More from Alaska

Hello Folks!

I hope you all enjoying the warm weather down south! Thank you so much for all of your emails and letters. I assure you that all of them have been read, but unfortunately, I cannot respond to them individually because of the slow DIAL UP connection at the Thorne Bay trailer library. (sounds almost Archaic, heh?) It usually takes about 15-20 minutes to check my email, when there is only a 30 minute time limit for computer use, so I'm sure you'll understand. But keep sending them! They are much appreciated and reading them are a nice thing to do when I come into town on the weekend.

After almost a month, I'm mostly adjusted to living in the bush. The maintenance men are still trying to figure out the generator, electricity, hot water, and the refrigerator problems so, for the past 2 weeks its been really unreliable and now, it is completely gone. Its much harder to fix things than you would think because you can't just run to the local hardware store if you forget or get the wrong size of something, like a bolt, so you have to make a 2 1/2 drive back to the shop...and even then, everything comes by ferry, so if they don't have the right stuff, it would be a week, at least until it gets on the island...moreover to the store...

So, we're being good sports and camping out! We do have propane for the stove top so we can boil water for coffee/food or to wash our faces...We get to shower on the weekends when come back to the Forest Service compound which is pretty nice and refreshing after spending a long week in a cave. It's funny how my coworker (who lives in a separate trailer) and I kind of get used to being a little grudgy and accept crazy hair and dirty clothes that smell like wood smoke until we see people that are really clean, and we feel a little like hobos...All and all though, I'm having fun and am learning about how much I can live without.

Many people have been asking about bears...and at first, I didn't really see many. However, lately, I have been seeing a lot more! The salmon are slowly moving into El Capitan Passage (the protected saltwater passageway that is my backyard) and with them, come the bears. I always thought I would be really afraid of them when I saw them, but every time I happen upon one, I'm suprised by how cute and cuddly they really do look. Nevertheless, I leave the area pretty quickly....Other wildlife sightings include, humpback whales, sea lions, otter, and bald eagles are almost like seagulls back home, because we see them so often. Also, probably most interestingly, there is another mouse in my trailer who lives inside my oven (I already had to drown one in my garbage can because it was eating my food and I was sick of cleaning up all its scat every morning). So, since I can't use the fridge or microwave in the trailer, those have become my mouseproof food pantries. They work really well. Food choices can be limited at times, but I assure you, I am eating the freshest, most delicious seafood in the world FOR FREE! We just got a crab cage to set outside our campsite in the water so we can have more. I've eaten a lot of crab, halibut, and salmon and even got to try oysters (yum!) at a bonfire yesterday. Plus, I get all the thimbleberries, salmonberries and blueberries I want in the next couple of weeks!

My job is truly amazing and I get to meet people from all over the world and take them into my "office," the largest cave in Alaska...Everytime I go into the cave (3 times a day) I see something new, and it never ever gets old because each tour is different. Plus, its really reliable, it's always pitch black, a steady 40 degrees and at least 80% humidity...and we always emerge to a brighter, warmer world!

In my free time, I do a lot of reading, so if you have any suggestions, please send them! Also, I do a lot of beach combing when the tide is low. Last week, one of the geologists for the FS came out and taught us something called SRT climbing (single rope technique) and we got to rapell and ascend on a single rope off of a bridge...over a whitewater stream! It is the coolest and probably the scariest thing I've ever done! This will help me if I get to go about two miles into the cave, to the Alaska Room, which is the size of a football field, but you need special ropes (and probably a dry suit) to get to. Furthermore, I spend a lot of time splashing in streams and looking for caves. (The island has at least 800 of them with endless possibilities for more)

Yes, I am taking a lot of pictures! And I will be happy to upload them at the end of the summer for all of you to see but there's no way that will be possible with this connection...

Alaska is more than I expected in many ways, and less in others. No matter what though, I'm truly having an fantastic time, learning an incredible amount about myself, caves, and life in the SE of AK. I do miss you all very much and think about you everyday.

Enjoy the sun! (It's always raining here!)
Much love,
Kara

My First Week

Hello, Everyone!

Yes! I am alive, the illustrious town of Thorne Bay, AK (pop. 400) doesn't have much for internet access. So, now I am about an hour away in Craig, AK for Forest Service training and on a break so I walked on over to the library (which isn't a trailer like in Thorne Bay!). Anywho, all is well. I've been in the cave four times and totally love my job. Starting on Thursday, I will be living out there in the trailer for five days a week, out of contact. I'll be back on Sundays and Mondays (we have tours on Sat) to do laundry, use phones, and go to the market (which interestingly, only has five aisles! crazy) It's a different world here, everything's slower, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE waves to you as you walk by, and everyone knows who you are and your job before you even tell them. Word spreads fast around here. The rainforest is absolutely beautiful and I've already seen countless bald eagles (they're like seagulls to locals), too many Sitka Black Tailed Deer, and sea otters. My friend is going to take me out on her boat in the upcoming weekend or so to go whale watching. I've went through bear protection training, but unfortunately haven't seen any quite yet. Once the salmon start running, I expect to see them though! I've had the freshest crab on Earth! (straight from the sea water and into the boiling water in my kitchen) So, everything's going well and I'm having a blast!

I hope you all are having wonderful summers and I hope to hear from you soon.
All my love,
Kara