australia" during my Masters; and now wrapped up the Ph.D with a live concert by Elton John in Fairbanks -- of all places! Elton put on a great concert lasting 2 and a half hours - definitely a Fairbanks highlight.

Your Song -- Bernie Taupin

It's a little bit funny this feeling inside
I'm not one of those who can easily hide
I don't have much money but boy if I did
I'd buy a big house where we both could live

If I was a sculptor, but then again, no
Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show
I know it's not much but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one's for you

And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world

I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss
Well a few of the verses well they've got me quite cross
But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song
It's for people like you that keep it turned on

So excuse me forgetting but these things I do
You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue
Anyway the thing is what I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen

Big Day Tomorrow!

2008-05-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

The Storm before the Calm...

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. May your rivers flow without end, meandering through pastoral valleys tinkling with bells, past temples and castles and poets' towers into a dark primeval forest where tigers belch and monkeys howl, through miasmal and mysterious swamps and down into a desert of red rock, blue mesas, domes and pinnacles and grottos of endless stone, and down again into a deep vast ancient unknown chasm where bars of sunlight blaze on profiled cliffs, where deer walk across the white sand beaches, where storms come and go as lightning clangs upon the high crags, where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you --- beyond that next turning of the canyon walls.

Edward Abbey

Green-Up

2008-05-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

Some days are memorable for the intangible beauty held in a moment. Today it was with Kyle on the Angel Rocks trail, looking out at the effervescence of green that is spring.

Below is one of my favorite poems

On the Nature of Love

The night is black and the forest has no end;

a million people thread it in a million ways.

We have trysts to keep in the darkness, but where

or with whom -- of that we are unaware.

But we have this faith -- that a lifetime's bliss

will appear any minute, with a smile upon its lips.

Scents, touches, sounds, snatches of songs

brush us, pass us, give us delightful shocks.

Then peradventure there's a flash of lightning:

whomever I see that instant I fall in love with.

I call that person and cry: 'This life is blest!

For your sake such miles have I traversed!'

All those others who came close and moved off

in the darkness -- I don't know if they exist or not.

-- Rabrindranath Tagore

Euro Bike, Spring, Mountains, and Quiet Roads

2008-05-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

Took a trip out of town with the Ridley and some great mountain air. Warm enough to be in shorts and short-sleeves - a really wonderful roundtrip between Black Rapids and Paxson Lodge (about 60 miles), and pretty much nobody on the road. Diane Ackerman's words come pretty close to the feeling of sitting in the warmth of the sun, ice dripped all around, a caribou on the hillside, gray jays rather than blue jays flitting around, and knowing that all that is so terrible in the news at the moment is far away from this place:

When I go biking, I repeat a mantra of the day's sensations: bright sun, blue sky, warm breeze, blue jay's call, ice melting and so on. This helps me transcend the traffic, ignore the clamorings of work, leave all the mind theaters behind and focus on nature instead. I still must abide by the rules of the road, of biking, of gravity. But I am mentally far away from civilization. The world is breaking someone else's heart.

Isabel Pass was still pretty icy and summit lake mostly frozen. Swans swam on the few bits of open water and the Deltas glisten in the distance.

Weddings and Friends

2008-05-10T21:04:00.000-07:00

Flew down to Anchorage last week for Matt and Becky's wedding. Matt is the son of Vera who I collaborate with at the Eskimo Walrus Commission; and just co-authored a manuscript in Ecological Applications with. It was a beautiful event, and had a chance to catch up with two of my favorite people - Vera and Chris. It was great to see Chris with a smile after a year battling cancer. The world is a better place with her in it.

On Marriage by Kahil Gibran

Then Almitra spoke again and said, "And what of Marriage, master?"
And he answered saying:
You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when white wings of death scatter your days.
Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

Fairbanks to Stockholm to the San Juans

2008-04-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

Stockholm was a welcome respite from the freezing slush of Fairbanks...

Beautiful facilities at the University...

But it was the wandering, tasting, and reflecting that were most captivating

The Morning Wind Spreads
The morning wind spreads its fresh smell.
We must get up and take that in,
that wind that lets us live.
Breathe before it's gone.
Rumi

and then a stop in Seattle and a trip to the San Juans via the tulip festival and Popeye the Harbor Seal

The way to heaven: By Chung Dong-muk

I followed a green glimmer
that sparkled after the rain
And realised I could walk
all the way to heaven.

I embraced all those stories
I heard along the way
Not glancing back to see
How far I had walked.

I walked on and on,
And realised I could walk
All the way to heaven.

The way was clear and bright
As the dew of early morning.

Life's Good ON the Snow

2008-04-01T14:37:00.001-07:00

I'm riding shotgun down the avalanche

Tumbling and falling down the avalanche

So be quiet tonight the stars shine bright
On this mountain of new fallen snow
But I will raise up my voice into the void
You have left me nowhere to go

S. Colvin - J. Leventhal

2008 All Alaska SweepStakes

2008-03-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

Back to St. Lawrence Island for meetings and catching up with friends - that's Apa (aka Little Buddha from last year) - who gave me a wonderful baleen carving.

We got back to Nome an hour after the Great Alaska Sweepstakes started but I stayed for the finish - what a treat.

