Where is Matthew?

The little things

2010-08-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

I am a person of simple things. I got a new belt the other day. The purist gear people I know will make fun of me because it is Patagonia. The clothes people that I know will say: What? only ne belt, what if you need to color coordinate? I don't know many people like that, but is is still fun to say. The survival people I know will say: Get out of here, that is a smart idea. At least that is what I hope people will say. My belt provides me more than the means to keep my pants up. It contains the following

-fish hooks
-fishing line
-water purification tablet
-matches
-fire starting material
-plastic bag for water
-fishing swivels

Call me paranoid, weird or both. It is nice to know that I have all those little survival things in my belt. Any other ideas? post othem on the comments section. Not sure about how well it will work in the field, but it was sure fun to make. The belt is a Patagonia travel belt. Check it out, you will probably want one too!

Almost There!

2010-07-05T12:00:00.001-07:00

I have been traveling for far too long. Being on the road takes its toll on a person. As time goes on and you are in many different places you find yourself wanting to do nothing more than sit at home on your porch, and have not a care in the world except when the burgers on the grill are done. I can't wait til those days are here. Until then, I have got to make the most of it, which I have. Despite being tired of being on the road, it has been a lot of fun. If not for this year I would have never seen the places, done the things, or met the people that I have. Life is so good.
This brings me to the ultimate point of this blog, in the time I have been on the road, I got an uncanny commitment to being fit. I struggle everyday, but my philosophy is this, keeping working out everyday, and you will see results.
This fact is true. Most people will look at you like you have lobsters crawling out of your ears when you say you do P90x, but it is a growing sub-culture that does P90X and an even bigger subculture who probably won't admit it, Why? Let's be honest, workout DVDs, 90 days to great shape, all the marketing hype and gimmicks in the past lead a person to believe that this kind of thing is for people who sit on the couch in the middle of the day and watch infomericals! My thoughts exactly, til I tried it. I am 2/3 of the way through, and it actually works. I will give you one example and let the rest of my few readers come to their own conclusion.
Wide grip overhand pull-ups done Marine corps style. Marine Corps style is where you lower all the way down lock out your elbows and lift yourself without using any momentum to bring yourself back up, only your muscle. When I started the program, I couldn't do any, that's right, zip, zero, none! Now, 2/3 done, I can do ten, I will let that sink in and say this, everyone have a wonderful week.

Another day

2010-06-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I got older, wait, I get older everyday, so why is one day more important than the other? I have found as I am on the path of life everyday offers something special. You just have to look. I was on a dirt road in the middle of know where, which is not uncommon for me. It had just rained, the air was crisp, the dust that is so common where I am at, settled and subdued for the moment. Life was very good at that moment.
On the way back home a summer storm hit and dropped hail the size of garden peas, at that moment I was glad I was sitting in the cab of my truck. Then I saw the motorcycle, I am pretty sure that person did not have the same perspective on the rain that I did today.
It is funny how one person can be so content with something and another be completely the opposite.

Have you ever....

2010-06-14T18:26:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in your vehicle so long that it feels like you have become a part of your vehicle? Have you ever felt that when you push down on the gas pedal, you feel like it is a part of your leg? I hope you haven't, because I never have! I have done a lot of driving this year. Where I have not felt like I am one with my vehicle, I have come up with ways to make driving long distance considerably easier. Here is what I have found.

1. Sirius Satellite Radio- where this is not a plug for Sirius, I will say this, satellite radio makes those small towns you drive through on long trips less quiet when you have tunes to go listen to. An I pod works well too, but I like the unpredictability of satellite radio.

2. Spitz Dill pickle sunflower seeds- Mild flavor, slightly bitter but not so much that it is unbearable. Other good reasons to have these on board, when you get tired it helps to have something to do. Throw in a handful, and make sure you have a bottle to put the seeds into. These also help to not suffer from gas station food stomach ache, I find that when driving I want to eat for lack of anything else to do, sunflower seeds are far better than a gas station taquito and corn dog. Neither of which are classifiable into a food group, as they don't know what goes into them

3. Good sunglasses- Your eyes get tired, I recommend polarized shades.

4. Good company- long drives seem shorter when you have some good conversation

5. Last but not least, a sense of adventure! Have fun when you drive! I find it helps to make fun of the goofy things people do while your driving, there is laughs interlaced with curse words, but it still fun. I also find stopping at the historic pullouts and rest areas provides not only time to stretch your legs but see who else is and has stopped there.

