Prague Blog - Day 1 - Much Ado About Mucha

After a total of 8 hours of sleep, with an intermission, we awoke feeling pretty good. I wonder if it will be shorts weather today?

That was sarcastic. Yes, it was 92 again in the morning. I don't know what it was in the afternoon. When we were still inside the hotel approaching the exit door, we could feel the heat.

We started out by walking to the Mucha Museum. Prague is very walkable!

If you've never heard of Alfonse Mucha, I am sure you've seen his work. He is probably the most well-known artist of the Art Nouveau period. He created iconic posters for Sarah Bernhardt, as well as commercial art for household products and tobacco.

Almost all of the art we saw depicted women. His style was romantic but simple, and full of symbolism. He became an instatnt sensation in Paris with his Sarah Bernhardt posters, but he did a lot more. He was one of those geniuses who was able to apply his artistic talents to everything from interiror design to the design of the paper money and postage stamps of the new Czechoslovakia. He believed art was for the people, and he believed strongly in Czech nationalism. This resulted in idealised portrayals of strong Czech women. His work often featured lots of flowers.

Mucha hung out with the other big names of that period, including Paul Gaugin. In my opinion, Gaugin was a pervert, so it does make me wonder a little about all those women Mucha painted.

Mucha's pièce de résistance was The Slav Epic. We will be visiting that later this week, so I will write about it then.

After Mucha we wandered around looking at the architecture, the people, the stores, the young men zipping around on Segways, and the abundance of inviting cafes.

 
Much of the architecture reflects the Art Nouveau style. The Municipal Hall, designed by Mucha, was stunning.

We followed the suggestion of Rick Steves to take a self-guided tram tour to get better oriented. It was nice to sit down for a while, but I didn't think the tram tour was worth the effort.

Prrague Blog - Day 0 - The Condor Does Not Pass

We left on Saturday, taking a non-stop flight to Frankfurt. A non-stop flight to anywhere from Anchorage is the best thing since sliced bread. 

Condor's check-in and boarding processes were chaotic, in case you are thinking of taking Condor. In addition, they changed our seats some time during the last 24-hours and we were now across the aisle from each other, rather than next to each other. When we asked abut it at the check-in counter the response was that we should try to get someone to switch with us. I don't find that type of response helpful, and in fact it turned out not to be a feasible solution. This is only one example of Condor's failure to understand the concept of "customer service."

In general, I expect things to be organized and efficient, especially when paying a premium (and especially from the Germans). I don't expect perfection, but I do expect them to do a reasonable job of "getting it right." If that isn't possible, I would like to receive an apology, an explanantion, and some sort of effort to make amends. ("Sorry about the seats. We had a last minute equipment chage. We really value our passengers. Here are two free drink tickets to make up for your inconvenience.") This didn't happen, and there are enough indignities associated with traveling without the airlines treating you poorly.

I have borrowed from my friend Kate's algorithm: 

1. Expectation of perfection 

2. If perfection doesn't happen, an  immediate fix 

3. If that is not possible, transparency.

I ended up sitting next to a woman who was large enough to need a seat-belt extender. This would have been a really uncomfortable 9+ hours if not for the fact that we were in business class. The flight was  okay. The full moon reflected in the Arctic Ocean was spectacular. If I had had the window seat I was supposed to have, you would be looking at a photo now.

One really wonderful thing that happened on the flight occurred when the drinks cart was wheeled down the aisle. There were rose petals scattered over the white tablecloth on top and there was a special effect:

What is it? It's dry ice giving off a roiling cloud of vapor.

The Frankfurt airport is ENORMOUS. When we landed we had to take a bus to the terminal. It took over 10 minutes to get there. The entire time we were driving on taxiways and aprons - we never went on a regular road.  Same thing in reverse to go to our next plane. There was a Terminal A. There was also a Terminal Z. I didn't notice whether the entire alphabet was represented.

One interesting thing about landing was that it was so interesting to other people. People were lined up along the runway, just outside the airport fence. Most of them were taking photos of our plane landing.

We went to the Lufthansa lounge in Frankfurt. They had frankfurters. Lots of frankfurters. Theey were very popular. People would take two or three and scarf them down without buns. I hope I can find the photo I took. I felt very silly taking it. They also had a big bowl of gummy bears.

