Grin and Bear It

The community ride driver on Wednesday morning told us she awoke to find a bear relaxing in her drive. He disappeared long enough for her to leave for work. But he reappeared and prevented the children from being taken to their sitter. Little did we know that we would have our own close encounter later in the day.

We rode to the far side of the island, out beyond Thimbleberry trail where the most recent bear attack had occurred. Reports in the newspaper said that last Friday's event involved a biker who was surprised by a bear from behind. After rolling on the ground in an odd ball of human, bike, and bear, she was able to stand with the bike between her and the bear, stare at him and scream, which prompted the bear to slip away into the woods, and people to come to her rescue. She suffered scratches on her back, and was out the next morning at the Farmer's Market.

Our stop was the end of the bus line: Whale Park. It was deserted when we arrived. There are two viewing spots that overlook the bay. Information there says everything from whales to sea lions to sharks can be seen. At this time of year, we saw nothing but waves and a couple boats. Just to be safe, we sprayed ourselves with Bear-B-Gone -- wait: there is no such thing. So we just set off on foot for the two-mile hike to the end of the road. Along the road that wound back and forth through the hills, the water always at our side, we whistled and sang off key so as not to startle any bears. We saw a big pile of fur at the side of the road and wondered if a bear had been scratching itself there. Eventually we came to another trail head, then a fishery, and finally our destination: Fortress of the Bear.

This is a non-profit operation constructed on the site of an old city works. Two old water reservoirs have been converted and built upon with all donated and reused junk, to create a habitat for chickens, rabbits, pigs, ducks, sheep, goats, and, of course, bears.

The bears are brothers who were abandoned by their mother two years earlier. They share one of the reservoirs as their permanent home. This is the best and safest way to encounter a bear. We also were able to pet the sheep and the jealous goat, as well as feed the pigs what they had gluttonously shoved out of reach under the fence. The entire setting is literally pieced together out of reused stuff, like an under-budget Mad Max film set. Entry fee per person was $10. The experience was not really worth the money or the two-mile walk. But the project is only two years old, and the efforts are admirable.

Meanwhile, updating a previous story, the fish are making their way upstream. We still have not received any rain, and meteorologists have declared Sitka to be suffering a mild drought. The past couple days the sun has been filtered through a haze of smoke from Canadian wildfires. But the indomitable salmon have nevertheless made it from the bay, through the estuary zone, to mass below the bridge over the Indian River. In the photo below they are the large splotch of black shaped vaguely like the Big Dipper. And several intrepid ones can be seen making their way among the rocks toward their happy spawning grounds. Each day we take a few minutes to watch and cheer them onward.

Dance Fever

We had Tuesday's events planned in advance, and we were looking forward to them. So in the late morning we walked to Harrigan Centennial Hall to see the Russian dancers perform.

This troupe of six ladies performed Russian folk dances in period costume that research suggested would probably have been popular during Sitka's period as New Archangel, the imperial capital of Russia in the new world. They danced to pre-recorded music and some lyrics. Three dances were followed by a short interlude about the Alaska state flag, and then three more dances. The moves involved lots of stomping of heels and leg kicks that would inspire break dancers. A serene and regal circle dance was done completely on their toes.


None of the dancers were professionals, and none were Russian.

After passing a few hours, eating Chinese takeout for lunch, we arrived at the Sheet'ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi Community House for the next dance troupe. This was the native Tlingit dancers.

Perhaps a dozen members of various clans performed native dances in tribal costume that have been passed down through the generations of Sitka's native population. They danced to the beat of their own drums, and chanted lyrics in their native tongue. The dancer who portrayed Raven, and the young woman who led the dances and related their significance to the audience both performed well. The final dance allowed members of the audience to step out and join in mimicking Raven. The dancers ranged in age from a young child to an old woman, all native Tlingit.

While we enjoyed the emotion and genuineness of the tribal dance more than the folk dance, we were impressed that both types conveyed stories. While we are not versed in the art form, we are not aware of any stories being told by the Charleston or the Sprinkler.

Being Green

How easy is it being green? Let us tell you a few things we have done in Alaska to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Our intent was not to be more eco-conscious, but our choices have been made as a way to cut many expenses.

First, we traveled without a car. The reasons were due more to time constraints (the long drive and the wait for passports) than to cost. When we arrived at the airport, we hired a taxi, because we had no idea where our inn was located, and none of the complimentary transports went there. We have used the taxi only two other times since then: our first day of work, again because we had no idea where we were going, and to get to work on the weekend when the community ride did not operate. The other days we have worked we used the community ride in the morning, and walked back to the inn in the evening. We also used the community ride twice to do grocery shopping. For everything else we have walked. Even if one could not do so much walking, the community ride operates during the week from morning to evening. Taxis are always available and quick to respond since the city has so few roads. Bikes can be rented, most of the roads have designated bike lanes, and there are bike racks almost everywhere.

Second, we traveled without any tablewear or cookwear. The inn has a microwave oven and a mini fridge. Since the cost of dining is so expensive, we would have to eat most meals at the inn. We bought fruits and vegetables, but we would need to prepare some meals as well. Our first meal was a microwaveable dinner which came in a plastic tray. Washed and reused, these trays have been used to warm, cook, and serve everything else. The inn provided two pastic cups, from which we have drank, and bottles of water which we have refilled. We also added larger cups from a lunch at the local fast food restaurant. Though we purchased a small box of plastic utensils, we also have acquired those from the lunch. A package of napkins serves all purposes of wrapping and wiping. The meat and fruit we needed were packaged in containers and bags that we emptied and reused to store foods in and carry them to work.

