John, the iñupiaq Alaskan from the plane. We talked about everything from his kids and his wife who had passed away (that made him tear up), to his heritage and his father, who gave him a boat after all the years he helped him, and a cousin who swindled him out of an inheritance that he deserved for caring for his grandmother for years before she passed.
"Are you ready to have the time of your life?" Taylor asked me, as I stepped out of the airport.
"I picked up this bum off the street as well", he said, pointing to Carter. I'd met him earlier in the summer, but forgotten his name since then. We took the truck to the store, where we picked up some bacon and season salt, as well as two twelve packs of mountain dew, and I was asked to purchase the former two items, which I gladly agreed to. After stopping by their parents house and their shop to grab a few more items, as well as Taylor's twin brother, Gabe, we went to the marina, where I saw the boat that we would be taking on our adventure. It had a cracked windshield, and looked to be made out of aluminum. There were sleeping bags, a cooler for food, and a tent in back. I stashed my backpack next to the rest, and jumped in back, grabbing a chair.
"I thought we were going hunting and fishing" I said.
"That's one of the reasons we're going out, Spenser", Gabe replied. "We live a subsistence life out here, and we need to kill the food we eat. If it flies, it dies. If it's brown, it's down. And if it's a swimmer, it's for dinner! We need to fill our freezer before winter".
I then noticed that there were gun cases and a fishing pole in the back, something I had missed on first glance.
I smiled approvingly, and grunted assent, gearing up for a real Alaskan adventure. Taylor wished his girlfriend goodbye on his phone, and I let her know I'd be a whole new, Alaskan man by the time I returned. I'd met her at the church conference earlier in the summer, and she laughed. Taylor told her he'd teach me a lot of new words and she groaned, as she was trying to get him to stop swearing.
"See if you can have a positive influence on him please!", she continued.
The engine rumbled to life, and we were on our way. The waves were around 3-4 feet going through the Kotzibue Sound, making the small John boat hop between waves and bang around a bit. It didn't seem to like the abuse and the engine started beeping at us. We had to pause several times to add more oil. About 3 miles in, Gabe said excitedly: " only two more miles to go "! I mistakenly thought that was how far we had until we reached where we were going, but that was just the beginning of our boat trip. 2 miles was to the end of the rough seas, at which point we got to the Noatak River (which Gabe told me was because Quaker missionaries encountered Eskimo people while crossing and yelled"No attack", no attack"!). The Noatak brought much calmer water, which made the ride much smoother. However, the boat began beeping even more frequently at us, which apparently indicated that we needed more oil. The mercury engine, Taylor said, is the "Welfare motor, because it's black or white, but either way, it doesn't work"! So we stopped several more times, put some oil in, and then continued. The beeping began again a few miles down the river, so we stopped again and put more oil in. I'm no mechanic, but I feel like that much beeping can't be good! But we continued, and got to Hugo creek, which is the one we wanted to go up. I was enjoying the views, though I was a little worried about the beeping. As we got a distance of the creek, Gabe, who was driving the boat, missed a turn, and we ended up hitting the bank with some willows. It didn't cause any harm, and we ended up offloading some fuel that we didn't need on the boat at that point, but it made me a little more nervous. I forgot about all that, as I really began to enjoy myself in my surroundings. I was at their mercy, and couldn't really do anything about it. I'd committed to this Alaskan adventure, and I was determined to enjoy it! As we were flying down the creek at around 40 miles an hour, seabirds flew in front of us, and scenery just got more beautiful. We found ourselves navigating through more of the braided River, with several different paths. I didn't know this before, but was later told that we needed to keep up speed so that we didn't run up on the rocks in shallower water. We tried to stay in the middle of the creek to keep the deeper water, which Gabe said was higher than he'd ever seen it. It was a nice evening, and still light outside though at this point it was around 9:00 p.m. At the peak of my enjoyment, we ran up on our first bank of rocks. Upon finding ourselves stuck, the three other men jumped out of the boat, and began pushing. With a Herculean effort, they finally got us back into the river, and we continued. However after going maybe a mile further, we ran onto rocks and a sandbar again, and they began pushing again. We were stuck a little bit more than before, so it became very difficult to move the boat. My weight was not helping the situation, so I jumped out on a bit of gravel. It was very stuck, so Gabe took a chainsaw and ran up the hill to cut down some poles so that we could roll the boat a bit easier. I was trying not to get wet, because I only had my hiking boots, while the other men had rain boots that would keep the water out, but eventually it became clear that I needed to get in and help. So I walked into the water and grabbed some logs to make sure that they didn't move while the others pushed, and in this way we were able to move the boat into deeper water, and continue. At this point it was around 10:00, so we pulled off a little earlier than expected and camped in another spot to lesson our suffering, because at this point we were all wet and tired. So Gabe and I walked to where we would eventually camp, having to walk through a few more puddles of water, and eventually deciding on a proper spot that wasn't too slanted on the tundra. Gabe begin to set up the tent, while I created a fire pit with the shale that was in the area, and which we eventually got a fire started on. We were able to enjoy smoked salmon that they brought, and cup of noodles, followed by grilled cheese and tomato soup!