I found the photo! IPad works in mysterious ways.

The flight to Prague was very short, but our night had been very short, too, and that meant not much sleep. We arrived at our hotel in a zombie-like state and went to the executive lounge to re-hydrate and eat gummy bears. Yes, they had a bowl of them, just like Frankfurt.

Did I mention that it was 92 degrees F when we arrived in Prague? 

And I actually brought a base layer, a fleece jacket, a packable down vest, wool socks, gloves and a hat for this trip. It is possible we will need some or all at some point during this trip, but certainly not this week.

Went to sleep at 8:30 pm unable to keep my eyes open, barely able to unpack my pajamas. Slept like a log. My body clock woke me up at 12:30 am and made me wide awake. It was 2:30 pm at home and that was not a suitable time to be asleep in my body's humble opinion. Isn't jet lag wonderful?

Fish On! - BOW 2015, Day 3

The third day dawns. I pop my head outside of my tent at 6:20. The giant tent that was next to mine has vanished without a trace. I guess that's good, as we have been reminded to be good outdoors citizens and "leave no trace." But I am really surprised I slept through this. (Others did not, I found out a short time later. The 5:30 am joggers, chatting and jingling their bear bells, did not go unnoticed either.) I was surprised that it was necessary for my neighbors to leave so early, but I imagined they needed to hit the road early, and thus the early departure.

Breakfast was at 7, and I arrived to find a bleary-eyed group of almost outdoors-women.  And - surprise - there were my disappearing tent neighbors, in no hurry whatsoever to leave.

Breakfast:
same as yesterday

I had just enough time to go back to Coldfoot and take down my tent and pack my duffel bag before Session IV started. So there, neighbors. 

My class was On-Lake Spin Fishing. Other classes offered included Processing Game Meat, Rifle, Trapping, Fly-Tying, Outdoor Photography, Birding, Survival, Chainsaws, Geocaching, Canoeing, No 911 First Aid, and Rapelling.

The members of my class had been told to bring a cooler. The scuttlebutt was that we WOULD be bringing fish home. 

Tom and Tom, both biologists from ADFG, led the session. There were only six of us because the two boats could only hold three plus a Tom.

We started off with the usual spiel about regulations and knots, but we learned a few more things; how to add weights, a different way to cast, and various facts about stocked lakes. We got some handy-dandy folding plastic cards with knot illustrations and we got to use some nice poles with pink accents that were acquired specially for BOW.

For the French speakers in the audience, here's a stupid thing my father taught me when I was young:  "Pas deux lieu Rhône que nous." Why do we remember things like that from 50 years ago and not where we put the car keys?

We went out on the chilly but gorgeous lake and tried to guess where the fish might be. We tried various lures with no success and Tom speculated that the Boy Scouts had caught all the fish in the lake earlier in the summer. Well, I guess not. The other boat was having some success. We tried a couple of other locations. Nothing. Not even a nibble.

The other boat

Honestly, I was finding spin fishing to be quite boring. You don't cast all the time the way you do in fly fishing. Three hours is long time to be out on a chilly lake trying to make conversation with people you don't know.  I took advantage of Tom's expertise and asked him some questions about fish. Someone in our boat had commented that the noise of some other people was "scaring the fish." I couldn't remember ever having seen a fish with ears, so why would they be scared? I asked Tom, our onboard expert. Indeed, they do have ears inside their heads. They are bony structures called otoliths. They have rings in them, just like trees, and biologists use the rings to determine the age of the fish. In fact, biologists sometimes mark fish in hatcheries using chemical markers or thermal marking, and they can use this later to tell where a fish came from. 

And . . . people . . . make . . . earrings . . . 
and other jewelry . . . out of them. Who knew?

So, we've been doing this spin-fishing almost three hours, and in half an hour it will be lunch time, so we need to think about going back to shore. Tom wants us to try one more area on the far side of the lake. And he wants to try BAIT. We have salmon eggs, and we have live worms. I can handle the salmon eggs. Who doesn't like caviar? I guess fish don't like caviar. Can't say that I blame them. Still no action.

