Ketchikan Alaska

   

We moved to Ketchikan a little over a year ago, and with now having gone through each season (and hunting/fishing seasons :), a school year, and all the holidays - we can now provide our conclusive perspective on this residence for our family. The jury is - favorable!

This place is unique for sure, the first picture above depicts the departure after we had two friends from church over for the day who live on a separate island across the 1 mile ocean channel. When I brought them back to the dock as instructed, their dad told me to just drop them off, they'll take the skiff over by themselves! So I watched this 12 and 8 yr old boy unhitch and start up this boat beneath the shadow of a mammoth cruise ship and motor on over to their home on the the neighboring island. Wow!

 

Ketchikan has all the harvest of southeast Alaska, and did not disappoint in the variety of wild delicacies. We have a little to learn to max out our limit on some of the ocean critters, but with our new addition of scallops, oysters, rockfish, and black cod - we are certainly satisfied. 
  

  

Ketchikan's limit on Sitka black-tailed deer is 4 per person, so with Cyrus now hunting our limit was 12. We got 8 total, which our backs and knees can attest to, and finished them off already by May. These deer are smaller but the meat is much milder than lower 48 corn fed white-tailed deer and we use it for all of our red meat through the year. 

    

 Mushrooms are ubiquitous in southeast Alaska. They are a unique harvest due to the risk of mis-identifying them. So we are very gradually expanding our harvest. This year we found a bounty of chantarelles that were delicious fried in butter. 

Our kids are creating some beautiful friendships, and Addy is likely the most popular. She has a little possie of friends in the neighborhood who skip from house to house playing gymnastics or creating 'potions' with flower petals and spruce tips. I believe I see Addy less during the summer than I do during the school year with all her gallivanting at friends' houses. 

True to our history, we purchased another home with excellent profit potential. The first 3 weeks we gutted the entire interior while staying in a VRBO. That was followed by grating and re-graveling the driveway, replacing the shop roof, digging a water drainage ditch, raising the sinking foundation, and now remodeling the attached dirt floor garage into a master suite, mud room, and utility room. It's a family affair but of course Chadd is the head hauncho. His carpentry and ability to learn a new skill astounds me. Remodels are never easy on him or the rest of us but I think we all learn and grow through the process. Cyrus has become quite the handy helper and is an important part of working with Chadd, especially after I broke my ankle in softball and was of no assistance in carrying lumber. 

Water drainage is a constant concern in southeast Alaska

 

Our kids have also thoroughly enjoyed all of the sports and activities this larger island has to offer, one of the reasons for our moving to Ketchikan. Darius is a beast in long distance running, and he loves it. He won 6 metals in the school track meet. He also joined in summer soccer on their nice turf field and enjoyed playing goalie. But track and cross country are his passion.

 

Addy played indoor soccer last winter and boy, did we see her competitive nature come out! When I asked what she liked most about soccer she said emphatically, "stealing the ball from someone!"

Her choice sport however is gymnastics, which she is so incredibly talented in she astounds anyone who watches. Her tiny little body can already to back walkovers, round offs and backward rolls around the bar at 6 years old!

Cyrus is a wrestling champion. He wrestled in both the local and Craig (on Prince of Wales) tournaments and won first place in each, winning undefeated. He will have a lot more competition this year in middle school wrestling but he has ready for it. 

He was also in running club and participated in the track meet. But his main sport is all available soccer teams including rec, indoor rec, travel indoor, and summer travel soccer which has a tournament in Seattle next month. His determined heart and hard work has made up for his missed years of skill and he has learned an immense amount. The team and practices have been a wonderful avenue for his energy and determination.

 Chadd and I have also picked up playing adult soft ball, which has been a blast! Even though our team has lost every game... :)  It's nice to actually have something to engage in that is not just for the kids or 'productive'.  The league plays rain or shine, and sideways rain makes for quite the interesting fielding, but that doesn't keep Alaskans from showing up and playing their heart out.

Addy's First grade"Beach Day" field trip.

 Yes, we experienced another mud slide--- TWO in fact. The first one did affect several houses and took the life of a father and husband who was driving to work. The second one blocked off the one road and only access from everyone who lives on the north side of the island to town - including us. Thankfully there was a lot more big machinery and man-power in Ketchikan than there was in Wrangell and they managed to get a diversion path for vehicle traffic opened up fairly quickly. 

