Back to Reality

So I got back to Maryland yesterday morning and things sure do move fast around here. Just in the airport alone were more people I have seen all summer. I have spent my summer in a small town with no stop lights, one road, where mph don't go over 30, everyone waves while passing, where you don't even notice the bold eagles flying over head, the deer or bears because they are so common to come across. Waking up on the Mt. to the sound of wolves howling or the sound of rain on the tent. I have been thrown back into reality at 100 mph. Traffic, stress, people on the go and I am now realizing how lucky and stress free my summer was. School starts Tuesday so I am moving into college park tomorrow. I have nothing packed or even looked at my class schedule yet. So many people to call and catch up with now that I have cell phone service again.

Overall, I had an amazing summer and can't even begin to describe how I feel about Petersburg, Alaska or working on trails. I have found another thing I love to do and can't wait to go back next summer. The count down has begun to my next adventure.

Thanks to all the people who have kept in touch this summer and supports my crazy adventurist life.

My favorit Pic of the summer:

ONE MORE HITCH TO GO...

So I head out on Monday for my last hitch. Then it's back to Maryland just in time to start school. I just looked up my flight info and its messed up so now I have to get that fixed somehow. It says I leave Petersburg on Aug 2nd and then leave from Juneau on Aug 28th so I guess I had a 26 day lay over in Juneau? So the first day out in the woods Josh and I were unloading the helicopter loads of food and were putting it away. Josh tossed frozen fish into the refrigerator and broke the glass shelf but I guess he did not realize it. Then I went to shove some food in the fridge and my right pinkie finger got sliced open. So then I had to hike out and I got 2 shots, 4 stitches and one butterfly band aid. 12-18 days the stitches can come out and I guess its healing and looking pretty good. I will get them cut out this weekend before I head back out.

So cya all in about 2 weeks!

Six years...

How come 6 years can seem so short and long at the same time? I can remember that night so clearly as if it was yesterday but then when I think of all that he has missed it seems more then 6 years. People have said that it will get easier with time but it doesn't, I think it gets harder. The little things about him I have begun to forget like his voice and jokes and that scares me. Not to mention the mile stones in my life he has and will not be their for. I hope that I have made the right decisions and he would be proud the way my life is headed.
I miss my Dad.

The crew is getting smaller

So this was our last hitch with the whole crew. Josh leaves during the middle of the next hitch and then around Aug 15th a bunch more people leave. The log deck is clearing up finally. We have four more logs to place. The three are right next to the sills and one needs to be trenched. We are just waiting to get the rock machine since the cabin crew borrowed it and we can't do anything until we break up the rocks. That should take us pretty much all of next hitch to finish. The saw is pretty fun to use and I have been cutting notches into the logs. The bugs are not bad at all anymore and I think I might finally be getting use to the mice. My hands got broken in this hitch and are really sore, cut and callus. I cut my self pretty good with a gerber hand saw. I should had remembered the motto " Always saw toward your buddy."
As for school, I am coming back to finish up and I will just come back here as often as I can. Brent and Gene are going out of town and is letting Oso use their boat so it looks like we will go out on the water tomorrow. I guess thats it for now until I think of more exciting things.

Log roll, this is right before I fell into the frezzing water and lost

me at Three lakes

All the Salmon and Blue berries you could hope for

So Iam back in town once again. The last hitch went well. We used up all the bundles of plank and will get more dropped in. Everyone is working their own plank projects now above the log deck and Josh and I are working on the log deck. I like it but its just a much slower process then the planking. It rained a lot more then all the hitches combined so it was kinda hard to get motivated. Drama has kinda happened with one of the paid employees and she has been taken off the saw so I was asked if I would like to learn and of course I am jumping at the opportunity. So on Monday I will get trained in chainsaw use and I am pretty excited about that. The berry season is in bloom and in town they are just about ripe. On the trail they are ripe on the flat but wont be seen till later up by camp. The Salmon berries are a deep red when ripe and look like raspberries.
So I am just going to put this out their since it's been on my mind a lot lately but I am not to sure about going back to college. I would love peoples opinions and see what you have to say about it but this is what I think....
School will always be their and I can go back at anytime. Its a big decision and I realize that and I don't want to regret it but Iam not happy when Iam at school. Life is short and you get one spin at it so why waste my time with something my heart is not in? I can keep doing stuff like this and move up once I gain more experience, I can do AmeriCorps again, I am looking into a back country crew in California which people know people and I would most likely get a spot. This kinda of stuff does not make a lot or tons of money but by working on trials and living this kind of lifestyle I would not need money. I have been offered a paid job to stay here in Alaska working on the trail we are working on now once the crew leaves. It would be a small crew of about 5 just cranking out trail. I just feel like my opportunities are endless right now and I could do anything that my mind can think of. I have nothing holding me back.

