Mount Eklutna Hunt

Looking across the Inlet to the Lake Clark Wilderness

Sunday offered a chance to hunt with Eric, a friend of the clerk now occupying Meghan's former clerkship in Kodiak. Eric and his Setter Birch took me up Mount Eklutna to try our hand at grouse and ptarmigan hunting. I was pleased to join a seasoned professional - with a working dog no less - for my first Alaskan foray. After a stop at Fred Meyer to purchase my hunting license ($35) and a sandwich ($5), we drove to the trail head and began our hike up Mount Eklutna (priceless).

Eric and Birch with the day's first quarry

We climbed a steep slope to reach Eklutna's wide western ridge and, as small flakes started fly, we thought we would be hunting a white bird amid falling snow. We continued to angle across the peak's high shoulder over soft subalpine vegetation. Low lying thickets of black crowberries dyed the white fur on Birch's legs purple. The snow let up and Birch soon found a bird. Walking towards the bird and Birch, we were still a good distance off. The lone ptarmigan's only chance was to take wing before Eric had a chance to get within range. The bird froze, however, allowing Eric to get within firing range and Birch flushed him. After a single shot we had a bird in the bag. We soon spotted a pure white covey of about dozen birds fly from a nearby saddle. Several birds dropped out of the covey and Eric and I split up to maximize our chances. Like the first quarry I was able to stalk a lone male and harvest him with one shot.

A bird in the hand...

Monday Evening After Work(out)

Why did the "mountain chicken" cross the skin track?

Today after work Meghan gave me the OK to make a ski tour up Pyramid Mountain. On Saturday, while temperatures reached the upper 50s down in Kodiak, I skied it as well and got fried. My Dad would say that I got a "good base coat." Well, before heading out this evening I applied a healthy layer of sunscreen. I arrived at the top of the pass to find the mountain devoid of fellow skiers. The sun was still warm at 6:45 when I flipped up the heel pieces of my bindings and started climbing. While skiing alone I usually bring along the nanoCoug III (an iPod nano). Tonight's playlist featured a live recording of Antony and the Johnsons - you can listen to a part of it here. After crossing paths with a ptarmigan and stopping to admire the still valley below, I reached Pyramid's northwest shoulder, put the skis on my pack and kept climbing until I reached the summit ridge. Only briefly did I stop to admire the view - strong winds and choosing a safe route to descend kept my eyes focused downward. Ultimately, I decided on the north face and climbed down to an appropriate area to dig a pit and test the snow. Fortunately, my stability tests revealed safe conditions for a descent. Checking my pulse and taking one last breath, I slid into my first turn and picked up speed. The top five inches of snow was soft yet heavy, forcing me to make wide turns. Only after my sixth or seventh turn did the weight of the loose, wet snow sliding with me start to push me downward. I made a couple more turns and skied out of the direct path of the sliding snow back toward the direction of my ascent. The long, sunny days have definitely started to warm the white stuff up high. The snow was soft for the rest of the descent and I reached the parking lot at nine o'clock to find a solo snowboarder pulling his board from his truck to start his own tour. He might still be up there making turns as I finish this sentence.

Up on the right, down on the left

Ptarmigan Convert

Last night we joined the Saltonstalls and some of their lovely friends for dinner. We had a delicous meal and enjoyed great conversation. The entertainment for the evening was provided by CeCe, Nora and Stuart, stars of the Young Players Theater Company and Bruce was happy to get in on some of the action.

The dinner menu included ptarmigan, a bird that I had never eaten before. It was so tasty-many compliments to the chef!

Resolution Mt. from the Fowler-Hilliard Hut

I have seen ptarmigan on several occasions while hiking-the most memorable sighting took

place during the forced death march outside of Aspen, under the auspices of a hut trip. I remember feeling ready to collapse into the snow after climbing yet another mountain in my nordic skis, continuously breaking through the crust, when, suddenly, the snow screen lifted momentarily and a ptarmigan appeared. It was quite a vision, let me tell you, and I think the bird leant me its strength to finish the hike and to find the hut. The GPS that a friend was carrying didn't hurt, either.

My friend Shelley and I saw some ptarmigan on our climb up Pyramid last fall.

We were excited by our encounter with Kodiak's wildlife. On our hike back down the mountain, we ran into a man who was making his way up to do a little ptarmigan hunting-we suspected his hunt was successful. The circle of life...