Well, I started typing that last post two days ago in the Anchorage airport when I was giving up hope of ever getting on a plane off standby. 5 minutes before the plane was to depart, they call my name, give me a seat, and I had to turn off my laptop and get on the plane! They filled our little puddle jumper to capacity (28 people, woo!), but with all the luggage, the weight made us have to stop TWICE to refuel the plane.
From Anchorage to Dutch Harbor is 792 miles (I learned this from a brochure on the plane). We stopped once at King Salmon to refuel and again at Sand Point (where we had stopped the first day to refuel). Finally made it to Dutch and I was worried I wouldn't be able to find my chief scientist, Neal, at the airport. We walk off the plane and into the "terminal", which was like a little room. I took some photos, but haven't taken them off the computer yet to post. Let's just say it's a small airport, and Neal spotted me right away.
Dutch Harbor is a cute little town, and it is connected to Uunalaska by a bridge (something new in the past couple decades), which is another little town. I'll post more on that later. Neal got me back to the boat, where I unpacked my stuff and my roommate Carwyn showed me around the ship. Then Carwyn and Denise (both on the scientific party) and I went driving around. I saw some foxes! And I've learned from them than I ever imagined. Every time they talk, I want to be like, wait, let me write that down!
Yesterday I had the day to myself in Dutch Harbor. I woke up, had a nice 3+ mile run into town, went to the Museum of the Aleutians (lots of history, lots of reading - more on this later), called a few people (yay AT&T - the only cell service that works in Dutch Harbor), and jogged back to the ship. While eating lunch, one of the NOAA Corps Ensigns (ENS), Chelsea, came in with the new ensign Kevin (who is actually working with the scientific team this leg of the trip) and a deck hand, Brian. They asked me to go kayaking because there were 3 of them and they had two 2-person kayaks so they needed one more. What an adventure! Chelsea and Brian had waterproof cameras, so I'll have to bug them to get some photos of our kayaking trip. We went against the current in the middle of Captains Bay for what felt like forever. The views were breathtaking. Seeing it from a kayak in the middle of the ocean is a little different than from the road. When we got back to the ship, we kayaked under the dock for fun (sooooo neat), and then all of us but Kevin (he had to be the photographer up above) got in the water! So now I can say that I've actually gotten in water in freezing Alaskan waters!
Time to go watch us leave port and head out to sea. Until next time followers :)
Saturday, June 30, 2012
The Anchorage Airport is AWESOME!
Well, it's 3pm Alaska time (7pm in TN/VA) and I've been at the Anchorage airport since 7am waiting on standby. Woke up to some nice rain and cloud cover (see previous post), so the first flight was cancelled. Here's my nice hotel room at the Puffin Inn. DC and I also had a nice breakfast this morning before leaving the hotel.
Second flight after noon was delayed and eventually went out. Supposedly it's really clear in Dutch Harbor right now, but the cloud cover changes minute by minute. There are plenty of people on standby with me, so it's actually been a really enjoyable day! One of the new NOAA Corps Officers (Ensign Libby Chase) reminds me of my friend Lesley from Knoxville. She's hilarious, and we've had a great time chatting and hanging out. We also found a nice restaurant, the Upper One, to relax in while waiting around.
Convo with the chief engineer regarding us being on standby:
CE: "Sitting all day just waiting?"
Us: "Yeah"
CE: "For them to call your name?"
Us: "Yeah"
CE: "That sucks!"
These are the people I am about the spend plenty of time with on board - I'm excited haha.
Second flight after noon was delayed and eventually went out. Supposedly it's really clear in Dutch Harbor right now, but the cloud cover changes minute by minute. There are plenty of people on standby with me, so it's actually been a really enjoyable day! One of the new NOAA Corps Officers (Ensign Libby Chase) reminds me of my friend Lesley from Knoxville. She's hilarious, and we've had a great time chatting and hanging out. We also found a nice restaurant, the Upper One, to relax in while waiting around.
Convo with the chief engineer regarding us being on standby:
CE: "Sitting all day just waiting?"
Us: "Yeah"
CE: "For them to call your name?"
Us: "Yeah"
CE: "That sucks!"
These are the people I am about the spend plenty of time with on board - I'm excited haha.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
To Dutch Harbor! And back ...
Well, it's after midnight in Alaska, and I should be sound asleep in my stateroom in Dutch Harbor. But I'm in Anchorage. How'd that happen?
