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Volume 12 • Issue 7 www.aksportingjournal.com PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles WRITERS Paul D. Atkins, Bjorn Dihle, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Brian Watkins SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Jim Klark, Mike Smith DESIGNERS Lesley-Anne Slisko Cooper WEB DEVELOPMENT/INBOUND MARKETING Jon Hines PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Aumann INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn ADVERTISING INQUIRIES media@media-inc.com ON THE COVER The rugged mountainous terrain of Southeast Alaska offers hearty hunters a spectacular and grueling opportunity to chase mountain goats, as hunters Trevor Embry (pictured) and Brian Watkins, and their buddy Dave Moore discovered. (BRIAN WATKINS)
MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE 14240 Interurban Ave South • Suite 190 Tukwila, WA 98168 (206) 382-9220 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com www.media-inc.com CORRESPONDENCE Twitter @AKSportJourn Facebook.com/alaskasportingjournal Email ccocoles@media-inc.com
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CONTENTS
VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 7
FEATURES
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MY ALASKAN ADVENTURES Our longtime contributor Paul Atkins has shared many of his epic hunting and fishing trips in the Last Frontier, which became his obsession while living in America’s Heartland. The Oklahoman left his family – not to mention his beloved Oklahoma State University Cowboys football team – to chase the dream in Alaska almost a quarter of a century ago. Check out excerpts from Paul’s new book, Atkins’ Alaska, which chronicles an outdoor life in the Arctic.
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MONSTERS, INC. – LAST FRONTIER STYLE Dreamers and conspiracy theorists love a good mythical monster story, whether that means the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot or the Yeti. Bristol Bay’s “Iliamna Lake Monster” has some people believing that an unknown creature lurks just below the Southwest Alaska lake’s surface. Bjorn Dihle chatted with some of those hunting for the creature for his latest Pride of Bristol Bay feature.
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GIFTS THAT KEEP ON GIVING The holiday season is upon us, so for that outdoor lover in your life looking to socially distance in the wilderness, Scott and Tiffany Haugen offer up some great gift ideas. From outstanding salmon and trout lures to a meat grinder to process your big game harvest, the Haugens can help cross off the angler or hunter on your list. Also in their From Field to Fire column, check out Tiffany’s tasty holiday brunch recipe!
(BRIAN WATKINS)
GRASS CHUTE GOATS
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected seemingly everyone in every walk of life, but in some cases it’s freed up time to get away and hunt. That was the case with Brian Watkins, his hunting partner Trevor Embry and their friend Dave Moore, who was laid off from his job. The trio headed to Southeast Alaska for a grueling mountain goat hunt. Finding billies along steep ridgelines was just one of many challenges the guys encountered.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 13 15 17 20 57
The Editor’s Note: 2020 reflections Outdoor calendar Protecting Wild Alaska: Pebble permit denied; mine opponents celebrate A mountaineer’s memorable Denali climb GMU Spotlight: Hunting Southwestern Alaska’s bull market, Unit 18
Alaska Sporting Journal is published monthly. Call Media Inc. Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Inc. Publishing Group and will not be returned. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues) or $49.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Inc. Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Ave South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168 or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues may be ordered at Media Inc. Publishing Group, subject to availability, at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Copyright © 2020 Media Inc. Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. 10
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EDITOR’S NOTE
Director Mark Titus (left, with actor Mark Harmon) inspired the editor with his new film The Wild about Bristol Bay’s fight to stop the Pebble Mine. It was a positive moment in an otherwise dreary 2020. (SPIKE MAFFORD)
L
et’s face reality: 2020 has been full of “2020 sucks” moments. No need to rehash all the deadly, shocking, appalling, pathetic and weird stuff that has defined roughly the last nine months. But as we put a capper on this most unusual time, I look back at our magazines and can find some inspiring, exciting and fun memories rising above all the despair.
IN APRIL, SCOTT HAUGEN, one-half of our From Field to Fire team, talked about his love of fishing Bristol Bay’s Egegik River year after year. One special place there for him is Brooks Falls for its bear viewing. “I was rewarded with the best brown bear shots of my life,” Haugen wrote. “At the height of activity, 11 brown bears occupied the falls. More bears could be seen downstream that were also fishing. The forest, surrounded by tall and lush green grass, flourished, with endless bear trails that were carved throughout the landscape.” Father-son relationships also were a theme in our magazines, and they had a dramatic impact on me after having lost my dad in September 2019. In a May interview with Deadliest Catch crabbing skipper Josh Harris, he talked to me a lot about his late father Phil and how
aboard his vessel, Cornelia Marie, he plays pops to his crew in the unforgiving waters of the Bering Sea. “Oh, their dad; their coach; their psychologist,” he told me. “You have to be all that stuff. Keep everyone sane, because if they’re not thinking about their job, they’re going to tire and maybe kill the guy next to them.” Our June Father’s Day story was written by Brian Watkins, who joined his dad Tom, close friend Mark and his pop Mo for a Kodiak Island mountain goat hunt. I remembered how my father was so motivated and full of energy even well into his 70s on our own adventures together. Now I was seeing some of that in Watkins discussing his father-son dynamic. “My dad – again, he was 60 years old at this point – was the leader of the pack,” he wrote. “He kept us going and pushed us along. Dad’s determination was a driving factor in our abilities to move quickly.” And then there was that Paul Atkins September piece when he fished for pike in Arctic Alaska with his son, Eli. Atkins wrote about Eli’s first northern. Catching a fish with my dad with me on a boat or the shoreline was always a great childhood memory. “With a tight line and a bent rod, Eli
worked him toward the boat – only to have him rush back out again … I grabbed the net and leaned over the edge in trying to get close enough for an easy scoop. Finally, after a game of tug ’o war, he made a mistake and I was successful in getting the motley-colored fish on the deck.”
2020 HAS ALSO CREATED multiple Pebble Mine stories and those in Bristol Bay and elsewhere fighting against the mine have given me some hope in not giving in. Watching our pal Mark Titus’s new documentary, The Wild, was a gamechanger. I wrote about the film in July and Titus talked about the inspiration he had from those he worked with on the project. “It was just me on a lot of interviews; you have to give yourself over to the moment and be absolutely (all in) with these folks, to ask the right question or be in the right spirit,” he said. “You take a lot of that drama and that feeling of love and that feeling of what’s at stake, internally. They made me more aware, awake and empathetic toward what’s at stake for the people who do live there year-round and make this their livelihood.” That’s just a small sample of feel-good moments this year. Still, it’s time for you to go away, 2020. -Chris Cocoles
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OUTDOOR CALENDAR*
Several moose hunting seasons will open across parts of Alaska in December. (DOMINIQUE WATTS/USFWS)
Dec. 1 Wolf season opens in Game Management Unit 2 (Prince of Wales Island) Dec. 1 Resident antlered bull moose season opens in GMU 9C (Alaska Peninsula; Naknek River drainage) Dec. 1 Resident antlered bull moose season opens in GMU 9E (Alaska Peninsula) Dec. 1 Caribou season opens in GMU 14A and 14B (Mat-Su Valley) Dec. 1 Resident anterless moose season opens in GMU 14A (Mat-Su Valley) Dec. 1 Resident antlered bull moose season opens in GMU 17B and 17C (Bristol Bay) Note: May be announced Dec. 1 Moose season opens in GMU 18 (Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta) Dec. 1 Antlerless moose season opens in GMU 20B (Fairbanks-Central Tanana, within Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge) Dec. 1 Resident moose season opens in GMU 20F (FairbanksCentral Tanana, Yukon River drainage downstream from but not including Hess Creek drainage and excluding Tanana River drainage) Dec. 15 Resident antlered bull moose season opens in GMU 9B, 9C and 9D (Alaska Peninsula) Dec. 15 Various moose seasons open in GMU 14 (Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson Management Area) For more information and season dates for Alaska hunts, go to adfg .alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=hunting.main. Note: Check with local contacts on events that could be postponed/ cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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PROTECTING
WILD ALASKA
FEDS BLOCK PEBBLE MINE PERMIT BY CHRIS COCOLES
T
he roller coaster ride that is the Pebble Mine saga took an exhilarating turn for one side of the fight, and a painful loop-the-loop for another. On Nov. 25, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it would reject a proposed Bristol Bay gold and copper mine that critics argued could devastate the region’s massive salmon runs. The Corps reversed course after an August release of its Environmental Impact Statement that would have green-lighted a scaled-down mine – provided the Pebble Limited Partnership and parent company Northern Dynasty Minerals came up with a mitigation plan to help prevent damage to Bristol Bay’s vast wetlands. In his agency’s record of decision, Col. Damon Delarosa, Corps of Engineers Alaska district commander, concluded that the mine’s overall scope was not up to federal Clean Water Act standards and the potential threat to the ecosystem. “I have concluded that the benefits of the proposed elimination and alteration of wetlands, streams and other waters within the (Army Corps) jurisdiction do not outweigh the detriments that would be caused by such eliminations and alterations, based upon the information contained in the FEIS, the extensive public comments received, and the analysis of the public interest review factors,” Delarosa wrote at the end of the 29page document. (Find it at pebbleprojecteis.com.) “As those eliminations and alterations would be necessary to realize any benefits from the proposed project, I have found that the proposed project is contrary to the public interest.”