Like I mentioned in my last post, I have no idea why I posted this, but it is some things I have learned while driving, a lot, and sitting in an uncomfortable seat a lot! Have a great day everyone!

Where have I been?

2010-06-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

It has been a very long time since I have posted, October to be specific. It has been a long time for a very good reason, but I will keep that to myself. So you ask yourself, why am I even making this post? My response, Because I am going to start posting again. In the past it is where my life is taking me and what I have been doing. This blog started with me going to Alaska, and if you look to past entries, I ended up in a little town in southern Utah. Where I am now, well, the people that know me, know the answer to that question.

If it is one thing I have learned in life, is that life can take you ANYWHERE! I have also learned that if life gives you an opportunity, why not give it a try, sure it is scary, and yes it is likely you will be out of your comfort zone, and yes it may be a terrible experience, but what can a person learn from that scenario? I have also learned it is not where you live in life, but what you make of it.

So what am I going to post, when I post? I am not sure if that is the burning question on the two or three people that read my blog, but that is the question on my mind. I am going to post entries about anything that catches my interest and try to make it sound interesting. I know it probably makes no sense, and don't worry, it doesn't to me either, but in the end what does it matter. You just have to roll with it, and if you don't like it, then don't read, and if you find it interesting, then by all means, keep coming back, and I will keep posting.

For now, enjoy a photo from one of the best trips I have ever taken. Not sure why it was, but it was a fantastic trip!

It is Official

2009-10-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

A few months back I applied for a job. I know what you are all thinking, I have a good job, and I haven't been there that long. I am a firm believer that when oppurtunity knocks you have to answer, and I did. The Job I applied for was a Forest Service job, for the Escalante, Powell, and Teasdale Ranger district. I am going to be charged with the protection of these three ranger districts. I am the new Law Enforcement Ranger. It is a huge step for me, and I am really excited. It meas I get to stay in southern utah, where I really like it. It also means an opportunity to protect a resource that cannot have a price put on it because of its priceless nature. I am really excited, and I can't wait to get started, which will be a while, because of training.
I will be going to Georgia initially, at which point I will be trained by a senior officer.

Life is good, and I am really excited.

Fire, Rescues, and really big deer

2009-07-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been too long. A lot of things have happened. I will start at the beginning. Shortly after my last post I was involved in a rescue. One might think this doesn't happen very often, and luckily it doesn't. I was driving out of the field one day and recived a call on the radio of a person in need, I drove down, hike/ran to peek a boo slot canyon climbed in and found a woman sitting there with her husband, there was a blanket covering her ankle, after looking under said blanket, I knew why there was a blanket. Her lower tibia (shin bone) was hanging out of the bottom of her leg, not just a piece mind you, the whole thing, she was not a happy hiker. A helicopter was called in and the paramedics took care of the ankle, there was not much I could do with it. I helped lower her down a fifteen foot cliff on a back board. The end result, she was in surgery for quite some time, but was able to keep her foot, and will walk again some day. It was quite exciting.

Amongst other things that have been happening, I was called upon to be Smoky Bear, what a fun time, except for the heat of the suit itself. Smoky doesn't talk, so the person next to me was Smokies handler, she said I was a big Smoky, good times.

From being dressed up as the bear who says prevent wildfires, I found myself fighting wildfires a little later! What a great time that is. A change from your normal job is almost as good as a vacation itself. Hard work, and beautiful country was the name of the fire fighting game for me. Bryce canyon was burning to the ground, and we were attempting to stop it. We sort of succeeded. The bottom line is that if a forest wants to burn, it will, and no human is going to stop it, mother nature put on an impressive show of force.