It's the first time in 25 years that the SweepStakes has been run - a 408 mile dog race from Nome to Candle and Back - no mandatory breaks, winner takes all - and that "take all" is $100,000; quite the incentive to win! A flat out race - some around here call it "old school racing." In the end, it came down to less than 9 minutes between Mitch Seavey who finished in 2 days 13 hours, 3 minutes and second place Jeff King (who also finished second in the Iditarod).

Here's a tired Mitch and his two leaders!

A Poem from Leonard Cohen (click here for more Cohen)

--Love Itself--

The light came through the window now
straight from the sun above,
and so inside my little room
there plunged the rays of Love.

In streams of light I clearly saw
the dust you seldom see,
the dust the Nameless makes to speak
a Name for one like me.

And all mixed up with sunlight now
the flecks did float and dance
and I was tumbled up with them
in formless circumstance.

I'll try to say a little more:
this Love went on and on
until it reached an open door -
Then Love itself was gone.

The self-same moment words were seen
from every window frame,
but there was nothing left between
the Nameless and the Name.

The Whites

2008-03-16T09:39:00.001-07:00

Took a much needed break from work and headed with my friend Kyle and his dog Spruce to a couple of cabins in the White Mountains, about an hours drive north of Fairbanks. It was a wonderful time - good weather, fast trails, silence, northern lights, and friendship. It was also nice to get away from reading about discourse in indigenous politics and take a moment to contemplate the poetry of Rossetti.

Willowwood
Dante Gabriel Rossetti

I sat with Love upon a woodside well,
Leaning across the water, I and he;
Nor ever did he speak nor looked at me,
But touched his lute wherein was audible
The certain secret thing he had to tell:
Only our mirrored eyes met silently
In the low wave; and that sound came to be
The passionate voice I knew; and my tears fell.

And at their fall, his eyes beneath grew hers;
And with his foot and with his wing-feathers
He swept the spring that watered my heart’s drouth.
Then the dark ripples spread to waving hair,
And as I stooped, her own lips rising there
Bubbled with brimming kisses at my mouth.

Spring

2008-03-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

Somewhere
a black bear
has just risen from sleep
and is staring

down the mountain.
All night
in the brisk and shallow restlessness
of early spring

I think of her,
her four black fists
flicking the gravel,
her tongue

like a red fire
touching the grass,
the cold water.
There is only one question:

how to love this world.
I think of her
rising
like a black and leafy ledge

to sharpen her claws against
the silence
of the trees.
Whatever else

my life is
with its poems
and its music
and its cities,

it is also this dazzling darkness
coming
down the mountain,
breathing and tasting;

all day I think of her –
her white teeth,
her wordlessness,
her perfect love.

~ Mary Oliver ~

(House of Light)

Nome Musings

2008-02-17T14:47:00.000-08:00

An extended stay in Nome finds me with no camera but time to be distracted; and there's no distraction like Eddie Izzard. Friends pointed me to the DEATH STAR CANTEEN for those of you who need a laugh!

The Quest

2008-02-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

The Yukon Quest sled dog race provided the impetus to return to blogging! I await a new camera; and between writing a dissertation and playing for the Soyuz indoor soccer team life's been busy and the blog fell by the wayside.

I handled for Phil Joy for the start of the race. That just means keeping the dogs from getting tangled or from starting the race before they are meant to! Here's a photo taken by Stacia of the dogs, Phil, Kumi, and I at the start. They're all ready to go the 1000 miles that will put them in Whitehorse in a week or so. You can see how Phil is doing at the race site. It was a beautiful day, although it's always surprising how it can be beautifully sunny and well into the -40s. Ice fog lingered on the river until afternoon.

BitterSweet Africa

2007-12-23T20:59:00.001-08:00

A month away from the cold - in the heat and sun of southern Africa. Cape Town was the first southern hemisphere destination for the Marine Mammal Conference. A city of contradictions - Maserati and Ferrari intermingled with abject poverty. Table Mountain rising up behind town.

A day off to see the Cape of Good Hope, a name that has resonated since childhood. On the way, took the chance to visit boulder beach's Penguins.

I arrived at the conference early to take part in a Sirenian workshop. The day after was free so we went out to wine country. The surroundings were most conducive to sampling the local libations!

After the conference, I took a train to Jo-berg and then bus onto Kruger National Park. The local bus option in Africa was small and unpredictable. You just wait until the bus is full and then it leaves...not before. Here is the bus station at Maputo, the capital of Mozambique.

Whenever the buses stopped, we'd be mobbed by a host of food sellers

Kruger was pretty spectacular. A huge expanse of park with most of Africa's renowned wildlife species. It was definitely a treat to drive around, seeing a host of mammals and about 80 species of bird. Many come to see the "Big 5" of which we saw 3, elephant, lion, and buffalo. Leopard and rhino remained elusive.

Nevertheless, we were lucky to see many other great sights. Maybe one of the most special was the first, Sable which are regarded as very unusual. Unfortunately no pictures of them, so I took this off the web.

Hippos had been my most desired sighting and we saw them everywhere in the park. Periodically they'd trumpet, a sound I'll always remember.

