Back in Tenakee, and MORE SNOW

Saturday     1/28     Logging road to town of Tenakee

We wake up for some fine Starbucks Via and non neoprene tainted oatmeal.

Here we stop for a downed tree - because of snow load. . .


Joey picks up the narrative:

"Dr. Bob and Bill don't even try skis today, strait to the snowshoes. Bob and I use skins on our skis. Our trail from the other day is gone. We come across two trees which now block our way. Couldn't take the snow load. Just wait until the rain comes. Bill seems glad to get to use his saw. It's always a bummer to carry something and not get to use it. Travel is easy until Bob ends up in a mud hole. The dogs not helping. However, he does seem amused watching Bob squirm under the weight of his pack. I hobble over and help him up. He's done. Almost there.

Looking out the mouth of Indian River into the Inlet.

There's still not much color difference between the sky and snow.  Tenakee Springs is on the right.  Yep, that's all of town.

Haagu isn't done yet.  Bob jumps on his sled and Haagu tows him down the road.  

Joey resumes writing:

"Once in town we learn of another ferry this afternoon. What luck. A call to the wives, mine's at work. I'll have to wait. Tenakee Springs, so named because of the hot springs in town which have been converted into a bath house. Men's time isn't until two, we head to the cafe for lunch. 

One thing you can count on in rural Alaska is some adaptation of your typical expectations to the social environment of the town. Take for example a cafe. You might expect some tables, a cook, maybe a waitress, but you'd expect an eating establishment. Once inside the Blue Moon you will find one table, and what may have been a lunch counter 20 years ago. But the rest of the building is filled with beer, soda, and potatoes. Looks like a stock room. We order. The menu only has a few items, eggs in the morning, cheeseburger now, pork chops later. The Tenakee cafe is ran by Rosie, who's been here for 60 years, she's friendly, like the company. Rosie has to warm up the oil, should take about an hour. Good thing I brought the cards. A hour and a half later our order is up. Delicious."

Doggone it.  I missed this picture - Rosie's eyes are closed.  What a unique Alaskan small town place.

Just for the record I was going to win the rummy game if the food hadn't arrived just before my turn. 

After a bath in the hot sulphurous Tenakee Springs, most of us feel better and cleaner - except maybe for Bob who took Haagu duty. 
Bob writes about the rest of the day:

"As the ferry turns the corner north out of Tenakee Inlet, we enter a whiteout. Guess that's why we had heard no airplanes. Snow squalls off and on all the way back to Juneau. We arrive about 8 pm, and we manage to cram the entire party into the Extended Stay van.

Back at the hotel, Dr. Bob crosses over to the airport to book a seat on the evening flight to Sitka. The rest of the party decides to share one room for the night. After settling in, Haagu settles down on his blanket and Joey, Bill, and Bob head over to the airport to have a last beer with Dr. Bob at the airport bar. We find Dr. Bob at the ticket counter but the airport bar is closed for the night. The ticket agent hands Dr. Bob his ticket. His flight is stuck in Ketchikan with a mechanical problem and he is to check back in about a half hour. 

All four of us troop over to the bar at Mi Casa for nachos and beer. The bar seems to be a black hole for cell service and Bob decides that he had better hoof it back to the airport. Half an hour later the rest of us return to the room to find Dr. Bob and Haagu lounging on one of the beds together. The flight has been cancelled and Dr. Bob is rescheduled for the same southbound flight as Joey's the next morning. Bill and Dr. Bob call the desk for another room."