Working hard has rewards. I took a trip to the Henry mountains and saw the biggest deer I have ever seen, and a lot of them, the picture above is one of the smaller ones, the big ones were not on the skyline. I was on top of the world the next day, and was able to see all of southern utah, into arizona from atop mount ellen. I truly live in an amazing place

Those have been some of the big things happening to me. I hope all who read my blog are doing well, and I still leave the invitation open to anyone who wants to come visit. Escalante is an outdoor paradise, there are so many things to do!

The death of my blog!

2009-05-16T20:34:00.000-07:00

My Blog is not going to die. I only say that because I am failing to post as often as I like. Reasoning for that is my house, who had any idea when you buy a house for the first time how bad it can suck your time away from you in such a rapid way. When you live out of a truck and a bedroom for so long it is amazing what you realize what you need! I am however enjoying the kitchen. When you live in a town where things cost a fortune for odds and end grocieries, you quickly find out that making things from scratch is easier, and a lot more fun, my latest creation were bagels, and all except for the cheese that burnt (which won't happen again) they turned out really good. Yes, I can cook, and sorry I am taken, I am with a pretty amazing girl, and we are having a ton of fun! I hope to blog more, becasue there are a ton of pictures that I am sure people would love to see. Also, anyone interested in visiting, there is lots, and I do mean lots of hiking, and camping opportunities here, I have an extra room, so come on down!

Wait....I am a what!

2009-04-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

Neon Canyon

Coyote Gulch

I joined the ranks of being something that I never thought I would become, and to premise this, let me tell you a little about myself. I have not lived in one spot longer than about nine months in ten years, at one point I lived out of a Subaru Forester, I still have dreams of living out of my Tacoma! So I am the last person to I would think of as becoming, (pause for anticipation), a home owner! It is scary I know. I am settling down, but on the flip side it is in an area where I have beautiful hikes everywhere, and a great community to live in. I really like my knew home, it is a great feeling to come home to a place that is yours and a good job to come home from. The photos are from several hkes I have done in the last week. The photo with me in the picture is of coyote gulch, and the other is of Neon Canyon. Any are welcome to come visit, just call first, I need to clean my house.

Wonderous place!

2009-04-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

There are not many places in the world that I know of where you can see sandstone towers (called hoo doos), walk in dinosaur tracks and see miniature arches, as well as massive ones in the space of one day. This last weekend I drove down hole in the rock road and spent the night, anyone and everyone should take a trip down this road and see what it has to offer. The road itself is a evil, many miles of washboard that rattles the teeth out of a persons head! The home I am buying is still waiting to be closed on so I am still living in a trailer, it is so wonderful to have family that cares, and is willing to help me out. Here are some pictures for everyone, enjoy, and know that this is only scratching the surface of this area!

This arch is actually about 12 inches high, still a cool rock formation that you don't see very often

Hoodoos in Devils Garden
My foot in a prehistoric dinosaur track, crazy to think I walked right where a giant evolving bird did!

1st week at work

2009-03-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

After week one at work I am very happy! My co workers are very pleasant to work with and the area I work in is spectacular! I will post some pictures that I took this last week of two hikes that I have done, while on the clock. I was getting paid to hike this week I am having rough life at my new job. Just as a fun thing, this dialog took place between two people that I went on a hike with, it is very representative of the good ol' boy attitude in the area, it is in no way bad, it was just a really funny conversation.

Person 1- What did you eat for dinner last night?
person2- I had Pizza, and I am having it for lunch today too.
person1- that sounds real good, I had fish with fresh picked lemons from Arizona squeezed over them, it was real good.
person2-What kind of fish was it? trout? Bass?
Person1- don't really know, it said Van De Kamp on the box, it was real good.

This dialog is best said with a southern utah accent, if yo don't know the accent, then you need to come visit, becasue I am getting pretty good at it. All in all I am really excited to have a job and very excited to be living where I am.

My new home!

2009-03-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

I have arrived in my new home, luckily it is not permanent, however it is fitting of a small town. I am currently until I close on my house.

I will say this, I know everyone says this, but in my case it is true, I have the best family in the world. My parents brought down my current home this weekend. My brothers, and their wives are amazing people, and their children are the greatest kids ever! I am so very grateful for wonderful family and the support they give me. I truly am blessed.