Time to try the worms. We've tried everything else. But the worms are REALLY GROSS. If I had gloves I might be able to touch them, but I just don't think I can bring myself to touch them with my bare hands. GAG. I hope I can remember to bring some of those surgical gloves the next time I do this. Fortunately, Tom was very helpful.

Wow! Those worms were like magic. We started getting bites. I had several, but I couldn't set the hook fast enough. I could even see the fish coming up from the bottom to go for the hook. Others in the boat were getting bites, too. They wanted that piece of a worm. Finally I hooked one and reeled it in. It was a rainbow trout. It was very small, but it was mine and I caught it. I was not about to throw it back, so I bonked it on the head. I intended to take it home and eat it.

My fish. The angle makes it look smaller than it really is.

I had brought a soft-sided insulated lunchbox for just this eventuality. We cut off the head of the fish and took out the guts, and I learned what a fish's kidney looks like. Not at all what you'd expect. I put it in a sandwich bag and walked over to the dock to see the other boat's catch - several really large fish. They must have cheated.

I learned why they say "Fish on." I thought it was just some dumb sports thing like saying "Goooooaaaal" in soccer. It turns out that there is actually a purpose. It is to let those near you know so that they can get out of the way while you are fighting to reel it in, and maybe help you with a net.

I got to the mess hall just in time for lunch and I got some ice for the fish from the cooks, who were not very impressed.

Lunch:
Make-your-own submarine sandwiches
Assorted chips
Cookies

The closing ceremony consisted of thanking everyone, especially the awesome cooks. The final silent auction was closed out. The elk rack drawing happened. The dressers and processors got their now frozen packages of meat.

Who came to BOW 2015?

Overall there were at least 100 participants. There were probably 40 instructors and staff members. There were at least 5 mother-daughter pairs, and at least one pair of sisters. Most of the participants came from Fairbanks, with Anchorage sending a good number, too.There were 4 or 5 women who came from out-of-state. (There are at least 40 states that have some form of BOW. One can go to any of these. I think that even if I lived somewhere else, I would want to come to Alaska for BOW.)

The women ranged in age from early 20's to early 70's, mostly on the younger end. They were almost all white. I saw a handful who may have been Alaska Natives. My best guess is the vast majority of these women were upper middle class, college-educated. 

And, actually, you don't have to be a woman to come to BOW. They always have a few men. This year they had only one - a 20-something guy who came with his mom. He was appropriately recognized for his bravery at the closing ceremony.

The ride back to Fairbanks included a number of notorious landmarks. First stop: The Knotty Shop.

Out front we find a collection of really ugly, larger-than-life, brown animals made from logs with lots of burls (the knots) in them.

One person in the car thought these were supposed to be giant replicas of souvenir animals sold inside made from moose turds.

Inside we find the largest, tackiest collection of Alaskana I have ever seen, plus an impressive collection of taxidermied Alaskan animals mounted in a diorama that takes up one entire wall. They also had really good ice cream. A lot of BOWites were already there, scarfing it up. You think they we hadn't eaten in days.

Paint + Gold Pans = Alaskana!

Next on the itinerary is Santa Claus House. It is nothing more than a very dated, throwback-to-the-60's toy store and the only reason for its survival is its location at 84 St. Nicholas Drive, North Pole, Alaska. Here's what is really pathetic: there were several tour buses parked alongside.

The final stop in the 2015 Tackiness Tour was a sad little gift shop in a building that looked like a pagoda drawn by Dr. Suess. Ugly jewelry and bad art. Oh, Fairbanks.

Hooray! The airport.  Not tacky. Small but stylish.

I ran into an old friend and an acquaintance at the gate. It's true that Alaska is just a big small town. It turned out to be quite serendipitous, as it led to an interesting opportunity, which I will be writing about in another blog, 
The Wilted Quilter.

 Home in time for a few more hours of my birthday!

At home, we had salmon and trout for dinner!

Now I know why a lot of people throw their fish back. It had a lot of tiny bones and it was practically tasteless. Next time I might try pan-frying it, rather than baking it. The salmon was really good, even though I didn't catch it.

