Visit to Alaska 24 th August 5 th September 2011

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Visit to Alaska 24 th August 5 th September 2011"

Clement Holland
6 years ago
Views:

Visit to Alaska 24 th August 5 th September 2011 Participants Liisa Tylliä Lars Edelmann Henri Edelmann Kari Edelmann Travelling took place via Amsterdam and Seattle to Anchorage.

1 Visit to Alaska 24 th August 5 th September 2011 Participants Liisa Tylliä Lars Edelmann Henri Edelmann Kari Edelmann Travelling took place via Amsterdam and Seattle to Anchorage. Flight departure time from Helsinki was 06:30 on the 24th of August. We arrived in Anchorage about 21:00 after travelling some 26 hours. We were warmly welcome by our Alaskan and US family members. We stayed overnight in a motor home that was rented for the whole visit time. The motor home had a bathroom, living room and many beds and well equipped kitchen (refrigerator-ice box system and cooking ovens). The motor home was a good choice for living during our visit. Duane decided kindly to be our driver.

2 Our home during our visit This document tries to summarize the high-lights of our visit on daily basis. A lot pictures were taken, I guess several hundred. In the following, I have chosen only very few pictures that represents the activities of each day.

Outside the Alaska Native Heritage Center

3 Anchorage On the 25 th of August we visited the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Anchorage Museum and Rasmuson Center. Outside the Alaska Native Heritage Center Some articles and clothing that the natives have used and manufactured are presented here.

to Alaskan culture when we visited Anchorage Museum and Rasmuson

4 Kayak models and local people dressed in their national costumes. In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to get a broader look to Alaskan culture when we visited Anchorage Museum and Rasmuson Center. Below you see some of the pictures taken in the museum.

State of Alaska consists of 12 regional areas

That is Kenai, Homer, Seldovia, Palmer and

5 State of Alaska consists of 12 regional areas as shown in this map. Our visit to Alaska was directed mainly to the peninsula area of Cook Inlet. That is Kenai, Homer, Seldovia, Palmer and Valdez. Fishing in the old days was presented in several excellent photos, here a few.

Typical clothing of the Athapascans is shown here.

They lived along the Interior s waterways following the seasonal resources.

6 Typical clothing of the Athapascans is shown here. The Athapascans were nomadic, traveling in small groups to fish, hunt and trap. They lived along the Interior s waterways following the seasonal resources. Kenai We stayed overnight in Anchorage and departed next day towards Kenai and Edvin s beach property (see below). A stop was made at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center Portage to see typical some of wild animals of Alaska such as bears, elk, moose, bison, buffalo, caribou, white head eagle and so on. Ed s place on the left and Fish Yard on the right at sun set time.

On Saturday 28 th of August we had our Family Reunion in old town Kenai at Tyotkas Elders Center. The center is part of the Kenaitze Indian Tribe (KIT) Elder Service Program (called Tyotkas).

We were happily surprises to see so many Alaskan relatives. The meeting was very successful, presentations were given by Liisa, Kari, Henri and Duane.

7 On Saturday 28 th of August we had our Family Reunion in old town Kenai at Tyotkas Elders Center. The center is part of the Kenaitze Indian Tribe (KIT) Elder Service Program (called Tyotkas). The intent is to provide services to the Elder citizens of KIT Service area. More about Kenaitze Indian Tribe can be found from the address: We were happily surprises to see so many Alaskan relatives. The meeting was very successful, presentations were given by Liisa, Kari, Henri and Duane. Greetings from the Finnish branch of the family were given by Liisa. Henri gave his resume and Lars showed some pictures of his family. Kari reminded about the Huguenot roots of the family and showed some pictures of his father, grandfather and great grandfather, who lived in a pilot village in Lepäsi (shown on maps as Lotmanskoje village) that locates on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. Tsar Alexander II gave in ,000 rubles for building the village. The Lotmanskoje village houses still exist. The great grandfather Oskar was a brother to Edvin who sailed to Alaska, and whose heirs we were visiting. Duane read some of Edvin s letters to home that Gunnar our previous chairman has translated from Swedish into English (one of the letters sent from Fort Wrangler). It was delightful to see an article about our family reunion in the next day s Peninsula Clarion newspaper. The title of the newspaper article was Edvin s legend Search for lost diary of early Alaskan explorer, prospector continues. Edvin arrived in Alaska in 1885 after sailing world s seas. He sailed from Juneau in an open whaling boat in 1888 to start prospecting gold and to begin hunting in Cook Inlet area. In 1895 he started a trading station on the Sustina River and a year later married Dominia Oskolkov, a girl of Russian, Finnish and Indian descent who was born in Kenai. Duane has promised to pay $ 2000 for the missing diary. After the meeting a walk through the old town Kenai was made to see Edvin s house (on the left).

We stayed overnight at Ed s place and looked around the beach property with fishing boats and

Duane told us that they have sometimes caught over 10,000 mainly red salmons within a fishing

Because of the large difference between low and high tide, they had to keep the nets at optimal

The size of the net is equivalent to the size of the gills of 5 kg salmon (gill net fishing).

8 We stayed overnight at Ed s place and looked around the beach property with fishing boats and plenty of other equipment needed in fishing. Below we see Ed s fishing boat Gemini and skiff. Duane told us that they have sometimes caught over 10,000 mainly red salmons within a fishing season by setting the fishing nets straight from their shore out to the sea. Because of the large difference between low and high tide, they had to keep the nets at optimal depth by pulling and pushing the nets according to the change in tide. The size of the net is equivalent to the size of the gills of 5 kg salmon (gill net fishing). The nets were only 210 foot long. Fishing was really whole day hard job dealing with catching and transporting the fish, changing the nets and mending the nets.