Other news on the home front is a really amazing woman who like spending time with me, and that is all I will say about that at the moment, I don't want to jinx a good thing.

I look forward to exploring my new home and showing everyone pictures in and around the area!

The pictures that follow are just some cool pics that I thought I would throw in to spice up my blog.

Cafe Rio, at home!

2009-03-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

In my travels I have discovered I have an uncanny love for Cafe Rio. At nine dollars a burrito it can be expensive eating there, so I decided one day that the infinite knowledge of Google can provide me the Answers. I am not sure if I nailed the burrito exactly but the recipes that follow have gotten rave reviews from people who have partaken of said meals.

This is a rice and beans recipe that sort of matches (I think it is better). The only thing I added was canned corn to the black beans, Which adds a little flare.

Cilantro-lime rice & black beans
Cilantro-Lime Rice
1 cup uncooked rice
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, lime peel, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice.

Black Beans
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 cup tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

The pulled pork recipe did not turn out at all the way the recipe stated. That might be due to the fact that I didn't even use pork! I used an Elk roast in place of pork, but the recipe worked for that as well, and I slow cooked it in a crock pot for about 6 hours, and it was tender as could be, and worked out really well.

Ingredients

31/2-4 lb pork roast
2 Tb brown sugar
1 tsp red cayenne pepper
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 can coke
1 cup chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 small onions, chopped
1 cup brown sugar

Directions

Night before: Mix together brown sugar, cayenne, cumin, and salt. Rub on roast. Put in crock pot on LOW all night.
Next morning: Add coke, chicken broth, garlic and onions. Keep on LOW until ready to serve. About 1 hour before serving, shred roast and add 1 cup brown sugar. Use in salads, tacos, or burritos.
Serves 12

Pico De Gallo is a staple to the Rio, and any recipe you google is pretty much the same, the trick is too use the freshest and ripest vegetables. Enchilada sauce if you like your burrito enchilada style is still being perfected, so if anyone has a good Enchilada sauce recipe let me know. Tortillas can be homemade but in the end they are good either way, and a lot of work to make at home.

I have had some requests for this, if there are any questions let me know, I am no pro, I just like to cook.

Staying in one place?

2009-03-08T17:09:00.000-07:00

My life is changing abruptly! No longer will my blog need to be named: Where is Matthew? I will leave it that name just to keep things consistent but plan on a lot of pictures from southern Utah. I have landed a permanent position there and am going to buy a house! In one fell swoop I have grown up and am now an adult with a pending mortgage, and a job with benefits! It is amazing how life changes and how things affect you. I will post pictures and videos when I start work to let people know just how amazing the location I am working is.

When I get to it!

2009-02-10T21:31:00.000-08:00

Better late than never I suppose, here is a photo of Niagra falls, that I promised oh so long ago. I know that I said that I would post every two weeks, well I lied, on the plus side, I haven't done anything really cool that is worth posting! For anyone who reads this, ou should be grateful I haven't posted any of my life over the last while, it has been relativley boring. This weekend I am heading to Tuscon Az. for a Mountain bike race, I am really looking forward to that, I am not in shape for it, but it will be fun.

The pictures from the hunting trip are not from a deer I got, I feel as though I was instrumental in the slaying of such a nice buck. It was a jim dandy and I was tickled to be a part of it, the pack had four quarters of a deer in it. Good times!

Meatballs and shed moving

2009-01-04T22:10:00.000-08:00

You ask yourself why I have not posted. The answer is simple, today I made meatballs, a few weeks ago I moved a shed with my brother and dad. Does that sound interesting? Not to me so much.

I recently took a trip to Toronto, Canada. I will say this Niagra falls is amazing and I will post pictures when I find my cable to download pictures. It is currently missing.

My life is less than interesting lately. I am plugging along with life, and am looking forward to finding a job other than substitute teaching. My time as a glorified baby sitter is rather annoying.

This being the dullest post I have ever done, I guess I will have to ensure next post is something that is very exciting. I hope all who read this are doing well. Everyone have a wonderful week!

Blogging again!