The End

of a fantastic experience

Salmon Tracks - BOW 2015, Day 2

It was chilly when I woke up, but it warmed up as the day went by. I got dressed and plodded up the hill to the mess hall. Thank God - they had coffee. I couldn't believe the snoring that came from the tent next to mine last night. It kept me up and I needed coffee.

Breakfast:
Scrambled Eggs
Country Potatoes with Onions and Bell Peppers
Bacon
Pancakes and French Toast
Hot or Cold Cereal
Fresh Fruit
Yogurt
Orange Juice
Hot Tea
Hot Cocoa
Coffee
Water

For Session II, I took Salmon Fishing. The other options were Firearms Safety, Field Dressing, Hunting Know-How, Bow Hunting, Fly Fishing, Smoking Fish, On-Lake Spin Fishing, Map & Compass, Kayaking, Backpack Chef, and Field Optics. Again, there were about 10 of us in the Salmon Fishing group. Our instructors, George and Leslie, were an interesting couple. They try to live off the land, so they do a lot of salmon fishing.

We started with the regulations. I was interested to learn that there are regulations for "proxy fishing." This allows someone to fish on behalf of a disabled person or a person over 65. The proxy fisher gets to catch their own limit plus the limit of the other person. Woo hoo!

George and Leslie usually go salmon fishing from the beach in Valdez, so they told us their favorite spots there and gave us the regulation book for Southcentral. They didn't spend much time talking about river fishing or fishing from a boat or dip-netting, except to say that fishing in the Copper River/Chitina can be very dangerous. I didn't know that dip-netting is considered a subsistence fishery, while salmon fishing with a rod and reel is considered a sport fishery, which is why the limits are so much lower for rod and reel fishing.
We learned about the five species of Pacific salmon and how to identify them when they are adults and when they are spawning. They can look very different when in the spawning phase. You need to be able to identify them because there are different limits for different species and you might have to throw one back if you accidentally catch the wrong variety. We also learned how to handle the flesh once we have caught a fish or two.

The next topic was equipment. We learned something about rods, line, lures, and assorted accessories. George gave each of us a bonking stick, a lure, and a swivel clip to keep.

The Swag: Lure, tide tables, gear list, bonking stick (decorated), leader, salmon guide, and Southcentral regs

I can see why fish are attracted to lures. They are very alluring. They look like they would be fun to buy. When I get home I am going to decorate my bonking stick. We used the swivel clips to practice knots. George showed us some improvements on the fisherman's knot I had learned yesterday.

Recommended equipment for salmon fishing

The rods and line for salmon fishing are fairly heavy compared to the ones we used for fly fishing. The method of casting is different. Instead of whipping it back and forth, as you do for fly fishing, you are supposed to do something that is more like swinging a baseball bat (but with one arm). You are supposed to look at the spot you want to cast to while looking behind you to make sure you don't get your hook in someone's eye, then move your pole back and quickly turn sideways, cast, flip back the bail, and start reeling, all at the same time. I found this incredibly hard to do and I was easily the worst caster in the class. George kept saying to move my arm as though I were flicking paint. Who has ever flicked paint? Not me. I'm no Jackson Pollock. Or Trout. Or Salmon.

There are no salmon nearby, so we pretended. We spent some time practicing casts (without hooks - George knows what he's doing), and then Leslie set out some plastic fish for us to catch. They had a little slot in their back, so if you could get your lure in the right spot, you could reel in one of these "rock fish". The idea was to throw your cast out beyond the fish, and then reel in until your lure snagged a fish. For quite a while, I couldn't even cast my line as far as the fish, much less beyond them. Meanwhile, one by one, everyone else in the class caught a fish. One by one they headed back to the mess hall for lunch. I really wanted to catch one, but my arm was getting tired. I switched to a lighter rod, and that helped. Finally, with George as my cheerleader, I did it!

George demonstrates casting

Looks like the tide is out

I think it's a bluefin!

It seems to me that the main reason to do salmon fishing is for food. Unlike fly fishing, salmon fishing wouldn't be much fun if you didn't catch anything. It's just work.

 
Lunch wasn't work! It was fun. Everyone was bubbling over with news about their classes.