The bedrock underneath Bristol Bay’s vast network of salmon-filled waters is rich in gold and copper deposits, but at least for now a mining permit has been rejected by the President Trump-led U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY)
WELCOME NEWS FOR MINE OPPONENTS From lodge owners to the fishing industry, from Alaskans to out-of-staters, the fight to stop Pebble Mine seemingly is an endless loop of protests. So while the release of a somewhat unfavorable EIS in August was distressing, the permit getting the heave-ho offered a reason to be grateful, and fittingly it came the day before the Thanksgiving holiday. “Good riddance. The opposition to this project from all corners of the political spectrum runs strong and deep. The process has played out, and the science is clear. There is no way this ill-conceived project can coexist with Bristol Bay salmon,” said a blunt Nelli Williams, Alaska director of Trout Unlimited.
Bristol Bay-area lodge owners Nanci Morris Lyon and Brian Kraft depend on salmon, trout and other aquatic delights that attract anglers from around the world. Morris Lyon, whose family operates Bear Trail Lodge, said she was “relieved and thankful” for the news, while Kraft’s reaction reflected the long battle he and others have fought to block the mine. “Thousands of us have looked forward to this day for well over a decade,” said the Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge owner. “Kudos to this administration for seeing this project for what it was – a half-baked and risky proposal that does not belong in the heart of Bristol Bay. This is a good day. We should all celebrate and be thankful today, and get ready to achieve long-term pro-
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PROTECTING
WILD ALASKA
With so much at stake for the fishing industry, both lodge owners and Native leaders in Bristol Bay were encouraged that their fight to block the mine took another positive step. “Pebble is not welcome in Bristol Bay,” Bear Trail Lodge owner Nanci Morris Lyon said. “Now we can work toward the future without the shadow of Pebble hanging over our heads.
(THOMAS QUINN/UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON)
tections next.” That said, for some the mood right now seems to be one of cautious optimism given the back-and-forth battles among the principles and the uncertainty of future plans. “Sometimes a project is so bad, so indefensible, that the politics fall to the wayside and we get the right decision. But denial of a permit does not mean Bristol Bay is safe from the threat of the Pebble Mine,” warned SalmonState executive director Tim Bristol. “The critical next step is to reestablish the Clean Water Act protections for America’s greatest salmon fishery – protections that should have never been done away with in the first place. This can and should be an early priority for the Biden administration.”
DECISION ‘POLITICALLY MOTIVATED’ When the news broke about the mine’s permit being rejected, it capped a tumultuous fall for the Pebble Limited Partnership and its lead company, Northern Dynasty Minerals. Pebble Partnership CEO Tom Collier resigned after incriminating videotaped conversations surfaced. It was believed that the heavy Republican influence both in Alaska and under the administration of President Donald Trump would benefit the Pebble group, particu18
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larly when the EIS seemed mostly favorable when it was released in August of an election year. But Trump’s son Donald Jr., an outdoorsman who fished Bristol Bay as a guest of Bear Trail Lodge’s Morris Lyon, publicly opposed the mine, as did other conservative voices in Washington, not to mention increasing pushback from Alaska’s U.S. senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan. The Corps’ record of decision was a crushing blow for the mine’s chances of being dug anytime soon, particularly with the November victory of President-elect Joe Biden. Indeed, Northern Dynasty’s reaction to getting spurned included the argument that it was “politically motivated.” The irony there is that Collier boasted about having Republican support when the “Pebble Tapes” were secretly recorded and released. “For the United States to turn its back on an opportunity to develop these minerals here at home in a manner that U.S. regulators have agreed is environmentally safe and responsible, and to do so for purely political reasons, is not just short-sighted,” said Northern Dynasty president and CEO Ron Thiessen. “It’s self-destructive.” It’s unknown the extent of appeals Northern Dynasty, whose stock prices
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plummeted by over 50 percent after the news of the permit rejection broke, will take after this potentially devastating setback to its project’s viability. But it’s the complete opposite mojo for those who have worked tirelessly to help protect the waters of what is considered the “world’s last great sockeye salmon fishery,” including Alaska Sporting Journal since we began publication 10 years ago. One of the most vocal opposition against the mine has been the United Tribes of Bristol Bay, whose Native people have fished these pristine waters over multiple generations. UTBB board president Robert Heyano summed up the joy that, at least for now, these waters and the fish that return there will remain protected. “The people of Bristol Bay have long known that our home is no place for a mine like Pebble. Today, we celebrate the appropriate action taken by the USACE in finally acknowledging this underlying truth: Pebble’s proposal is too toxic for our region and cannot be built without devastating the environment that sustains our cultures and communities,” Heyano said. “But our work is not done. We will continue to advocate for permanent protections for Bristol Bay until we are sure that our pristine lands and waters will remain intact for our children’s children and all future generations.” ASJ
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Jake Norton, now 46 years old, has scaled some of the world’s highest and most dangerous peaks, but the Colorado resident says few of his ascents have been more challenging than his 1995 climb of Alaska’s Denali, the highest spot in North America at over 20,300 feet. (JAKE NORTON) 20
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ON TOP OF ALASKA MOUNTAINEER JAKE NORTON ON HIS ASCENT OF DENALI, PEAKS ACROSS THE GLOBE
BY CHRIS COCOLES
I
f you wanted to boil Jake Norton’s life down to a single sentence, it might be this one: He really likes to get on top of things. Literally. A world-class mountain climber and guide, there are few daunting summits on the globe the 46-year-old Colorado resident hasn’t scaled, including North America’s tallest peak, Alaska’s famed Denali (Mount McKinley). From South America’s massive Mount Aconcagua to Africa’s iconic Kilimanjaro and literally the top of the world, Mount Everest, Norton’s list of successful climbs is
impressive. While he had a passionate connection to Mount Everest – he’s made multiple trips there to either reach the world’s highest summit or help solve an almost century-old mystery that could change the history books forever – his successful scaling of Denali had its own special symbolism. For Norton, who’s scaled peaks around the world, a successful Alaska summit was a home game of sorts. “It was my first really big mountain that I had summited and my first continental high point, and it was in my
home country. That was pretty amazing and powerful,” he says. “I think the summit of Everest is always irrationally built up in one sense that you’re going to get up there and there is going to be cerebral trumpets and epiphanies. And I find there’s not. It really is just a patch of snow along the way. And Denali is not built up in that same apocryphal beautiful way. You get there and you can just enjoy (it). You’re not expecting some biblical insight to come to you.” Yet mighty Mount Everest still impacted Norton, who has elevated to
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The weather extremes and lack of support make Denali in some ways as difficult if not more of a challenge to ascend than Everest. “It’s a punishing but beautiful, incredible mountain,” Norton says. (JAKE NORTON)
its sacred ground as the highest spot on Earth. But the mountain also holds the kind of secrets that have turned him into a bit of a mountaineering Sherlock Holmes.
