Tributaries
Tidbits from the Headwaters
July MAC Meeting
The regular McCarthy Area Council (MAC) meeting on Thursday, July 28, was held at the Kennicott-McCarthy Community Church. Thirty-two members and 15 nonmembers attended. MAC’s regular meeting place, Tony Zak’s house, was closed to the public for the remainder of the summer due to a break-in that occurred to the building in July.
CRSD Begins Search to Hire New Superintendent
On August 3, the Copper River School District (CRSD) school board met to begin the search process for a new superintendent. Thérèse Ashton is no longer the district superintendent; the position is currently vacant. Theresa Laville, who most recently worked in the Bering Strait School District, is the new assistant superintendent for the district.
Be Grateful
Fifty years ago. Summer 1972. Prince William Sound. Sailing on a sailboat with Jim, Nancy and Athena Lethcoe for two and half months; and meeting George Flemming.
Family Values At Klutina River Camp
On July 28 and 29, CRNA hosted Klutina River Camp. The camp was well attended by people from a cross section of area communities and generations.
July Weather Extremes Prove Challenging for Garden Crops
This past month has been full of extremes. I have had temperatures from highs in the 80s to lows in the 40s and weather from blazing sun to pouring rain. Many crops have struggled in my garden through the early July heat.
Copper Spike Triathlon
Hosted by Currant Ridge Cabins, the Copper Spike Triathlon is a sprint triathlon in McCarthy. The event begins at Long Lake and ends by the Roadside Potatohead Restaurant (a.k.a. The Potato) in town. Racers start by completing about a 500 meter swim in the lake.
Gakona TRIfesta 2022
The weather did not hinder the hardy and festive participants of the second annual Gakona TRIfesta. With the course set, rafts staged, face paint applied, and bikes ready, 29 participants approached the starting line in front of the Gakona Lodge.
Hidden Creek Lake Flood of 2022
Early in the morning on July 13, pilots flying over Hidden Creek Lake, located on the Kennicott Glacier, saw that the lake level was starting to go down. Soon its cold, glacier water would raise the level of the Kennicott River. This is known to McCarthy as our annual jӧkulhlaup, defined by Wikipedia as “a type of glacial outburst flood.” It is a glaciological term adopted from Iceland and literally translates as “glacial run.”
Artist Profile: Kristin Link
Faded bell-bottom jeans hang from a red rope between cottonwood trees near Kristin Link’s home in McCarthy, Alaska. The illustrations are life-like and show the motion of flight and a gleam in one raven’s eye. The illustrator is Kristin Link, winner of the 2021 Alaska Press Club Best Illustration Award and artist for the Copper River Record Nature Journal. The jeans belong to Jewel, who will wear them during music performances.
Cooking Your Catch: Salmon Head Soup
Fish heads make a rich, fatty broth, similar to chicken broth. Although this recipe calls for a lot of garlic, somehow the end product does not taste very “garlicky.”
Lost and Found
On Monday, July 11th, an aircraft was reported as overdue on a flight from Valdez to Sutton. The aircraft, a red and white Aeronca Champion, was piloted by Andy Andersen of Sutton. He was returning home from a fishing trip in Valdez.
Wildfire Season in the Copper Basin
With day after day of hot, dry weather across the state, fire danger increased. Not only was there abundant dry fuel above ground, but ever deeper layers of the ground vegetation and duff became dryer. This created conditions not only for easier fire ignition, but for fires that once ignited would burn hotter and be more difficult to control.
Irish Photographer’s McCarthy Love Affair
Redheaded, blue-eyed photographer Paul Scannell from Dublin, Ireland, was hell-bent on visiting Bus 142, or the Magic Bus, where Christopher McCandless’ journey ended near Denali National Park. In 2015, after a failed attempt to reach the remote bus site, Scannell and his travel companions wandered around the state. They heard about a quirky town called McCarthy.
June MAC Meeting
The McCarthy Area Council (MAC) held a regular meeting on Thursday June 30 at the Tony Zak House. Zoom attendance was also available, although in person and Zoom attendees had some difficulty hearing each other. Thirty five MAC members and twelve non members were in attendance.
Ahtna Cultural Center Reopens Under New Partnership Between Ahtna and the National Park Service
The Ahtna Cultural Center (ACC), C’ek’aedi Hwnax ‘Legacy House’, has reopened thanks to a new partnership between Ahtna, Incorporated and America’s largest national park, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve.
June in the Garden
Due to the early close to the fall season (snow on Sept. 21), I accomplished zero prep last year for the 2022 season. No beds were weeded, no compost was spread, no tools were organized. Weeds abounded and prepping beds to plant took far longer than usual.
Pioneers’ McCarthy Solstice Stampede
On Sunday, June 19, members of the Pioneers of Alaska from Pioneer Igloos located around the state converged at Al Clayton’s Dairy-Aire Meadow near McCarthy for a three-day, action-packed solstice celebration. This was the sixth annual Solstice Stampede put on by the Pioneers of Alaska, and the second one to be held in McCarthy.
Toddler Priorities
We recently drove to Fairbanks from McCarthy. The last time we drove there was four years ago. This trip was a little different, taking along our three-year-old and our four-month-old.
Alaskan Veteran Brings Humanitarian Aid to Villages in Vietnam
Copper Basin veteran Neil Hannan is heading back to Vietnam this summer, where he fought for several years in the Vietnam War and survived one of the war’s worst battles. He is bringing humanitarian aid and supplies to villages and schools where he soldiered during the war.
Glennallen Wrestlers Close Season with Celebration
This spring, Glennallen wrestlers and their families celebrated the conclusion of the season with an honors banquet highlighting the achievements of all who participated in the program throughout the 2021-2022 school year.