skunk cabbage...also very nice toilet paper

world's largest totem pole in Kake

view from the bunkhouse

looks fake but its not

Me as Sammy the Salmon at Kake fish derby

girl's tent

Josh and I's project, just waiting for the steps to be chainsawed

grip hoist ( how we move the tree trunks)

I think I am looking pretty cool with the overalls and hard hat

Y-U-R-T yurt yurt yurt!

Lara showing off the toilet at camp

I am back in town and ready to head back out already. The hitch went well we finally got our helicopter drop of plank. Now we can hopefully start cranking out some trail. I feel like it has been really slow going up on the mountain. We had some issues with the helicopter drop spot because we had to fall some trees in order to make some room in the canopy. One tree was holding on by a splinter and then got hung up in a tree near by. Finally, it came down and we just finished making this hill side safe for hikers and ourselves. I was ready to leave the mountain when I knew a shower was in the near future for me. But being in town for about 24 hours I was already to go back to the mountain.
Dana (a girl on the crew) and I were talking on Wednesday round 3 in the afternoon and decided that it was not too late to hitch hike to 3 Lakes. We were packed in 10 minutes and had our PB and J’s made. Three lakes is about 25 miles out of town and each lake has a row boat. We brought a tent ad pitched it in the one 3 sided shelter they have. We hiked to all 3 lakes and out to Frederick Sound. A grizzly bear was seen in the area the day before so we brought bear spray with us. It was more for a peace of mind even though if the bear wanted to eat us it would since you need to be 15 feet from the bear when using the bear bomb. There are only black bears on Mitkof island so the grizzly had to have swam over from a near by island looking for food. In the end no sight of a bear on our trip. As for hitch hiking we got a ride from a lady with her two kids out to the Trees (RV park about mile 15). Then we had to walk for about a mile until a guy heading out to the cannery picked us up and dropped us off at the trail head. People definitely have some interesting stories and its kinda funny what people will tell you about their life. The woman that picked us up moved to Alaska to get away from the in-laws, which then they moved here so they are moving again. The guy that picked us up graduated high school in 2006 and in just 3 seasons of fishing bought his house at mile 4 down the highway! On the way home we walked for about 2 miles until we got a ride all the way back into town from a lady that works at the airport here for TSA. Overall it was a very successful first hitch hike. Also, I think its funny that at mile 20 the paved road ends and from their on it’s a gravel road. We also saw a porcupine and Moose tracks.
Then was the 4th of July. The parade lasting about 2 minuets and went a total of 2 blocks. Then they circled around the block and went through again. The parade consisted of the 3 fire trucks in town and then it was mostly kids with decorated bikes, the forest service truck with Sammy the Salmon and Smokey the Bear. They had events all day like egg toss, bed race, 2x6 , which was boots nailed to a 2x6 and 4 people had to walk their was to the finished line. At 6 was the log roll and main harbor and it was $5. I had to do it because I new if I didn’t I would never get the chance to log roll again. So the rules were basically 18 and over, no shoes and life jacket. I of course was paired up with Jill 2 year champion in the first round and was knocked out. You get onto the log off the dock and then two guys with these really long sticks with hooks on the end pushed the log out away from the dock and then you started to roll. I am happy that I was still standing up on the log after they just pushed us away from the dock. Fireworks were at 11 here since it does not get dark till about 10:30pm. I was really impressed with the fireworks I thought they were going to be lame and last about 30 seconds. It was a good show and I have never been close enough to see them shoot off the ground and then go up in the air. Also the mountains in the background made it ever cooler. At the end the light propane tanks on fire and there were huge fire balls in the air. I am thinking that next 4th of July I will bring log rolling and propane tanks back to Maryland’s 4th.
Tonight Sex in the City the movie plays at the high school. I am not really into it but I think I will go because afterwards its Lady’s night at Kido’s Kave. That’s a big deal here to since they don’t have happy hours at the bars so I drink special will be nice since everything is so expensive.

