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Title: Alaska Post by: allpoints on October 21, 2007, 10:51:32 PM I love my state. A lot of people want to visit Alaska, or at last learn a little more about it. I can understand that!
Maybe I can answer some questions? Here's some basics: The name Alaska is derived from the Aleut word "Alyeska," meaning "The Great Land." Outsiders first discovered Alaska in 1741 when Russian explorer Vitus Jonassen Bering sighted it on a voyage from Siberia. Russian whalers and fur traders on Kodiak Island established the first settlement in Alaska in 1784. In 1867 United States Secretary of State William H. Seward offered Russia $7,200,000, or two cents per acre, for Alaska. They took the offer. Donald Trump couldn't have swung a sweeter deal... On October 18, 1867 Alaska officially became the property of the United States. Many Americans called the purchase "Seward's Folly." They were dumbasses... Joe Juneau's 1880 discovery of gold ushered in the gold rush era. That may be why we named our capitol city after him. In 1943 Japan invaded the Aleutian Islands, which started the One Thousand Mile War, the first battle fought on American soil since the Civil War. Alaska officially became the 49th American State on January 3, 1959. Alaska's most important revenue source is the oil and natural gas industry. But we think they suck and should pay top dollar for every drop they extract. Unfortunately, Big Oil buys lots of our politicians before they remember they are Alaskans. Alaska accounts for 25% of the oil produced in the United States. But most of it gets exported to Japan. We pay about the national average in Anchorage and Fairbanks, with wild increases proportionate to the square of the distance from Anchorage and Fairbanks... The state of Rhode Island could fit into Alaska 425 times, but we could give a shit about Rhode Island... Prudhoe Bay, on the northern Alaskan coast is North America's largest oil field. It's also operated (quite poorly) by British Petroleum... The Trans-Alaska Pipeline moves up to 88,000 barrels of oil per hour on its 800 mile journey to Valdez. If one of the locs doesn't get drunk and shoot it with his bear gun... The fishing and seafood industry is the state's largest private industry employer, especially if you count the illegal Filipino and Mexican cannery crews. Most of America's salmon, crab, halibut, and herring come from Alaska. Much of it brought to your happy table by yours truly.. The term Alaska Native Capital "N") refers to Alaska's original inhabitants including Aleut, Eskimo and Indian groups. They are some of the most spectacular indigenous cultures on Earth. They also drink like fish and their women are beautiful... The wild forget-me-not is the official state flower. The Territorial Legislature adopted it in 1917. Very cool choice, aesthetically speaking. The willow ptarmigan is the official state bird. The Territorial Legislature adopted it in 1955. They's also darn good eatin'... The Sitka spruce is the official state tree. The Territorial Legislature adopted it in 1962. Highest strength:weight ratio of any wood. We burn it in our fireplaces, as well as make guitar bodies, houses, boats and aircraft out of it... Dog mushing is the official state sport. The Alaska Legislature adopted it in 1972. The unofficial state sport is talking about each other behind each other's backs. That, and brawling in the winter. We also do some other "outdoorsy" shit... An unnamed draftsman created the state seal in 1910. It consists of a rising sun shining on forests, lake, fishing and shipping boats, and agricultural and mining activities. The state motto is North to the Future. That's because most of us have some pretty checkered pasts.. Jade is the official state gemstone. Particularly Kobuk Jade. Very nice! Gold is the official state mineral. It was named the state mineral in 1968. And there's still tons of it laying around. The four-spot skimmer dragonfly is the official state insect. The 36" rainbow trout consider them a delicacy. In 1926 13-year-old Bennie Benson from Larsen Bay, Alaska designed the state flag. He did a good job too! Alaska has been called America's Last Frontier. It IS America's Frontier. One big happy gold camp! Every four years Alaskans elect a Governor and a Lieutenant Governor to four-year terms. Then they sell indulgences to the highest bidder. Gubernatorial wealth is considered to be the "classic" path to success here in The Great Land... The Alaska State Legislature is made up of a Senate and a House of Representatives. Yep. Just like everyone else except Nebraska, the only other state that rhymes with us. Alaska's Constitution was adopted in 1956 and became effective in 1959 making it the 49th state. Too bad we don't read it more often... Nearly one-third of Alaska lies within the Arctic Circle. By land area. There's also about 12 people there, sniviling in the wind... The Alaska Highway was originally built as a military supply road during World War II. By mostly African Americans living in tents in -60F. They got the job done when it counted. The state boasts the lowest population density in the nation. And that' the way we like it! The discovery of gold in the Yukon began a gold rush in 1898. Later gold was discovered at Nome and Fairbanks and a hell of lot of other places. Tons and tons and tons of it... Alaska is a geographical marvel. When a scale map of Alaska is superimposed on a map of the 48 lower states, Alaska extends from coast to coast. The state's coastline extends over 9,600 miles. Alaska is the United State's largest state and is over twice the size of Texas. Measuring from north to south the state is approximately 1,400 miles long and measuring from east to west it is 2,700 miles wide. It is America's Westernmost, Easternmost, and Northernmost state. It is also the coolest... Agattu, Attu, and Kiska, in the Aleutians, are the only parts of North America occupied by Japanese troops during World War II. Alaska's Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the United States, and probably the rowdiest... 17 of the 20 highest peaks in the United States are located in Alaska. Think you can climb? Wait 'til you find out that the high latitude lowers atmospheric O2 and keeps the weather bad and makes the big mountains here 5-8000' higher... At 20,320 feet above sea level, Mt. McKinley, located in Alaska's interior, is the highest point in North America. It kills 10-20 climbers a year. Juneau is the only capital city in the United States accessible only by boat or plane. We think that's brilliant! It makes it so much easier to bribe our legislators... The state's largest city is Anchorage; the second largest is Fairbanks. But why make either a capitol city? Tht would make too much sense.. In 1915 the record high temperature in Alaska was 100 degrees Fahrenheit at Fort Yukon; the record low temperature was -80 degrees Fahrenheit at Prospect Creek Camp in 1971. What else do you want to know? Title: Re: What do you know of Alaska- Its Language, Culture and Misc. Post by: Green on October 23, 2007, 03:48:21 PM Small corrections and additions from a resident Siberian.