Well, I left Anchorage around 3:45pm (Alaska time) and we made TWO passes to land in Dutch Harbor (after a 3hr flight to get there). It was too cloudy/overcast today though, much to my dismay. The first time, we were descending and all of a sudden the nose of the plane rose up and we were back above the clouds. The second time, we got far enough down where we could see the water below us (after descending through clouds/fog where you couldn't see ANYTHING), but I guess they were still having problems. So we headed to Sand Point, Alaska (another new city on my list of places I've been) to refuel and reassess. This was about an hour away. Well, there's nothing to Sand Point but a landing strip and fuel and a few houses on the water, so we refueled and headed back to Anchorage (two and a half MORE hours on the plane) because the weather didn't look any better in Dutch Harbor. See map of Alaska below for Anchorage in relation to Dutch Harbor (farrrrrr left) and Sand Point. Second photo is the view when refueling at Sand Point. Time was about 8:00pm.
The puddle jumper plane I was on only has seats for 30, and there were about 15-20 of us on board. About 10-15 of them had tried to make it to Dutch Harbor YESTERDAY and had the same thing happen. They got a free hotel last night and tonight and have tickets on flights tomorrow. I, however, paid for my hotel tonight (which will be reimbursed by NOAA) and am on standby tomorrow. I plan to get to the airport early, but chances are, I'm going to sit around all day ...
I met some nice guys just out of officer candidate school for the Coast Guard - they were on the flight yesterday that was sent back, so tomorrow is their THIRD attempt at making it to Dutch Harbor. I also met one of the female officers trying to get to the Oscar Dyson as well. She is in the same situation as the Coast Guard guys. At least my hotel room at the Puffin Inn seems nicer than the one they've been put up in at the "Executive Suites", considering one lady (who actually lives in Dutch Harbor) did say her towel rack fell off the wall when she hung up her towel haha.
Things I've learned today?
* This is already an adventure!
* I've now been on the scariest plane ride of my life (if this had been Michelle Miller's first flight, she never would have made it back on the plane from Sand Point to Anchorage ...), and I found it very enjoyable! All of these little islands remind me of playing Wii golf and one of the holes where you have to get the ball from island to island haha.
* My photos are in no way doing the beauty of this landscape justice. The left photo is mountains that were so high they were visible through the clouds (no, that's not snow all over the ground).
* I can stay up for over 24hrs and still be cognizant to type this blog post
* The power of prayer is a good thing: I had all of my luggage today!
* Sunsets are still beautiful in Alaska, even if they come after 11:00pm ...
Now, let's hope for two things tomorrow:
1. That I get on a flight to Dutch Harbor that makes it there and lands!
2. That my luggage follows me to DH as well. Apparently there were some people whose luggage was randomly removed from the flight today because we were over weight. Their baggage would come on a later flight. If this happens tomorrow, and I have a late flight, I may not have my luggage before the Oscar Dyson departs port on Friday morning, and then I'll have to make a Wal-Mart shopping spree in Dutch Harbor!
Well, I left Anchorage around 3:45pm (Alaska time) and we made TWO passes to land in Dutch Harbor (after a 3hr flight to get there). It was too cloudy/overcast today though, much to my dismay. The first time, we were descending and all of a sudden the nose of the plane rose up and we were back above the clouds. The second time, we got far enough down where we could see the water below us (after descending through clouds/fog where you couldn't see ANYTHING), but I guess they were still having problems. So we headed to Sand Point, Alaska (another new city on my list of places I've been) to refuel and reassess. This was about an hour away. Well, there's nothing to Sand Point but a landing strip and fuel and a few houses on the water, so we refueled and headed back to Anchorage (two and a half MORE hours on the plane) because the weather didn't look any better in Dutch Harbor. See map of Alaska below for Anchorage in relation to Dutch Harbor (farrrrrr left) and Sand Point. Second photo is the view when refueling at Sand Point. Time was about 8:00pm.
The puddle jumper plane I was on only has seats for 30, and there were about 15-20 of us on board. About 10-15 of them had tried to make it to Dutch Harbor YESTERDAY and had the same thing happen. They got a free hotel last night and tonight and have tickets on flights tomorrow. I, however, paid for my hotel tonight (which will be reimbursed by NOAA) and am on standby tomorrow. I plan to get to the airport early, but chances are, I'm going to sit around all day ...