Kudu

After Kruger, took a bus up to Tofo in Mozambique, a sleepy little surfer spot that was an idyllic place to relax. It was also a good relax after the crazed Rasters who drank a bottle each of Brandy on the bus north. At one point the whole bus was screaming and shouting at each other. I'd periodically hear the word "Tourista" and wonder what on earth was going on. After a few hours of this (of the 9 hour ride), the rasters were let go, their confiscated machete thrown unceremoniously from the bus after we were a few hundred meters away!

Tofo was wonderful, and gave the chance to swim with whale sharks. This seemed like such a pipe dream, but was worth every bit of the trouble to get there. I swam with the shark for about 40 minutes, close enough to touch. The sharks are inquisitive and would stay close so I spent more time trying to avoid it than find it!! I took this picture from the web as a close approximation of what this all looked like.

The flowers of Africa were also captivating...here are a few of my favorite pictures:

And then there were the kids!

Hutlinana

2007-10-28T15:01:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I had the chance to catch up with my friend Kyle on a 12 mile round-trip hike into Hutlinana hotsprings. Apart from the 3 hour drive on icy roads to get there, it was a beautiful day - warm enough to not need hat or gloves, and only a few inches of snow so we just hiked in with running shoes. The hot spring was well worth the trip, tucked in against the small cliff on the left side of the river.

The dogs had fun. Here's Yugi (living with us for four months) and Turtle. We were in prime squirrel country - their favorite!

The sunset on the way home was superb.

Winter's Transition

2007-10-24T22:53:00.000-07:00

Fall was still hanging in the air a few short weeks ago. We took advantage of the cool weather to observe the fall colors one last time before the snow turned the world white. This is at Kesugi Ridge between Fairbanks and Anchorage.

When the snow finally hit, it was cause for celebration. Time for skiing and snow angels again.

The early season skiing is great. Lots of glide and warm temperatures.

Anadyr

2007-09-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

Ever since I started my research in the Bering Strait, I've been wanting to travel across the short distance to Russia. Last week, I had my chance, taking a small plane for the 2 hour ride to Anadyr, the regional capital of Chukotka. We landed along side Bear Bombers and were met by an entourage of military and customs officials.

For a reason, I'm still a little unclear on, Anadyr is separated from it's airport by a mile or so of water. This involves a ride in a small landing craft as for us in summer, an ice road in winter, and in the intervening seasons, a helicopter.

I went to present my walrus research at the annual Beringia Days conference. It was a great chance to meet collaborators in person and to share information on walrus research.

Roman Abramovich is the governor of Chukotka. Britain knows him as the owner of Chelsea football club. Anadyr knows him for the extensive investments he has made in Chukotka, including in some new paint!

Anadyr is an interesting mix of the old and new. Large murals and Russia's largest wooden orthodox church. We went to a service which was quite moving in its ethereal beauty and singing.

On one of the last days, we took a trip out onto the tundra for a wonderful barbecue of reindeer chased down with some great vodka.

As usual, I was captivated by the kids. We were delayed for a few days due to cross winds at the airport and took a tour of the local kindergarten. Here are a few of my favorite photos.

Finally, at the airport we met families stuck for two days waiting to travel an hour toward Alaska to the town of Providenya. They were fun to play with, including Amy here from KNOM in Nome who used the camera distortion program on her mac to entertain them for at least an hour!

Musings before the Fall

2007-09-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

August turned out pretty busy with comprehensive exams and a work trip to Portland, but didn't stop the necessary few last trips to enjoy the summer before it eases into winter. The chill is already in the air and the nights dark and starry again. Northern Lights on Friday were some of the best I've ever seen (see our friend Patrick's blog for some photos of them and the cranes that are congregating before heading south). Here are a few photos of the last weeks. A productive trip out into the hills to pick blueberries with Ben and Julie. You have to wonder if Ben has a red bucket for raspberries and and an orange one for salmon berries.

Yesterday, had a chance to catch up with Kyle and Julie (now back from their wedding and honeymoon in Africa), and another friend Adrian on a mellow float along the Chena River in Fairbanks. Kyle and Julie are enjoying the cleanliness of Fairbanks...which believe me is a telling story of Africa!

The paddle was a pleasant way to spend a Saturday afternoon, even with the Discovery paddle wheel churning past us during lunch. Even though it was now September 1st, the sun was hot keeping dogs in the shade and us relaxed and ready for ice cream at the finish.

News from the Field

2007-08-10T22:32:00.001-07:00

It's been a hectic week preparing for my comprehensive exams, coupled with giving Tupac some extra love. He was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease for which there is no cure. Although quite sick, he's putting on a brave face. So for now, I'm living vicariously through Tawna's adventures.

She's a long-day's drive north of Vancouver at a bird-banding station. The drive really exhausted Turtle apparently.

The banding station is a beautiful place in amazing surroundings. I'm hoping to visit at the end of the month.

Here's one of their birds, a yellow-winged variety.

Turtle and the Indigo Girls

2007-08-05T00:48:00.001-07:00

Tawna and Turtle headed to B.C., Canada a couple of days ago; here's Turtle taking a final nap.

Tonight, headed out with friends to see the Indigo Girls. It was fun to have them in Fairbanks and play such a small venue. As you can see, the setting was really quite intimate for such a well known group.