2008-12-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

A beach I spent time on in the Dominican Republic

My truck on the road

Some good times in AlaskaThe best campsite I have ever had

While spending time with my family over Thanksgiving the topic of my blog was brought up and the reasoning behind my lack of updates. My excuse was very bad, so after a several month hiatus of blogging I am back with new pictures, bad videos and random dialogue that I think up while I am typing.

The new title is the title of this post. Where is Matthew? Currently I am in utah, but the journey to get here was nothing less than lots of fun. Since my last post I have been canoeing, hunting, swimming in the ocean, getting up really early, and substitute teaching.

Adventures that I have taken lately have been limited to what I can afford, or what people are going to let me go and are willing to pay for me. I have learned that those can be the most entertaining trips that one can take.

My job consists of substitute teaching, and I am currently looking for another, because I realize that as a substitute I am nothing more than a glorified babysitter. I think back to when I was a student and the times that I had a substitute, all I can think as I am sitting in a class is how karma comes full circle.

The remainder of my time in Alaska was nothing less than glorious. I spent three glorious fall days canoeing on 8 different lakes. I spent Labor Day weekend backpacking through the mountains of the Kenai Peninsula. The drive home was through vast mountains covered in glorious fall colors. I want to go back, and the plan is next summer I will be returning.

After a week of unsuccessful deer hunting, I went to the Dominican Republic for ten days and spent some absolutely glorious time on the beach. I like to travel, mostly because it reminds me how good I have it in the U.S.

After all is said and done, my winter is likely to be spent skiing, and biking. I look forward to it, and I will continue to post updates on a two-week basis. I hope you all enjoy!

The video of me in the Canoe woods

Denali

2008-08-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to visit Denali National Park this last week, and it was amazing! I will Bring you all up to speed though, I have posted three times today for several reasons, not the least of which is that I have done a lot in the last two weeks and I did not have the ability to post it all on one post, so I hope everyone enjoys what has gotten posted.

Back to Denali! This trip can be split into two sections the bad weather and the good weather. The bad weather was so bad that the road was closed the first day we went into the park, it was snowing in august and really cold. I am not opposed to the cold but in this case it prevented m from seeing the park by foot, which would have been my preferred method. The road was closed and we retreated back to our campsite and weathered the storm underneath a tarp shelter and a warm fire.

The next day was the best weather that the park had seen! That is what everyone that worked there had said anyway. I was not complaining about the day at all. The general statistic for seeing Mount McKinley is only 20 percent of the people actually see the mountain and by the pictures, I am in that 20 percent for the year! It was a wonderful trip and the bad weather made the good weather even better!

All the people in my group agreed that pictures, words and videos do not do Denali justice at all. It was an amazing experience to see how vast the land of Alaska is and just how rugged it can be. I hope you all enjoy the posts.

My Dad and I

2008-08-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

My Dad was in town about a week and a half ago. We had a great time in Alaska! The weather was less than cooperative but we still had some fun. The trip started with a long drive at night followed by a campground on the side of the road, and much for breakfast. Rough first night. But the second night was spent in a campground at Denali State Park rifling through other campsites for wood to get a fire going to smoke the bugs away from us. We awoke the next morning to light rain and decided to proceed with the next two days of activities which involved hiking for two days on an overnight back packing trip. My Dad is the man! Not many guys I know at his age (he is in his fifties) that can hike 17 miles in two days with a pack, up 3000 vertical feet of trail over that distance and still be enjoying himself. The weather set in and was fairly miserable but we still were having fun.

WE then proceeded to drive the Denali highway and took two days to do that followed by a quick Jaunt to Wrangell, St. Elias National park and then back down to the kenai Peninsula. I worked for two days and my Dad camped across the street and went exploring in Seward and the local area. We took a hike to the Russian river falls that night and saw a few bears and the Sockeye salmon jumping up the falls. The next day we went and saw our Cousin Paul Knight and had some good times with him and then left for the airport the next day. All in all a great trip. attached are a few videos and some pictures I hope you all enjoy them!

The Antler

2008-08-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

This video is to put in perspective how big a moose can get. There are a few pictures that follow but the video really does a good job of showing how big this animal is/was. For those who don't know, a moose sheds his antlers every year, and this is the shed that we found while hiking through Denali National Park. I was really excited to find it, and even more excited to take pictures and grateful that I could not take it with me, because we had a long hike out and it was really heavy!

