Adventure: Fuller Lakes Hike

So I finally got to do some hiking.  It was on the job, but hey, it counts!

Lower Fuller Lake - At tree line!

Me and the supervisory wildlife biologist went up to Fuller Lakes to set up some sound stations.  It's definitely a hike I'll have to come back and enjoy on my own time.  it's weird because with everything frozen, snow covered and "dead", I know come April everything will look completely different.  Which is exciting since that means any hiking I do in the winter will feel like a new hike come break-up.

Hiking here is nothing like the hiking I did in Idaho, which was expected.  I do miss the Sawtooth's, but I need to get over that mindset and finally start enjoying what I have here.

Skilak Lake Valley... I'll get a better picture one day

Fuller Lakes hike was somewhat challenging.  But I got to go on an almost crystal clear day.  Which meant I saw the sun rise over the mountains... and set... in about 2 hours.  Haha.  I also saw the Skilak Lake valley, which was gorgeous.  Fuller Lake was of course frozen, but fresh snow coated everything, so we broke trail and smiled the whole way.  :)

Hike was about 6 miles round trip with maybe 1200 feet of elevation change.  Snowshoes and all.

Not too shabby.  :)

Sometimes where we need to be is exactly where we already are - We just don't know it until we leave.


"Sleep don't visit, so I choke on sun
And the days blur into one
And the backs of my eyes hum with things I've never done"

Soldotna, Alaska

The tiny Beechcraft that flew me into Kenai

Well, I'm here.  Soldotna, Alaska living on Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in a small cabin nestled in the woods.  The cabin is great.  It's built for 4, but I'm the only one here, which is fantastic.  :)


I have a nice kitchen all to myself.  And surprisingly, wireless internet AND satellite TV.  A rarity in field work, for sure.  I don't work a full 40 hour week - yet, which has been good since I'm pulling a second job also to supplement my sad intern salary. Woooo.

Homer Spit.  Homer, Alaska

I'm considered here on business, which means I get paid everyday  - including weekends.  And I'm provided a government vehicle. AKA free gas.  8)  The catch is that my driving is pretty much limited to the refuge and going into town with a few tiny exceptions.  But for how little I'm making, that's all a good thing, because it limits what I can spend!

My job is simple.  Which is a little bit disappointing, but I'm hoping I can branch out here and still learn some new skills.  My mind is already on the future and what's coming up next May.  It's true what they say: Need motivation for graduate school?  Spend some time doing field work.

Being away from home is taking it's toll.  It's great to know I'll be home in a week and a half.  I can't wait to see my family, my nephews, and especially my boyfriend.  It's hard to know I'll have another 4 months here about that though. 

On the plus side, we are getting DUMPED with snow right now, which hopefully means snowmachine season will start soon.  :)  I'm a little nervous to get back on a snowmachine here, but I am terribly excited.  :]  We've gotten at least half a foot today.  6 inches of fresh powder.

Two is much much less lonely than one. <3

Kenai NWR

It's official.  Sunday November 27th, 6 am, I leave for Kenai, Alaska.

A solid 5 months in Southern Alaska where I will be assisting a PhD with his research in Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.  I'll be living in Soldotna, Alaska.  A population shy of 5,000 individuals.  Weather is more mild than the central region, but that means more snow, also.  I grew up in Fairbanks (central Alaska), so I'm excited to be living some place new.  :)

Most of my work will be done on the NWR, which looks like it has a surplus of hiking trails as well as cross country trails.  I'll also get to do some work in wilderness areas.  Lots of snowmobiling, lots of moose track following, and without a doubt, lots of adventuring!

I'm excited to be near towns rich with culture and history.  As a kid, we used to camp on the Kenai Peninsula, visiting towns and wandering local museums.  It will be weird to be there in winter, since there won't be the tourism, but then again, that might be a nice thing.  Who likes tourists anyway?

As hard as it will be to be so far from family, I hope I get the opportunity to stay in Alaska for the summer, also.  For all the research going on there, past present and future, it might be a wildlife biologist's paradise.

Me?  I want to know I made a difference.  Made a change.  Made something good, even better.

And if I'm going, I'm going shamelessly.