Never thought I'd meet a person called Turtle...but here is Turtle, a 40-year resident of Fairbanks with my buddy Ben. It was a fun evening for all!

Jersey Wedding

2007-07-31T17:41:00.001-07:00

Last week, Tawna and I headed east to Washington D.C., up the Jersey coast, to New York, and to our friend's Kyle and Julie's wedding. It was 85 degrees in D.C., and a beautiful full moon first evening on the Mall.

Even though the Jersey shore had never jumped out as a wildlife spot, we found some tranquility and an abundance of birds around Cape May and at the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge just north of Atlantic City. We saw 50 species of bird in just 24 hours or so including a favorite, the black skimmer (a borrowed photo).

The wedding was beautiful, the ceremony outside narrowly missing the thunder and lightning. The 8-strong Alaska contingent made healthy inroads into the libations after the rabbi deemed our home state a "god-forsaken land."

Delta River

2007-07-25T01:35:00.001-07:00

Tawna and I took off for a few days on the upper Delta River. An easy float out of it's headwaters at Tangle Lakes down to the Richardson Highway - about 35 miles. The trip starts with a few miles crossing the Tangle Lakes. We spent a night out at the lower Lake. You can see our tent on the right side of the picture, we had the place to ourselves which was wonderful. The blueberries are everywhere but unfortunately we were a week early to indulge.

The second day was an easy float down to a half mile portage around a waterfall. Below that, the river runs through a short canyon with some rocky class 2 rapids.

Much of the water is mellow and when there were no mergansers and chicks to keep her interest, Turtle just kicked back and relaxed. As you'll notice though, not really helping with our general stability.

Lower on the river, she helped my scouting, using her nose to sniff out the right channels.

Tawna and Anchorage

2007-07-12T14:32:00.001-07:00

Drove down to Anchorage this week to pick up Tawna and have a bit of time in the mountains. It was nice to be on some of my favorite trails and show Tawna around a bit. She came in at 4 pm, we grabbed pizza at the Moose's Tooth and then up to Symphony and Eagle Lakes.

After a nice run into the lakes of the South Fork of Eagle River, we drove to Hatcher Pass, just north of Anchorage in the Talkeetna Mountains. Found a nice place to sleep, and then headed into Reed Lakes in the morning. This is one of the best day hikes in the area through some really beautiful scenery.

The rock is granite, leading to some fun opportunities to boulder

The weather was even nice enough for a swim (at least for Tawna) in the glacial fed creek that runs by the trail.

On our drive out, this Hoary Marmot decided to come up to the car and torment Turtle who couldn't believe the audacity!

4th of July

2007-07-04T21:02:00.001-07:00

Took the chance to spend a bit of time with my friends Julie, and Kyle and Julie who are relaxing before their wedding at the end of the month. Here's Julie enjoying the start of the upper Chena, a very relaxed float!

The dogs alternated swimming, running along gravel bars, and spending some time in the boats. That's Kyle and Julie setting the pace.

Floated down to a nice beach and barbecued up a good lunch of sockeye salmon and burgers. There was some beer along with G and Ts which could have contributed to some navigation issues during the afternoon.

Julie's dog Caz and Turtle swam several miles of the river which is shocking as Turtle has only been swimming a couple of times, and short distances at that since I've known her.

Tawna's back home on Tuesday, and we're all (that's Turtle, Tupac, and me) looking forward to posting some adventures with her again.

Chena Dome

2007-06-30T16:23:00.001-07:00

Headed out early toward Chena Hot Springs with the plan to run the 30 mile Chena Dome trail. It starts up through old fire burns climbing about 800 m in the first 6 miles.

Once out of the trees, the views are impressive. You can see the ridge all the way to Chena Dome, the high point in the distance. There's not really a trail along the ridge, making for fun tundra running. I saw a moose and calf just past this spot right on top of the ridge.

Even though we left early, it was oppressively hot for the ascent and there was no water at all on the trail until a tiny little pool at mile 7. Turtle forgot to bring water for herself so we shared. She's pretty good at drinking from the camel back.

We were making pretty good time, but just before we got to Chena Dome, thunder heads started to form, sounding their presence in long barrages. There were a long line of dark storm clouds drifting in, so decided to make this an out-and-back and headed back along the ridge hoping to beat the storm.

Thought we were home and dry but right before heading down off the ridge we were hit with a blitzkrieg of pea-sized hail. Poor old Turtle didn't know what to do, put her ears back, scrunched her eyes mostly closed, and stayed close to the ground. Anyway, it was altogether a fun little run ending up at around 16 miles.

40!

2007-06-24T23:52:00.002-07:00

Tawna came back from Vancouver for my 40th and to head out on a road trip to McCarthy and Kennicott. Although a long drive (10 hours), it was wonderful to get out into the mountains. We started with a hike along the Root Glacier, which is where I taught ice climbing when I first came to Alaska.

The weather was hot and sunny making the glacier really slick, although that didn't stop a little bit of exploring on the ice...Tawna's first time. Turtle seemed to do fine with her claws although the sharp ice was hard on her pads.