Vitus Bering was an officer of Russian fleet. He joined it in the 1703, the year he graduated from Amsterdam academy and since then he participated in so many wars Russia waged on the perimeter of her borders. He also took part in expedition to Ost-India. All these facts make him Russian, not Danish seafarer. The sale of Alaska was considerd by Russian tsar as a lesser evil because Britain had pretentions over this territory and the war with British empire and British dominion, Canada was considered undesirable.(Russia and Britain had just finished a Crimean War). Baron von Stoeckle, another foreigner in service of tsar, signed the deal. He lived in the States, was married American wife and made friends to Yankee political circles. Was he bribed? According to gossips - yes. Another fact. Russia didn't get 80% of money, strangely enough it sunk in the Baltic sea. :-\ Title: Re: What do you know of Alaska- Its Language, Culture and Misc. Post by: allpoints on October 23, 2007, 07:12:49 PM That's a hell of a note, loosing the $$ like that... ???
You make the politics of the sale quite interesting, Green! Vitus Bering was born and trained in Denmark. Russia didn't have enough trained navigators because that information was considered "National Secrets". Catherine The Great hired whoever she needed to help forge Russia into a modern nation after 600 years of isolationist feudalism. Bering was a merc. He didn't do anything for the Rodina, he did it for cash. But like you said, he did a lot for Russia. If you feel he should be remembered as Russsian for all he did for Russia, I think it's fitting. The tale of the Promyshlenniki in Alaska is one of incredible courage, hardship, persistence, and rapacious avarice. Remember that sea otter and fur seal furs were worth more than their weight in gold at the time... Alexandr Baranov's (Baranof, Baranoff, Баранов) rises and falls are the stuff of legend. The man overcame personal setback after professional problems over years to succeed masterfully at exactly what he came to do. An example of fortitude and personal strength worthy of Hercules. The history of Russian Alaska is very, very interesting. :) Title: Re: What do you know of Alaska- Its Language, Culture and Misc. Post by: Green on October 23, 2007, 11:37:32 PM Quote That's a hell of a note, loosing the $$ like that... The golden bullions shipped by American vessel "Orkney" sunk in the Baltic sea in the dead calm. Rather strange. The salvaged crew stayed silent on how the incident happened. That's all what is known about the money. Vitus Bering was Danish by origin and was raised in Denmark, but since the time he came to Russia he wasn't back to homeland but once in 1715. He had Russian wife and respectively Russian children and made money in Russia and ate Russian food. He was russified alright. :) Though, Bering didn't belong to some small caste of navigators as Russia participated in serious sea battles beginning from the reign of Peter I, the predecessor of Catherine the Great who, by the way, was a full-breed German herself. So in all senses it was European expansion to America, however from the other side of the planet. Feudalism was part of common European culture until bourgeosie came into scene. Read Marx. Most probably American slavery system was just a psychological carry-over of Eurofeudalism they had at home to the New World. Promyshlenniki were businessmen in "Rossiysko-Amerikanskaya Kompaniya", a trade enterprise founded by Shelikhov, a Siberian merchant. In fact they were official representatives of the country. I don't know of any military presence in Alaska, except Fort Ross. It's interesting that Aleut and Eskimo are still Orthodox believers and many have Russian surnames since they were christianized. Though, their rites always had inclination towards paganism, have a look on how they bury their dead. And final accords: Yunona and Avos, perestroika musical based on a real story. American girl waiting for her Russian guy. Middle of the 18th century. He could never come back. Auditorium is sobbing. Great stuff. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEj4bgPrGZc) Title: Re: What do you know of Alaska- Its Language, Culture and Misc. Post by: allpoints on October 25, 2007, 09:42:31 PM So in all senses it was European expansion to America, however from the other side of the planet. Well said. Today's Alaska owes a lot to her vibrant living Russian heritage. It's one of the things that make her special. Quote Restaurant owner opens door to village of Nikolaevsk By McKibben Jackinsky Homer Tribune Wednesday, April 3, 2002 The tiny picturesque village of Nikolaevsk sits on the edge of the Kenai Peninsula's Caribou Hills, a popular snowmachining area nine miles easet of Anchor Point. The Samovar Café and Gift Shop sit on the edge of Nikolaevsk. Anyone wanting a taste of Russian cooking can sit at the counter surrounding owner Nina Fefelov's kitchen and sample from a variety of tasty dishes. Softly played recorded Russian music and life-sized Matryoshka doll, painted by Fefelov, welcome guests into the dining room. The gift shop, which shares the same room, is filled with a collection of red, gold and black lacquered dishes and spoons. Babushkas, or scarves, are draped across tables and chairs, their brilliant reds and brightly-flowered prints fill the room with color. Jewelry, clothing, smaller Matryoshka dolls, photographs and books from Russia set the stage for a menu of authentic foods. Fefelov, her Russian mixing with English, will gladly describe the different dishes and list the variety of ingredients. In spite of the resulting wide range of flavors, all the selections share one common ingredient. ''Love,'' she says, laughing. The guest book, which can be read while waiting for the meal to be served, is filled with signatures and addresses from across the United States. There are compliments about the food, but mostly there are notes of appreciation to Fefelov for her warm and generous hospitality. Borsch comes out of the kitchen steaming hot. The soup is thick with cabbage, beets, potatoes, tomatoes and celery. A spiral of sour cream and a sprinkling of dill float on its surface. ''This keeps people together,'' Fefelov claims of the soup's popularity. And the slices of hearty whole wheat bread baked by her husband, Dennis, are a good excuse to keep diners asking for more of the tasty soup. Piroshoks are dumplings that can be filled with meat or made to fit a vegetarian diet by stuffing them with rice, mushroom and vegetable mixture. Pelimeny are Siberian dumplings filled with beef and boiled in chicken broth ''until they float.'' As with the borsch, sour cream and dill make a perfect topping. As satisfying as all that may be, Fefelov will still encourage sampling her cream puff dessert, topped with cherries, chocolate, and whipped cream. After dinner, cups of Russian tea, a mild mixture of raspberry, strawberry, mint and fireweed blossoms, prove a perfect finale. Guests are also offered the opportunity to slip into a Russian shirt or dress and don a scarf or fur hat for photos. And if the food is too good, the service too warm and the scenery too beautiful to leave, overnight accommodations are available. Nikolaevsk was settled in the summer of 1968, by five families whose ancestors fled Russia some one hundred years ago. Many of the residents speak an archaic form of the Russian language that is familiar to descendants of Russian families from other areas of the Kenai Peninsula. Fefelov is an electrical engineer from Khabarovsk, in the Russian Far East. She has lived in Nikolaevsk for 10 years and teaches the Russian language at Nikolaevsk School. Very Very Very Good! (http://www.russiangiftsnina.com/cafe.html) Quote It's interesting that Aleut and Eskimo are still Orthodox believers and many have Russian surnames since they were christianized. Though, their rites always had inclination towards paganism, have a look on how they bury their dead. (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/PB070136.jpg) Those "Inclinations" often result in some beautiful things. The spirit of potlatch means that human interrelationships should work in in a circle. It is a conscious cultural affirmation that "No man is an island" or "It takes a village". It is a recognition that every act between free people is a chance "for good things to come". I once gave a village elder a pair of boots because he remarked how they'd keep his feet warm. I asked him what size foot he had. He glanced down at my feet and said, "10 and a half! Ha!" I sat down and took off my boots. He smiled like a Mayan statue. We're still such good friends that I have to laugh at my initial desire to keep his boots. ;D Quote And final accords: Yunona and Avos, perestroika musical based on a real story. American girl waiting for her Russian guy. Middle of the 18th century. He could never come back. Auditorium is sobbing. Great stuff. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEj4bgPrGZc) Does it sound a little like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9_eQTyZ0-g Title: Re: What do you know of Alaska- Its Language, Culture and Misc. Post by: allpoints on October 25, 2007, 09:46:24 PM Another lost post... ???