Here are some random things I have noticed or loved about Petersburg:

When you check out a book from the library they still take out the card from the pocket and stamp it with the return by date.

Everyone waves or says hi when driving or walking around

The town dog will follow you on you errands and wait for you to come back out of the store

They have a newspaper that comes out once a week

One paved road in the town and have no traffic lights

Alright so off to the mountain on Monday for another 10 days, also my cell phone has no service so don’t try calling cause its off till end of August.

Where do I start?

So we have completed our first two hitches. We had a 5 day hitch followed by a weekend in town , which i spent in Kake helping with a kids fishing derby and then another 5 day hitch in the woods, followed by this weekend in town which i have spent at the bar last night to celebrate my 21st! Monday we are off again for our first 10 day hitch.

Our first hitch stated off slow work wise because we had to fall some huge trees so we cold use for natural trail building materials and it will be our new helicopter drop spot for the $50,000 worth of wood planking that we will use to build the trail. I worked with Matt the first week building about 15 feet of trail with the planks. It will get faster but for now its very time consuming. First you have to put down sills and they cant be more then 4 feet apart from center to center. They have to be level and dug into the ground. Then we can put the plank on and see if we need risers to go with the grade of the incline. Then we nail and cut the planks.

For the natural trail we use trees. So first Oso will fall a tree then we have drawl knives to de-bark the tree so it will not rot as fast. Then we use a grip hoist to drag the trunk to the part of the trail we need. A grip hoist can pull 4,000 tons and if you add a switch block it can pull 8,000 tons. We connect the grip hoist to a standing tree and we start cranking with this handel. Its like we are rowing a boat and every crank will move the tree about a 1/2 an inch. The sills are also part of the tree we have fallen and we stake in those sills. Once we get the tree onto the sills we mark where the tree sits on the sills and flip it over so Oso can come by with the chainsaw and make notches. We flip it back over using PV's and then re bar the trunk into the sills and then Oso will cut steps into the trunk. ( i will need to take a pic of the grip hoist in use and maybe it will help to understand what the hell I am saying).

Camp is going well. We already have a mice problem but I guess that's going to happen. Angie forgot she had a piece of chocolate in her pocket and she woke up in the middle of the night to a mouse munching on her piece of candy right next to her face. I have not been woken up by the mice but apparently they hang out in our tent and yurt at night. The food is awesome and their is so much of it ( so much for getting in shape). I made pasta with shrimp and scallops in it for my meal. We had a taco night and just lots of seafood. Smoked black cod is amazing by the way. We need to get Maryland into smoking fish because that's something I am really going to miss here.

So for Kake we left on Friday around 4 and it was a 30 min plane ride to the town. The landing and take off was so smooth and we flew low and we could see bears on the ground. I saw the orlds largest totumpole and we went to Cascade waterfall ( i think thats the name of it). Two trees had fallen across the water so I was walken on one and thought I should jump to the other log. So I jumped and well I did not make it. I fell into the frezzing cold alaskan water! My boots and clothes were soaked and it had gone up to my shoulders! The kids derby was fun, we had games and prizes for them. They just fished off the dock and caught the ugle bottom feeder fish that you cant do anything with other then use for bait.

Not around

Just letting people know I will only have a phone June 20 and 21st this month and again not until July 2 and after today the earliest I can get Internet is July 2nd. Our hitches begin and Next weekend I am off to Kake in a float plane! Also my 21st Birthday will be spent in the woods but I mean who can say they had their 21st Birthday in Alaska , while living on the side of a mountain?