IN 1953, NEW ZEALANDER Edmund Hillary – he’d soon be known as Sir Edmund Hillary for the rest of his life – and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay successfully reached the summit of the world’s highest peak, Nepal/China’s Mount Everest, and lived to tell their tale after also making the dangerous descent from the top of the world. But while historians likely won’t ever diminish Hillary’s and Norgay’s accomplishments, it’s possible two climbers preceded the 1953 Everest conquest by almost 30 years. For Norton, getting to the bottom of the mystery of the 1924 fate of George Mallory and Andrew “Sandy” Irvine consumed him for the better part of 20 years. In October, a Discovery Channel documentary, Everest’s Greatest Mystery, premiered as part of the network’s new 22
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series known as Undiscovered. Norton led an expedition to Everest in 2019 to find further evidence of what happened to Mallory and Irvine. What we knew already: They both died on the mountain, which over the years has become a tragic toll of trying to conquer Earth’s highest spot (there have been roughly 300 deaths of Everest climbers, with almost annual fatalities). Norton has found himself literally climbing over the bodies of the dead climbers who either failed to reach the top or perished making the even more dangerous descent, when draining oxygen levels and exhaustion can be fatal. “On the one hand it is gruesome, but I find there’s a beauty within the tragedy of those lives lost … I find some solace in the human remains can tell a story and leave these less than subtle reminders of our own mortality,” he says. “And keep our egos in check and make us safe, hopefully.” Norton was part of a 1999 expedition
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that found the remains of Mallory, a far more experienced climber than Irvine. But two major questions remained as Norton and a team returned to the mountain last year: Where is Irvine’s body, and did the pair or either one actually make it to the summit? Observers at the time confirmed that they did get within striking distance of the 29,029-foot summit. But with several short but treacherous spots known as the First, Second and Third Steps ahead of them, it’s possible that the men died just shy of the top. “There are always things left undone and more to do,” Norton says. “I think what I always come back to – with the story of Mallory and Irvine, which is something I’ve been fascinated with since I began climbing in the mid-1980s – it’s really who these guys were, regardless of whether or not they summited (Everest) … They were such a different breed of explorer and climber.” As the film depicts, the 2019 explorers were equipped with top-of-the-line
Norton has reached the summit of Mount Everest, but he’s also gone back to the highest peak on the planet to help solve the mystery of a 1924 attempt made by Englishmen George Mallory and Andrew “Sandy” Irvine (inset: top, bottom). Norton was part of a team that found Mallory’s remains in 1999, but Irvine’s body has never been found. (DISCOVERY CHANNEL/WIKIMEDIA)
equipment, tents and clothing to handle the hazardous weather conditions, including crampons attached to their boots that help gain traction on the slick ice and snow. But when he was part of the team that found Mallory’s remains in 1999, Norton was astonished by what Mallory and fellow Englishman Irvine had to do to make the dangerous ascent in the 1920s. “It was almost comical looking at what (Mallory) was wearing compared to what we were, when we had these $1,000 boots and modern-fabric, spaceage technology,” Norton admits, also marveling at the men’s remarkable acclimation to Everest’s high altitude. “They didn’t know how the human body would respond to the rigors of altitude. Some scientists thought it was humanly impossible to go that high. The down gear that we take for granted today had really just been invented. It wasn’t very good; it was heavy and thick. And they were using solid fuel burners without water. They didn’t know the importance of hydration. Just challenge after challenge
for the fact that they even got to base camp (17,000-plus feet), which until 1921 no one had been within 40 miles of. It’s just phenomenal that they were anywhere on the mountain, let alone within 1,000 feet of the summit.” Mallory in particular is something of a role model for mountaineers. They appreciate some of his philosophical thoughts about why he was such a climbing savant in his day, which made Norton so emotional when he and the 1999 team that was led by Eric Simpson found Mallory – Conrad Anker was the first who reached the remains – at the 26,760-foot level on Everest’s north face (the Tibet side now controlled by China). “I just remember at first the gasps and disbelief; we were just stunned into silence,” he says of the Mallory discovery. “Nobody could really talk and get out a coherent thought for a while. There we were with a hero of all of ours.” Norton, who as a tween first scaled Washington state’s 14,000-plusfoot Mount Rainier, started working
as a guide at 18 and has since climbed, besides Denali, five of the world’s Seven Summits (highest peaks on each continent), was enthralled by Mallory’s passion to reach the top. Norton says he felt something of a spiritual connection with the mountaineers he’s searched for now on multiple trips to Everest. In watching the Discovery Channel film, there was a sense that these explorers who were less interested in getting back to the summit than finding the truth about Mallory and Irvine, almost owed it to those pioneers to find more signs of what really happened almost 100 years ago. “I feel that way; not in a Ouija boardtype sense, but I think those of us who have been to the mountain a lot, you can’t help but really begin to revere and feel some degree of connection to those who paved the way and those who came first,” Norton says. “I find myself up on the mountain always thinking about Mallory and Irvine, or (fellow 1924 expedition
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The Norton Everest team carried a photo of Irvine’s and Mallory’s 1924 camp during their recent search, which left some of their story untold. “We may never know all the answers,” Norton says, “but we know a lot more and we can still celebrate the fact that they were there and did incredible things.” (DISCOVERY CHANNEL)
members Noel Odell and Howard Somervell), all these different climbers, going over there in such a different era. Their experiences do kind of speak to us, and hopefully we’re wise enough to listen to those voices.” Unfortunately, despite several possible leads and even finding other bodies buried in the deep snow banks who weren’t Irvine, no evidence of his remains were found. Discovery Channel’s film was likely the end of the line for Norton’s 20-year odyssey to find definitive proof whether the English mountaineers predated Hillary’s successful climb. “I think there’s always a degree of unfulfillment. There’s always more to know and more to learn. But I think over two decades of being a part of this, I’ve kind of come to having terms of the fact that it’s OK not to know it all,” he says. “I’ve been fortunate enough to help tell these stories. We may never know all the answers, but we know a lot more and we can still celebrate the fact that they were there and did incredible things.” All because Everest was there. 24
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IT DOESN’T TAKE AN
experienced mountaineer to know that climbing Mount Everest is one of the most physically and mentally demanding tasks for a human being to achieve. But even at 10,000 feet lower in elevation, Alaska’s Denali proved to be arguably a tougher task for Norton and those who he guided on two expeditions there. It took the second trip for him and his party to reach the top, in July 1995. “The 30-second answer is, when you take altitude out of the equation, Denali is hands-down a more difficult ascent to climb,” Norton says. “Granted, I haven’t been there since 1995, but I know the mountain hasn’t changed height and I don’t think it’s gotten to be noticeably warmer.” “There’s a physical nature of Denali (that you) don’t have pack animals and don’t have Sherpa support. You’re carrying massive packs and dragging a sled. You’re dealing with temperatures that go from 90 degrees on a calm day in the sun down on the (lower portions) to 40 below zero in a storm up near the summit. It’s a punishing but beautiful,
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incredible mountain.” Norton knows his Alaska history and even compared his obsession studying and searching for Mallory and Irvine to some Last Frontier legends of yesteryear. “It was really reminiscent of the Sourdoughs, especially their first ascent of Denali,” says Norton, referring to the miners who, with similar gear to Irvine and Mallory’s, somehow managed to reach the top of the mountain – it would be officially known as Mount McKinley – in the early 20th century. “Nobody thought they could make it, and then when the next ascent party got up, they found a huge pole stuck in the wrong summit of Denali, but almost at the top. They just did it with their mining gear.” Norton would have his own special memory on top of Alaska and the entire continent.
WHEN NORTON FIRST WAS what he referred to as a “grunt guide” – “I had the pleasure of carrying a heavier pack,” he proudly says – on a Denali expedition, the May mid-1990s trip didn’t go well.