2008-07-26T21:22:00.000-07:00

The video post for the week is not from this week. This week I saw the sun once, for about an hour, then it went back to wind and rain. The weather has been relentless this week and spirits around the office have been a bit dreary. It is amazing how the sun plays a role in a persons life. Aside from the weather though life is very good.

The pictures and video is from several weeks ago, and the pictures are from a tour I took last saturday (I posted this on saturday, July 26). the tour was amazing, I saw a plethora of sea otters, which are almost as cute as the Ermin/weasel posted last time. I did see a black bear today walking down a boardwalk next to a river, very cool. What is not cool as that when people hear about a bear they all go running towards it thinking it is in a cage and they can pet it. Common sense goes flying out the window and forget that a bear can rip a persons face off without really thinking twice about it. If anyone questions the ability of a bear, you should ask Abi Sisk of Logan, Ut., and before anyone asks, I did not know her. Abi did everything text book to avoid a bear. She is big news around the area.

It is looking more and more like I will be going back to Utah after my summer in Alaska is over, and it is not for lack of love of this wonderful place. The unfortunate fact of life is that paradise is not cheap, and there is not a lot of work in the winter. So for all interested I look forward to seeing the people I know back in Utah in October. It will probably be closer to November before anyone sees me, due to the fact that hunting season will be in full swing upon arrival.

Enough of my ramblings, I hope you all enjoy this weeks post. I will do my best to make sure I get back to the normal post schedule of once a week. People tell me they like what they see, so I will keep on posting.

2008-07-14T21:58:00.000-07:00

It has been a good while since I have posted anything. Truly sorry to everyone about that. The bottom line for not adding any new material is that I just haven't. It is a terrible excuse. Hopefully I will make up for it with this one. Three videos, and some great wildlife and scenery pictures.

I have not seen a lot of bears, but I haven't been looking to hard for them either. All the wildlife I see I usually stumble upon them, and then it is take pictures as quick as I can before the critter realizes I am there.

The fishing lately has been terrible. It turns out that salmon decide to go up stream when they want and I have no say no matter how much I tell them to get into the rivers. The second run of sockeye salmon will start soon and then it is catching fish all the time, can't wait.

In other news, my niece, Maura will be born sometime this week, and I am very excited about that. I know my nephew is totally awesome, so I can only imagine how fun my niece will be.

I still love Alaska but the summer is winding down faster than I thought possible. In two weeks my parents will be here, and then I am taking a trip to Denali with my friend Will. After my vacation I will only have about 5 weeks left in alaska, then I am back to finding a new job, joy.

All in all things are going well, hope everyone has been enjoying my blog, becaseu I enjoy writing, taking pictures, and making videos.

Great picture of the weasel family, I think it is an Ermin
This is a Marmot, or in slang terms a whistle pig, becasue they whistle
This is a Ptarmigan, and I didn't really have to work for this picture, because they sit in the middle of the trail and wait to get eaten by bears
My boots overlooking ressurection bay form harding icefield
I am at 4600 feet here, we started at 1000 feet and gained the elevation over 3.5 miles, it was a lot of work but worth the view.

2008-06-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

Not a great picture, but it is a black bear.

The first bull moose to stand still long enough for me to take a picture.

The first Sockeye Salmon I caught and landed!

It has been two weeks since i have updated my blog, I would like to say it is because I have been so busy at work I did not have time, that would be an excuse, and a bad one at that. The truth is I was fishing, and every chance I had to post a new blog, I went fishing. Fishing is like hunting for a deer, they call it hunting or fishing because you have to work to the getting part, the advantage to fishing is that once you get the fish there is considerably less to pack out, and in the case of a sockeye salmon, the meat is alomost comparable. For all of you techno-geeks out there the picture of the fish was caught on a fly rod with a coho fly. The funny thing about sockeye salmon is that you are not fishing, you are snagging. The salmon are running up stream to lay eggs and have no desire to eat becasue in a about a month they will be dead and preservation of there species is the only thing on the brain. The wonderful thing about the Russian river (prime salmon river) is that with the salmon come the bears. It is very likely that that you see a bear down by the river, much like the one in the video, at relatively close range. The bear in the river is about 15 yards away.

