Hey everyone! I was really hoping to start this blog sooner, but my apartment doesn't have internet. There are a couple of cafes in town, but they close at 6 pm. I've been working long hours the past few days, training and getting ready for tours, which start tomorrow!
Skeeter and I are working for Sitka Sound Ocean Adventures. It's a tiny, family-owned kayaking company. Our boss Alison and her husband John are great. I think working with them this summer will be amazing. I say working "with" instead of working "for," because they have really made us feel like a part of their team. They are so organized! We've learned so much during training already. We've spent the last 3 days on the water, either in kayaks or John's Carolina Skiff, getting acquainted with the islands and channels, the weather and tides... It's been unusually cold for May, but it's been an amazing experience so far.
I looked at myself in the mirror yesterday and barely recognized myself! I look like a salty, old fisherman. My outfit: Waterproof rain jacket and rain pants over spandex pants and thermal shirt. And a hot pink beanie cap on top. It's the hat that makes me look like a sailor/fisherman.
A few things that I've noticed about living here:
It's all about the gear. When you live in a coastal town like this, you have to dress properly. Everyone (literally) wears these "xtra tough" rainboots. Their ugly and brown, but since everyone wears them, it's cool. This is how you separate the townies from the tourists. They even have baby sizes.
This is the wilderness! It's one of the only places in the world where nature hasn't been beaten into submission. A bear can attack you here. You can fall off a mountain. You can die of hypothermia. Yes this can happen in other places, but you are very aware of these things every day here. A lot of Sitka residents are fishermen. Ever seen "Deadliest Catch?" There also a lot of tourism jobs, mostly tours on the water. During my training, I began to really understand the dangers. The tides change dramatically at this latitude. High tide is over 12 feet sometimes. There are no major land masses between Sitka and Asia. There's a lot of open ocean out there! Moisture and winds build up for thousands of miles and get dumped here. All the guides were given marine radios. (I love listening to the marine weather report, even though it's just a robotic voice announcing the forecast for all of Southeast Alaska.) It's not unusual for the weather man to announce 10 foot swells at the Sitka buoy. Oh my god. But luckily for us, there are lots of little islands that break up the swells and wind.
Before I start getting into too many details about Sitka, I'd like to go back and tell you about the Road Trip! More Sitka Situation to come.
Skeeter and I left Virginia on April 19th. We drove to Indiana the first day. Thankfully we avoided all the storms and rain that has since flooded the Mississippi. Then we drove to Lake Ahquabi State Park in Iowa. Our next stop was Badlands National Park. I loved the Badlands. But camping on the prairie was interesting. Our little tent barely held up in the 30 mph gusts that were blowing throughout the night. The next two nights were cold: one in the Black Hills and one in Montana. Both nights we decided to stay in a tiny camping cabin, a little shack with a space heater. It was cheating, but I don't feel bad. Then we crossed into Canada. Of course, our car was randomly picked and we had to wait 30 minutes while they ran a background check. I guess those Canadians are getting serious about border protection. We spent one night at a campground in Calgary, to break up the long drive from Montana to Jasper. Jasper National Park in Alberta was amazing. I saw my first glacier. I also saw my first elk. They are huge! We spent two nights in Jasper at the winter campground. These were the coldest nights we spent in a tent. The drive from Jasper to Prince Rupert (our ferry port) was pretty uneventful. All of the campgrounds were still closed for the winter, so we had to stay in a motel. (Thanks, Barbara!) Prince Rupert was one of my favorites. We stayed in a cute B&B (another shout out to Barbara!) Our host Janesse was great. We got to eat dinner at a really good local restaurant: Cow Bay Cafe. And the next morning, we got to watch the news coverage of the royal wedding. We planned to go hiking in PR, but we ended up spending most of the day in the Ford dealership, getting the car serviced. Bummer. But those Canadian mechanics were awesome. One thing I noticed about the Canadians we met is that they are so laid-back and friendly. At 3 pm, we got in line for the ferry (which was leaving at 8 pm.) Five hours spent in the car, in line. Meh. But the ferry ride was great, kind of like a small, cheap cruise ship. We spent two nights "camping" on the top deck of the boat. It was nice, but we actually got a little bored. It's too early for a lot of the wildlife. Finally, on May 1st, we arrived in Sitka. It was about 8 pm by the time we got settled and we were starving. So naturally, we went out for Mexican food. Yes, there is a Mexican restaurant in Sitka. So, more on Sitka in the next post. Now I'd really like to share some photos, but I have not been able to upload any. I think its this internet connection. SORRY! I'll work on it, promise.
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