“We just got pulverized by storms and cold (conditions). And then my second (attempt) was a July trip where the mountain was empty and there were only two teams of us on the mountain,” he says. “We summited on a beautiful, warm day.” For mountaineers like Norton, topping these massive peaks is part of the symbolic lore of the challenge (he would love one day to climb another of his last remaining Seven Summits, Carstensz Pyramid, which is located in a remote and politically unstable corner of Indonesia). And when he and his teams finished what they started the year before and reached the pinnacle of a North American climbing challenge, it was a moment to savor and to soak up the sunshine, the view and the accomplishment. “We were able to have a fly-by done by the bush pilot while we were on the summit. It was a breathless, warmfor-Denali day. I don't know the exact temperature, but I was up there with light gloves and a baseball cap and my down jacket unzipped. It was just gorgeous,” says Norton, who hopes to go back and explore more of Alaska’s mountains in the future. Where the top of Denali differs from some of Norton’s successful Himalayan climbs is the scope of the view. While atop many of those peaks means more mountains around him, the way Denali towers over everything made for an even more spectacular vista point. “It felt more (like being) on top of the world than the summit of Everest does,” says Norton. But memories like his Denali ascent is likely why Norton was so driven to complete his quest of fully solving the Mallory-Irvine mystery, while not only finding his remains but coming closer to determining if they indeed completed their Everest climb. Part of him wants to buy into the theory that they had the ability and motivation to at least get to experience the joy of getting to the top of the planet before succumbing to the great mountain. “I’m admittedly an idealist and a romantic. On the one hand, I truly want to believe that they summited, not because I believe it would take away
SO YOU WANT TO CLIMB DENALI?
M
ount Everest, the world’s highest mountain, has drawn inexperienced mountaineers who have struggled trying to ascend and descend the 29,000-plus-foot peak. But Jake Norton, who’s done both climbs, says the National Park Service has done a good job of keeping away those not ready to handle the rigors of a climb at Alaska’s Denali. “I think a decade ago that would have been the case. I think, oddly, these days it’s actually the reverse; here you see people with far less experience on the slopes of Everest than you’ll see on Denali,” he says. “And a lot of that is, and in our country we don’t like the term ‘regulations,’ but the regulations of the National Park Service has put on concessionaires in our national parks. If you’re an outfitter, you hold a special concession to guide on the mountain. And they’re held to very high standards by the Park Service. If there’s an accident or a death of a paying client, it’s investigated deeply.” He added that the financial impact of negligent decisions could be devastating financially for climbing services. Contrasting those increasingly strict guidelines for Denali climbers, many Everest guides now lack some of the same vetting of potential clients. “These days, you’ll literally see people on Mount Everest who would not have been accepted to climb (Washington’s) Mount Rainier when I was a guide there,” says Norton, who also offered the following advice for climbers hoping to take on the Alaska summit. “First and foremost, I would say don’t ever downplay Denali. I think people will be like, ‘Wait, I’ve been to the Himalayas and climbed at 20,000 feet,’” he says. “Denali’s a whole different animal. It’s like someone from Colorado saying, ‘I climbed a (14,000-footer) and I should be able to climb Rainier.’ They’re not in the same league whatsoever.” “And so don’t go without a guide, unless you’re truly experienced enough for the challenge. Guide services are great to go with. They ensure your safety and help you enjoy the trip. But also take the cold and the physical aspect of Denali seriously. You can’t just be used to being in snow; you’ve got to be used to being out in the winter cold day after day. It’s a long expedition and it’s physically demanding. If one is not used to it, it will be a game-changer on Denali.” CC
JAKE NORTON ON TOP OF THE WORLD
SEVEN SUMMITS (TALLEST MOUNTAINS ON EACH CONTINENT)
Everest (China-Nepal, Asia; 29,029 feet): May 18, 2002 Aconcagua (Argentina, South America; 22,841 feet): Jan. 17, 2009 Denali (Alaska, U.S.A., North America; 20,310 feet): July 17, 1995 Kilimanjaro (Tanzania, Africa; 19,308 feet): Sept. 20, 2002 Vinson Massif (Antarctica; 16,050 feet): Jan. 10, 2011 Mont Blanc (France-Italy, Europe*; 15,410 feet): July 7, 1987 *Mount Elbrus in Russia is considered by some the tallest peak in Europe, but since it straddles the Europe-Asia border some experts argue that Mont Blanc is the continent’s true summit.
OTHER NOTABLE CLIMBS
Cho Oyu (China-Nepal; 26,864 feet): Sept. 28, 1997 Gurla Mandhata (China-Nepal; 25,243 feet): Sept. 26, 2006 Nevado Chopicalqui (Peru; 20,846 feet): June 16, 1996 Nevado Tocllaraju (Peru; 19,554 feet): June 22, 2000 Volcan Cotopaxi (Ecuador; 19,347 feet): Dec. 12, 2009 Ararat (Turkey; 16,854 feet): Sept. 25, 2010
AWAY FROM HOME Jake Norton’s globetrotting travels have kept him away from wife Wende Valentine and kids Lila and Ryrie, and he had a short film, Wild Love, made as a tribute to them: mountainworldproductions.com/portfolio/wild-love-jake-norton-wende-valentine. aksportingjournal.com | DECEMBER 2020
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anything at all from Hillary and Tenzing; if anything, it would underscore what they did because they made it back down alive,” he says. “But I would love to imagine (Mallory and Irvine) being up there in their tweed coats and woolen knickers.” Perhaps it’s a feeling of elation and hope that only fellow mountaineers can truly understand. ASJ Editor’s note: You can see more of Jake Norton’s adventures and guiding at his website, jakenorton.com. For more on Discovery Channel’s film on the Norton Everest expedition, go to go.discovery.com/ tv-shows/undiscovered/full-episodes/ everests-greatest-mystery.
For an American mountaineer, getting to the top of the highest point on this continent was special. “It felt more (like being) on top of the world than the summit of Everest does,” says Norton (left), who recalls the feat as “pretty amazing and powerful.” (JAKE NORTON)
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PACIFIC WINGS WATERFOWL ADVENTURES
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GRASS CHUTE GOATS THREE HUNTERS BRAVE RUGGED SOUTHEAST ALASKA TERRAIN TO CHASE BILLIES
BY BRIAN WATKINS
E So you want to be a goat hunter? Get ready for one of the most physically challenging hunts you can imagine, as three friends discovered on a Southeast Alaska mountain goat adventure. (BRIAN WATKINS)
veryone has been affected in some way or another by COVID-19. It’s a troublesome year, but as with everything in life, you need to find the silver linings. My buddy Trevor and I had planned a goat hunt in Southeast Alaska in August. The plan was to go for two mature billies – bow in tow. Planning the earlyseason hunt was our way of escaping the COVID world a little early. As it turns out, my best friend from college, Dave,
who is not a hunter, was laid off due to a decrease in workload. His silver lining was leaving California and coming with us to experience what hunting in Alaska is all about: adventure.
OUR GOOD FRIEND JON Geary took us out onto the saltwater via boat, the best route of travel in Southeast, and dropped us off on a beach that we had decided on by going over maps. We headed up the mountain on a
typical goat hunt path: thick brush and elevation gain. We spent the first day climbing the mountain and getting to the area that we had gone over. Opening morning was one we will never forget. We headed out onto the tops of the mountains amidst the slopes and cliffs. We spotted several inaccessible goats and ventured into uncharted territory. Our plan was to slowly walk the ridgelines and glass each grass chute as
Besides the steep climbs, there are plenty of tree trunks to cross in this corner of Alaska. (BRIAN WATKINS)
we went along. Trevor would cover one side of the mountain as Dave and I would go the other way. The terrain is comprised of grass chutes that lead into cliff edges of shale rock. The goats tend to live in the shale rock for safety from predators. The area where they reside is often dangerous and deadly. Moving along the ridge, Trevor spotted a mature billy. The goat was only 120 yards away, but in the aforementioned terrain. Trevor moved down a grass chute as Dave and I watched from above. As Trevor progressed, he slipped, sliding straight down towards the billy, which stood at the base of a 40-foot vertical drop. As Trevor gained speed, we gasped in fear thinking he was going to fly off the cliff and be in serious trouble. Somehow Trevor dug his feet in and stopped a couple feet short of death. He trembled as adrenaline shot through his body. I’m still not sure quite how he did it, but he was able to compose himself and make a great shot on the goat below.
WHILE TREVOR AND DAVE went down to find
The guys were ready for a long hike to the high country. (BRIAN WATKINS) 36
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his goat, I spotted another animal across the valley. It looked to be a nice billy, so I went out to put a stalk on. It’s always best to get above mountain goats and stalk down to them. The animals rarely look up for danger and it gives a better vantage point to stalk them.