Work continues and I find myself looking forward to weekends more and more. There are so many things to do here and they seem to get interrupted by going to work. The good thing is that I do hike a lot for work and get to see a lot of the country side. I like my job and don't really know where it will take me after the season is over but it is exciting to say the least.

Fun in the snow!

2008-06-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

We didn't actually jump in, we just tried to break the log. It didn't work.

Alaska goes green! Stream fed drink cooler
I woke up to this, and went to sleep

This week was interesting to say the least. I am enjoying my job more, I just have to remind myself that the government gets very few things right the first time, and fixing a mistake is even more painful for them, let alone getting them to admit that they made mistakes!

I spent Thursday night and Friday backpacking. All in all a successful trip aside from losing myself for the better part of Friday. If anyone does not know me that well, I have a very poor sense of direction and am often lost. Due to the ability to not panic and enjoy a good adventure my friend Scott and I made it to a persons house that gave us a ride once we reached the highway. The man who gave us a ride was an adventure in itself, he recited a poem in full character about the malemute saloon, and a lady they call Lou, it was really cool. I love Alaska!

Being lost was rather entertaining, and later in the weekend I really broke out of my shell and went to a concert in cooper landing! I was as shocked as all of you, I am not a big fan of crowds, luckily you could hear the music from the fire pit outside.

The new ride

2008-06-06T22:07:00.000-07:00

My truck is more of a truck today than it was yesterday. After stressing most of the week about doing my suspension, reading articles, looking over my chilton manual, and looking it over in the parking lot, game day came, and is now gone. I put 2 new leaf springs, 2 coil springs, 4 new shocks, and greasable shackles on my truck today. For those not savvy with the terms, it basically means a lot of hard work. I was not sure what I had really bitten off until noon rolled around and I was still working on the rear springs, I started at 9:30 AM. I found a shop in the city of kenai that allows you to bring your vehicle in and use his tools and equipment, and it was wroth every penny, the hydraulic lift was especially nice. The end result of the overhaul was an increase in ride stability and comfort as well as heighth. The rear height went from 32.5 inches to 36.5 inches, and the front went from 35 inches to 38. The lift kit was only supposed to lift it 2.5 inches, I am pretty sure I had some compressed springs. Before the new springs I could sit on the tail gate and bottom out the suspension, after the lift, my feet dangle of the as I sit on the tail gate. It took me a total of seven hours to complete the job, it would have taken longer had it not been for my new friend Verne (the shop owner), he was instrumental in helping me get some of the tricky spots taken care of. The end result is shown below as well as the comparison of the old vs. the new springs. AS you can see, my truck went from a wannabe low rider to a meaner looking truck. It was a lot harder than anticipated, but I am happy I did it, and especially happy how it looks, and even more happy with how it rides and handles.

The old spring had 3 up and one down the new has 5 up and 2 down The new coils are longer and quite a bit heavier
Notice the gap (or lack thereof) between the rear wheel well and the wheelThe end result, I am so proud!

2008-06-01T20:25:00.000-07:00

Another week, and I am still amazed by the amazing sights I see everday! The tourist season is picking up, so the invasion of R.V.'s to the peninsula is going to grow exponentially, but with the increase means the salmon are starting to run, which means good food, lots of bears, and great people watching on the Russian River. The infamous combat fishing is going to begin, and apparently it is a sight to see.

My job continues on, the work that I came here to do is slowly picking up as we complete saftey training. The highlight of work this week was firearm training, and for anyone interested, we use 12 gauge Remington 870 police magnums, loaded with slugs as bear spray. The hope is that I don't have to shoot one, becasue of the paperwork, but it would be fun to take down a charging bear!

Next week will be for all interested in seeing the process of my truck getting overhauled! My birthday present to myself was new springs for Zoey (the name of my Toyota, Tacoma). For some reason I have this dream of living out of my truck, and the weight in the back loads down the factory springs pretty well, so they are getting an upgrade, it should be a lot of fun!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week, and if anyone feels like gettin gout of the heat, alaska is a great oppurtunity.

picking up!