We had only brought one two man tent, because Carter and Taylor had planned to sleep under the stars, but at that point it started to rain as well, so they scrapped that plan and we all ended up sleeping very close together in a two-man tent. The good news, as Taylor said: " that none of us are pregnant"! We fell asleep quite quickly, as we were all very tired, and stayed warm all night! The tundra made it quite soft to lay on the ground.
The next morning, we woke up fairly early, and put on dry socks to help with our soaking wet boots. After breakfast, we jumped in the boat after loading our gear, and headed back down the Creek. We were making good time, and try to avoid the parts of the creek that were low so we didn't get stuck. Carter was sitting in the front, navigating for our driver Taylor. Pointing the direction that he thought we should go. As we rounded one such turn we ended up being on the wrong side of the creek where there were two rocks right in the middle of our path. Taylor did the only thing he thought he could do in that situation, and went full throttle, which threw us all three feet in the air and launch this at least 10 ft forward. At this point, we started going down, and I thought that the boat is going to hit nose down, and throw us all for a loop. Luckily, since Taylor had ghosted, the back and came down first, and I came back down on my seat scared, but unharmed. Gabe, who was filming in the back, also miraculously had no injuries. Taylor and Carter however, were not so lucky. Carter, who was sitting up front on his knees, was able to stay in the boat by holding on to the front when he saw what was going to happen. Because of this he ended up landing on his knees again and almost pulling his shoulder out of socket. So he had some major pain in his knees, and his shoulder. Taylor, who had had his hands on the wheel, ended up smacking his mouth on a bar above the windshield, and along with seeing stars and potentially a head injury, said that he had to shove a tooth back in his gums after it threatened to come out, and we later realize that his nose was broken. Upon landing, the boat must have been in distress as well, because it immediately shut off. We were floating towards more danger, so somehow Taylor had to wear with all to turn the boat back on, and floated us to a safe place where we could assess damage. We found that the boat seem to be filling with water, and it was a good thing that we got off to shore, because there was a hole in the boat. They had prepared for such a possibility, and had brought a lift for a four wheeler, which car said I shouldn't noticed in the beginning, and it should have been a tip-off not to go on the trip! By lifting it up, they were able to find the hole, and made a patch with willows, which I didn't even know was an option! Apparently willows are a common thing to use to fix a number of different problems in alaska. Carter later told me that this was one of the top two most dangerous situations he'd ever been in, and had thought about calling the Coast guard. We were, however, able to continue down the river after this patch, and navigated to Acha's fish camp owned by some friends of Gabe and Taylor, who, they mentioned, are old lesbians. I don't know why that was an important part of the explanation, but it was emphasized, and "Les-be-honest", as Gabe said, it adds to the intrigue. Acha is a Ubik Eskimo, a native Alaskan . I did not know this before, but apparently this was part of the plan the whole time. I just thought it was because we were in trouble, but it was an amazing place to recover our bodies and nerves. The cabin had a place for us to cook food, take naps, and even had a sauna that we utilized! It was much easier to joke about almost dying after it was over! We theorized ways that we could have done things differently, then decided that that was the only way that we all could have lived through it, then theorized again, always talking about how bad Taylor and Carter had it. And then Gabe would make a joke about his twin brother being snaggle puss, or crooked nose. Then Carter would throw in a joke about how now he could tell the two twins apart. I even added my own thoughts by saying the Carter wanted to look different from his brother so badly that he decided he needed to take matters into his own hands. We were trying to figure out how to get back safely to Kohtzibue because I definitely needed to be back before Tuesday, since my flight left in the late morning, and I definitely couldn't miss that. The weather