Even in August, you’re bound to run into a lot of snow at higher elevations. (BRIAN WATKINS)
A satisfied Trevor Embry shows off his mature billy. (BRIAN WATKINS)
I made my way above the billy, which was now accompanied by a smaller goat. As I moved into the area, I lost track of where the animals were. I used my binoculars to look back at Trevor and Dave, who watched as I got into position. Trevor gave predetermined hand signals to let me know where the goats were, as I was blind to their position. We have hunted together enough now that we
can use signals almost as well as voice commands. I got positioned directly above the goats. I knew the goats would feed up towards me as the day progressed. The first to come up was the small 2-yearold billy. He saw me lying above, but the wind was in my favor, leaving him unable to determine if I was a danger or not. As I waited for the bigger goat to
When on the lookout for mountain goats, the view is part of the experience. Getting within bow range of one is another story. (BRIAN WATKINS) 38
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A driving rainstorm would make transporting the goats back down to the boat a challenge, but a pair of billies down and full game bags were the reward for coming this far. (BRIAN WATKINS)
“Two goats down, within 30 minutes of each other,” writes author Brian Watkins (left, with Dave Moore and Embry). “It was a morning we will never forget.” (BRIAN WATKINS)
appear, this billy found me interesting. He walked to within 5 feet of me. I thought he was going to lick my bow! He finally spooked off and ran back down the hill to about 30 yards out. As he looked back at me, the bigger billy finally came up. I ranged him at 35 yards and sent an arrow flying. The shot drove through both lungs and the goat headed straight down the mountain. I’m not sure how they stay completely surefooted in that terrain, but he made it all the way down to the base of the cliff. Even being mortally wounded the goat still cruised through the mountain with ease.
TWO GOATS DOWN, WITHIN 30 minutes of each other! It was a morning we will never forget, and Dave was spoiled with what turned out to be an easy bow hunt. The weather turned that evening and we had sideways rain for the next three days of packing out the goats. It was truly Southeast Alaska weather – a downpour of rain and heavy winds. Goat hunting is strenuous, but it makes you feel alive. Especially chasing them in their natural habitat in the sketchiest environment Alaska has to offer. We will be back next year. ASJ 40
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ATKINS ON ALASKA ADVENTURE
BOOK EXCERPT: HOW AN OKLAHOMAN FOUND OUTDOOR BLISS IN THE ARCTIC BY PAUL D. ATKINS
W
hen I first came to the Alaskan Arctic in the mid-1990s, I had no idea that I would end up spending almost 25 years of my life here. The first time I came up here is what did it, and looking back I believe it really was that trip that truly hooked me. But if you told me back then that I would spend half my life here – a whole quarter of a century – I would have told you that you were crazy. But I did and with that came a life of incredible blessings.
One of the things I promised myself back then was that I would write a book about my time here and chronicle my adventures in the Arctic, so to speak. I remember sitting on my parents’ couch in Oklahoma having a discussion with my father before I moved north. He asked me why I was going (as if he didn’t know) and how long I might be gone. It was the hunting, of course, and I really didn’t know how long I would be away. “Long enough to write a book about hunting in the Arctic,” I told him. My writing skills were new back then, and even though I had only been published a couple of times I had the bug and wanted to continue doing so, if I could. Anyway, my dad agreed and supported me on my quest. I kept journals in those early Arctic 42
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years, and with much effort and many sealed envelopes full of CDs and cover letters later I got published. Many of those mailings were rejected, and for good reason, but eventually it did happen. Most of those that did get greenlit for publication were in magazines that accepted manuscripts for consideration. In return I received nothing moneywise – only an opportunity. And even though most of those publications were very reader-specific, I was grateful for the exposure. Everyone has to start somewhere, right? For some, having an Alaskan story published once would be enough, but it wasn’t for me. The biggest reason was the extensive amount of storylines I had or could gather. Every day up here was a new adventure, allowing me to write as much as I wanted. It was truly endless. So, as the journals filled – I have boxes of old steno notebooks filled with ink – I kept writing. Eventually over time I got better at the craft and it was no longer “if” I could get it published, but where Oklahoman Paul Atkins dreamed of chasing outdoor adventure in Alaska, and the reality of the experiences he’s enjoyed was more than he could have asked for. He’s sharing some of his memories in a new book, Atkins’ Alaska. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
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and whom I wanted to publish it with. I’ve been blessed and a bit lucky, but I would say with a lot of hard work and persistence it has paid off over the years. I’m not bragging by any means; there are many writers who are a lot better than me. But I’ve been fortunate enough to be published over 400 times in my career as a writer. Most if not all of those have pertained to my life here
in the Alaskan Arctic – specifically my hunting and fishing adventures, plus a few survival tales thrown in there. So, as you may have guessed, the time finally came to put my book together. I thought it would be hard at first, but with the right publisher, good editors and, of course, a laptop with Microsoft Word, it became quite easy. My old journals served a purpose too,
“I’ve killed much bigger, but no bear has scared me more.” Atkins says of this bruin. “I really thought that my good friend Carl and I were at war with this guy. He was a bully that just wouldn’t leave well enough alone.” (PAUL D. ATKINS) 44
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and going through them again brought back a ton of memories – the old days of sitting at Bayside Restaurant with a cup of coffee writing away or inside a tent at night listening for bears as I tried to write – that I wanted somehow to get into the book. Looking back on all those old stories, I was really surprised at how much material I had to use. It was all there,
“When I first started writing I couldn’t afford a laptop or even a desktop. So, I used a notebook,” says Atkins, who often spent hours working on his memoir at Bayside Restaurant, a Kotzebue establishment that tragically burned to the ground in a November fire. “I took one with me everywhere I went,” he says of the journals.
(PAUL D. ATKINS)
endless adventures throughout the Arctic and all of Alaska. The memories were vivid, and the time had come to put it all together. So with that, my book has come to fruition. It was a dream that I had and something I promised myself I would do long ago. I look at it as coming full circle during my time here. The following are just a few excerpts from my book, Atkins’ Alaska, published by Publications Consultants in Anchorage, Alaska. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have had putting them together.
DANGEROUS GAME Sometimes, tales of past experiences get put aside like an old pair of boots, but they’re hardly forgotten. I think about them often and to tell the truth, they define who I am and what I’ve done here. Events where mistakes were made, and if not for a lucky decision here and there, things could have turned out quite differently. I’ve been a part of or at least participated in many of these here in the Arctic, and to be honest there have been times when I didn’t think I’d make it home alive. I definitely learned from them and there are few that are hard to write about. The struggles of each were real and the sheer closeness to receiving bodily harm was a little too close for comfort. Many people shake their head and wonder why I put myself in these situations. Looking back, I wonder myself sometimes. Was it the challenge, the adventure or maybe the sheer want of an animal that propelled me? All I know is that most people can’t comprehend what it’s like to come face to face with a sow grizzly or the sinking feeling that if something isn’t done soon, you’ll freeze to death. Crazy, to say the least. This is one of those stories. A flash from the past where we became the prey and not the predator. Sometimes it’s better to just shake your head, back out and say, nope. It was pitch dark and the big grizzly was rushing full speed towards our tent. With a flashlight in one hand and a .44 in the other, all I could say was, “Here he comes again, and this time I don’t think he is going to stop!” The only comfort was being inside the tent, or so I thought. This was like a bad dream … 46
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HIGH MOUNTAIN OX
The author has shared many of his fishing and hunting outings with his son Eli – he tells two father-son stories in the book – and longtime buddy/partner in crime Lew Pagel. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
Teetering on the side of a mountain, I came to a stop thinking, “This is really going to hurt!” The slick, hard-packed snow provided zero traction and my SnoGo track began to spin at its steepest point. Thirty yards from the top, where Lew stood watching me, I began to tip. One ski was off the ground, and I could feel the weight of the heavy sled pushing against me. Straddling the seat and leaning hard against the mountain, I knew I couldn’t hold it much longer and prepared for the long tumble down to where I had started. In my mind, I could see gear – bow, rifle and everything else – scattered like trash down the mountainside, and me with a broken neck. Luckily, I was able to balance it and bring it to a stop. This year’s weather has been difficult here in the far north, more weird than difficult. Winter arrived early, producing tons of snow blanketing the region in deep white and then it began to warm up. We then had rain for a few days and then it reversed itself again, giving us a dose of extreme cold. I can handle these changes – I’ve been doing it for years – but the inconsistency is a killer for those of us who like to be outside. Ideally you want super-cold temperatures followed by lots of snow, but if it warms up and rains, it gets downright miserable. Slush and thin ice make travel dangerous and normal hunting time nonexistence. We couldn’t get out and do anything, so all we could do was wait for it to get cold again …
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON “Eli, are you going to be OK?” I asked for the hundredth time. Through tearful eyes he replied with a simple, “Yes.” I wondered if he really was, though, and it worried me. The Dramamine had little effect and the patches seemed more like a gimmick than an actual preventive against seasickness. I felt sorry for him, to say the least – this might have been a bad idea, dragging him out onto the ocean for a trip like this. Thankfully, however, one of the guys on the boat had been thoughtful enough to bring a bag of Jolly Ranchers, which in the end helped save the day and the entire trip. I know this isn’t how I usually start
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YOUR MUST-STOP BEFORE HUNTING & FISHING ON PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND, ALASKA KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF WILL LET YOU KNOW WHERE, WHEN AND HOW!
