One month ago - flying to and settling into Point Hope; Yesterday in Wasilla
Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 12:28PM 
I again back up one month ago to begin anew my oft-delayed series of posts on my recent travels to Point Hope and Barrow - both of which are much colder towns than is Wasilla. I start on the Era flight that took me there on a one-way ticket that cost $410. Later, I would purchase another one-way ticket from Point Hope to Barrow and that would also run $410.
Then I would need to purchase another ticket from Barrow to Anchorage on Alaska Airlines - $402.
Just imagine if you had a family of five or six and your father died two villages away and everybody needed a plane ticket to get there. That's the reality people face in Alaska, every day.
The only practical way to travel about Alaska is by plane, but it is getting harder and harder and harder to do. That's Annabelle Lane to the left, her son, Ephraim and Al Sokatis of Challenge Life Alaska.
I had originally planned to go to Anaktuvuk Pass on this trip. I needed my trip to coincide with a Challenge Life Alaska/NSB Healthy Communities event. Such an event had been planned for Anaktuvuk, but it got postponed and the time was scheduled for Point Hope.
So off I went to Point Hope.
I still hope I can get to Anaktuvuk before much more time passes by.
It was still early in the spring whaling season. I hoped that I might get out onto the ice. All my good, warm, Arctic gear had fallen apart or disappeared, so I was not properly prepared. Maybe someone would let me borrow some.
As we neared Point Hope, I could see open water, with shorefast ice on one side and young, new ice pinching in from the other.
This is Krystle Ahmaogak, granddaughter to the late Ben and Florence Ahmaogak of Wainwright, who in 1995 took me into their whaling crew, Iceberg 14 and then later adopted me as their honorary son. Krystle now lives in Point Hope with her fiance, Jesse Frankson and their three children.
When she learned I was coming, she invited me to stay with them.
We are headed to her house.
Krystle's two year-old son, Jonathan, at home in his play tent.
In the afternoon, Al and his Challenge Life Alaska partner Mike Hajdukovich met with the senior class, who were about to graduate. The students had raised money for a post graduation senior trip - to New York City. That is mostly what they talked about.
Geez, I wanted to go!
How fun it would have been to follow these kids from Point Hope around the Big Apple with my camera in hand!
Senior playing chess.
Going to New York with the graduated seniors was out of the question for me, but this is Michelle and as she was about to graduate, go on the trip, and loves photography, she was designated to be the official Point Hope Class of 2011 New York City Photographer.
Al and Mike had acquired a nice Canon 7D for the class, so she and I went walking about Point Hope so that I could give her some pointers on using the camera.
She caught on fast and she had a pretty decent eye for a picture.
I hope I get a chance to see the pictures that she took.
As I walked with Michelle, this girl came sliding by on a sled with a dog behind.
I shot many pictures of Challenge Life and have not yet taken the time to go through them. I did quickly pull this frame out, though: Challenge Life, Al Sokaitis in the school gym leading young children in a round of game playing.
This is Rex Rock, Sr., whose crew I followed whaling in 1991. Rex is also President of ASRC - the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation.
Children at play on a storage shed.
We learned that the crew of Isaac Killigvuk had struck a bowhead and were about to land it. Rex's wife, Ramona found a parka for me to wear. Mike and Al had never been to whale camp before, but now they had their chance.
Off we went - the first stop would be the Rock whaling camp.
more to come
And this from yesterday in Wasilla:
Yesterday, as Margie and I passed by Wasilla Lake, we saw this dog in the next car, looking at us.
Inside the Metro with Carmen, study #6722: With Palmer Musician Dusty Bannon, wife Michelle and other family members and friend.
Dusty grew up on a Delta Junction homestead. When time and opportunity allows, I hope to catch him in action and to tell more of his story.
Also, let it be known that I have learned the identity of the person who, right after I returned home from this trip, bought me the coffee, pastry, paid the tip with 25 cents left over for me.
It was the Alaska Pony Girl. Thank you, Alaska Pony Girl! I think I owe you quite a few coffees now.
You can find her old blog here:
http://akponygirl.blogspot.com/
And her new blog here:
http://akponygirl.wordpress.com
Reader Comments (1)
I love how Rex Sr., a multi-million dollar Native corporation CEO (enemy of poor defeated Republican Candidate for the U.S. Senate Joe Miller (now a Tea Party boat host)) is in his usual attire just fixin his harpoon that pretty sunny day.
Some threat to Alaska and America huh? Joe, find that still spine Sarah's always bragging about.