was the one factor that we couldn't count on. It had rained basically the whole time that we've been out there, which made the hunting and fishing we were going to try to do hard. I thrown out a cast or two, has had the others, but we hadn't been able to do any hunting, because it was so wet. As we were relaxing in the cabin, we saw a boat come into our harbor, and it was a friend that Gabe and Taylor knew, named Willard! Happy moaned our situation, and told Taylor how dumb he was to try going so fast down the river. He and his family were going to camp out that evening, so he couldn't help us get back. He did let us know that the waves were pretty big though, so he wouldn't risk going at that time. So stay the night it was, which was the original plan anyway. During that time, Gabe got the brilliant idea to melt some rope, and use that to fill the hole a bit better, so he ran the boat up on shore, we tipped it up again, and he did that which made the ship more seaworthy. We went to bed that night elated that we were still alive, and continuing to strategize how we would get out in the morning, as well as going over for the 40th time how things could have gone better but happy that they hadn't gone worse.
When morning came, the weather had which happened fairly unrequentlyn't improved match, and the wind seemed to make it so that we can get back. Taylor ended up calling his dad, which hurt is pride, but his father eased our concerned about coming, so we set out. About the time we got to the mouth of the sound, their father joined us in a beautiful boat. Their father looked at Taylor from about 50 yards away, and yelled: "you look like crap"! We explained that we thought we could make it. So, we press forward, with the twins father and mother following behind to make sure that we were okay. You made it back safely, and Carter said his favorite part of the trip was the getting back part! Myself, coming out of the experience mostly unscathed, felt differently. I felt like it was a grand adventure, and I loved the whole thing. Well, everything other than the scary part; while fearing for my life, which happened fairly frequently. Or perhaps that was the reason I loved it.
After returning to dry land, we deemed it necessary to go clean up, so we went to the local Latter Day Saint Church to use their shower. I was impressed with the design of the church because it had everything in it in a style I'd never seen before. The carpeted interior also doubled as a cultural hall. It was obvious that they used it for other events because it had basketball hoops on either end. There was also a raised stage that could be used for performances on the side, and a podium in front of about 20 chairs in front of the stage. All of this in a building raised on stilts, like the other buildings in the area because of the tundra and permafrost the city is built on. Perfect for a small congregation, and "one of the nicest and most beautiful buildings in the community", as Carter put it. And the showers in the bathrooms were a nice touch as well. After getting out of the shower, I noticed that Carter was making hot chocolate in the small kitchen, and I took the proffered, steaming cup. "Careful", he warned. "I let this boil for quite a while, longer than I wanted"!
That's when we found the ice cream in the freezer, and infused our hot cocoa with it. I haven't had hot cocoa much better than that!
I helped myself to another cup, and found myself warmer on the inside and out.
I got a view of how a day in Kotzibue goes the rest of the day. We started by cleaning up the shop, which apparently was trashed by the twinses brother, Creed. Random people stopped by as we worked, asking for favors from the mechanics, and proferring their own in return. A high school kid named Ben brought his truck in, trying to use the dry garage space to fix his exhaust and ask some questions about problems he was having with his truck. Once Taylor had heard the problems, he was immediately able to diagnose the problem.
"Your clutch is out. I wouldn't drive it anywhere, or you'll create more problems". "You should order a new one, and replace it, or we can replace it for you." If you want us to do it we can also teach you how to do it for the future", he continued. He and Carter saw potential in the kid, and thought they would like to hire him later if he wanted to go that route, because they could grow their business with him.
We end up towing him back to his house with a chain, which he appreciated greatly, thanking his new heroes profusely.