Quote from: Green on October 23, 2007, 11:37:32 PM So in all senses it was European expansion to America, however from the other side of the planet. Well said. Today's Alaska owes a lot to her vibrant living Russian heritage. It's one of the things that make her special. I leave my house on Monashka Bay Rd on Kodiak, follow it until it turns into Rezanof Hwy, past Melnitza and Metrokin lanes, a quick rt, then left, and I'm on Simeonoff headed toward Baranof past Holy Resurrection Church. (http://www.kodiak.org/images/church2.jpg) Quote Restaurant owner opens door to village of Nikolaevsk By McKibben Jackinsky Homer Tribune Wednesday, April 3, 2002 The tiny picturesque village of Nikolaevsk sits on the edge of the Kenai Peninsula's Caribou Hills, a popular snowmachining area nine miles easet of Anchor Point. The Samovar Café and Gift Shop sit on the edge of Nikolaevsk. Anyone wanting a taste of Russian cooking can sit at the counter surrounding owner Nina Fefelov's kitchen and sample from a variety of tasty dishes... ... Borsch comes out of the kitchen steaming hot. The soup is thick with cabbage, beets, potatoes, tomatoes and celery. A spiral of sour cream and a sprinkling of dill float on its surface. ''This keeps people together,'' Fefelov claims of the soup's popularity. And the slices of hearty whole wheat bread baked by her husband, Dennis, are a good excuse to keep diners asking for more of the tasty soup. Piroshoks are dumplings that can be filled with meat or made to fit a vegetarian diet by stuffing them with rice, mushroom and vegetable mixture. Pelimeny are Siberian dumplings filled with beef and boiled in chicken broth ''until they float.'' As with the borsch, sour cream and dill make a perfect topping. As satisfying as all that may be, Fefelov will still encourage sampling her cream puff dessert, topped with cherries, chocolate, and whipped cream. After dinner, cups of Russian tea, a mild mixture of raspberry, strawberry, mint and fireweed blossoms, prove a perfect finale... Fefelov is an electrical engineer from Khabarovsk, in the Russian Far East. She has lived in Nikolaevsk for 10 years and teaches the Russian language at Nikolaevsk School.[/quote] Yummy! I highly recommend! Quote It's interesting that Aleut and Eskimo are still Orthodox believers and many have Russian surnames since they were christianized. Though, their rites always had inclination towards paganism, have a look on how they bury their dead. (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/PB070136.jpg) Those "Inclinations" often result in some beautiful things. The spirit of potlatch means that human interrelationships should work in in a circle. It is a conscious cultural affirmation that "No man is an island" or "It takes a village". It is a recognition that every act between free people is a chance "for good things to come". I once gave a village elder a pair of boots because he remarked how they'd keep his feet warm. I asked him what size foot he had. He glanced down at my feet and said, "10 and a half! Ha!" I sat down and took off my boots. He smiled like a Mayan statue. We're still such good friends that I have to laugh at my initial desire to keep his boots. Grin Quote And final accords: Yunona and Avos, perestroika musical based on a real story. American girl waiting for her Russian guy. Middle of the 18th century. He could never come back. Auditorium is sobbing. Great stuff. Does it sound a little like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9_eQTyZ0-g Title: A Day At The Office. Post by: allpoints on October 29, 2007, 12:27:32 PM For anyone who doesn't already hate me, here's some pics of my day job when I ain't fishing.
Mission: Ground Truth a large-scale map of a remote Alaska Native Village. Location: Anchorage to Tatitlek, Ak, an Alutiiq village in central Prince William Sound Reason For Posting: I'm just mean, I guess. Let's go... I'll spare you the mundane pics of us loading gear into the 206. I'm into the romance of the thing, just like The Perfect Storm. "Ya loosen her lines and grin at your evil henchman's climbing injuries as you fly over Anchorage..." (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/OVRANC.jpg) "Then throw a wave at the nuclear ballistic missile base..." (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/NIKESight.jpg) "Bump her up to 12 knots. Your steamin towards the Chugach and you're a goddamn surveyor now!..." (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/OVRChugach.jpg) (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/PB050205.jpg) "Pickin up a little breeze as we cross the channeled mountain passes..." (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/PB050206.jpg) (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/ChugachRangeForce10Norther.jpg) Title: Re: What do you know of Alaska- Its Language, Culture and Misc. Post by: allpoints on October 29, 2007, 12:36:19 PM "Heading East, we cross the hump and take in the first look at Prince William Sound..."
(http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/WillawawNorther.jpg) (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/CatwalkRidgein50Knts.jpg) (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/ChugachatForce10Morningcommute.jpg) (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/PB050211.jpg) "College Fjord has no less than 17 tidewater glaciers, Coghill Lake gets a major run of Sockeye..." (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/CollegeFiordCoghillinforeground.jpg) L Title: A Day In The Office. Post by: allpoints on October 29, 2007, 12:49:02 PM "Over Cape Freemantle and Across Valdez Arm..."
(http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/ValdezArmwindgunPtFreemantleinforeg.jpg) (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/PB050219.jpg) "To Tatitlek, which in Sugpiak means "A place sheltered from the ceaseless wind" ..." (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/TATITLEKDOCKLOOKNWACROSSVALDEZARM.jpg) (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/PB070096.jpg) The Exxon Valdez cracked up about 9 miles from Tatitlek and dumped millions of barrels of noxious, highly aromatic North Slope Crude all over Tatitlek. This morning SCOTUS decided to hear Exxon's appeal of the $2.5 billion damage award.... Title: A Day At The Office IV. Post by: allpoints on October 29, 2007, 01:16:38 PM "Back to work..."