I met some nice guys just out of officer candidate school for the Coast Guard - they were on the flight yesterday that was sent back, so tomorrow is their THIRD attempt at making it to Dutch Harbor. I also met one of the female officers trying to get to the Oscar Dyson as well. She is in the same situation as the Coast Guard guys. At least my hotel room at the Puffin Inn seems nicer than the one they've been put up in at the "Executive Suites", considering one lady (who actually lives in Dutch Harbor) did say her towel rack fell off the wall when she hung up her towel haha.
Things I've learned today?
* This is already an adventure!
* I've now been on the scariest plane ride of my life (if this had been Michelle Miller's first flight, she never would have made it back on the plane from Sand Point to Anchorage ...), and I found it very enjoyable! All of these little islands remind me of playing Wii golf and one of the holes where you have to get the ball from island to island haha.
* I can stay up for over 24hrs and still be cognizant to type this blog post
* The power of prayer is a good thing: I had all of my luggage today!
* Sunsets are still beautiful in Alaska, even if they come after 11:00pm ...
Now, let's hope for two things tomorrow:
1. That I get on a flight to Dutch Harbor that makes it there and lands!
2. That my luggage follows me to DH as well. Apparently there were some people whose luggage was randomly removed from the flight today because we were over weight. Their baggage would come on a later flight. If this happens tomorrow, and I have a late flight, I may not have my luggage before the Oscar Dyson departs port on Friday morning, and then I'll have to make a Wal-Mart shopping spree in Dutch Harbor!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Fun in Chi Town!
Got to Chicago (without my carry-on bag that I had to check at the gate in BWI since all the overhead storage was apparently full, but not really), and walked at a nice pace from the farrrr right on the photo of Concourse C (all the way at the end) to the farrrrr left of the photo of O'Hare in Concourse L. Doesn't look like far on the photo, but trust me, I was kinda glad I wasn't lugging a carry-on. At one point, it seemed like we were in Vegas with all the lights and the sounds!
Get to the gate and guess what? Flight delayed. So my travel buddy DC and I wandered around. He was feeling Lucy so we played the lottery (scratchers) and WON $10!! We spent $5 on the tickets (Chicago Cubs? Loser. Cure scratcher? Winner!) so we profited $5, which is a win in my book!
DC was feeling scholarly so he did a little light reading in the bookstore as well.
Then we relaxed a bit in this lounge called ICE. It was right outside our gate, and it seemed perfect for our trip to Anchorage.
On the plane and ready to head out! Got another window seat, too. Next to heavy smokers, boo. Ya win some, ya lose some :)
Till next time ...
Get to the gate and guess what? Flight delayed. So my travel buddy DC and I wandered around. He was feeling Lucy so we played the lottery (scratchers) and WON $10!! We spent $5 on the tickets (Chicago Cubs? Loser. Cure scratcher? Winner!) so we profited $5, which is a win in my book!
DC was feeling scholarly so he did a little light reading in the bookstore as well.
Then we relaxed a bit in this lounge called ICE. It was right outside our gate, and it seemed perfect for our trip to Anchorage.
On the plane and ready to head out! Got another window seat, too. Next to heavy smokers, boo. Ya win some, ya lose some :)
Till next time ...
Headed out!
Today's the big day that I head to Alaska! Be sure to check out my first NOAA blog (http://teacheratsea.wordpress.com/2012/06/20/amanda-peretich-get-to-know-me-june-20-2012/).
My flight leaves Baltimore at 7:30am and my wonderful husband was kind enough to wake up at 3am, drive me 2hrs to the airport, and then drive back to Pax River to put in a 9hr work day. He's the best!
Also big thanks to Anne Hudnall for the awesome red duffel rolling bag. Plenty of room for my stuff (I am actually packed LIGHT for 3 weeks on a ship), and I even have a little extra room (and 9 extra pounds) if I find anything neat in Dutch Harbor.
I also brought along little stuffed "DC" to enjoy Alaska with me. Look for him in photos :)
My flight leaves Baltimore at 7:30am and my wonderful husband was kind enough to wake up at 3am, drive me 2hrs to the airport, and then drive back to Pax River to put in a 9hr work day. He's the best!
Also big thanks to Anne Hudnall for the awesome red duffel rolling bag. Plenty of room for my stuff (I am actually packed LIGHT for 3 weeks on a ship), and I even have a little extra room (and 9 extra pounds) if I find anything neat in Dutch Harbor.
