Welcome to Tetlin, part 2

After meeting the couple we were replacing, as well as the two park rangers who are Athabascan Native Americans, we were back on the road to drive 83 more miles west to the refuge headquarters in Tok. The road is paved, although there are areas of damage due to frost heaves. It’s a beautiful drive. We arrived at HQ and parked in the RV spot at the end of a row of cabins used by seasonal employees and volunteers. 

Although the site has access to power and sewer, the placement of both made it rather difficult to decide where to park. We knew we had to buy a power cord extension for the site at the visitor’s center so we parked close to the power outlet and didn’t immediately worry about being close to the dump access. The HQ maintains a really nice bunkhouse, which includes a living area with wi-fi and satellite TV, a kitchen, 2 refrigerators, and a washer and dryer. It also has a large enclosed porch area and provides 3-4 mountain bikes for staff and volunteers to use as needed.

The next morning, we shopped for and found the extension cord at, of all places, the Three Bears grocery store. We moved the RV to the other side of the sewer pipe so we could dump and used our new extension cord to reach the power outlet. During the move, we pulled up alongside the building and filled our fresh water tank. Later in the day, a second large RV arrived. We assumed it belonged to the other volunteer couple who would be hosting the refuge campground at Deadman Lake.

Patty and Ward are from Florida and are veteran public land volunteers. They have two dogs both mixed breed and both 13 years old. Next to arrive was Les, the summer maintenance assistant. He is from Arlington, VA and had volunteered at the refuge back in 1986. He travels alone so he stays in one of the cabins. He was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam but doesn’t fly anymore. It was July 2nd and after hours so several scientists and other employees that live in the cabins milled about and we introduced ourselves. We found the showers and the laundry facilities so we were set.

We went out to dinner at Fast Eddies Restaurant for pizza and were delighted to find that both the food and service were great. We ran into Gail and Bill, the couple we were replacing, and their partners Cliff and Nancy, who would be replaced by Ward and Patty. They invited us to join them at the Alaska music show across the parking lot. Sure enough, Alaskan Sweetgrass was an acoustic trio including two of the refuge’s seasonal employees, brother and sister Huck and Jordan. Huck plays banjo, Jordan plays the fiddle and they are joined by a local songwriter/musician on guitar. The group entertained us with tales about the building of Alaska and the AlCan highway, as well as jokes, poetry and blue grass and folk music. It was very entertaining and a wonderful welcome to Alaska. We highly recommend the show, which occurs every night of the summer for 90 days straight in Tok.

The next morning we walked the dogs down a wonderful path recently completed behind the headquarters. Low bush cranberries were abundant but only a few appeared to be ripe. We now know that they won't be ripe until the fall.  Frances, of course, found the squirrels and Keila just wanted to sniff around because snowshoe hares were playing hide and go seek with her.  We met Kay Lynn, the volunteer coordinator that Kathy had been pen paling with for several months.

We headed to town and shopped for groceries, the extension cord, a sewer hose extension, and mosquito repellent.  We found everything we needed at the local grocery store, Three Bears Outpost, but decided not to buy the sewer hose just yet.  We decided to be tourists at one shop in town because we had heard of a 5 lb gold nugget at the Jack Wade Gold and Gift Shop.  We were friendly and inquisitive enough to get an invitation to visit her house to learn more about diamond willow.  We each held the 24 kt lump of expensive mineral..  We finished the day with a short bike ride in what is a very bike friendly town, Tok.

On July 4th, we skipped the parade and other festivities in town in order to drive back out to the center to spend more time with the Bill and Gail.  We stopped at the refuge pull outs and read the interpretive signs to help prepare ourselves, discussing our questions for the current volunteers.  Bill and Gail were enthusiastic, energetic, and welcoming although not entirely ready to leave. They had a wonderful summer, learned a lot and had a lot to share with us.  Bill took us on an interpretive hike down a trail behind the visitor center to a pair of old trappers cabins.  They were even more interesting and intriguing than Joy had imagined after reading about them in the literature Kay Lynn had provided.  Joy suggested we ask if we could help inventory the cabins' contents since they had never been emptied.