Awesome News

So I have been pretty busy around here and have not been to the libary but thanks to Angie for letting me use her laptop to upload photos. We have been doing cpr, first aid, boat training,leave no trace, bear training and all that good stuff so that's done with. Also my name was picked out of a hat to go to Kake a town on the island near by to here to go on a float plane to volunteer at the kid's fishing contest. I think we are staying two days and its around June 15th. I also get to dress up as Sammy the Salmon!. I think it will be awesome to one be on a float plane , help out and see Kake.

Also about two weeks ago I tried to hike Raven's Roost which is about a 5 mile hike raising 2,000 feet and the last mile is on snow. I had to stop because it kicked my ass and my legs were just giving out on me. So I told myself by the end of the summer I was to make it to the top. However, this weekend I made it to the top with an even bigger pack this time since we stayed over night at the top of the mountain. The snow part was really hard because it was about 8 feet of snow and you could walk on top but every 10 steps the snow would be up to my knee and it was just really tiring. My pack I would say was about 30 lbs too since i had my sleeping bag, food sleeping pad, clothes ect for the night. So I am pretty proud of myself for doing it. This week we are going up to the mountain Tue, wed and Thur for day trips to finish up on camp and begin trail work. I have been put in charge of the toilet for camp which is simply a big blue drum and a toilet seat on top. But its about 5 feet off the ground in order for the blue tub to fit underneath so i need to build steps leading up to it. We have a really nice view for when we need to relive ourselves, but right now its a little front heavy and needs to be nailed down or something. I will take a pic when I have the finished product. Everyone is here except for one person and we will have a total of 13 on the crew. Our hitches start June 9th and we have started to make our grocery list. We end up getting $28 per a person per a day so its a lot of money we are just pooling together. I think thats about it, this weekends trip is to 3 lakes about 20 miles out of town. Cara and I will hitch hike and then camp and hike their. People went last weekend and saw a Mosse so maybe I ill get lucky. I also want to go camp at Petersburg Lake which is a 20 miles hike round trip but we will need a ride acrosse the river and one back to do that. Also the La Cont glacier is on my list and hitch hiking around Mitkof island.

Alaska Pic's

Sandy Beach

Me

Forest

My work site for the day working on loads for the helicopter to pick up

Dave "Oso" my leader ( the hariy one)

I am going to have a long weekend

Today we loaded up pieces of wood planks and bundled them up so the helicopter could take them over. Each one was about 100 pounds, tomorrow we are going across to the other island to learn trail construction and untie the bundles. Today was a short day because of bunk checks and random crap we had to do from the office. So we got done around 1 and 5 of us decided to go on a hike at the top of this mountain their is a forest service cabin that only forest service people can stay at and its like $35 for a large room so we might hike up this weekend spend the night then hike down in the morning. It was a tough hike and it got really hard at the top because of the snow and it made each step so exhausting. We did not make it to the top but i think if we take more breaks next time and hydrate we could do it. It's really weird hiking and working in rubber boats all the time but I could not imagine being with out them since I am sure my feet would be soaked. Pic's tomorrow since this computer is not letting me do it and I only get 30 mins on the library Internet. I also signed up for the Salmon derby to be a volunteer , I hoping to get free fish out of it