We visited also Kenai Convention & Visitors Bureau and learned that there are really many species of

salmon, Humpy (Pink) salmon, Sockeye (Red) salmon and Rainbow trout.

Respectively, we have in Finland salmon species not seen in Alaska (e.g. lake salmon).

Capital of the World and arrived at Snooks and Ken s place besides of a large boat yard (Northern

9 We visited also Kenai Convention & Visitors Bureau and learned that there are really many species of salmon we have never seen before such as Chinook (King) salmon, Coho (Silver) salmon, Chum (Dog) salmon, Humpy (Pink) salmon, Sockeye (Red) salmon and Rainbow trout. Possibly Chinook can be met in Finland. Respectively, we have in Finland salmon species not seen in Alaska (e.g. lake salmon). Homer On the 29 th of August we continued our trip from Kenai towards Homer to the Halibut Fishing Capital of the World and arrived at Snooks and Ken s place besides of a large boat yard (Northern Enterprises Boat Yard). Snook and Ken welcome us warmly and hosted our stay in Homer. We enjoyed their hospitality including hot shower, excellent Alaskan breakfast, lunch and dinner. Even laundry services were available.

Seldovia On the 30 th of August we made a ferry

relatives and to visit the Seldovian Orthodox

In Seldovia we were received by Gleo and Ken Svik.

10 Seldovia On the 30 th of August we made a ferry trip from Homer Spitz to meet our Seldovian relatives and to visit the Seldovian Orthodox grave yard. In Seldovia we were received by Gleo and Ken Svik. We saw also Auntie Emma s house that was under renovation work. A lot of old pictures were shown to us (see below). Here we see among others Grandma and Grandpa Edelman and mother Emma Josefson.

On the left Grandma Edelman Kenai Alaska Dumnina Oskolcoff

On the right hand picture mother Emma Josefson on the right

Alaska State Fair and met Ed s daughter Mary and stayed overnight

11 On the left Grandma Edelman Kenai Alaska Dumnina Oskolcoff Edelman. On the right hand picture mother Emma Josefson on the right (picture dated 8 th Oct 1942). Graves found in Seldovian grave yard. On the 31 st August we departed Kenai for Palmer where we visited Alaska State Fair and met Ed s daughter Mary and stayed overnight at Mary s place. Our road to Palmer passed through wilderness that was already dressed in reddish autumn colors. We traveled through wonderful landscapes and saw glaciers and plenty of Black spruce.

12 Palmer March 15, 2012 On the way to Palmer Mary, Ed and Duane Alaska State Fair in Palmer Next day on the 1 st of September we travelled to Valdez. We made several stops and saw the famous Alyeska Pipeline, Wrangell National Park Office and Worthington glacier.

On the way to Valdez March 15, 2012 Landscape somewhere

device called fishwheel (at Wrangell National Park Office

The famous 800 miles long Alyeska pipeline has a pumping

On the right hand picture we have very interesting shape

13 On the way to Valdez March 15, 2012 Landscape somewhere between Palmer and Valdez and special lazy man s fishing device called fishwheel (at Wrangell National Park Office site). The famous 800 miles long Alyeska pipeline has a pumping capacity of 1.5 million barrels of oil per day. On the right hand picture we have very interesting shape in the Worthington glacier (see at the lower corner of the glacier). We arrived late in the evening to Duane s place in Valdez.

Valdez March 15, 2012 Our Motor home parked in front

and 3 rd of September were devoted for fishing with

14 Valdez March 15, 2012 Our Motor home parked in front of Duane s and Libby s house and a curious almost a tame bird that came to see us. Fishing in Prince William Sound near Valdez The 2 nd and 3 rd of September were devoted for fishing with Duane s skiff. Here Duane is preparing shrimp baits for four crab potts on right.

The crab pots were sunken to the depth of about 200 feet.

A good catch of silver salmon (9 fishes) and half a bucket of shrimps was the result.

It was really exiting to catch a 12 pounder.

15 The crab pots were sunken to the depth of about 200 feet. Silver salmons were lured with help of herring close to rocks or scarp. A good catch of silver salmon (9 fishes) and half a bucket of shrimps was the result. Biggest salmon was about 12 pounds. Thanks to Duane s help and knowledge. It was really exiting to catch a 12 pounder. On the 4 th of September it was time to take a state ferry from Valdez to Whittier and back to Anchorage. Unfortunately it was a rainy day, so that very little was to be seen about the Prince William Sound that we were passing. We enjoyed on the ferry a wonderful lunch that Libby prepared from the shrimps we caught a day before. Libby as a cook knows how.

16 Would you also like to have a shrimp! After arriving Anchorage, we made a sight-seeing tour and had a dinner in a fish restaurant. After very early morning wake-up Duane and Libby gave us a lift to the Anchorage international airport and our trip back home started at 06:30 am and we were back in Helsinki next day at 1 pm.

Alaska Trip Day 12 August 24 - Valdez to Anchorage

Alaska Trip Day 12 August 24 - Valdez to Anchorage We are up early at the Mountain Sky Motel in Valdez Alaska. Bags out at 5 AM then breakfast at the Totem Pole restaurant and board the motor coach at