Upon finishing the day, we returned to the Hansen house and found chili and some kind of bread with a sugary substance and apples on it, which we ripped into voraciously.
As I cleaned my second bowl with my third roll, I heard Gabe questioning his father about the weather, and he seemed pleased.
"Hey Spenser, you want to go flying tonight"? He queried?
Absolutely! I mean sure, I shouted, jumping out of my chair, but toning it down as much as possible to not seem too eager. We dropped Gabe's Dad, Brother Hansen off at the shop, and bid us goodbye, offering the fatherly but sage advice: "Don't do anything stupid!", and we headed off to get some fuel. After spending $40.00 for 5 gallons of gas, we drove to the airport, where we prepped the 1940's Cub aircraft. The beautiful plane was bright yellow, with only two seats. The two participants are able to communicate over the engine noise through headsets and a dedicated radio station.
I helped by untying the wings from the tarmac.
"This is one of the best aircraft ever built, but they can be hard to get into", he warned,
"Step on this bar with a grainy texture and grab that grip in the cockpit, then swing your leg in and pull yourself up", he explained.
I followed his instructions and only needed a little guidance for my left foot to get in.
"That was a lot better than alot of the people I've flown", Gabe praised.
"Were those people old, fat lards"? I probed.
"Mostly those, and girls", he confirmed.
I scowled a little, but was still mostly pleased by the positive feedback.
Gabe turned on the engine, and turned the propeller to get it going, then jumped in the pilots seat.
"Don't touch the turning apparatus by your crotch, or the gas and brake pedals near your feet, he warned."
"You ready to go?"
"Of course!", I replied through the headset.
He communicated with the tower, stating the name and number of the plane and explained we were going to use the runway going southeast. Then glided down the tarmac to the sky. We flew along the coast and out over the tundra and some mountains, where Gabe planted out swans in The lakes along the way. I was surprised that we could see them from that far above, but saw them fairly clearly. He offered to pay me five bucks if I could find a bull moose before he saw it. We never saw any other wildlife, other than maybe a few doll sheep, but everything was super beautiful, and there was more water better than I've ever seen in my whole life! There were Rivers, lakes, streams, creeks, and ponds everywhere. The rivers were even running past their normal bounds and creating chaos across the tundra. We even flew over Krusenstern National Monument! I tried to convince Gabe to fly across the Bering Sea so that I could see russia, but he said that he "didn't trust an 80 year old playing over the ocean like that, because it was freezing down there". I also suggested we go to Khobak Canyon National Park, but that was too far away for how late we started. But I got a fantastic ride.
A Pawnee returning back, I was informed that I would be staying at the Hansen's house, and had the couch to myself! Gabe left to sleep at the shop, and I was left to myself. Being fairly tired, I got my bed ready and jumped in. Their dog, Molly, decided that I needed some company, so she jumped on the ottoman and begin making groaning sounds. I asked her to be quiet, and thought I might have to show her out the door, but eventually she quieted down, and I was able to sleep.
After waking up the next day, we made a delicious breakfast of our remaining bacon, eggs, and hash browns, and prepared for the day. Taylor and I dropped Carter and Gabe off at their shop, and then headed to the visitor center for two national parks, to national monuments, and a National preserve that is located in Kotzibue. There's just nothing closer to them! It also had some cool information about the area and cultures that influenced that part of Alaska, and some of the features around there which were very interesting.
I still had about an hour before I had to be at the airport, so Taylor looked at me and said: " would you like to go on an off-roading adventure"?
"Don't threaten me with a good time"! I responded.
He smiled, we jumped in the forerunner, and went out to the beach, where we drove through some water that went up to the wheel wells, and what places only jeeps and Toyotas could go (as Taylor said). We talked about the possibility of him being married to his current girlfriend, business ideas, and real estate. The type of things that guys always talk about!
"Machinery that is yellow, or green, tends to hold its value" he said, so investing in that would be a great way to go. He dropped me off at the airport with just about the exact time.
"Glad you didn't die "! Brother Hansen called, looking over his shoulder as he left for work.
"Glad you didn't die "! Brother Hansen called, looking over his shoulder as he left for work.
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