one of my stories, but when your fishing and hunting trip requires a boat in order to go a long distance in big water, then it usually always starts just like that. Five-day excursions into wide open places, such as the southern end of Kamishak Bay (where we were), or other places like the Chukchi Sea where I live, are not for the faint-hearted anyway, but are common practices come May through June here in Alaska. Getting sick from the ever-pounding waves and rocking of the boat are a given and eventually someone or all will spill their beans. This was not my first trip onto the deep blue, but it had been many years since I flew to Homer and tested my nerve and skill on a trip such as this.
“Cast and blast,” as it is often referred, are five-to-six-day boat hunts and fishing tours provided by transporters in and out of one or many bodies of water here in Alaska. They are fun and exciting and provide a lot of enjoyment for a true Alaskan adventure, something all should experience at least once in their lives …
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE ARCTIC Alaska’s Arctic has been kind to me. Living here for the last 20 years has brought me many experiences, both good and bad. I’ve seen things that most only dream about and been involved in some of the greatest hunting adventures in what is truly one of the last great places on Earth.
Hunting Sitka blacktails on Kodiak Island is what Atkins calls one of the Last Frontier’s “best-kept secrets.” (PAUL D. ATKINS)
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Whether it’s been muskox on the northwest coast – where just surviving becomes the main focus – or chasing Dall sheep in winter or hunting the barren tundra where the mighty grizzly and majestic caribou roam, all were unforgettable, and each are etched in my mind forever. Here is one of those incredible times. “They’re right over the edge,” I whispered into Lew’s ear. “How many?” he asked. “I don’t know?” I said. “I only saw the top of their backs.” Lew’s face lit up with excitement shouting, “Check again, check again!” “OK, but we have to be quiet or we’ll scare them off,” I told him.
We were hunting muskox on a hill overlooking the Agashashok River, located just north of Kotzebue in the Baird Mountains. Lew is a great friend who has been living here in the Arctic for the last 15 years. He and I have been hunting together for several of those years, but Lew, like many, had never seen a wild muskox up close before, let alone a small herd, like those now hidden in front of us. I dropped down to my knees and crawled up over the edge to have a look. Easing my frozen binoculars up, I peered through the eyecups, only to come face to face with one of the beasts. “Damn,” I said under my breath, “they’re close!” Not
wavering, I kept my eyes peeled, looking at each and counting under my breath. After a few minutes I turned to Lew, who stood there holding the camera, all dressed in his warm but bright red parka. “They’re right there!” I told him. “How many?” he asked. “Twelve,” I said. “Dang, let’s shoot one!” he blurted. “We can’t,” I said. “They’re all cows!” Quietly we stood there wondering what to do next. I could tell Lew was disappointed and so was I, but that’s how things work sometimes. “What should we do?” he asked, pointing to the herd that was now
Atkins has taken 10 muskox during his Alaska stint and he understands he’s been lucky, but it also took him about a decade to draw his first tag. “So, in the end I’ve paid my dues, but it’s much more than that,” he says. “It has become a ritual for me, something I cherish.” (PAUL D. ATKINS)
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wondering off. “Nothing; let’s just take this all in and remember,” I muttered …
WAITING TO FREEZE The caribou were but small specks in the distance, tiny white spots against a burnt-orange and brown landscape. There was no cover to speak of and the hike over would take us through a land mine of deep tussocks and shallow pools. The temperature was well below freezing and the north wind was crisp, bending spruce and biting through thick layers of clothes. I dreaded the hike, but hopefully the ground would be frozen,
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“One of the things I promised myself back then was that I would write a book about my time here and chronicle my adventures in the Arctic,” Atkins writes about his pilgrimage to the Great North. “It was a dream that I had and something I promised myself I would do long ago. I look at it as coming full circle during my time here.” (PAUL D. ATKINS)
and the 2-mile stalk would be easy on my knees. September is long gone now. Moose season is over and most of the caribou have moved south to their winter range. The trips across the big lake are finished and the old duck blind lies vacant until next season. The big snowshoe hare are camouflaging themselves in white, while the half-white, half-brown ptarmigan dance in the willows, waiting on the snow to fall. It truly is a time of change. Late October and early November are difficult times here in the Arctic, especially for the outdoorsman. Much like being in purgatory, the “hurry up and wait” mentality will drive you crazy. The ocean is cold but not frozen yet. 54
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Rivers are icing up along the edges and the small tributaries are layered in white crystal. Boats are being stored while snowmachines lay in wait, filling yards and garages across the Arctic. It’s a time of bored anticipation. As a hunter, it’s also a tough time for me personally. In the 20 years I’ve lived here I still cannot get used to this time of year. Most of my friends who live down south are just beginning their hunting seasons, with many still in waiting. I watch online at their exploits with jealous congratulations, praying for their success and seeing their failures. Each day they’re either sitting in a tree stand or pulling on waders to go chase birds or maybe even cutting meat, which finds me wishing I was there with them.
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And even though I’d like to be, I wouldn’t trade places with them. I love Alaska and what it will bring, but now all I can do is sit, reflect and wait for snow. ASJ Editor’s note: Atkins’ Alaska is available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon and everywhere good books are sold. It can also be ordered through author Paul Atkins’ website, paulatkinsoutdoors.com, and if you want an autographed copy, email him at paul@ paulatkinsoutdoors.com. Atkins is an outdoor writer and author from Kotzebue, Alaska. He’s had hundreds of articles published on big game hunting in Alaska and throughout North America and Africa, plus surviving in the Arctic. Paul is a regular contributor to Alaska Sporting Journal.
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Moose are numerous in Game Management Unit 18 and it is one of the few places in Alaska where numbers are growing. There are five subareas to hunt, and in some of those you can take two moose. Just be sure to check the regulations to see what is available. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
GMU PrOFILE
EXPERIENCE ALASKA’S BULL HUNTING BONANZA Editor’s note: From the Alaska Panhandle to the “top of the world” in Barrow/Utqiagvik, Alaska contains 26 game management units that feature land for hunting and other outdoor activities. Our Arctic adventurer Paul Atkins is breaking down some of the units he’s hunted in the past in this ongoing feature. This issue: GMU 18. BY PAUL D. ATKINS
G
ame Management Unit 18, which lies in the southwestern part of the state, is truly one of Alaska’s best-kept secrets. This is currently one of the last few places where the moose population is thriving. Its vast willow-choked tundra is pristine, which creates some of the best habitat for growing big mature bulls. Moose can be hunted in five general areas, and, for some residents, two moose may be taken annually.
more prevalent in Unit 18 than other units further to the north. But unlike those northern units, you can only take one brown bear per year versus two where I live around Kotzebue.