Family work day splitting firewood

The winter freeze-thaw made for some spectacular icicles!

  

Oh yes, and our beloved goldendoodle Isa had 8 goldendoodle puppies which we raised and sold successfully and we got 16 ducks for eggs, which Darius has bonded with as his pets. Never a dull moment on the Alaskan Yoder estate!

Our kids have continued their mini-business called Wagon Wheels Wood Working selling their whares to eager tourists. Cyrus is a natural entrepreneur and Darius and Addy sell via cuteness. Cyrus is saving up for a drum set, Darius for a scooter and Addy for who knows what, probably another dragon toy. The tourism in Ketchikan is copious. We get an average of 5 huge cruise ships per day all docked at once. A couple weeks ago there were 19,000 tourists roaming our streets in one day! (As a reminder, the population of Ketchikan is 8,079). I believe nearly all locals get frustrated with the vacationer who stops in the middle of the road to look up at something, but at least if we can make a profit off of them and stay on the north side of town it's tolerable. Tourisms is definitely a robust part of Ketchikan's commerce so it does benefit the town. And I actually enjoy talking to people from other parts of the world who are excited about the place I live. 

We did get a decent winter this year, but most of Southeast AK winter is wet and slushy or icy.

  

Ketchikan's fourth of July (not as cool as Wrangell's ;)

Summer fun on the lake with friends

All in all it has been a good move for us. Chadd is thoroughly enjoying his job with colleagues and co-workers instead of being a one-man trooper post. He travels a small amount for work but get's paid for boating, four-wheeling, hiking and driving around in this temperate rainforest. 

I am still working in the same capacity seeing patients via telehealth under Mat-Su Midwifery and Family Health with a few trips traveling back to Wasilla for work per year. 

The 229 rainy days per year are less than Wrangell, but the wind and rain together is the worst. No one really enjoys the unending cloudy relentless water falling from the sky, but when the sun comes out- you wouldn't want to be anywhere else. So for now this is where we're planted and we have no plans to change!

Farewell Wrangell

 

Yes, we’re moving again!

Transition. 

Moving. 

Goodbyes. 

Unknown...

 These are rare events for most, but have become part of our normal life over the last 13 years. This will be our 8th move in the last 8 years, and our 4th house purchase. For myself personally, I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve moved in my life, probably close to 30. This is good for some things, like the fact that moving is not typically stressful or difficult for me. But leaving friends who have become close is never easy. And moving with kids has its own challenges. They’re not used to moving. For Darius and Addy this is most of their life that they remember.

  Chadd has been transferred with AWT to the Ketchikan post for a 2 year contract. Ketchikan is another island in southeast Alaska, just a 6 hr ferry ride or a short 30 min flight from Wrangell. It has a population of 8000 people (compared to Wrangell’s 1,900), three elementary schools, a college, a Three Bears,  a Walmart, and what my boys are excited about (But won’t hardly get) a McDonald’s 🤦🏽‍♀️

When we first moved to Wrangell we were uncertain how long we would stay. But after our 2 year commitment was complete and Ketchikan came open Chadd applied and was accepted. We are leaving 2 months shy of 3 years from when we arrived. 

  We’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time on this  island. Wrangell is a bit like stepping back in time when towns were small enough for literally everyone to know everyone (or be related to everyone!). With its populace of 1900 residents  the experience of small town safety allows keys to be left in vehicles and kids walk to stores alone. The nearness of neighbor kids within walking distance on a network of trails between houses, biking to run errands, and our kids walking to school were some of my favorite aspects. We’ve enjoyed the constant community events, sports and performances, and we can never forget Wrangell’s incredible Fourth of July entire week of festivities. The numerous hunting, fishing, hiking, camping and river are a whole other world of adventures that speaks for themselves. 

After the mudslide it was ever more clear the priceless value of a community that rallies around to help their own when disaster strikes. I’ve never been part of such universal volunteerism and service. Although I’ve done many missions trips, this was different. It want someone else coming in to be the savior. It was by the people themselves, for their neighbors. Good hearted people still do exist. 