(http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/5004-.jpg) We compile land lines, utilities, ownership, easements and rights of way, trails, traditional subsistance and other use areas, archeological, ethnobotannical and ethnobiologcal, geological, navigational and aviation, medical and a lot of other information for a highly detailed map that community leaders, the Government, and whoever else can use with the highest confidence for planning, emergency, future claims, and other uses. The way we tie all this information to what is on the ground is to take very precise measurements of precise ground features, like lot corners to locate land lines to the standard of the electronic and paper map. (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/5040.jpg) And we dial in the aerial photogrammetry and LIDAR, particularly in the vertical plane, as well as the ground will allow... (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/HV303HR.jpg) We use survey grade "static" GPS to create a network of base measurements and resulting vectors that is tied quite precisely and accurately to the national network of known points (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/Base1W.jpg) Then we use Real Time Kinematic GPS to locate all the important features of the village. This results in enough known points with descriptions to accurately tie all the info together geographically. ftp://ftp.dcbd.dced.state.ak.us/profiles/profile-maps.htm Title: A Day At The Office V. Post by: allpoints on October 29, 2007, 01:32:36 PM (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/PB060052.jpg)
(http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/PB070080.jpg) (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/PB070122.jpg) (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/PB070100.jpg) (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/HV305S.jpg) Then we fly back home and put it together on AutoCad and ArcGis... (Yawn...) (http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/allpoints360/PB050209.jpg) Title: Re: What do you know of Alaska- Its Language, Culture and Misc. Post by: Major Zee Lee on October 29, 2007, 03:56:29 PM Houm, sister is a topographer, but she just makes railway tunnels (no fancy gPS there, heh)... and obviously she wears no beard, but tunnel diggers -or is it tunneleer?- respected her the same. Well, actually they behaved like human beings (as much human as a tunnel digger can be) with her... ::)
And of course this is not Alaska. ;) Title: Alaska. Post by: allpoints on October 29, 2007, 06:03:02 PM Houm, sister is a topographer, but she just makes railway tunnels (no fancy gPS there, heh)... and obviously she wears no beard, but tunnel diggers -or is it tunneleer?- respected her the same. Well, actually they behaved like human beings (as much human as a tunnel digger can be) with her... ::) And of course this is not Alaska. ;) It's the same principles wherever you are. Your sister has a set of very specialized, exacting skills to practice surveying underground, in the dark, wet, and noisy environment of a tunnel dig. Some digs use compressed air to counteract hydrostatic head and workers have to compress and decompress like divers, but the principles of surveying still apply. Like you said, GPS doesn't work in tunnels, so the surveyors use methods that are very old as well as use modern technology to measure line and grade, volumetrics, as-builts, and many other things. Your sister must be very good at what she does to gain respect in that world. The surveying on these mapping jobs is fairly straightfoward. You may notice the 20 year-old gear that's been stripped down to the bare minimum for weight-sensitive bush planes. More than adequate for this work. The magic happens in the computer. Very powerful software can resolve some complex transformations to "Rubbersheet" data containing spatial ambiguities into a consistant data set. Thousands of layers are created with information such as epidemiological, census, and cultural information as well as spatial. Metadata conforms to Dublin Core, ISO, and other worldwide standards. Lot of different users with different needs. We call them "Maps" but they're more of a GIS, even though we avoid that term... Tatitlek, Ak is about 50km S of Valdez. The mountains you see are a small part of the Chugach Range. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/25/Wpdms_shdrlfi020l_prince_william_sound.jpg) The Chugach mountains extend from the Kenai Peninsula East and South to the St Elias and the Wrangels and beyond. It's one of the most heavily glaciated mountain ranges in the world. The Chugach Range isn't particularly high, unless you include the general definition that includes the St Eliases, but it's very Alpine. It's a very beautiful range with thousands of unclimbed and undescended peaks, miles and miles of wilderness, game, fish, forests, and 30m (Yes, 30 meters, over 100 feet) of snow/yr in some places. Which helps you understand Helicopter Love... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iBDme05YW4 Valdez, Islas Revillagigedo, Malaspina Glacier.... Didn't the Spanish once own Alaska? Title: Re: Alaska Post by: illy on October 30, 2007, 05:18:03 PM Lucky bastard.
I'm off to the computer lab to work on my AutoCad assignment and finish writing a geo-processing script. I'll most likely be back in the woods this weekend. Nothing with a view quite like that though. Title: Re: Alaska Post by: micfranklin on October 30, 2007, 05:33:21 PM I know that Alaska's cold, full of mountains, is our biggest state, and has lots of wildlife.
Title: Coats and Sweaters Post by: allpoints on October 31, 2007, 01:31:45 PM I know that Alaska's cold, full of mountains, is our biggest state, and has lots of wildlife. There are regions of Alaska where the December temperatures average about the same as Dallas, Tx. and folks start complaining when it gets below 30F. But that's our little secret. Better to let friends and relatives think we're huddling in igloos and fighting wolves for scraps of raw meat... Like the UK (and most of Europe), Alaska's Pacific coast is warmed by a very large warm ocean current (Alaska Current, NP Gyre, Kuroshio). The effects don't carry as much inland as in Europe because of the mountains ringing Alaska's Pacific coasts... Quote When you think about climate in Alaska, you automatically think about winter and cold weather. But Alaska is very large and has many different geographical areas and the result of this is various types of climate. There are basically four climatic zones, maritime, transition, continental and arctic. All these zones except the transition, which is Western Alaska, are divided by mountain ranges. These ranges are barriers that keep shallow air masses from going from one zone to the other. Those masses that are deep enough to pass the ranges or barriers, are modified as they cross and turn into another type of weather. One example of this modification of weather by the mountain barrier is the Brooks Range. It keeps air from the Arctic Ocean from moving southward and keeps the arctic climate zone from the interior. Similarly, the Chugach, Wrangell, Aleutian and Alaska mountain ranges keep air from moving northward. They also help to dry the air before it reaches the interior of the continent. There are others factors that affect Alaska's climate zones. Some of these are air temperature, water temperature, cloud coverage and the wind and air pressure. One example of this is that the temperatures along the coast are much more temperate with less extremes than the temperatures inland. The reason for this is that warm air holds more water vapor than cold air. Therefore warm air holds more precipitation such as rain or snow. Water temperatures change very slowly and therefore, the climate in coastal areas changes very little [from winter to summer]. http://library.advanced.org/22550/climate.html Title: Re: Alaska Post by: illy on October 31, 2007, 01:48:14 PM Kind of like how people think of WV (and Western,MD for that matter) as backwards areas filled with banjo pickin, "squeal like a pig boy!" yocals. Keeps some of the yuppies at bay.