We ran for much of the trail alongside the glacier, the 3000 meter "Stairway Icefall" as a backdrop.

On the way back into Kennicott, the trail drops back into willow and alder. It was soon after this picture was taken that Turtle found a black bear although Tawna called her in before trouble ensued! The bear headed up into the brush, not to be seen again.

Small waterfalls were a welcome place to cool off in the heat.

After a few days in Kennicott, our friends Justine and Stacia joined us for some dipnetting in Chitina. Here's Stac at 5 a.m. (having already driven 2 hours to get here) showing how it's done at the confluence of the Chitina and Copper Rivers.

The scenery at Chitina is spectacular. That is Mount Wrangell behind.

Unfortunately, the fishing was a little slow, although Tawna managed to catch this 20 kilo King Salmon. It was a little unclear for a while if the King would take Tawna into the river before Tawna got the King onto land. Luckily, Stac and Justine were close at hand!

Turtle was ready for dipnetting with all the running and hiking she had been doing. She's tuckered out but should get some rest until my comprehensive exams are done in the next few weeks!

The Dalton

2007-06-17T20:53:00.001-07:00

Ben and I had long been planning to head up the Dalton Highway to take pictures, and this weekend worked out well on timing. So, at 5 a.m on Saturday, we jumped in the car, and headed north on a mini-adventure. Here's the crew, Ben, Turtle, and Pella (keeping a low profile).

The trip was a chance to get out of town, and for Ben to work more on his photo project of the Dalton Highway. Turtle was wound up the whole trip with plentiful wildlife to keep her excited. This was fine until she decided to chase a rabbit before the car had stopped! So...at a little over 10 mph, Turtle leaps through the half opened window (about where it is in this picture), hits the ground, and without missing a beat heads into the forest at full tilt. Ben and I ...hmmm...well, we just didn't know what to say! Confronted, Turtle just told us in her nonchalant manner that "I do my own stunts."

Much of the drive is through the boreal forest on dirt. There had been some heavy rain, leading to muddy conditions!

But, by the time we got through Atigun Pass onto the North side of the Brooks Range, the weather and scenery were just perfect! We camped at Galbraith Lake, where after 12 hours driving, we enjoyed a beautiful hike on the tundra. It was a perfect moment - good company, happy dogs, wildlife, and that intoxicating feeling of adventure in all directions.

Unfortunately, we had a stove mishap...like a "where's the stove?" mishap. That led to a coffee emergency this morning. It was 4 hours driving to Coldfoot where we enjoyed a great breakfast and coffee. It was good...real good!

We stopped for a break at Finger Rock, about half way back to Fairbanks. A breeze to keep the bugs down, and sun on your face sent us both to sleep. Turtle slept as well while Pella looked on in her dastardly way. For those of you that remember Mutley from Wacky Races, you have to admit that there's a resemblance! See the Sappy Birthday episode if you have a few minutes to take a trip down childhood memory lane and get reacquainted with Mutley!

The Turtle Dog

2007-06-10T22:21:00.001-07:00

Tawna is in Vancouver, leaving Turtle, Tupac, and me to look after the house. It's been quite the adventure, so here's a blog of some of our adventures, starting with Chena Lakes where we clocked Turtle at just over 20 miles an hour - thank goodness for fast bikes!

Had a fun road trip to Juneau a few weeks ago. It's a 10 hour drive to Haines and then a few hours on the ferry. Got to see humpback whales, sea lions, a grizzly bear wondering along side the road, caribou, and moose. It was wonderful to run the trails in the forests, all the giant skunk cabbage was sprouting.

Unfortunately, Turtle decided to go for a late night snack of porcupine, which landed us in the emergency room at midnight. I think it was more traumatic for my friend Chanda and I; Turtle recovered from the anesthetic, and was ready to chase porcupines again by lunchtime the next day. Fortunately, she didn't catch another one!

Judging by the blogs, it seemed that all and sundry went to Granite Tors this weekend. I went with my friend Ed to run the 15 mile trail through some amazing scenery. Thunderstorms pounded the hills a few miles away, but we were treated with gentle breezes - keeping the bugs away, some clouds - keeping the temperatures cool, and views as far as to Fairbanks 40 miles to the west.

Turtle and I have been working on who is boss. Here I am trying to pose her for a picture. Turtle is ok with Tawna being boss, but she (in her mind) ranks above me, which leads to a variety of obedience problems...such as her not chasing porcupines and thinking it's ok to cruise for ice cream at Hot Licks! Luckily Tawna is coming home on the 18th to remind her that there are rules in the world and that her mum still loves her.

Nevertheless, Turtle will humor me with a picture once in a while. It was a great day out with Ed and Turtle...although we're both a little tuckered now!

Smiles in Sivuqaq

2007-05-08T23:24:00.000-07:00

Just back into Nome from Sivuqaq (Gambell) on St. Lawrence Island. What a great experience, some good friends, good weather, and a successful spring hunt for the community. Even the Russian mainland was clearly in view most days. Click on this picture to see Chukotka, only 40 miles away.

Subsistence, a mix of the old and the new...

My memories, will as usual be filled with smiles...

