May Departure

Less than 24 hours from departure...Randy checked the sea conditions...11' seas out of Seward, 6' from Whittier...Lia purchased the produce and last minute items. It is a stressful and exciting time returning to Port Ashton.

The Suburban and truck were packed to the gills - with some room for kids and dogs! It's tricky business getting 3 months worth of supplies out to our remote location. Randy has made several trips over the weekends...supplying the builders who are completing the Cook House. (The Cook House has been insulated and the interior walls installed...time to paint! Guests who choose to stay in a cabin and fore go full-service use the Cook House for their dining needs.) Fortunately, there are more trips to town planned and friends and guides who generously pick up fresh and needed supplies throughout the summer for us.

And a summer it will be...blue skies and warm days are predicted. Lia already has a suntan! I, on the other hand do not...on Kauai it is easy to take nice days for granted whereas Alaskans take advantage of good weather. There is no prettier place than Port Ashton on a sunny day. Kayaking, fishing and hiking are even more enjoyable under blue skies. I looked at the Sawmill Bay camera this morning...the bay is calm and the skies are blue.

We are looking forward to joining Randy & Lia...

And, I just received an e-mail from Lia...they arrived Sunday at 10AM...spent the night in Culross Bay on the way to the lodge Saturday night. Lots of rain in Whittier that they left behind. Guests arrived the following day...so unpacking is taking some time. I'll post some more photos as soon as Lia has a moment to forward the photos!

Dwelling in Port Ashton

May and the signs of the rapidly approaching summer are when my thoughts take flight to Port Ashton. My life on Kauai becomes overshadowed by preparations for summer and life at the lodge. There is a necessary mental preparation that we all go through to be ready for our remote living...and for me a physical strengthening with the knowledge that the nearest store is 110 miles away by boat or plane.

What do we need? What will make our guests and ourselves more comfortable? What new recipes and menus do we want to serve...and what new ingredients will we need? Answering these questions, consulting with Lia and Randy, and searching my cookbooks, computer files, notes from previous seasons and the internet consume much of my free time. The summer is full of possibilities that require our attention and planning today.

And in this process, I'm always several months behind Lia and Randy...who are preparing all year long and who begin gearing up after Christmas by getting the boat ready, purchasing equipment and building supplies, taking reservations and getting to know the coming seasons' guests, drawing up plans...

Summer is exploding in Alaska...Randy and friend, Wally, boated out of Seward to visit the lodge the first weekend of May. It was 70º with plenty of snow still on the ground. At those temperatures though the snow will melt quickly. You can check out weather and Sawmill Bay in real time on our neighbor's weather camera, Armin F. Koernig (AFK) Hatchery. It is updated every 15 minutes!

Randy reported that the lodge is in great shape...the Beach House which floats on high tide needs some minor leveling but that is to be expected after riding the winter tides.

Lia is predicting a warm summer...Randy and Lia's home town of Wasilla has welcomed several 70º days already...so the prospects are good. Of course, this will make packing tricky...but layers are always a good idea. And, any day can start out at 50º and warm to 80º by afternoon. Alaska is a land of extremes. During the summer the sun rises at 5 am and sets at 11 pm in Prince William Sound. And, the tide fluctuates as much as 25'.

Randy, Lia and their children are moving out to the lodge May 23...less than two weeks! Kristofer and I are leaving Kauai June 19 for Anchorage where we will purchase supplies...and either take the ferry from Whittier to Chenega Bay June 25 or Randy will make a run with the Wild Abandon to Whittier to retrieve us. Russ will join us in early August and we will stay until the end of August...a first for PAL...since Randy has to return to Wasilla to his teaching position August 11. We are looking forward to our fourth season at Port Ashton welcoming our returning and new guests.

So much to do and so little time...and isn't that really why we spend the summer at Port Ashton!