Title: The End Of The Road Post by: allpoints on October 31, 2007, 04:42:07 PM Kind of like how people think of WV (and Western,MD for that matter) as backwards areas filled with banjo pickin, "squeal like a pig boy!" yocals. Keeps some of the yuppies at bay. We love yuppies here in the summer. They keep the foreign-owned gift shops and luxury hotels humming with a transient labor force who themselves are mostly wannabe yuppie tourists. There's not much yuppieness in the winter though. Conspicuous consumption and gratuitous displays of wealth only go so far when you're doing it for the same group of 9 people. Most yuppies usually wreck their Hummers their first winter, get fed up with the lack of cell coverage on the Anchorage Hillside, vote for whoever wants to raise taxes the most, and then pack up and head south as soon as they figure out that the fly shop isn't paying the bills and nobody's impressed with their Ex Officio wardrobe. It takes a few winters before a lot of locals here make much of an emotional commitment in someone. I remember my first winter here and how bittersweet it was the first time a bunch of my friends split for winter gigs in Hawaii and Down South. But then again, Alaskans are the most tolerant people in the world. Most of us are end-of-the-roaders and former tourists who fell in love with Alaska and decided that, thick or thin, this is the place to be. The Natives and natives respect that in a person and the organic sense of community here is as strong as anywhere I've seen in America. "It's A Wonderful Life" is not too strong a statement. People know each other and very few of us who live outside of Anchorage lock our houses. Astronomers and surfers own laundromats with free coffee and muffins and drive tugboats part time. The woman in front of you in the grocery store line may be a famous biologist, writer, or mountain climber. She may also own a dog on the '86' list ("not allowed back") at the local bar. This whole state is filled with flakes, nutjobs, goofballs, heroes and extremists of every stripe. It's a crazy energy, but it still has a feeling of a village with its idiots and notables. I love it. Since Dane got thrown out of the Seward Alehouse last week just because he fell down, I'll repost one of his videos. (I don't know why it's got 30 seconds of nothing as the intro, but it's pretty much worth the wait)... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7wJCbRVaR8 Title: Re: Alaska Post by: Green on November 04, 2007, 07:11:21 PM AP, have a look at Elkutna cemetery, these tiny houses standing upon the graves...
I read that sometimes graves are covered with blankets so that "the dead feel comfortable at cold Northern nights" :o (http://billyeaton.com/Alaska/Interior/Glenn%20Hwy/Eklutna_Cemetery.jpg) (http://billyeaton.com/Alaska/Interior/Glenn%20Hwy/Eklutna_Cemetery0573298a.jpg) Title: Re: Alaska Post by: allpoints on November 05, 2007, 12:05:49 PM AP, have a look at Elkutna cemetery, these tiny houses standing upon the graves... I read that sometimes graves are covered with blankets so that "the dead feel comfortable at cold Northern nights" :o "Spirit Houses" are an Athabascan, or Denai'a, tradition. They aren't necessarily on the actual gravesite; most often they are not. "Cities of the dead" are not unknown to Western tradition. Look at New Orleans... (https://secure.reservexl.net/wwwimg/img/tours/785-2.jpg) Also, keep in mind that Eklutna is a suburb of Anchorage. Residents of Eklutna shop at Safeway, WalMart, and NAPA and watch MTV while they wait for pizza delivery. Their kids attend Anchorage public schools and drive Chevys. Spirit houses are a cultural relic, done mostly as a way to remember the old ways. But like I mentioned before, there is no monolithic Alaska Native culture at all. Alaska's aboriginal peoples can be classified into 11 distinct cultures that speak at least 20 different languages, however it is convenient to talk about 5 broad cultural groups. (http://www.alaskanative.net/images/photos/Cultural%20Deliniation%20Map.jpg) "The Athabascan people traditionally lived in Interior Alaska, an expansive region that begins south of the Brooks Mountain Range and continues down to the Kenai Peninsula. There are eleven linguistic groups of Athabascans in Alaska. Athabascan people have traditionally lived along five major river ways: the Yukon, the Tanana, the Susitna, the Kuskokwim, and the Copper river drainages. Athabascans were highly nomadic, traveling in small groups to fish, hunt and trap." Highly nomadic indeed. The Dene'(Navajo)in Arizona people speak the same language as the Dena'i in Alaska because they are the same people... " The southwest Alaska Natives are named after the two main dialects of the Yup'ik Eskimo language, known as Yup'ik and Cup'ik. The estimated population, at the time of contact, was: Nunivak 500, Yukon-Kuskokwim 13,000 and Bristol Bay 3,000. The Yup’ik and Cup’ik still depend upon subsistence fishing, hunting and gathering for food. Elders tell stories of traditional ways of life, as a way to teach the younger generations survival skills and their heritage. " " The Inupiaq and the St. Lawrence Island Yupik People, or “Real People,” are still hunting and gathering societies. They continue to subsist on the land and sea of north and northwest Alaska. Their lives continue to evolve around the whale, walrus, seal, polar bear, caribou and fish. The north and northwest region of Alaska is vast. The land and sea are host to unique groups of people. To the people of the north, the extreme climate is not a barrier, but a natural realm for a variety of