Catching Up

2007-05-08T22:21:00.000-07:00

It's been a whirlwind month, traveling to Portland for a conference on salmon, which was wonderful; including a surprise chance to see John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry speak at the old Baghdad Theater. Teresa was inspiring with her passion for environmental issues and particularly as they impact women. The guy in the front row is the Lieutenant that John Kerry pulled out of the water in Vietnam, saving his life.

After Portland, I had a week with my girls, warm enough for tevas already...

I'm not sure which one is goofiest, but I love them both!

Tupac doesn't get to go on the big walks but he comes out on a leash at home.

A Day at the Races...Chatanika Style

2007-03-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

We woke up to blue skies today and headed out with friends to watch the races at Chatanika - an old mining town about 30 miles N.E. of Fairbanks. The races are unconventional as you'll see, but we had fun hiking, playing, watching, and even participating in the human bowling contest.

The view out from the Steese Highway was spectacular today

Tawna is hoping to audition for the next Mutant Ninja Turtle Movie soon...

Chatanika is famous for its outhouse race - 0.8 miles run flat out while pushing a loaded outhouse

Costumes are essential, but let's just say you shouldn't fall behind in this kind of race --- We're putting it down to a rapid transition out of the outhouse at the start!

Tawna allowed me to use her as a bowling ball in the human bowling -- check out Ben and Deas blog for a picture of that!

Iditarod -- The 1978 Finish

2007-03-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

I couldn't leave the Iditarod buzz without sharing the story of the 1978 Iditarod. Some of you will know it, but for those that don't, it was the closest finish in history. One that went both ways before a final decission was made. Here's the story courtesy of the Anchorage Daily News. Clearly Dick Mackey (Lance's father) still gets a smile out of this one!

For 800 miles, Dick Mackey and Rick Swenson rarely lost sight of each other. With a few others, they jockeyed for position along the length of Alaska. At the end, they found themselves out in front of everyone else and proceeded to stage the darnedest finish the race has ever seen.

"By the time the two men reached the streets of Nome, they were virtually running side by side," Daily News reporter Doug O'Harra wrote. "One hundred yards out, they were even. By the time they entered the 50-yard chute, Mackey had a slight edge. Both men were running.

"Then Mackey's dogs trotted under the burled arch, the finish line." The dogs tangled. "His sled stopped just short of the finish line. Mackey collapsed.

"Swenson ... kept going and dragged his sled under the finish line. Though his leaders crossed second, Swenson himself crossed under the arch ahead of Mackey.

"Bedlam erupted."

The decision about who won the 1978 Iditarod is debated today whenever race fans gather. But the rules and race officials said it was the lead dog's nose, not the musher's behind, that determined the winner. They awarded Mackey the victory by one second.

Iditarod

2007-03-14T00:09:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to be in Anchorage for the start and Nome for the finish of this year's Iditarod Sled Dog Race. It's the first time that a musher has won both the Yukon Quest - regarded as the hardest long distance race, and two weeks later won the Iditarod - another 1000 miles with the same dogs. I take my hat off to Lance Mackey who accomplished this, winning his first Iditarod on his sixth attempt wearing the number 13, as did his brother and his father when they were racing...what are the chances of that!

Here is Lance about 6 miles out of Nome wearing a huge smile and enjoying the sun in his face. Remember that the pictures blow up nicely if you click on them.

The trail cuts across some low tundra before heading back out on the sea ice for the final run into Nome. Anvil mountain and the Dew line radars above Nome can be seen on the horizon

It was hard to get a picture on Front Street, but here's Lance punching the air, as he comes down past the infamous Board of Trade. It's a little unclear as to what species of animal is right in front of the lead dogs...seems like they were struck by the outfit as well!

Here's second place finisher Paul Gebhardt acknowledging his lead dog right after finishing about 3 hours after Mackey. I can't imagine how overwhelming all the attention must be after a week and a half on the trail. I'm not sure I'll be up to watch the next mushers come in at 4 a.m, but will try to catch a few before getting on the plane home tomorrow lunch time.

Sivuqaq

2007-03-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

Back to St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea. The ice is thin this year. We are here to talk with hunters about the upcoming season and the health project I'm trying to start as a collaboration between hunters, the Eskimo Walrus Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the University.

When I think of remote communities, I think of pictures like this of Savoonga; at the edge of the sea ice, America, and of most of what is familiar

Gambell had icy cold windchill as the wind came in off the ice. The -45 degree temperatures had us walking backwards most of the 400 m into town to avoid frostbite. I made the rookie mistake of packing my windpants and not wearing them...that wont happen again! This is a picture of us leaving Gambell in the early morning sun as the wind blows the ice around town in front of Sivuqaq mountain.

For all the cold and wind, it was the kids that again stole my heart. Here's Vera's nephew...they call him "Little Buddha"

The Mighty Tupac

2007-03-03T21:09:00.000-08:00

A short story by Tupac

The wily predator Tupac stalks close to his prey, the beautiful Turtle, whose mind is on other things...maybe food.

But then the feeling of fear...oh my god, did that cat's eyes go green again?...

but it was too late, and Tupac chuckles in victory, in that way that Devon Rex's do

Bundling up again!

