Things you otter know

Today Is a very cloudy day in Seward, yesterday was a cloudless blue sky and now it is so foggy that you cant even see the mountains, it looks like they were chopped down or just sank into the ocean. Its very bizarre and a little eerie. The tourist season has started this weekend, a ginormous cruise ship seemed to take up the entire harbor as loads of people got off. I think they will be docked here for the weekend. The normally silent streets are bustling with activity and people.
The other day I hiked partway up the jeep trail on mount marathon. Seward's only somewhat famous event is a race called the mount marathon race. Basically they run three miles literally straight up the mountain and then straight back down. Its a huge deal here and everybody trains for months. To me it sounds awful and even hiking up the non-steep part winded me. Maybe thats because I am just really out of shape though.

Still not much activity at the rehab center, just the one otter. So i'll give you some otter facts. Otters are very needy creatures, if they are separated from their mom for more than a couple of hours basically they cannot survive. So thats where we come in! Also once taken from the wild they cannot be re-released. there is no way we can teach them to hunt and forage, so we send them to zoos that are in need of an otter because they won't survive in the wild. They have very high metabolisms and have to be fed every three hours. They are the only marine mammal that does not have blubber to keep them warm, instead they have many layers of thick fur that keep them warm and need to be constantly groomed. This is why oil spills are so deadly for otters. If they get even a little bit of oil on their fur it does not groom out, so they start rapidly losing heat from this spot, not matter how small. Otters don't really drink, they get all of their hydration from the food they eat.

Well there you go some interesting otter facts. Hopefully something exciting will happen around here and I can wow you guys with crazy stories. But thats all for now!

Homer is where the heart is

One week into the internship and I already got to take a field trip! Lets back up, the Alaska sealife center hosted an informational volunteer meeting in Homer, Alaska on Monday. We have a large stranding network there because we get many of our stranded animals that wash up on the beach with the crazy tides.  Homer is about a three hour drive away and they were selecting one intern to travel along with them. It was me!!

The day started early and we set out for the journey. The drive was through mountains and winding rivers and woods. It was BEAUTIFUL!!! On the ride to and from we saw at least thirty moose, I lost count. Every time we passed one all conversation would halt and we would yell MOOSE! The crew: me, Current supervisor: Tim, soon –to-be-supervisor: Hally, and the Vet Tech: Jane. Halfway through the trip we stopped for milkshakes (compliments of the sealife center). But they weren’t just any milkshakes there was like 50 different flavors and after much deliberation I decided on tiramisu flavor. Yeah.. I know. 

Journey to Homer

The meeting was relatively short for the long drive, but we got dinner for us and everyone at the meeting. It was mostly and info meeting about what to do when you see a stranded animal and techniques for transporting them if appropriate. This was Tims last meeting so afterward we went to a celebratory bbq at one of the long time volunteers houses. Homer is just as gorgeous as Seward and this person’s house was sitting on the beach with an incredible mountain view. Most people I have met in Alaska thusfar were not born here. Everybody came here for a summer or a random job and just never left because they loved it so much. I met people from all over the country at this meeting. I also learned a lot about my supervisors. Tim was a NOLS instructor and hiked the entire Appalachian trail, Jane worked at 4 aquariums prior to this one and used to work with sea turtles. Its amazing how many different things you can do with your life. It makes me feel young, inexperienced and antsy to get out there and start doing things!

That night I didn’t return home until 1:30 am (5:30 am for all you Michigan folks), needless to say I was zonked. Luckily I had the next day off. For my day off I decided to get a nice beer. This was a much greater ordeal than I imagined. First I biked (on this loaner bike from the sealife center, which is not structurally sound) to the store to get a beer. I selected my variety and biked back the mile and half It is home (uphill). I was extremely winded and reallllly wanting the beer when I got home. I decided to drink it down by the beach and gathered my book and some cards to go down.  No bottle opener. I searched everywhere. Exhausted but determined I walked FOUR blocks to buy a souvenir bottle opener so I could drink my delicious IPA down at the beach. It was worth it.

yum.

Sunny Seward

Lowell point beach

fishermans warf

It’s a sunny day in Seward with blue skies. This is rare, as most of the time it is cloudy or overcast. Unfortunately it is only 36 degrees with a nasty windchill, So I only spent three hours outside walking thus far today. I wandered down to the fishing warf and looked at all the boats and then I happened upon a nice little hike with water falls around two lakes. When the wind became too cold to bare, I walked back to my apartment. Only to start feeling guilty about missing the gorgeous day, so I went BACK outside with my book to try and read on the beach. This was a short lived endeavor as it was much colder sitting in one spot than moving around. 

Blue skies! (view from my bedroom window)

Yesterday I accidentally went on an absurdly long hike. I knew there was a state recreation area down the shoreline a little ways with some good hikes. It was slightly cloudy and windy but it was the first day it hadn’t been raining so I felt like I had to take advantage of it (are we seeing a trend here?). As most smart humans know, things on a map are much farther away than they seem, although I hadn’t taken this into consideration. When I finally got to the park it was miles down the road and I was already very tired. But since I was there I carried on. I went on some nice woods hikes then went down to a very pretty beach.  The way back was slightly torturous as I was walking against the freezing wind and I was exhausted. All in all it was an amazing hike, I hope to do more out there when I either get a ride or the wind isn’t trying to blow me into the ocean.  

slightly askew self \timer pic

Work has been good but fairly slow. Basically just caring for the otter (and she seems to need constant attention) and getting ready for the flood of seals that are supposed to come in. They said that they are surprised that we haven’t gotten one in yet. Maybe because it is a late spring. My night shifts are from 4pm- midnight.  I make sea otter formula (basically blended squid, clam, vitamins, milk, and some other ingredients) It looks kind like a milky brown substance and I always get a craving for a milkshake after I make it. When I walk home at midnight its not even fully dark, the sun has just finished setting and there is a blue glow around the mountains. 

look after each otter.