Lunch:
Soup of the Day: Creamy Chicken Artichoke
New Orleans Shrimp Po' Boy w/Cajun Remoulade & Sweet Slaw
Red Beans and Rice
Fresh Garden Salad
Fresh Fruit
Raspberry Tiramisu
Sodas
Hot/Cold Tea
Coffee
Water

And soon it was time to dash off to Session III, Tracks & Sign. We were advised to bring rubber boots. The other classes were Shotgun, Field Dressing, Pistol, Moose Hunting, On-Lake Fly Fishing, Fly Tying, Boating, GPS, Canoeing, Survival and Map & Compass. Last but not least, there was Dutch Oven. We were all invited to the Dutch Oven location for a social hour at 5 pm.

But first, a little about Tracks & Sign. Our instructor, Mike, was a wildlife biologist. He reminded me a little of Jungle Jack Hannah, only smarter. Mike started us out in the classroom. There were 9 or 10 people in the class, plus Jen, who assisted Mike. We learned an incredible amount about animal tracks. Some of the things you need to look at are:

• the number of toes
• whether the toes are like a finger, a hoof, or a pad
• is the heel pad one or multiple?
• are there claws?
• is there webbing?
• the size of the track
• the stride
• the gait

We worked with some stencils and made rubbings so we could practice identifying various features of the tracks. We looked at actual feet and rubber models of feet. Mike showed us samples of scat and things like owl pellets. We also talked about some good websites, books, and an app, including:

• CyberTracker.org 
• Mammal Tracks & Sign by Mark Elbroch 
• iTrack Wildlife

That was a REAL moose leg, and it was VERY heavy. You do NOT want to be kicked by a moose.

Then we got in a couple of Suburbans and drove a few miles to a river. This is where the boots came in handy. Mike taught us how to be more observant and how to read signs. He showed us an abandoned fox den and how to tell it was abandoned. Then we looked at moose browse and learned how to tell it from rabbit browse (not as obvious as the height off the ground).

Moose browse

Moose bones

Mike led us down a trail that he had "seeded" with things for us to notice. It was interesting to see how well things blended in. Our eyes are designed to detect motion first. Many animals freeze and it becomes very hard to see them. We then have to detect anomalies in shape and color to find them.

After wading across the river we looked at a lot of moose tracks. The most interesting thing we saw was a set of red fox tracks. It appeared that the fox was stalking an arctic hare. Eventually the hare ran away. According to Mike. I couldn't see where the hare ran away. But I could actually see the impression left by the fur on the fox's footpads.

A moose track

The hare

The fox

Mike also showed us how to tell whether tracks were fresh and how to tell us how fast an animal was going. Cool stuff.

Before this class, I could tell whether a track was moose or not moose. Now I can tell the difference between a black bear track and a brown bear track and I have a handbook and some great tools to help identify tracks.

We got back to camp after the Dutch Oven social hour had started. I was still full from lunch, but I couldn't resist trying some of the products of this class. 

L to R: Caribou pastilla, bear and moose meat loaf, caribou lasagna

Dutch oven delights

Dutch ovens: Put hot charcoal briquettes on the lid and voila!

The social hour was immediately followed by dinner. They expected us to keep eating.

Dinner:
Soup of the Day
Sauerbraten
Red Beans and Rice (yes, leftover from lunch)
Broccoli and Carrots
Fresh Salad
Fresh Fruit Bowl
Dinner Rolls
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Cheesecake (OMG)

It was so interesting to hear about the different experiences people had today. The two groups who seemed the most enthusiastic were the Field Dressing group and the Survival group. Who knew that Field Dressing was such a big deal?

Apparently they got an elk from a farm somewhere and shot it right before the class. Maybe there were two elk (elks?), one for each class. Then the class learned, in a very hands-on manner, how to gut and quarter the animal. I don't know how much additional butchering was done, but at the end of the weekend, everyone in that class had a good size package of meat to bring home. It is illegal to "waste" game meat in Alaska, so you really do have to know how to do this if you plan to hunt. Once you shoot an animal, it is your responsibility to field dress it appropriately and pack out the meat. One other thing - a drawing was held at the end of the program and one person from each Field Dressing class got to take home the rack (i.e., the antlers). Some of the meat from this class was used by the Game Processing class. Everybody in both classes got some of that to take home, too.