We are each looking forward to Ketchikan uniquely. Chadd will enjoy the brotherhood of troopers and additional LEO (Coast Guard, NOAA, Fish and Game) that the one man post of Wrangell lacks. We’re both anticipating a larger arena of fitness opportunities. Darius is excited to get into soccer and Addy is exuberant to start gymnastics. Cyrus is the most apprehensive. He has quite the gaggle of friends in Wrangell he dreads leaving. He is my extreme extrovert and fears isolation as a consequence of relocating. But he is also very quick to make friends. And we all delight in exploring new trails and beaches. Plus, I must say the additional grocery, medical and resource options on a larger island will be appreciated. 

So goodbye Wrangell, thank you for allowing us to participate in your tight knit community for almost three years. Take care, and keep up the good work!

For more details on our tribute to Wrangell see here https://youtu.be/5p4cYHl4odY?si=qD9Hk9ZMCxaqQbrn

A Devastating Mudslide in Wrangell Alaska

 

Natural disaster stuck the small community of Wrangell on November 20, 2023 at 8:51pm pm. 
Extensive rainfall the entire fall season culminated in acutely heavy precipitation that day combined with high winds created the conditions that lead to the devastating 700 feet wide slide that continued into the ocean killing an entire family of five and an elderly gentlemen, and cutting off transportation on the single road leading to 70 homes.  In a community the size of Wrangell, this affects every single member. 

We heard sirens that night passing our home and my husband immediately dispatched to the scene upon hearing the CB radio transmission. He was gone all that night searching for survivors and each of the subsequent days and nights with brief breaks for a change of clothes or a couple hours of sleep, as were all the other first responders. One woman survived with a miraculous story of being trapped in her attic on top of the pile that was her home, carried by the power of the mudslide. 

The community of Wrangell responded in force. Private boats went out looking for survivors and then transported those stranded by the covered roadway. Residents offered the rooms, food, clothing, and furniture to the displaced.  Accounts were set up for monetary donations for fuel for the boat transport and individual families. The parks and rec coordinated and community Thanksgiving meal and donation center that was quickly stocked by eager to help neighbors. If you have to be in a town with a disaster, I do not know a better place than Wrangell. 

      

The Memorial service for the entire Heller Family was held yesterday,
January 13, 2024. It was heart wrenching. Such beautiful lives cut short.
This community will always remember them
and never be the same.

 

Kara Heller was 11 years old. She was in my son's class and he played with her every day. Her smile in this picture is captivating and pains my soul that she didn't get to live longer. May the joy she brought to the world live on.

Definition of Adventure

When your sonar says your boat is on land, 
you better be sharp! As chadd said while navigating the boat over shallow water with his head out the window, “Who needs video games when you have this!”

What makes an adventure?  We all enjoy a good adventure movie. A perilous quest. A daring expedition. A life changing venture. This recent goat hunt (attempt) was iconic of adventure, with a little more misery and a little less triumph. But what makes it an adventure verses just a journey?

My husband and I have been in enough true adventures to come up with this definition of the necessary attributes of what makes an adventure:

1. Fear. Danger. 

Crazy man. And you expect me to do that next??

Grizzly tracks.

In Alaska adventure injury and death are not just a possibility, they are at the forefront of every step and decision.  Alaska will kill the unprepared: Fresh Grizzly tracks in berry covered banks of a salmon spawned creek, hypothermia, drowning, falling down a cliff and cracking a skull, breaking a leg and not being able to get back, wolf packs, angry moose, landslides,  flash floods, frostbite, drastic tidal changes… did I miss any?

Obviously none of these dangers should be a result of your own poor judgement  or at least if so, you will learn from it and make a different mistake next time  

2. Travel

You can’t really have an adventure in your back yard  I mean, maybe create one for your 5 yr old  but not a REAL adventure. You have to go somewhere. It may utilize a boat, four wheeler, side by side, dirt bike, 3rd world public transportation, bike, canoe, or your own two legs.   But it definitely includes getting OUT. 