2008-05-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

At last The work begins to pick up. There is a term that is used in the forest service and that term is field work, and it is a glorious term. The term field work is why most people got to work for a land management agency, it is the time spent romping in the woods collecting the data for later processing. Being out in the field means you are out of the office in the hills, and the hope is that the summer will be spent out there and not at a computer. Coming up this week is the forest service version of bear spray, or in other words, firearm training, which is my preference to bear spray. A 12 gauge shotgun is probably a much more effective than pepper spray in making a sure abear does not eat you!

My truck is getting some special love this week as well. On the drive up the rear springs took a turn for the worse and made the ride very rough. To remedy this situation an Old Man Emu suspension kit will be installed to combat the problem of the rough ride, as well as add a healthy lift to improve the ride of my rolling home.

This is for everyone who views my blog regularly, I plan on updating once a week and that day will most likely be on Sunday, this is so everyone won't have to wonder when something new is up, just plan on new posts monday morning. Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

2008-05-18T19:07:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures in addition to the video I just posted, Hope you all enjoy them! I am really distorted in the last one becasue the picture was taken from underwater, I just really like the colors, the other top one is from skagway and the rest are from ptarmigan lake on the kenai penninsula.

2008-05-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

It has certainly been a while. To bring everyone up to speed, I started work last Monday. Like every job when you are first starting out, you wonder if you made the right decision, and in the case of myself I know that I have, it is however no fun when you spend a week sitting in class and learning defensive driving, IT security and various other classes that a person would feel are a waste of time, but when you work for an organization as large as the federal government, you can't help the things you have to learn. Such is life, the area I am in is wonderful! I step out outside and I am right on Kenai lake, and a stones throw from some wonderful hiking as well as some interesting people to hike with. I am glad I am here, and am looking forward to spending the remainder of my summer here, and teaching myself to fly fish because there is no shortage of good fishing and the idea of catching my own food is definitely appealing. I hope everyone enjoys the pictures I am going to post as well as the videos.

Skagway, Ak.

2008-05-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

I am in skagway, the last couple of posts have not been the greatest, becasue the access I have to the internet is anything but stellar. I can't really complain considering I am in the middle of nowhere! The odd jobs I am doing are going well, I spent the day tagging Indiana Jones hats, they cost 39.95 if anyone is interested. My job with the forest service starts in one week time, and I can't wait! Ready to be doing what I came to alaska to do.

2008-04-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

Here are some videos for everyone, hopfully there will be more to come

2008-04-29T19:40:00.001-07:00

Here are some of the latest photos

2008-04-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

I have arrived in Alaska! We got to skagway a few days early, it was a long drive but it was well worth it. My friend Lisa got me a job doing odds and ends for some wonderful people named Duff and Carla, It is nice because there is not a lot too see in Skagway, and what is too see, I have already seen it, still a fun time though. All is well and I will be leaving Skagway on May 9th. I will try to get as many pictures and videos as I can posted.

2008-04-26T18:06:00.000-07:00

The journey continues! I have discovered that safeway has wireless internet, so each time we see one we take a break from driving to check things in the real world. We are currently in Smithers, Canada, and not long ago we past Burns Lake, so for all of you Simpson fans reading this, there you go. The trip is going well, the country is absolutley amazing! Hopefully some of the photos will help describe it. No major problems on the way, our biggest was crossing into Canada, apparently marijuana smells like unleaded gasoline to Canadians because they thought we were wielding the wacky weed. until next time!

2008-04-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

For the first leg of our journey we went through southern idaho and got to Boise and stayed with Chad and Heather. I would post a picture of the drive but all you have to do is look west to the desert and think of it with a little bit more sage brush. Today we are going to head into Oregon, along the columbia river, and hopefully camp somwhere in the cascades tonight. Looking forward to some greener country, and or white depending on weather!

The adventure begins

2008-04-15T23:50:00.000-07:00

I am starting this blog so that all who are interested can see what I am doing in Alaska. Feel free to ask me questions and post comments, I enjoy hearing what people have to say. I am unsure of how often I can post but I promise that when I do it will be worth the wait!