After more research, we discovered that the next big project the refuge was working on was cleaning out the cabins and rebuilding the roofs, making them safer so visitors can go inside them.  Joy offered to use her metal detector on the dirt floors to see if there are any other treasures hiding beneath their feet and the refuge director told her to go for it. Kathy learned about the sprinkler system for the grass roof, the generator, how to fix broken sinks and some of the store activities.

On Sunday we washed the Jeep and the RVs by hand and brush. It took most of the day to remove the "Yukon gold" and the 4000+ miles of bugs we'd collected. We used dryer sheets to remove the bugs and, with a little extra elbow grease, worked like a charm. We cleaned the inside too before realizing it was going to rain. We re-read some of our materials, jotted down a few questions and waited for the night to pass so we could anxiously begin our new lives as paid volunteers.

Three Down - One To Go!

After closing on the house we moved into the RV and to the Lakeview RV Resort in Houston.  Living in the RV while still working has been easier than expected.  Our schedules are nearly the same as they were in the sticks and bricks.  I take the dogs out near bedtime while Kathy sets up the coffee pot for morning.  We all make our way into the bedroom to sleep.  Frances on one side of the bed and Keila at the foot.  You must remember this during bathroom trips in the middle of night (the bedroom's about 8 x 8 and mostly filled by a queen sized bed!)

In the morning, Kathy takes the girls for a quick potty break after plugging in the coffee pot.  I lay in bed awaiting my first cup....yes I am a spoiled princess by my lovely woman and I know it.  After the first cup, Kathy heads to the resort shower for two reasons.  First, they are nice and clean and second, our work clothes are currently hanging in the RV shower stall.  I dress, feed pooches, and take them for their poopy walk and a game of ball for Keila.  Besides being tethered to our pets and poop duty, not much has changed.

Kathy and Joy

The most important thing to any small space is organization and cleanliness.  We wash dishes almost every meal and put the away when they are dry.  If you take something out you put it away when you done using it - seems like something my mom would have said.  Be courteous about your personal hygiene and personal space.  It's easier than expected and I am way more diligent then I thought I'd be.  Even the dogs have fallen into their new patterns.  One thing Frances needs to work on is her being outspoken toward other dogs while on leash.  We don't know exactly what it but think she's trying to be protective.  Keila just wants walks and ball games, same old same old.


The resort offers us a chance to swim, use the hot tub, play tabletop shuffleboard and ping pong.  Usually we just sit in the big swing by the lake and watch the birds dive and swim.  We've seen some pretty big fish that we swear are actually lochness monsters (or alligators.)  Often joggers dart by but we haven't met many folks here yet.

I think the pups missed Kathy!

The laundry room has been a pretty good conversation place and I met a couple from Minnesota who are heading north again soon.  They are staying longer than expected because the weld on the toad (vehicle they tow behind their RV) broke on their way here and nearly took out another car on a Houston frontage road. Sounded completely frightening!

We also discussed RV storage issues and I offered space planning suggestions but since they live halftime in and RV and halftime on a boat, they probably have more experience than I have ideas!  But if given the opportunity, I would like to help someone with my storage ideas and research.  

I have one more week of school and then we hit the road.  Kathy's last day was today and she couldn't be more relieved.  She said that today was the first day in over 3 years that she hadn't awakened with a knot in her stomach and jokes that maybe her hair will start turning back to brown! She celebrated her 47th birthday last week and her gift was new Jeep front fenders and fender extenders.  Jeri the Jeep is going to be pretty!

We are getting better about tackling RV maintenance issues.  We installed the new mudflaps on the RV, aired up the tires, and bought a battery charger to tackle our dead truck battery. We are still seeking a rock guard for the Jeep and need to install an inside the cabinet door waste basket for the kitchen.  Minor stuff that will make life better.  Life is good right now and we're ready for greatness.

Nap time!