Alaska Field Work

Our low-tide aerial survey began in Wrangell, Alaska. In the rain, of course. There were 9 of us in all, including th two pilots and two brand-new navigators from our office in Sidney (who I just hired two months ago). Neither had been to Alaska, or in a helicopter, or up at 3 am to do field work, or collecting navigational data before. Talk about green!


My team hard at work. I'm in the helicopter, finally a head taller than everyone else! I have both the new people on my team to train! What was I thinking? Mandy (2nd from left), our biologist, discovered a new species of algae in the Aleutians last summer. She has worked with the ShoreZone crews since before I joined up. The pilot, Lewis (far right), has worked with us for years. He has 13 children! I met his wife a couple of years ago when we were in the fishing town of Pelican... they still hold hands.


The other team, led by Kalen, my "right hand man" - his first survey as team leader! He had Mary and Sean, both of whom have graced many a helicopter. Their pilot, Bill, flew helicopters in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. He also owns a farm in Nebraska. And a Harley.


My team had a "larger" helicopter this year, an A-star!


We were parked at the one and only hangar at the Wrangell airport, with Alaska Airlines jets coming and going, parked right next to us!


Me setting the equipment up the helicopter.


View inside our helicopter. Believe it or not, this is organized and purposeful. Like the government.


City Dock... the rain and clouds were a familiar sight the first few days we spent in Wrangell.


Ferry coming in. This is the view from my room.


Boxes of equipment. This is the view inside my room.


Street in scenic Wrangell. There is a museum that opened in 2004 that is actually really nice. I was able to go there and browse the exhibits and incredible bookstore and art gallery. There is also a footbridge over to Chief Shake's Island where a restored version of the longhouse of a Tlingit chief stands, along with totem poles.


There is a petroglyph beach about a half mile from our lodge. Some of the rocks with carvings remain on the beach.


Some of the more elaborate ones have been moved up to a boardwalk just above the beach. The general idea is that this beach was a place where canoes launched and beached, thus people spent a lot of time waiting here for voyagers and war canoes to return.


Barnacles on the beach.


Back in the helicopter... first wake-ups were at 3 am... thankfully the tides get later each day (and we get faster at setting up), so this is the third morning, about 5 am. There isn't much complete darkness in Alaska this time of year, so we actually had to close blinds and drapes in order to sleep.


We surveyed the first couple of days out of Wrangell to give Kalen's team a hand with the shoreline there. These are some of the extensive mud and sand flats off the mouth of the Stikine River.


Sergief Island and mountains behind the Stikine Delta.


Islands in Three Way Passage, south Etolin Island. Etolin is enormous (the 24th largest island in the US) and largely unpopulated (about 15 people). Most of the island is a wilderness area. We saw only one bear this survey though!


The weather improved as we surveyed up to Petersburg, where we spent the last 4 days of the survey.


We were parked at the Temsco Helicopters hangar (beige building in the center)... the pilots there were incredibly helpful and supportive. We found out later that Temsco recently bought Coastal Helicopters.


Our helicopter was put on a cart and rolled into the hangar each night!


Petersburg is a lovely little town, very quaint by Alaska's standards. This is our hotel, the Scandia House.


There was a taco stand right next to our hotel that we ate at twice a day. Incredible fish tacos, wow!


Harbor in Petersburg, Alaska.


Wrangell Narrows... this channel has 60 navigational beacons and is barely wide enough to accommodate the Alaska Marine Highway ferries.


Wrangell Narrows approaching Petersburg. The Narrows meet Frederick Sound here, a major southeast waterway connecting Stephens Passage and Chatham Strait.


Colonial tube worms on a pavement of pink coralline algae.


My team surveyed around the north shore of Kupreanof Island, which is exposed to swell coming through Frederick Sound. These wide, wave-cut platforms are typical of higher wave energy. Kupreanof Island is huge (the 13th largest island in the US), but has a total population of around 700.


The small town of Kake on northwest Kupreanof.


Our fuel truck in Kake... it belongs to Coastal Helicopters. It is parked on the side of the empty airstrip with the keys stashed in a combination lock-box. Start the engine, turn on the pumps, and voila! Fuel in the middle of nowhere! This was a first for all of us, including the pilot, who has flown with Coastal Heli for years but never had been to Kake. Better than hand-pumping from 55-gallon drums like we do most of the time!


Team Pete messing around on our final survey day.


Me and the new guy, Sam, breaking down the equipment in the helicopter.


Overall we saw more than 1,800 km of diverse, remote, and beautiful coastline. The newbies both did well after some challenging starts, and I came home thoroughly worn out just like I like! Next, please...