MORE BULLS TO HARVEST
SPRAWLING UNIT Unit 18 is big; it encompasses the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge and also the lower drainages of the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers, creating all the ingredients for some of the best hunting in the state. Like many units along Alaska’s western coast, the hunting is superb for not only the aforementioned moose, but for bears as well. For instance, hunters are allowed to harvest three black bears, which are
Caribou are not as common as they are further north, either. Only one per customer can be taken, but from what I’ve seen, some of those bulls are the biggest in the state. Muskox hunting, especially on Nunivak Island, is the real ticket in Unit 18. Open to both residents and nonresidents, these hunts are highly coveted and one of the few places on Earth where you can actually do it without waiting years to draw a tag or
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Caribou are a bit more rare to come by in the unit, with hunters only allowed to harvest one per year and no nonresident opportunities. However, if you get lucky, you will not only be in for some of the best hunting, but also some of the state’s biggest bulls. (PAUL D. ATKINS) GMU 18 includes some rugged wilderness like the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge and also the muskox hunting mecca of Nunivak Island in the Bering Sea. (ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME)
pay through the nose. Nunivak Island is located right off the coast in the Bering Sea, about 135 miles from the town of Bethel. This remote island is home to approximately 500 to 600 muskox and very few people. Introduced in 1929, muskox have thrived and developed into an incredible hunting opportunity for those wanting a hunt like no other. Bulls can be hunted by permit only, but permits are also available for cows on a first-come, first-served basis. Muskox hunting occurs twice a year, with one season starting in August and the other in January.
in the right direction and even help when it comes to getting it back to where you came from. Like most of the state’s units, GMU 18 does harbor its share of wolves, allowing 10 taken per year during a long season running from August through April. And unlike most units, you are allowed two
MACHINES REQUIRED Much like around my country, muskox hunting is done by snowmachine. There are many operators on the island who will gladly rent you a machine, point you
Muskox hunters come from all over the world to hunt these prehistoric beasts, and rightly so. Open to residents and nonresidents alike, muskox are plentiful. You may have to hurry to get a permit, though, as they go quickly. (PAUL D. ATKINS) 58
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wolverines per year – that is, if you can find them. ASJ Editor’s note: For a detailed map and more season dates on GMU 18, go to adfg.alaska .gov and look under the Hunting tab to a link to maps by game management unit. Follow Paul Atkins on Twitter @AKTrophyHunter.
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CATCHING ‘THE ILIAMNA LAKE MONSTER’ BY BJORN DIHLE
O
n a calm September day, a group of moose hunters sat in their skiff on Iliamna Lake on the Alaska Peninsula. The men noticed what looked like two big sunken logs beneath their boat, but didn’t think much of it. They focused on scanning for moose and watching a family of swans floating nearby. Suddenly, one swan vanished underwater. In a matter of seconds the
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rest of the flock was dragged under. The hunters watched in horror and fascination, as what they thought had been sunken logs fed on the birds. One was the length and the width of their 18-foot skiff and had eyes the circumference of soccer balls. The creatures looked like giant northern pike. Bruce Wright, a marine ecologist and apex predator specialist, recorded this account. It’s just one of many stories of
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what people have dubbed “The Iliamna Lake Monster.”
WRIGHT IS “NOT A big fan of cryptobiology,” but as a scientist who has studied everything from bears to sharks, he finds the stories of the monsters fascinating. The lake interests Wright as much as any mysterious beasts it may hold. “What’s so intriguing to me is the lake
Akin to Scotland’s Loch Ness Monster, a mystery creature is believed to live below the surface of Bristol Bay’s Iliamna Lake. “The Iliamna Lake Monster” is often described as shark-like in appearance. (lLLUSTRATION BY ALEX WITT)
itself. Five to eight million adult sockeye salmon come back to Lake Iliamna each year,” Wright said. At 77 miles long, up to 1,000 feet deep and with an area of roughly 1,200 square miles, Iliamna is the largest lake in Alaska and the third largest in the U.S. It’s the source of the Kvichak River, which is considered the most productive freshwater habitat for Bristol Bay’s aksportingjournal.com | DECEMBER 2020
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An Iliamna Lake freshwater seal investigates Mark Stigar and Bruce Wright’s underwater camera. A theory is that the seals are prey of the lake monster. (MARK STIGAR)
sockeye salmon. There’s also some debate as to the exact meaning of “Iliamna.” According to a newsletter published by the Yup’ik village of Igiugig, which lies at the western edge of the lake, Iliamna is “the name of a mythical great blackfish supposed to inhabit this lake, which bites holes in the bidarkas (kayaks) of bad natives.” Many people, from local Natives to visiting scientists, believe there’s nothing mythical about the monsters. Since well before Alaska became a state, there have been numerous reported sightings of giant fish-like creatures in the lake. There’s some variation in descriptions, but most witnesses say the creatures are dark colored, shark-like in appearance and between 10 and 20 feet long. Often there’s more than one together and frequently, the creatures 62
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are hunting. Many Natives believe the creatures to be dangerous and attracted to the color red. In 1980, the Anchorage Daily News offered a $100,000 reward during a five-month period to anyone who presented clear evidence of the monsters. No definitive proof has been made public, though there have been sightings reported most years since. Despite the lack of a carcass or verifiable photo, Wright believes there’s validity to the stories. “I was skeptical. I’m not skeptical anymore,” he said. “Every time I talk to someone who has spent time out there, they’ve seen it or know someone who has.”
FOR YEARS, WRIGHT THEORIZED that the monsters might be Pacific sleeper sharks that adapted to living in freshwater. Now,
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he’s wondering if they might be a tiny population of gargantuan northern pike. Others have theorized they’re giant sturgeon. However, reports of the creatures’ predatory behavior – herding seals into shallows to hunt them and preying upon schools of sockeye salmon – don’t sound like a sturgeon. Wright came to the conclusion that the only way to solve the mystery was to catch one of the monsters. Around this time Wright befriended Mark Stigar, a retired colonel and former chief aviation officer for the Alaska Army National Guard, who owns a cabin on Iliamna Lake. Stigar had heard the stories for years – and having both a baccalaureate and master’s degree in wildlife biology, he was intrigued, though he took the stories with a grain of salt. Wright gave Stigar some commercial
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Could a freshwater-adapted sleeper shark – this 10- to 12-footer was caught in the Bering Sea on a subsistence black cod longline set – be the sea creature that’s baffled Iliamna residents and researchers? (JESSE WALKER)
halibut longlining gear. Stigar set the gear out on the lake’s bottom in 100 feet of water, with each of the 14 hooks baited with the head of a sockeye salmon. He’d heard of other fishermen trying to catch the monsters in the past; some claimed to have hooked into one of the creatures but that no line, including steel cable, was able to hold one. In 2017, after several summers with no action, Stigar had an experience that convinced him the monsters were real. On that day he went to check his longline set and was surprised to see that his 38-pound anchor had been dragged 50 yards. “The line was going the opposite direction and was all tangled. Gangens were gone, severed. Metal snaps were bent in different directions and piled on top of each other,” Stigar said. Halibut longline gear similar to what Stigar was using will hold 10-plus-foot sleeper sharks and halibut well over 300 pounds. Some who heard his story theorized it could have been a seal – the lake has a population of around 400 rare freshwater seals. Stigar believes whatever moved his gear was much larger and more powerful. Instead of resetting the longline, he coiled it and packed it away. Now that he knew the “monster” was real, he didn’t want to hurt or kill it. “This could be the oldest creature on the planet,” Stigar said. “I’m not going to try to catch it anymore.” Wright agreed with Stigar and the men developed an underwater camera system. The contraption was deployed for the first time in the summer of 2019. “If anything, it’s just been fun to see what comes to the camera,” Stigar said.
DURING 2020 THERE WERE at least three
Underwater cameras are one possible way to confirm what is lurking in the depths of Lake Iliamna. (MARK STIGAR)
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Mark Stigar holds a tangled longline and a severed gangen after something big struck it. “This could be the oldest creature on the planet,” he says. “I’m not going to try to catch it anymore.” (MARK STIGAR)
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reported sightings of the monsters. Also this year, something big visited Wright and Stigar’s camera and tore off part of the metal contraption that had been baited with a filleted carcass of a sockeye. It was the typical fisherman story – the camera had run out of battery shortly before the creature struck. Stigar and Wright plan to be back at next summer. They’re working on improving their camera system and are adding a drone to their kit. Wright’s best guess is that the
Like all good Loch Ness-like stories, the mystery of the Iliamna Lake Monster remains just that – a mystery. Still, some think there’s validity to this legend. “I was skeptical. I’m not skeptical anymore,” marine ecologist Bruce Wright insists. (CHRIS MILLER)
“monster” is a giant pike; Stigar believes it’s most likely to be a sleeper shark or something similar. It’s evening entertainment, Stigar said, even if nothing ever comes of it. “There’s something out there,” he added. “I’m not so arrogant to think we know everything that’s out there.”ASJ
Editor’s note: Pride of Bristol Bay is a free column written by Bjorn Dihle and provided by its namesake, a fisherman-direct seafood marketer that specializes in delivering the highest quality of sustainably caught wild salmon from Bristol Bay to your doorstep. Go to prideofbristolbay.com for more information.