3. Natural Beauty

Your eyes behold grandeur, gorgeous seascapes,  impressive mountain ranges, or water cut gorges. You see herds of giant moose browsing, a wolf stalking, wales blowing, porpoises jumping, eagles diving or salmon jumping up cascading falls. Sometimes it’s in the tiny

Salmon spawning. They swam and jumped around us

each time we crossed the creek.

 details, a drop go dew on a giant leaf, the coolest pattern in a rock, a bright red salmonberry beckoning you to pick it, or a perfect mushroom that makes you wonder if it’s edible or poisonous  

3. Pain and suffering. 

Meet: Devil's Club.
This plant is so aptly named I think Hell must be decorated
with hoards of them. Every inch is covered with 
toxic thorns, included the leaves, berries, even the roots!
You'll only make the mistake of trying to grab
 the branch when slipping once. The thorns don't just stab you,
they leave a rash that stings for the next several hours and or break off 
and remain embedded to fester for days.

Devil's Club poisonous berries. Don't let the beauty fool you.

Trekking through fields of Devil's Club that stab through
any pants, jacket or gloves.

After a night of rain, North Creek became a rushing
river, making staying dry impossible. We waded most of the way back
with XtraTuff boots sloshing and weighing 5 lbs more water logged. 
Keep in mind that water is FRIGID.

Ok this might not be frost bite, but my entire foot
was numb yet had stabbing pains. You know it's pretty bad
when you start to think about what it takes to cause 
permanent tissue damage.

Weather it be a scratch, a bruise, swarms of no-see-ums and mosquitos, icy threatening cold, frozen numb hands and feet, sopping wet clothes and boots filled with freezing cold water, thorns and thistles stabbing you and coming along for the ride in your skin, impossibly steep climbs with a pack on your back slipping 2-4 steps back every other step and your foot or pack get snagged by an evil willow branch just when you almost made it, and exhaustion… Think about Frodo stranded in the middle of flowing Lava, Peter in the epic battle to defeat the evil army, Dori getting stung by a jellyfish. One key when you know that what you are currently living in will be an adventure you tell stories of later is when you really wish you were back on your soft couch with a nice fuzzy blanket watching other people have adventures on a big screen. We call this Type 2 Fun: Not fun in the moment, but epic retelling later. Some adventures include way more of this than others.

4. Strategy

My indomitable man digging out our stuck boat. This time he
really thought we might be stuck for good. But
he never gives up! With strategy, ingenuity, tenacity, and brawn 
we made it out once more.
 I have no idea how his body churns out 
enough heat in ice cold water, while it's raining, 
after trudging through temperate rain forest river water.

This looks so docile in a photo. His pack weighed 60lbs+
and that ledge had about 1/2 inch of grip space. 
But there is something so raw about the sensation of the 
cold rock on your hands, the sound of the rushing waterfall
below you, and the chill of the cold spray threatening
if you should slip. 

The stern of our boat was lodged into the mud. 
Chadd came up with this brilliant idea to shove our 
pack raft under the prop and lower the prop back down. 
This effectively raised the stern just enough that we could
crank and push it a few more inches. Repeat times 50
and we FINALLY got it to deeper water.

This was in 2020 back in the MatSu Valley during
moose hunting. Yes, we got it out (or I should say
Chadd got it out).

In every adventure you face a problem that you don’t know how to solve. You have to use your brain to come up with a solution. Our problems have included: getting heavily ladin ATVs up a muddy Suicide Hill; malfunctioning vehicles; working for an hour to dig, come-along wrenching, pushing and pulling a boat out of shallow water for over an hour; navigating the Stikine River that changes channels every week in a prop boat (bad idea); winching and gunning a side by side out of a thigh deep mud hole; climbing up waterfalls with all gear packs on our backs; and figuring out which would be less miserable: climbing a briar and Devils Club covered 45degree slippery mountain or risking an unknown path. 

5. A Mission

This is what we were going for, Alaskan mountain goat. 
We didn't even get high enough to look for them, 
this time...

You must cast the ring into burning lava, rescue the lost girl, escape from the loosed dinosaurs, defeat the White Witch or shoot the prize mountain goat. Even if you don’t succeed, the mission remains, until next time…

Most of the time we ARE successful.
My Caribou from 2018. 

Chadd's Black Bear earlier this year.

6. Friends

What is an adventure if you’re all alone? It may include the above 5, but who would you share it with when you’re telling the stories for years later. True adventure is experienced with friends or family. 

And there you have it. If you want an adventure, make sure to include all of these features. Or just come visit us in Alaska and come on a goat hunt. We could use the help packing down the meat  ;)