ALASKA ADVENTURE: JET BOAT WILDERNESS TOUR

8 AUGUST 2014

Before we board the train again for our ride to Denali we board the Talkkeetna Queen

 Jet Boat For Safari - Note Opaque Color of River

for a jet boat ride on the rivers around Talkeetna.  The main river we travel is called the Susitna.  All the rivers in the area end with “na” which means river in the Athabascan Indian language.  This river name means sandy river.  Talkeetna means river of plenty.

The river is opaque due to the glacier melt that feeds the river.  When a glacier moves it grinds the rock into fine, fine nano particles making the river full of rich nutrient silt.  If you are to take a glass of the water and filter out the silt you will have crystal clear pristine glacier water.

We stop along the way to view a beaver house, bald eagle nest and a house that is off the grid known as a dry house.  Dry house means no running water even though the river flows right by it.  Electricity is created by solar panels and generator.  This one looks like it is about to fall into the river.  One more pass of torrential water in the spring and it may just take enough of the river bank with it to cause the house to slid into the river.

Our last stop is at a Dena’ina Indian Encampment and a trapper cabin with the original furnishings.  As we leave the boat for our Safari I notice the guide is carrying a gun! 

Guide - Note Gun On Her Right

She informs us that we could encounter bear and or moose.  Interestingly, moose cause more human deaths each year than bear!!!  By a lot!!!

Our guide is also an naturalist.  She points out the different edible berries as well as poisonous to humans berries along the way.  At the Indian village she shows us skins of the various animals the indians used for bedding, clothing and meat.  There is a beaver trap, a cooking pit and a “refrigerator”.

Beaver Trap

A clever contraption traps the beaver when it chews through the supporting stick causing the large log to fall on the animal.

Refigerator

This hole in the ground is their refrigerator.  The sticks keep the meat off the ground.  They layer sticks, meat, stick, meat and then cover it with leaves to hold in the cold from the frozen ground.

The leanto serves as shelter. There is a fire pit in front for warmth and to keep the animals at bay.  Animal skins on the ground keep them warm. The water proof baskets are made of white birch bark.

This is the cooking pit where they smoked and cooked their meat.

At the trapper cabin we see how the trapper protected his food and catch when he was away trapping in his cache located on stilts way above the ground.  She shows the type of skins the trapper trapped for his livelihood.

Trapper Cabin

The trapper cabin has a sod roof.  First a roof  made of small logs is laid then covered with waterproof white birch bark and finally with sod. The vegetation on top is whatever is already found in the soil and is a mystery until it grows.

Inside Cabin

Inside the cabin there is a low ceiling which keeps in the heat. The door swings out because bear know how to push but not pull!

Cache

High above the ground the trapper puts his food and catch to keep animals out. He removes the ladder at night and when he is away from camp on trapping expeditions.

Mink, Fox & Marten

Furs of some of the animals the trapper trapped to sell and trade.

After this adventure, we board the Princess Train Cars for the ride into Denali.  We both agree that the Holland America Dome Car experience is a cut above the Princess Dome Car experience.  Our destination is the Denali Princess Lodge and more adventures.

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma Syrup/Sara