After dinner there was free time to pursue waterfront activities, or hike, or learn some more about wild edibles. But first, we had some entertainment. Everybody was divided up into groups and given 10 minutes to come up with a skit about what you learned at BOW. A lot of people didn't want to do this, but enough people did to provide some laughs for everyone. I only had two others in my group who were willing to be in a skit. We did get some laughs, but we didn't win (and we didn't deserve to). 

I tried the hike to make up for all the food. It was a very steep climb up to a lookout point. I made it about 90% of the way (I found out later), but I gave up because I didn't realize how close I was to the end. I had been having foot and knee problems and I didn't want to overdo it.

When I got back to Coldfoot, someone had a campfire going and people were talking until 11 or so. It felt very hygge (as they say in Denmark). I was too tired, and it was getting buggy (as they say in Alaska). So I took a shower and crawled into my hygge tent before 10 pm. My Fitbit said 15,100 steps and 27 flights of stairs. Goodnight.

Hygge:
Coziness. The art of building sanctuary and community, of inviting closeness and paying attention to what makes us feel open-hearted and alive. Creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. The warm glow of candlelight is hygge. Friends and family – that’s hygge too. There's nothing more hygge than sitting round a table, discussing the big and small things in life. 

Link to BOW video and newspaper article 

Fly (ing and) Fishing - BOW 2015, Day 1

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Alaska starts today. I am so excited. I packed yesterday. I need to be prepared for all types of weather, so I packed a fleece jacket, warm hat and gloves, a cold-weather base layer, raincoat, rubber boots, change of clothes, shorts and tank top, sun hat, a Bug-Off pullover, a warm pull-over, towels, tent, tent footprint, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, travel mug, camera, sunglasses, fishing hat, water bottle, head lamp, toiletries, day pack, etc. Would you believe I got it all in one duffel bag? Well, I did. Everything except the sleeping bag, which was my carry-on.
 
I got up early to catch a 7 am flight to Fairbanks. I could have driven, but it would have been at least 7 hours of driving each way, plus stops, plus construction delays and I just wasn't up for it. The flight to Fairbanks on a Bombardier Q400 took just 49 minutes. It was partly cloudy, but I could see Denali and Foraker peeking out from the clouds.

Foraker (17,400 ft) on the left and Denali (20,300 ft) on the right

I was picked up at the airport by a good-hearted University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) student named H, who was also heading to BOW. We were joined by two other young adventurers and we headed down the Richardson Highway for a chatty 1-hour drive, passing North Pole, Eielson AFB, and Salcha. I didn't see Santa Claus at North Pole, but I saw his house. :) Near Birch Lake we turned off onto the road to Lost Lake Boy Scout Camp.

Lost Lake Camp is a stunningly beautiful piece of property. The Boy Scouts are incredibly lucky to have it. It covers over 400 acres and borders on Lost Lake. It is hilly and wooded. The facilities are rustic, but comfortable. There are small cabins, as well as campsites with tent platforms. There is running water and the campsites have flush toilets and some have hot showers. There are several large shelters, and facilities for various activities such as boating, climbing, and shooting. The mess hall easily seats 150 people and is supported by a commercial kitchen.

We went straight to the mess hall to check in. The staff was very organized. Everything was decorated in purple, which turned out to be this year's color. (The color changes every year.) We each got a purple tote bag containing a lavender t-shirt that we were expected to wear all weekend and a neck pouch/name tag. All of the staff members had deep purple t-shirts. This was very helpful. We also got a map of the camp, a schedule, and our assigned cabin or campsite.

The "camp uniform"

I had elected to bring a tent rather than stay in a cabin. I was assigned to the Coldfoot campsite. It was close to the mess hall, but still a bit of a walk. Everything there was a bit of a walk, but exercise is a good thing, right? Yes, it is. Especially in the woods and the fresh air.

H was also assigned to Coldfoot. She parked nearby and that was it for the car until BOW was over. We schlepped our stuff up the hill to the campsite and set up our tents on tent platforms. Most of the platforms had canvas tents on them. They weren't real tents, though, more like heavy-duty rain flies. They would not be any good at all for keeping mosquitoes out. 