Today... was not real life.
I'll start from where I left off. Last night Katie picked me and Maggie up and we headed down the Seward highway to Seward. This is rated one of the most scenic drives in North America and that is not an exaggeration. We saw a flock of eagles, and drove through huge snow capped mountains on either side. it was a cloudless night so we were able to see everything clearly.

this picture does not do it justice at all.

We have a nice two bedroom apartment with three of us right now. All the windows show awesome views of mountains and trees.
Today was the first day of orientation! we got a tour through the sealife center and went through all the safety mumbo jumbo. We then met up with our supervisor for the actually marine mammal stranding position. Every morning before entering the facility we have to change out of our shoes into the xtra tuff waterproof boots. Not only because it gets super messy, but also to keep contaminants out. Same goes for if we leave the facility and have to enter the building we have to completely shower and wash our hair before entering the building.
As we entered the rehab room we saw the facilities only patient, a one month old sea otte. completely adorable. by the end ofb the day i had held it and even bottle fed it. it was such an amazing thing and it was so soft. its not so busy at the center now but in summer we will have lots of animals to take care of. we learned how to mix formulas and soon we will learn how to tube feed and draw blood. its getting late here and i have no internet so im on my phone. until next time.

Once in a blue moose

Yesterday I feel like I finally had the Alaskan experience, I saw two moose! They were both when I was on my 35 mile bike ride (ahhh). The first one I saw was a bull and it came charging through the woods next to the bike path. Moments later it was followed by this tiny little yipping dog, which was somewhat comical. The next one made me slam on the brakes because it was in the middle of the path. I hadn't notice it at first because I was too absorbed with the scenery. This one was a female and It didn't seem bothered by me, basically ignored my existence completely and I cautiously rode by it. At one point I was at most five feet from it. SO AWESOME. 

Other places I went in my bike ride: the salmon fish hatchery, where I learned how the fish are raise from eggs and then released into the streams for game fishing and food. I also learned how to gut a salmon with a clever computer simulation. 

I also got hopelessly lost trying to follow some seemingly strange directions. But I did end up biking 35 miles and did not think I was going to make it back I was so exhausted. 

For dinner I met up with someone that I met hiking the day before and we went to the glacier brewing company and then took a quick trip to REI. On the way back we had some struggles with the bus schedules and routes again, but overall it was a marvelous day. 

Today I check out of my hostel and Katie comes to pick up at four and then we travel to Seward to start the internship!!

small airport

me and a mountain on the costal trail

My hostel

halfway through the bike ride. Trying to get a pic of me and the distant mountain... didn't work

Arctic Adventures

Alaska adventure. Day one. 

This has been a long day, it started out at 6am in chicago, getting up to go to the airport. After some untimely accidents and stand still traffic I made it to the terminal with minutes to spare. 

Upon arrival to Anchorage, I had a short cab ride with a very friendly driver to my hostel. Which is positioned on a backdrop of snowcapped mountains. 

I basically ran in to check in, threw my stuff in my room and emerged into the sunny city of Anchorage. After practically skipping a few blocks I realized I hadn't a clue where I was or where I planned on going. I sought direction from some nice looking natives and promptly turned the other direction when they started throwing booze bottles at each other and yelling. 

I was hesitant to approach anyone afterward, so I just hopped on a bus and hoped for the best. I got off at the transfer station and started wandering around downtown following a not-so-informative map. I finally got my bearings and perused through some gift shops and people watched a little. Next I took a four mile hike down the coast with stunning mountain views. (pictures to come.) 

Its amazing how much clocks and sunlight can influence you. I started getting really tired on my hike down the coast (it feeling like 10 at night already to me), but when I looked at my phone to check the time and saw that it was only six I perked right up and felt a surge of energy. 

After my hike I stopped at a bar called Darwin's Theory and sat down by myself to have a beer. Somehow moments later I was deep in conversation with some elderly native Alaskans, learning about their lives and the history of Alaska. Its amazing who you strike up conversation with when you are traveling alone. 

That's another thing, I never really thought I would be good at traveling alone until I just went ahead and did it. Sure, it was a little shakey figuring out the bus system and maps but honestly it makes me feel really accomplished to have gotten downtown, taken a good hike, had a nice beer while charming natives, and made back home to my hostel without much problem. Kind of makes me feel like I could do anything! Traveling by yourself, you don't have to answer to anyone but yourself and you can do whatever you feel like whenever. Grocery shopping today I realized that I could just make all the decisions and buy whatever food I wanted. So, naturally, I took like three times longer deciding what to eat for the next three days. 

And on that note, I am thoroughly exhausted and my tiny stiff dorm bed is calling my name. I still feel slightly guilty going to sleep because it looks like the middle of the day, it wont get dark tonight until after 11. 

Its been a great first day.