mammals, birds and fish, gathered by the people for survival. Main Groups The Inupiaq and St. Lawrence Island Yup'ik tended to live in small groups of related families of 20-200 people. Population at time of contact included five main units: 1,500 St. Lawrence Island Yupiit 1,820 Bering Strait Inupiat 3,675 Kotzebue Sound Inupiat 1,850 North Alaska Coast Inupiat (Tareumiut, people of the sea) 1,050 Interior North Inupiat (Nunamiut, people of the land)" The spectacular Inupiat and Yupit cultures are the classic "Eskimos" of Western lore. "Who we are: The Aleut and Alutiiq peoples are south and southwest Alaskan maritime peoples. The water is our living, whether it’s the creeks and rivers near villages, the shore outside or the vast waters of the North Pacific and Bering Sea. Knowledge of these resources and skill in harvesting them define the cycle of life in a village. The intensity of the weather that travels through our islands governs activities more than any other factor. The Aleut and Alutiiq cultures were heavily influenced by the Russians, beginning in the 18th century. The Orthodox Church is prominent in every village, Russian dishes are made using local subsistence food, and Russian words are part of common vocabulary although two languages, Unangax and Sugcestun, are the indigenous languages. Main Groups The territory of the Aleut and Alutiiq stretches from Prince William Sound to the end of the Aleutian Islands. There are also over 300 Aleuts in Nikolskoye on Bering Island, Russia. Linguists estimate that the Aleut language separated from the earlier Eskimo languages 4,000 years ago. Anthropologists have classified the Alutiiq people into three basic groups, * Chugachmiut or Chugach of the Prince William Sound area, * Unegkurmiut of the lower Kenai Peninsula, and * Koniagmiut or Koniag of the Kodiak Island and Alaska Peninsula. The suffix "-miut" is added to names signifying “the people of” a certain place. Thus, each village has a name for its people and each regional area has a name for its people. The people of Kodiak Island, for example, were called Qikertarmiut meaning “people of the large island.” Archaeologists estimate that some of the "Ocean Bay culture" sites on Kodiak are over 9000 years old, as are some village sites on Unalaska Island. " The Eyak, Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian share a common and similar Northwest Coast Culture with important differences in language and clan system. Anthropologists use the term "Northwest Coast Culture" to define the Eyak, Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures, as well as that of other peoples indigenous to the Pacific coast, extending as far as northern Oregon. The Eyak, Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian have a complex social system consisting of moieties, phratries and clans. Eyak, Tlingit and Haida divide themselves into moieties, while the Tsimshian divide into phratries. The region from the Copper River Delta to the Southeast Panhandle is a temperate rainforest with precipitation ranging from 112 inches per year to almost 200 inches per year. Here the people depended upon the ocean and rivers for their food and travel. Although these four groups are neighbors, their spoken languages were not mutually intelligible. * Eyak is a single language with only one living speaker * The Tlingit language has four main dialects: Northern, Southern, Inland and Gulf Coast with variations in accent from each village * The Haida people speak an isolate (unrelated to other) language, Haida, with three dialects: Skidegate and Masset in British Columbia, Canada and the Kaigani dialect of Alaska * The Tsimshian people speak another isolate language, Sm’algyax, which has four main dialects: Coast Tsimshian, Southern Tsimshian, Nisga’a, and Gitksan. Eyak occupied the lands in the southeastern corner of Southcentral Alaska. Their territory runs along the Gulf of Alaska from the Copper River Delta to Icy Bay. Oral tradition tells us that the Eyak moved down from the interior of Alaska via the Copper River or over the Bering Glacier. Until the 18th century, the Eyak were more closely associated with their Athabascan neighbors to the north than the North Coast Cultures. Traditional Tlingit territory in Alaska includes the Southeast panhandle between Icy Bay in the north to the Dixon Entrance in the south. Tlingit people have also occupied the area to the east inside the Canadian border. This group is known as the “Inland Tlingit”. The Tlingits have occupied this territory, for a very long time. The western scientific date is of 10,000 years, while the Native version is “since time immemorial.” " http://www.alaskanative.net/8.asp Title: Re: Alaska Post by: Jim Colyer on December 17, 2007, 04:35:48 AM I flew to Minneapolis on September 8, 2006, changed planes and flew on to Anchorage, Alaska. I flew Northwest Airlines, using Expedia.com. Roundtrip was $731.80. It was inches and feet. Things close early in Alaska. I took the city bus downtown from Ted Stevens Airport. Stevens is a Republican senator. The Hilton Hotel served as a landmark. I walked to the Alaska Railroad depot on 1st Street. It was late evening, and the train to Denali National Park did not leave until morning. I pulled an all-nighter. I entered a karaoke bar called The Woodshed and sang Elvis, Beatles, ABBA and Shania until 2:30 AM. I sat in the Marriot for a couple of hours and dozed. The train depot opened at 5 AM, and I bought a ticket to Denali. My instincts told me to beeline to the park. I had to stay alert and keep moving. I could do it. I wanted an experience in Alaska.