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Looking for a holiday gift for the angler in your life? The new Mag Lip 2.0 accounted for trout in lakes and rivers, along with hard-fighting coho last season. The diversity of this plug greatly impressed author Scott Haugen. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
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L
ooking for a special Christmas gift for the hunter or angler in your life? Consider these items, which I’ve used in the field and recommend.
MAG LIP 2.0 One of the most versatile plugs I’ve used, the Mag Lip continued to impress me all year. Created by Yakima Bait Company (yakimabait.com), it’s known as one of the best models of plugs ever created, as its skip-beat action entices a range of species to attack. Last spring, summer
and fall I fished the tiny 2.0 version and it worked great on trout, Dolly Varden and coho salmon. Trolled from a boat in a lake or backtrolled in a river, this size Mag Lip is a fish-catcher when focusing on trout and Dollies. When bobber-dogged in a river, it also produced a number of hardfighting silvers. As with its larger cousins, the 2.0 comes in a range of finishes, allowing you to match what fish are feeding on. These little plugs are active, tough and
catch fish.
SOFT BEADS FOR COHO Last fall I fished multiple coho streams in Alaska and had phenomenal success with BnR Tackle’s Soft Beads (bnrtackle .com). I’d done great before with the 16mm and 20mm soft beads, but last season was eager to put the 25mm and 32mm versions to the test. In my first seven casts with a 32mm cerise-colored soft bead, I landed five coho. It got my attention. A buddy stood
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FIELD
When your salmon begins to fall apart in the pan, don’t stress, as it can make for a delicious, fish-infused scramble for your weekend brunch menu. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)
SCRAMBLING SALMON TO PERFECTION BY TIFFANY HAUGEN
A
year ago we were living in Hyder, Alaska, and we had plenty of coho to get us through the winter. In an effort to make all that fish appealing to my family, I was always experimenting. I’ve had more than my share of recipe failures over the decades, so it’s a great day when an apparent failure turns into a tasty recipe worth repeating, like this one. Looking to make a low-carb fish patty, I knew my batter was lacking in consistency. Thinking the patties would come together during the pan fry, I was
frustrated when they all fell apart. They were, however, a lovely golden brown and once all flipped, they started to resemble scrambled eggs. Taking a taste from the pan, I knew my family would love this, especially when topped with the avocado mint cream I had already blended up. What resulted was this fish scramble. This recipe works great with any smaller bits of salmon, trout, Dollies, sheefish, pike, halibut or cod. The meat can be either fresh or frozen. 1 cup raw fish One egg ¼ cup almond meal/flour 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 tablespoons minced dill pickle 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil Remove any skin and bones from fish and chop into small chunks. In a medium bowl, mix egg, almond meal/flour, mayonnaise, pickle and mustard. Gently fold in fish and stir until thoroughly combined. In a large skillet, heat oil on mediumhigh heat. Drop spoonfuls of fish mixture
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into the hot skillet, leaving at least ¼-inch between “cakes.” Once golden brown, flip cakes – and without worrying if they fall apart but trying to keep them bite-sized. Cook the other side until golden brown and serve immediately with avocado mint cream.
AVOCADO MINT CREAM
Two ripe avocados ¼ cup fresh mint 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons olive oil ¼ to ½ cup cold water Salt and black pepper to taste Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add water to reach desired consistency and immediately serve. Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s popular book, Cooking Seafood and other best-selling titles, visit tiffanyhaugen.com.
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FIELD
New this year to the outdoor world, the line of processing equipment from Meat! is worth the investment, based on Haugen’s experiences. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
in one spot and landed over 20 coho in two hours on the same bead, and another friend caught 54 coho before having to replace his tattered 32mm bead. Cerise, clown, and mottled pink were the hot colors. Soft beads are neutrally buoyant so can be fished many ways. My favorite was drifted, often with no weight on the 32mm models. They also work well under a float and can be backbounced in ideal water.
SHIMANO NASCI C3000HG SPINNING REEL Affordable, durable and a great allaround spinning reel – whether spooled with PowerPro or a copolymer – what sets the NASCI apart are sealed gears and bearings at the handle and bottom of the spool shaft, which keep out sand and small debris that are notoriously hard on reels. I used this reel last year to catch trout, char, four salmon species, and more. The
NASCI is smooth and works in a range of fisheries and water conditions, including saltwater. Learn more at fish.shimano.com.
HOBIE ACCESSORIES Hobie is world-renowned for their fishing Designed to mimic a cluster of cured eggs, neutrally buoyant 32mm soft beads were a top producer of coho salmon for the author this year. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
kayaks, but their fishing glasses rank right up there among the best I’ve used. I put their new El Matador polarized lenses to the test in many situations this year, and I loved their performance. The rubber pads on the nose and arms are comfortable and result in a good grip. The retractable side shield design is ingenious, making for easy and safe storage. These glasses work perfectly for blocking interfering sidelight and keeping out dust in the wind. They also breathe well, meaning no fogging. There’s no pinching or binding, so the glasses can be worn in comfort all day long. Learn more at hobieeyewear.com.
YETI DOG BOWLS We have two gun dogs and travel a lot with them. Whether it’s on the road or at home, they always have their Yeti dog bowls (yeti.com). For years I searched for the ideal food bowl for my dogs, and Yeti’s is the best I’ve found. Dubbed Boomer, the Yeti dog bowl is incredibly durable, thanks to its double-wall, noninsulated stainless steel construction. My bowls have many dents and dings in them, but no rust spots or punctures, plus the nonslip ring on the 72
ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL
DECEMBER 2020 | aksportingjournal.com
Pistol Bullets and Ammunition Zero Bullet Company, Inc.
ZER
P.O. Box 1188 Cullman, AL 35056 Tel: 256-739-1606 Fax: 256-739-4683 Toll Free: 800-545-9376 www.zerobullets.com
aksportingjournal.com | DECEMBER 2020
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FIELD bottom is tough and dependable. It’s a perfect dish for kibble, raw food or even water. It’s simple to clean – wipe it down with a towel or place in the dishwasher.
BOG DEATHGRIP TRIPOD I’m a firm believer in tripod shooting sticks and use them for big game and varmints. This year, Bog (boghunt.com) reached new heights with its DeathGrip Tripod. It comes in both carbon fiber ($257.99) and aluminum ($164.99). Both models are engineered for precision and balance. The leg design of the DeathGrip decreases flex – thus optimizing stability – and the pan and tilt brakes are solid. The lever-lock leg adjustments are simple to use and quick to handle, as are the pushbottom leg adjustments, which allow you
to achieve multiple shooting angles. The clamp holds your rifle firmly in place and the yoke smoothly pivots, allowing for easy 360-degree rotation and 25 degrees of cant forward and back. They’re great for keeping steady for extended periods, shooting long range or simply making your shot placement more precise.
MEAT! APPLIANCES For decades Tiffany and I have worked with some of the top meat processing manufacturers in the outdoor industry. After this fall, I can say the new line of Meat! products are worth a close look (meatyourmaker.com). The 1.5-horsepower grinder is the most sturdy, smooth, simple-to-clean grinder I’ve used. The grinding plates yield clean meat and it handles fat and sinew extremely well. It works great on big game and game birds. Its 10-inch meat slicer is also simple to use. In addition to slicing steaks on it, we love cutting various thicknesses
of venison for jerky on the slicer, then cooking it in their dehydrator. Meat’s 10-tray dehydrator has excellent temperature control and air circulation, resulting in the best jerky we’ve ever had out of a dehydrator. We also dried loads of apples, pears and plums with great results. The company’s chamber vacuum sealer is also a top-shelf accessory. We used it on fish, game, veggies and much more, and we’re very impressed with the machine, as well as the quality of the company’s bags, which transported and froze without puncture. Whether searching for a gift, or maybe looking to treat yourself to some new gear, there are lots of options this season. Happy holidays! ASJ Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s popular DVD, Field Dressing, Skinning & Caping Big Game, send a check for $20 (FREE S&H), to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489, or order online at scotthaugen.com.
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