Tylenol Is My New Best Friend

Today I started my first day of work. I met Dave at 7am and 3 others that are on my trail crew. Ben, Russ and Cory. They are all pretty cool people and are from the east coast. Ben and Cory are 20 and Russ is 22. I then picked up my safety gear which includes gloves, hard hat and goggles. We then picked up our float coats so we could take the boat over to the other island. The ride is about 3 minuets long and then we hike for a little over an hour I would guess. I dont have a watch or away to tell time and I am pretty excited about that. The hike started off easy and then it got really hard. I was definitely tired and sweating by the end but I was happy that I was not the slowest in the group. Once we got to camp we put together our "A" frame tents that will hold the guys in one and the girls in the other. We then put tarps over top to make them water proof. Next time we go up we are going to put together the yurt which is our cooking tent. For water we will be pumping out of the near by creek and oddly enough we have a stove and a full size refrigerator. I guess its a big thanks to helicopters. I am still not sure how they will be powered or if at all, a lot is still a mystery to me.
The woods here are pretty amazing and so different then any woods I have even seen. We are in a temperate rain forest so their are no reptiles because it gets to cold but I would imagine this is what the Amazon would be like just with Monkey sounds in the background. Every thing is covered in some sort of moss, fern or linkin. A lot of tree roots cross the trail and if you decide to step on them good luck because its a really good chance you will be on your ass a second later. The ground is like walking on a sponge it gives alittle and its makes a "squish" sound from the water seeping up. I lost count of the number of creeks, streams and waterfalls we passed along the way.
Town is pretty cool, I guess. I mean if you blink you will miss it, but we got the library, grocery store, hardware store and thrifstore. Food here is soooo expensive I cant even begin to complain . Cereal is like $5 for the off brand that comes in those big bags. An avocado was $3.50 each, pasta is like $5 and the list goes on. I am signing up tomorrow to volunteer for the salmon derby and I am heading to the visitors center too. We wont make it back into the woods till Tuesday at the earliest. I think tomorrow we are working on the slings and setting that up since the helicopter will drop a load for us coming up, so we need to have that ready.

3,497 MILES LATER

So I am made it safely into Alaska. I got to the airport around 520am and Airtran charges $20 for you to check 2 bags so just a heads up.The flight from BWi to Seattle was about 51/2 hours then i think it was 2hours to Jeuno and 24 minuet flight to Petersburg. I was met by a very big bearded man named Dave people also call him Oso ( which means bear in some language) He definitely has been around and knows what he is doing and I cant wait to hear his stories. Petersburg has really one road which is a 3 mile loop. I have already walked to the grocery store to pick up food for dinner tonight and food for tomorrow since I am meeting Dave and some others at 7am to hike into the woods to work on setting up camp. We should then make it to the boat around 7:30am to boat over to the other island where camp is. Also our food for the 10 days is helicoptered in to us and we will go into the woods on a Monday and come out that following Wed. The bunk house I stay at on my 4 days off is really nice. It has a full kitchen, 2 bathrooms and a living room. I am rooming with Lucy she is on a different crew and she is working on researching salmon, she is from Jeuno. I was for about 20 minuets before I saw 5 deer and 2 bald eagles. There are mountains all around us with white snow covered peaks and you can see the mountains from Canada. I also want to see if I can check out the Salmon Derby this week and the rumor is true milk is $5.99 a gallon here. The first pic is us flying over Montana, the second is us on the airstrip in Jeuno and the 3rd is the deer I saw!

And then there was one...

So exams are over with and I am down to two years left of college!
Arlyn came up to visit for about a week and he left today. Thanks to him my new favorit cheese as of now it goat cheese. Jen came into town on Saturday and Hil picked her up from the Airport so all of us and Cechak went to the O's game. I might or might not have knocked Jen's beer and it spilt on her white shirt, but thats not really here nor there. Then on the way back to the car I was running and Jen tripped me. It was pretty much slow motion and I thought I was going to catch myself but then I hit the pavement rolling. I got a bruised knee and a scratched elbow. But I was not the only one that fell. Hilary got at little frustrated at flip cup and went to pull herself together but since it was raining alittle the steps to the deck were wet and down she went. It was nice to have a mini Red 3 Reunion before I left.
Lauren and I packed today and I fit it all into by backpack and one other bag. We also got my last "real" meal tonight, I choose Mexican.
I am leaving at 7am tomorrow and I fly into Seattle then switch to AirAlaska to fly into Jueno and finally to Petersburg. I really dont know what to expect but I know it will be an awesome summer. I am pretty excited and I know I wont end up getting any sleep tonight, also since I am leaving the house at 5am. Off I go onto my next adventure.

Petersburg, Alaska

So my ticket is booked and I will heading out West May 21 and wont return till August 28th. What I know as of now is that I will be working with a group of 12 others. We will be working 10 days on , 4 days off. We will be working in Tongass National Forest building trails off the forest floor to help with erosion. I will recive training in fixed-wing/helicopter/radio safety, boating safety and bear safety!

This picture is from last year's group, but what I will be doing.


If you want to send mail to me here is my address:
General Delivery
Tory DeAngelis
Petersburg, Alaska 99833