I also brought along little stuffed "DC" to enjoy Alaska with me. Look for him in photos :)
Friday, June 8, 2012
What am I doing for 3 weeks??
If you didn't know, I am one of close to 30 teachers from across the United States selected to participate in the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)'s Teacher at Sea program!
I will be traveling aboard the NOAA ship Oscar Dyson from June 29 - July 17, 2012 leaving from and returning to Dutch Harbor, Alaska as part of an acoustic pollock survey! If you're interested in learning about this amazing ship, you can check out the Oscar Dyson here.
Throughout the trip, we have to update a blog on WordPress, but due to plenty of people that have to approve each blog, I will only be able to post at most 4 times each week. With THIS blog that you're reading now, Here Pollock Fishy, I plan to post more photos and stories, but encourage you to read BOTH blogs during my trip as they will be different for sure! Of course, this is all assuming the internet is working out in the middle of the ocean. I know I won't have cell phone access or skype or the sort, but I am supposed to have e-mail and internet access.
Here's my Teacher at Sea page where you should be able to find my blogs as well. So, now, what am I doing for 3 weeks on this ship? I have no clue! Well, that's not totally true. Teachers go on this ship every year, and I've been stalking their blogs to see what they do, but it's different for everyone. I have gathered that I will be working a 12 hour shift, either 4pm-4am or 4am-4pm. Not sure which one I prefer, but since I don't have a choice, I'll be happy with whatever they assign me! I will be working with the Scientists on board to collect fisheries data, and will be doing whatever else they tell me to do :)
The Oscar Dyson does all of its research in Bering Sea and waters surrounding Alaska. While I'm at sea, you can also check the location of the ship using the NOAA Ship Tracker. As you can see from the past year, the Oscar Dyson has spent its time in the Northwest.
I can't tell you how excited I am for this experience. Plenty of people have asked "How did you find out about this?" The answer? I googled "Teacher at Sea" because I was curious if there was any sort of "Semester at Sea" type program for teachers and guess what? - there is! I am extremely blessed and looking forward to another adventure. More to come before I leave as I do some online training and read a little bit more about pollock and such. Here's a photo of a sample of pollock caught by the Oscar Dyson last summer (courtesy of one of Kathleen Harrison's WordPress blog posts). Fish sticks and imitation crab meat, anyone?
I will be traveling aboard the NOAA ship Oscar Dyson from June 29 - July 17, 2012 leaving from and returning to Dutch Harbor, Alaska as part of an acoustic pollock survey! If you're interested in learning about this amazing ship, you can check out the Oscar Dyson here.
Throughout the trip, we have to update a blog on WordPress, but due to plenty of people that have to approve each blog, I will only be able to post at most 4 times each week. With THIS blog that you're reading now, Here Pollock Fishy, I plan to post more photos and stories, but encourage you to read BOTH blogs during my trip as they will be different for sure! Of course, this is all assuming the internet is working out in the middle of the ocean. I know I won't have cell phone access or skype or the sort, but I am supposed to have e-mail and internet access.
Here's my Teacher at Sea page where you should be able to find my blogs as well. So, now, what am I doing for 3 weeks on this ship? I have no clue! Well, that's not totally true. Teachers go on this ship every year, and I've been stalking their blogs to see what they do, but it's different for everyone. I have gathered that I will be working a 12 hour shift, either 4pm-4am or 4am-4pm. Not sure which one I prefer, but since I don't have a choice, I'll be happy with whatever they assign me! I will be working with the Scientists on board to collect fisheries data, and will be doing whatever else they tell me to do :)
The Oscar Dyson does all of its research in Bering Sea and waters surrounding Alaska. While I'm at sea, you can also check the location of the ship using the NOAA Ship Tracker. As you can see from the past year, the Oscar Dyson has spent its time in the Northwest.
I can't tell you how excited I am for this experience. Plenty of people have asked "How did you find out about this?" The answer? I googled "Teacher at Sea" because I was curious if there was any sort of "Semester at Sea" type program for teachers and guess what? - there is! I am extremely blessed and looking forward to another adventure. More to come before I leave as I do some online training and read a little bit more about pollock and such. Here's a photo of a sample of pollock caught by the Oscar Dyson last summer (courtesy of one of Kathleen Harrison's WordPress blog posts). Fish sticks and imitation crab meat, anyone?
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