I meet a Dutch Harbor fisherman beside a picnic table on the ice of Wasilla Lake
Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at 11:23AM 
As I drove by Wasilla Lake, I saw a table sitting on the ice. I thought it might be a good place to take Margie out for dinner - a catered dinner of grilled halibut and asparagus on a gusty, chill, night and so went down to check it out.
At this size, he is kind of hard to see, but if you look closely toward the top of the picture just beyond the berm, you will see a man walking toward the lake.
Even from here, I could hear him talking, so I figured that he must be using his cell phone, via Bluetooth or something.
He stepped onto the ice and kept coming, conversing all the way. I did not try to make out his words, because I figured they were directed towards someone else.
As he drew close, I suddenly realized that he was talking to me and had been all the time.
"How deep is it? Pretty deep?" he was asking.
I reasoned that what he meant was "thick is the ice?"
"Probably close to three feet," I estimated.
True, the ice doesn't look that thick in this two-D pic, but standing on it, looking down through the cracks and frozen bubbles, it did.
"So if I were to try to walk across the lake I would fall right through?" he speculated.
"No!" I answered, surprised. "You can walk across the lake. You can drive a truck across the lake. The ice is thick. The ice is strong."
"J" said he was a commercial fisherman, lives in Wasilla and works out of Dutch Harbor catching cod, halibut and such. He said things were a bit tight at the moment, until he can go out and fish. He made it clear that he is a hand and not a boat owner or permit holder.
The guys who are, he said, take their profits and go off to tropical islands, while he must stay home and tough it out.
He told me repeatedly how dangerous and crazy fishing is - furious activity surrounded winches and cables that a careless person can get caught in or that can snap and slice you up.
A fisherman can rip his shoulder hoisting halibut, he demonstrated.
He pointed down the highway and warned me about a certain, sneaky, cop that likes to hide out and then nail you as you pass innocently by in all good faith and intent.
Then he went his way and this couple walked past.
All this exposed grass is not due to warm temperatures. It is due to scouring winds. It has been windy, windy, windy! and mostly cool, with temps between about -10 F and +teens here in Wasilla, but yesterday, the day I took these pictures, was warm and still. Temperature about 29 F, wind calm.
Today, the wind howls again.
I have not yet stepped outside, but the house was not that cold this morning, so I suspect that the temperature remains on mild side.
This being March, there is no telling what will happen next.
Reader Comments (3)
Since my habitat is the southern latitudes it must explain why I am so intrigued by these pictures of a frozen lake, 3 feet thick!......thanks for sharing.
I'm no stranger to frozen lakes but I am mystified by the power poles. Why? How?
MGSoCal - a pleasure.
Fanshaw: Why? If I am to take Margie to that picnic table for a catered halibut feast, then of course I need light.
How - Auger some holes in the ice, plant the poles, they freeze in place and then string the wires.
Back to the why - let me see if I can take some a picture to illustrate for you.