2007-02-14T18:51:00.000-08:00

It's only February and spring suddenly feels like its around the corner. Not sure if it's because we were just in the sun of California, or if it's because Tawna heads off this weekend for some work in Carolina, or that the field season planning for walrus work is in full swing. Whatever it is, the sun feels warm on your skin...at least it did while sat next to the Toyo stove in our cabin, looking out the window...at least it did before we headed up to the summit of Murphy Dome and into the Arctic wind that brought wind chills down to...well to a temperature that you wish you'd put long johns on for. Nevertheless, with the Alaska Range sweeping out in the distance, it would be hard not to be happy with the view!

Tawna, never one to leave a rock unscaled, risked frost bite for a first ascent of this fine problem but is hoping for a resole with sticky rubber on the mukluks (that for the record have poor heel hooking and edging capabilities).

The first ascent took a lot out of us, so we tried sun bathing but our hands fell off and Turtle just wanted to find a moose to chase.

Death Valley!

2007-02-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

Out of the cold and into the desert. Our months of preparation, thawing each other's eyes out, and gnawing on frozen energy gels was over!!

So off to Death Valley, an amazing place that like Vegas is hard to encapsulate in any one image. Here, I've borrowed photos liberally from the web to try and give some sense of the place; I apologize for any transgressions on copyrights!

The highest peaks were dusted with snow but the temperatures were in the 50s when we pulled into camp in the early evening - the only green in a valley of salt flats and multi-hued sands.

It was up before 6a.m to get our numbers and instructions from a very charismatic race director who fired us all up with news that the race would indeed be in Titus Canyon (the last 3 years had been cancelled as a result of floods, snow, and rock fall!). We even got to sing America the Beautiful...I think it was that particular song, but will remember to learn the words before next year. We were then driven up to the start, about 45 minutes drive away, out of Death Valley and into Nevada.

The start is at the edge of pavement where a gravel road leads gradually uphill through the desert toward the ridge in the background which we'll cross into Death Valley. It was a pleasant 68 degrees to get the race going - definitely warm for us Alaska types but nothing to complain about. You can see the road (if you click on the image to enlarge it) running out over the low point in the ridge on the left of the photo - still 2400 feet (that's 800 m for you metric-types) of elevation gain from the start. The start was signaled by a flash of break lights from the race director's Jeep speeding away down the course - and we were off.

Here's a picture from the race's high point, Red Pass (mile 12) looking into Death Valley with our route winding down below (click the photo again for a better image). It was a brutal 500 feet of switchbacks immediately before the pass but well worth it when we saw this view. The other reward...from here, it was downhill for every bit of the last 14 miles.

This is an aerial view of the canyon which we navigated on our descent into Death Valley. You can see the ridge we crossed in the background.

Much of the lower part of the course was meandering along the one-lane Jeep trail that runs through the canyon. The rock walls were impressive to view but there was always a need to be mindful of your feet as rocks were always there to trip you.

Finally we emerged from the canyon together with the finish only a mile away, the windows of the waiting buses glinting in the sun...it was a welcome site! We cruised down the last piece of road and were re-energized with the site of Captain and Jonny (Tawna's brothers) cheering just up from the finish. It was a real treat to have our own cheering squad in the middle of the wilderness! A scratch in the sand marked the transition between running and no more running. We bent over to remove our timing chips, but were quickly scolded by the coarse volunteers who said they had had too many people bend down and keep going! They removed them for us.

We recovered with some casual bouldering in a nearby canyon - several new ascents here!

And the evening was spent with our very own "Little Miss Sunshine" on an original Taylor Baby Guitar, making full use of her 3 and a half chords!

"O"

2007-02-01T22:30:00.000-08:00

Well aghast as you might be that the blog is updated, it's good to be reporting in from Vegas, that's Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tawna and I are down here for a marathon...the strip seemed like a good place to warm up...

Here it is at night...gawdy and bright. It's hot though, although not for the locals who are bundled up in big jackets as we walk around in shorts!

We came to the Belagio to watch Cirque de Soleil 'O', but found ourselves enamored with the free fountain display and fancy lemon creme brule.

We both hoped to make a little money on this trip (to fund our trip home). Tawna quickly doubled our money, (on the 5c slots), but Martin gambled it all away again.

We're making friends quickly.

But now they get in all of our pictures.

We weren't allowed to take pictures during 'O', but still photos could never capture the amazing acrobatics, elaborate costumes and mind boggling set - complete with pool... oh and the live music anyway. We highly recommend seeing it.

Llamas!

2006-08-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

A trip into the north Cascades with Llamas, Tawna, Turtle, and a retired walrus biologist! Not so fast and light as I've been doing but interesting - like rafting, but on land for those with an idea of how gear expands to fill the space provided! The scenery and weather were spectacular!

Much to Kae's chagrin, everyone thinks that Llamas spit. She says that's like a dog that bites - she eats those Llamas!

We travelled at a walk, a little slower than the 230 runners who whisked by on the morning of day 2 in the Cutthroat Lake Classic. Now there's a 10 mile run that I'll have to come back for!

The Llamas were sort of friendly in the way that a cat is - on their terms!

The hot weather made snowy lakes a great place for a swim to cool off and clean up from the dusty trail.

The alpine environment is beautiful here and not too crowded.

