Well it seems as though spring is coming sooner than I had hoped. I have been extremely busy with school, trapping, working out, moving Samantha to Kiana and trying to keep up with the ever lengthening day light. The kids are getting more squirrelly by the day because of the short nights and long days.
This year ended up being a decent year for trapping. It was a good second year! Glenn and I ended up trapping 3 wolverines, 2 nice marten and about 20 fox. We were really excited about the 3 wolverines! We missed a lot more but we will get them next year! Unfortunately we had 2 other guys trapping on the line that has been in Glenn's family for over 60 years! Then we also got beat by the "King of the Kobuk" from Noorvik. He ran the mountain range that leads to the river so he was picking the wolverines up before they got to our traps. Oh well next year we will give him a better run!
It was really fun to take those 2 big male wolverines and skin them in class with the kids. I took my time because I am going to make a rug out of my wolverine, the one with the red between the shoulders and head. The dark male and smaller male wolverine in the blue sled went to Glenn, I would have got the 4th wolverine if there had been one.
I have spent a good part of spring moving Sams stuff from Kotzebue to Kiana by snowmachine and sled. We have brought 6-7 sled loads, 20+ totes!! This is the most economical way to get her stuff out to Kiana. It has really cut down on the stuff she will have to ship. The catch is that everything is being stored in my house. It has become an inconvenience but it will be worth it in the end. I have been taking loads myself but a few weeks ago Sam was able to talk some friends from Kotzebue into a convoy of snowmachines and sleds to Kiana. We had 5 machines and 4 sleds to start. We arrived with 4 machines and 4 sleds. One machine broke down on the way and it was loaded up on a sled on their way back to Kotzebue. We really appreciated the help.
Instead of the hot springs trip we took last year we decided to support the Kobuk 440 dog sled race as a school field trip. I was able to convince 4 students and 3 staff members to go on the trip. We went from Kiana to Ambler and back. We marked trail on the way to Ambler and prepared a shelter cabin that is between Kiana and Ambler. We met up with w group of Noorvik students and chaperones as well as 2 chaperones from Kotzebue. While in Ambler the kids used a mobile satellite interactive broadcasting system to broadcast race results, conduct interviews with race officials and mushers and give the people a look of the Ambler checkpoint. We spent 3 days total on the trip traveling to Ambler, a day in Ambler and traveling home to Kiana. It was a great experience and the kids had a blast. It was a good time for me as well. Sam was able to go as a Kotzebue women chaperone so it was great to spend a little time with her.
I was excited to be able to see my favorite musher Jeff King in Ambler. He was in a good mood and running fast. One of my students was even able to interview him! What an experience that was for my student. Ambler was s strategic location for us because the teams come through there twice in 24 hours. On the way up and back. The trip was different for me this year because I was the "trip leader" for my group. Luckily I had 2 experienced chaperones from Kotzebue that I talked with but this trip wasn't a pleasant follow the leader, I was the leader. No machines or sleds broke down, no one got hurt, it was a sucessful trip! Enjoy the pictures of the trip.
Well as always thanks for reading my blog and taking an interest in my greater northern adventures. Stay tuned for future blog posts during the summer!
This year ended up being a decent year for trapping. It was a good second year! Glenn and I ended up trapping 3 wolverines, 2 nice marten and about 20 fox. We were really excited about the 3 wolverines! We missed a lot more but we will get them next year! Unfortunately we had 2 other guys trapping on the line that has been in Glenn's family for over 60 years! Then we also got beat by the "King of the Kobuk" from Noorvik. He ran the mountain range that leads to the river so he was picking the wolverines up before they got to our traps. Oh well next year we will give him a better run!
It was really fun to take those 2 big male wolverines and skin them in class with the kids. I took my time because I am going to make a rug out of my wolverine, the one with the red between the shoulders and head. The dark male and smaller male wolverine in the blue sled went to Glenn, I would have got the 4th wolverine if there had been one.
I have spent a good part of spring moving Sams stuff from Kotzebue to Kiana by snowmachine and sled. We have brought 6-7 sled loads, 20+ totes!! This is the most economical way to get her stuff out to Kiana. It has really cut down on the stuff she will have to ship. The catch is that everything is being stored in my house. It has become an inconvenience but it will be worth it in the end. I have been taking loads myself but a few weeks ago Sam was able to talk some friends from Kotzebue into a convoy of snowmachines and sleds to Kiana. We had 5 machines and 4 sleds to start. We arrived with 4 machines and 4 sleds. One machine broke down on the way and it was loaded up on a sled on their way back to Kotzebue. We really appreciated the help.
Instead of the hot springs trip we took last year we decided to support the Kobuk 440 dog sled race as a school field trip. I was able to convince 4 students and 3 staff members to go on the trip. We went from Kiana to Ambler and back. We marked trail on the way to Ambler and prepared a shelter cabin that is between Kiana and Ambler. We met up with w group of Noorvik students and chaperones as well as 2 chaperones from Kotzebue. While in Ambler the kids used a mobile satellite interactive broadcasting system to broadcast race results, conduct interviews with race officials and mushers and give the people a look of the Ambler checkpoint. We spent 3 days total on the trip traveling to Ambler, a day in Ambler and traveling home to Kiana. It was a great experience and the kids had a blast. It was a good time for me as well. Sam was able to go as a Kotzebue women chaperone so it was great to spend a little time with her.
I was excited to be able to see my favorite musher Jeff King in Ambler. He was in a good mood and running fast. One of my students was even able to interview him! What an experience that was for my student. Ambler was s strategic location for us because the teams come through there twice in 24 hours. On the way up and back. The trip was different for me this year because I was the "trip leader" for my group. Luckily I had 2 experienced chaperones from Kotzebue that I talked with but this trip wasn't a pleasant follow the leader, I was the leader. No machines or sleds broke down, no one got hurt, it was a sucessful trip! Enjoy the pictures of the trip.
Well as always thanks for reading my blog and taking an interest in my greater northern adventures. Stay tuned for future blog posts during the summer!