Tent within a tent

View from tent of toilets/wash house and small shelter

It is really hard to set up a tent inside a tent. I kept bumping my head on the wooden rafters. The tent poles kept falling through the gaps between the floorboards. There wasn't really enough space to get around to the back of the tent to attach it to the frame. I hope nobody was watching me. 

After setting up camp it was time to go back up to the mess hall for lunch. We were welcomed and introduced to some of the staff and given the 3 cardinal rules:

• Safety first
• Have fun
• No politics

Every meal would start with door prizes - to encourage timeliness. You had to be present to win. Next came announcements, and then we got to eat. 

I was starving! A big menu was posted listing all of the meals. Apparently the kitchen staff came from Grizzli's Italian Bistro in North Pole.

Lunch:
Soup of the Day - Roasted Tomato Basil
Fresh Garden Salad
Baked Potato Bar with Assorted Toppings
Fresh Fruit Bowl
Chocolate Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Sodas
Hot/Cold Tea
Coffee
Water


Soon it was time for the first of our four sessions. We had to list our first, second, and third choices for each session when we registered. I had requested a lot of fishing classes because I didn't think I'd get in to all of them. But I did.

The options for Session I were: Firearms Safety, Archery, What's in the Woods?, Fur Sewing, Pond to Pan, Boating, Dutch Oven, Kayaking, Backpacking, Chainsaws, Wild Edibles, Rappeling, and Fly Fishing (my class).

I wanted to take fly fishing because I had been hearing about how great it was ever since I read A River Runs Through It about 36 years ago. There seems to be a cult-like vibe about fly fishing, so maybe I need to check it out.

The 3-1/2 hour class was so much fun! There were about 10 of us, with 2 instructors. First we went over the fishing regulations. The 48-page book of regulations had always been intimidating and mystifying to me, but now I know how to use it. Then we talked about equipment. We learned and practiced three useful knots (the Perfection Loop, the Surgeon's Knot, and the Fisherman's Knot). We talked a little bit about flies. We looked at some of the small critters that live in the lake using simplified microscopes. Then we set up our fly rods.

Next, we learned how to cast and how to make the fly wiggle around like a real insect. We had lots of time to practice. I was amazed that some of the women actually caught fish! In the crystal clear water I could see fish checking out my fly, but I didn't get any bites. I think if I had used some waders and gone out a little deeper in the lake I might have had better luck.

The weather was beautiful

The kayaking class included different size kayaks and paddle-boarding

Our lead instructor, Alex, did a great job! The other instructor was a fisheries biologist from ADFG. I couldn't believe how much information we were given. There was not a trace of condescension towards this group of sometimes clumsy, mostly novice women. They were patient and encouraging. That made me feel really comfortable. 

Fly Fishing Handouts

 I really enjoyed fly fishing. The rod was very light and it wasn't hard to get the hang of casting. You wave the rod around until the line makes a U and then you cast forward. When your fly hits the water, you start reeling it in, and then you keep doing it, over and over. It's always interesting because you are trying to get your cast just so, and you are trying to reel in at the right speed, and you can see the fish in the water. You get a rhythm going and it's hard to stop.

Fur headband

All of a sudden it was time for dinner. People were excitedly sharing their afternoon adventures. The chainsaw class was a big hit. In the fur sewing class they made gorgeous beaver headbands. I won a door prize - a reusable tote bag.

Dinner:
Gourmet Chicken Pot Pie
Steamed Rice
Steamed Vegetable Medley
Fresh Salad
Dinner Rolls
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler with French Vanilla Ice Cream

After dinner we had a Round Robin activity. A number of instructors set up stations and we had a chance to learn a 5-minute skill. My favorite was how to signal a plane with a mirror.

By the time the Round Robin was over, I was ready for bed. I was so tired, and my feet were hurting. My Fitbit said 12,000 steps and 25 flights of stairs. Did I mention the big hill to get up to the mess hall? The hill to get from the waterfront to anywhere was even bigger.

After a heavenly hot shower, I went to bed EARLY, and I wasn't the only one. It was very quiet at Coldfoot. Breakfast tomorrow is at 7, and I want to be there on time!

If you are ready to sign up after reading this, here is the link:
Alaska BOW link
You don't have to live in Alaska to participate.