The trail winds around steep talus.

You can see the trail at about lower ear level

Scenics and Stories

2006-07-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

Above the Marsh Fork on the Canning River

Evening light near Last Lake on the Sheenjek

A farewell to George Schaller before heading off in his footsteps to the Sheenjek Glacier and then to Kaktovik

Crossing the continental divide into the Hula Hula drainage

Leaving the mountains behind

Out on the coast among nesting eiders

About to blow the boats back up and paddle the 2 miles across the Beaufort Sea to Kaktovik from narrow Arey Island (you can see Kaktovik in the upper left).

Check out and listen to National Public Radio's story at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5582159

The bugs

2006-07-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

Our month in the Arctic was mostly cold, but two days from the end when the weather warmed we ran into the infamous coastal plain mosquitos - they really made us appreciate a little colder weather and wind...wind...wind!

The Mighty Pack Rafts

2006-07-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

Our travel from the Continental Divide 160 km to the coast was by Pack Raft; an Alaskan boat weighing 2 kilos and capable of carrying 25 kilos of gear through rapids and over rocks.

Ground Squirrels

2006-07-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

In the footsteps of the Muries

2006-06-28T23:17:00.000-07:00

Driving 300 miles north from Fairbanks brought us to Atigun pass where the trans-Alaska oil pipeline passes over onto the North Slope of Alaska. The scenery is stunning.

I'm here traveling with renowned biologist George Schaller, Jon - an accomplished mountaineer, wilderness explorer and writer; Forrest - a climbing guide and U. of Wyoming student; and Betsy, a fellow student at UAF. Together we are going to head into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in a few days to travel into places George last visited in 1956 with the Muries. National Geographic is funding the expedition to help raise awareness of climate change in the region.

We hiked into Atigun gorge from the road, which is on the edge of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, finding sheep, fossils, and incredible scenery. It was great to stretch the legs and get into to some impressive country. We head to Deadhorse tomorrow and then fly on the 1st of July into the heart of the Refuge.

Some like it Ruff

2006-06-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

Living in Vancouver for a few weeks helping Tawna with her Ruff sandpiper research. There's an image I remember well from a kid of this bird - one of those wildlife images that just stays with you for it's uniqueness.

Although some say they are not really inteligent, they have been the source of hours of intriguing observations as males vie for females. There are three strategies used by the males - "Residents" that display intensely and try to dominate their court on the lek; the "Satellites" that hang close to residents and try to move in on a female when the resident is not looking; and then...(you might not be ready for this), "Faeders" who look more like females, hang out with the females, and don't get into the whole aggressive I'm male thing. Really interesting stuff which Tawna is analyzing through assessing hormone profiles over the season.

The males are as impressive as they are in my original childhood introduction. Here is a picture from James Dale's web site who worked on the Ruffs here (By the way, you'll notice how the original artist's picture and the photograph show really differently colored birds - nothing unusual for ruffs - James Dale can tell you more on intraspecific color variation if you're really interested - http://www.geocities.com/quelea/):

One of the highlights for me has been the new arrival of chicks. Here's a picture of one of the little guys. Like little Jacanas - their feet just improbably large. We have to encourage them to eat in a narrow window of time after they hatch.

The Kids

2006-05-30T19:45:00.000-07:00

There's some 2,000 years of history just under the ground at Gambell. Bones in the old village sites are testament to that. The bones show the long relationship with walrus that's as alive today as it's always been.

Among the bones and snow, Gambell sometimes felt desolate as the fog, wind, and snow blew over the low beaches; but my memories of the place, as I now write from a balmy Whidbey Island near Seattle, are more about kids than the weather...

There's memories of kids on machines - four wheelers, snow machines, and kitty kats...but above all, memories of Gambell will be filled with the images of kids with huge smiles

Chess

2006-05-18T09:53:00.001-07:00

Several days of storm have ripped apart the island's cloak of shorefast sea ice. Bergs the sizes of houses are tossed around by the swells like flotsam.

Above Gambell on Sivuqaq Mountain, we watched a snowy owl face off with two nesting ravens. The black knights repeatedly leaping over the snowy bishop until the owl had enough and left the game; taking flight and moving south along the mountain, blending with snow, fog, and cloud.

Ursus maritimus

2006-05-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

Dark skys as the Bering Sea storm continues to bring rain, snow, and wind to Gambell.

Snow

2006-05-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

We're somewhere between winter and spring. It's currently a blizzard with winds gusting through Gambell as a large low pressure rolls slowly up the Bering Sea. The boats are all on land, and judging from this boat I saw a few days ago in Savoonga, some will be there for a while.

Spring!

2006-05-15T02:27:00.000-07:00

Stopping to play on a whirlwind drive from Fairbanks to Vancouver with Tawna and Turtle

The Launch of the Blog

2006-05-15T01:01:00.000-07:00

Seems odd to be sitting at midnight in Gambell's Sivuqaq Lodge designing a blog. The winds howling and Russia is closer than the United States mainland. Boats are on their racks as the sea ice starts to break up and move away. I feel like I could reach out from the shore and touch the dateline - 180 degrees from Mother Carey's Kitchen. Here it is...the Blog - Enjoy!