Third, we traveled with several canvas bags. These serve as our tote bags to carry groceries, but also on our walks to bring along water, sandwiches, camera and binoculars, and anything else we might want to have with us.

Go Fish

No photos today. Just an update on the fish situation. We have still had no rain. We haven't seen the fish jumping out in the bay to any extent. But on the walk home from the hospital yesterday, we paused on the bridge over Indian Creek and directly belwo saw an overcrowded school of fish. Just a huge dark wriggling mass of salmon in a fishjam, in fresh water but unable to move further upstream at this point. We don't know if this is their spawning ground, or if they still need to move further upstream. We do know there is great feeding opportunities for the bear whose presence has been confirmed in the national park.

Buying Local

Dawn begins around 3:00am. The sky is noticaebly light by 4:00am. Though the day broke with clouds, by mid-morning the sun had once again claimed the sky. Though the weather is marvelous for humans from north central Illinois, it has not been so favorable to salmon. The river levels are reportedly low, too low for the fish to navigate and reach their spawning grounds. Their time is limited, and if rain doesn't come soon, next year's supply of fish will suffer.

The pleasant weather has also encouraged the bears to come out. There is a good crop of berries this year. The lack of fish is also forcing the bears to look for other sources of food. And this morning as we set off through the national park, there was a sign posted that bears had been confirmed within the park. We met a ranger along the way who said a bear had been sighted the night before where the river empties into the sound. They had also found evidence, such as droppings and markings, earlier in the morning. The bus driver claimed there are eight bears for every one person in the city. Bear in mind (no pun intended) that the city encompasses large expanses of national forest. We hope not to see one up close.

Our first goal today was to shop the White Elephant, a popular resale shop. We arrived shortly after opening. They had a good selection of books, from which we found about a dozen worth purchasing. We also found an inexpensive sweatshirt, which is a far more economical way to buy a souvenir than from a main street shop.

Next we headed to the local farmer's market. This was located inside and outside the building of the Alaska Native Brotherhood. There were lots of tables with jewelry, some photography and other crafts, a few with plants, and many with fish. Not really the baskets of produce we are accustomed to seeing in the midwest. We purchased a jar of jelly.

After dropping off the books, with more sunlight to be enjoyed, we headed south beyond our inn for the first time. We did not hike far, and decided against exploring the nearest trail, mostly because it was a steep uphill climb, and after ten days of hiking through the city we needed a rest. We harvested some wild berries along the way, and had a view of the other side of the bay.

Discovering Our Sitka

We have been plagued by connectivity issues for the last few days. Not sure if it is the network, or a dead zone, or a computer problem. We are trying to compose our updates ahead of time and post them when possible.

The city of Sitka offers a little guidebook with advertisements and articles and information about the various activities. They include a map and the major points of interest. They are great for the tourist to get a quick overview and develop a sightseeing plan. Thursday, during the walk to the hospital, we found the sidewalks crowded with tourists from the cruise ship. We felt like they were clogging our city, and so after only one week we are officially no longer tourists ourselves, but residents, albeit temporary. That did not stop us from using the list in the guide to lead our explorations on Friday.

With another sunny day, we decided to focus on outdoor activities. Our first stop was Castle Hill. This is a high promontory overlooking the sound that has been the site of local rule throughout Sitka's history, from native Tlingit, to Imperial Russia, to United States. It is the place where the official flag-raising ceremony took place to mark the purchase of Alaska, commemorated every year on Alaska Day. It is amazing how rich in history this small city is, what an important place it once was.

We visited a reconstruction of a Russian blockade, as well as the burial spot of a Russian princess. We also took a long walk toward the far northern dock. We didn't make it all the way, but we did find another perspective on Mount Edgecumbe.

We also got another perspective on the entire city at the historical museum. In addition to numerous artifacts, there was a large collection of old photographs of people and places. The history is a strong mix of both Tlingit and Russian. From narrative and images a local artist also created a model of the city as it once was.

We did some shopping at the largest market in town, then took the community bus back to the inn. Along the way we heard the first report that another bear mauling had taken place on a trail on the south side of the city. A woman on a bicycle had startled a bear, who swiped at her as she passed. She was knocked down and reportedly screamed at the bear, looking directly at it, which frightened it away. Authorities were unable to locate the bear.

Another Day, Another Ship

We were surprised Thursday morning on the hike to the hospital, emerging from the forest there was a grand cruiser in the channel as near as we have seen one yet. In addition, the morning sun made possible the clearest view of the volcano so far.

We explored a bit more of the city today. Having forgotten to bring any headgear on our journey, and dealing either with sun and rain every day, we purchased an inexpensive cap which will also serve as a souvenir. We also scouted out a few other native souvenir items. But window shopping and wandering without any solid goals makes us tire quickly. On top of this, walking more than six miles each of the last three days has started to weigh on us.

During a break on the docks, we saw a jellyfish moving slowly through the water. Also watched a group of three couples unload twenty or so bags of groceries and supplies from a van, and haul them down to their boat, then motor away to their island. Because of the steep prices, locals with the means often take the ferry to Juneau, the state's capital, where they can shop the major chains, such as Costco, and stock up on staples, buying in bulk at much lower prices.

Despite being tired at 8pm, the sun is still up in the sky, the temperature is still inviting, and we are in Alaska. The urge to go out for more is strong.