The train ride north was scenic. It made me think of Yellowstone. There were lots of shallow rivers and wierd-looking mountains. The rivers and streams are glacier water. They flowed on both sides of the train. Despite its beauty, there was a stark sameness in the terrain. Spruce and birch trees dominated. Spruce growing in permafrost are in miniature. Leaves on the birch were yellow as they showed their fall color. The landscape was green and yellow. An abundance of water makes Alaska a fisherman's paradise. Salmon fishing is big. I met a couple from Minnesota who had come to hunt caribou. An employee on the train told me there are no snakes in Alaska. It was 7 hours to Denali. National Parks are operated by the National Park Service which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Denali National Park was established in 1917. I got a room at the River Cabins for $127.33 a night. I wanted my trip centered around astronomy. A native girl told me of a legend about the northern lights, that whistling makes the lights come out. Mount McKinley is in Denali. It is the highest mountain in North America at 20,320 feet. It is part of the Alaska Range. There is controversy over the mountain's name. The federal government calls it Mount McKinley after President William McKinley. The state of Alaska wants it called Denali (High One). Denali Park consists of 6 million acres of wilderness. There are glaciers. A 90 mile road runs through the park and ends at Wonder Lake. The last day for tours was September 14. I went through on September 10. I got lucky on my tour of the park. I sat at the front of the bus and enjoyed a good view. Mount McKinley is visible only 20% of the time. It is usually clouded over. It is covered with snow and about 30 miles away when we see it. McKinley has two peaks. The north peak is sharp; the south peak is rounded. The south peak is a bit higher and the true summit. The mountain is a big piece of granite. Molten material solidified underground and pushed its way up over millions of years. We drove 63 of the 90 miles, more than usual because it was such a great day. We saw wildlife: grizzly bear, moose, caribou, wolves and Dall sheep. Dall sheep are named after explorer William Dall. We got to the mountain, and there was a grizzly in the ravine. It kept us close to the bus. We got good pictures. We ate caribou meat for lunch. The tour through Denali made the trip a success despite not seeing the northern lights. My second night at Denali, I slept in a tent. It was 30 degrees. It was back to the River Cabins for my third night. I kept going outside to look for the lights. I went out around midnight and before dawn. The moon was a factor. It was full the night before I left. I never gave it a thought when planning my trip, a strange oversight since I am so aware of the moon during the August meteor shower. Not seeing the lights was a disappointment although the rest of the trip compensated. I wondered whether I should go on to Fairbanks. I decided not to because even there the moon would be overpowering. The lights are seen 240 nights a year from Fairbanks. Knock out May, June, July and August because the sun stays up during the summer. One guy described the northern lights as buckets of paint poured across the sky. The red, blue and green waves are caused by the solar wind hitting gases at the top of our atmosphere. The earth is a magnet. It pulls the solar wind toward the north and south poles. I observed the sky. The north star was way up, and the constellation Orion was farther south. I understood why the north star and the Big Dipper are on the state flag. Sirius rose behind Orion. Danali gets only 4 1/2 hours of sunlight on December 21. Nor is it quality light. The temperature drops to -60. Cold, dark and snow. Denali is not really a town. It consists of a few lodges and shops. It gets its mail at the park post office. The tourist season was winding down as I left. People were heading south. I asked questions. I kept learning and moving forward. People in Alaska are friendly. They look you in the eye, stare with anticipation. Maybe it was me. I talked to an Australian from Melbourne. I mentioned ABBA. I asked our driver in Denali about Jon Krakauer's book. He knew the story. There was downtime, then things would happen quickly. I kept networking. Waiting to eat at the River Cabins restaurant, I met a cameraman from L.A. who had been working on a movie. The morning of September 11, I explored the Gulch, a string of souvenir shops. I used the Internet at the Black Bear Coffee Shop. It was raining. I was glad I toured the park the previous day. It was the 5th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and I watched George Bush's speech on television from my room. Having given up the idea of Fairbanks, I arranged to return to Anchorage with Yukon Trails, a van service. I did the smart thing. I would miss the lights but would not miss my plane. I faced a second night in Anchorage. I remembered the hostel next to the Marriot. I got a $20 bed. My last day in Alaska was spent in the heart of Anchorage. I went to the Visitors Center and to the 5th Avenue Mall, a modern mall with shops and a food court. I found the Anchorage Museum of History and Art. There were exhibits of Alaskan birds. I knew about the purchase of Alaska from Russia and the lure of gold which gave rise to Alaskan towns. I made a study of Alaska before coming and knew that towns like Nome grew from the gold rush of 1898. It was the "3 lucky Swedes" who found the first gold near Nome. Anchorage was established in 1915. It began as a tent city when the Alaska Railroad was built. The current population is 270,000. I walked to the Captain James Cook statue on the Cook Inlet. The Inlet connects to the Gulf of Alaska. Captain Cook navigated the Pacific Ocean in the 18th century. A talk was being given. The lecturer noted that Anchorage is a railroad town, not a river town. Its streets were designed by engineers. They are at right angles, letters and numbers. I realized that Nashville is a river town because its streets are so meandering. I got pictures of the Eisenhower Statehood Memorial, then headed for the airport. The Chugach Mountains loomed in the distance. I was tired and slept on the return flights. I got back to Nashville on September 14. Six days. Alaska is big. You carve out your niche and move on.
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