Otter Cove & Ikatan Village

A couple of weeks ago the temperatures warmed up to around 40 degrees and melted all the snow. Winds were mild and we had the opportunity to get out and explore a lot. On one day we skiffed over to Ikatan Peninsula again. Our goal was to walk across the narrow isthmus and get to the Pacific. It was such a beautiful day! When we landed the skiff we found two sets of wolf tracks walking down the beach side by side. Unfortunately no wolves were seen, but those are two eagles resting on the roof.



Looking back towards Ikatan village.










Otter Cove...The Pacific Ocean




Emperor Geese (Chen canagica)

These geese are looking true to their name. Nearly all emperors winter under harsh conditions in the Aleutian Islands, on the western and south side of the Alaska Peninsula, and on Kodiak Island. So we regularly see them in the coves and flying past the Stonewall bight. Emperor geese are sometimes called “beach geese.” As the name implies, they are rarely found far from marine waters. In late fall and winter emperors feed heavily on seaweeds and animal matter, such as clams and snails. The emperor goose population declined from an estimated 140,000 in 1964 to 42,000 in 1986. Low first-year survival of young, periods of high nest predation and out-dated levels of harvest contributed to the decline. An intensive research and conservation program begun in 1984 has promoted an increase in population to over 71,000 in 1993.




Perhaps a victim of the wolves? or fox?

Ikatan Village: 1917- early 1960's

Prior to the 19th century Ikatan Peninsula was still an island. At low tide people could walk from the there to Unimak. "The neck or strait was estimated to be no more than 1400 feet wide. In the 18th century, walrus hauled out there and puffins were abundant."

About a month ago Bob and I anchored the skiff on the shore of Ikatan Peninsula to explore the village. To get a better idea of where we were, look back to "The First Few Days..." post and find the map. You will see abandoned cannery written near the shoreline of the southern peninsula. This is the village of Ikatan. We toured around the structures in various stages of collapse. Later we read more about the village's history.

We did not find any writings about Ikatan prior to the establishment of it's canneries in 1917. So whether people were living there before the cannery, we do not know. The canneries where relatively large-scale. "One cannery occupied 160 acres near the flats linking the Ikatan Peninsula to Unimak Island. It processed cod as well as salmon and included a by-products plant manufacturing fish oil and meal." For reasons, we have not yet found, the Ikatan canneries closed down between 1931-1935. When the canneries shut their doors some people relocated to False Pass, where another cannery was still in operation. Many residents of Ikatan village stayed on the peninsula. From 1949 until 1956 a Territorial school was open, but by the early 1960's the community had dissolved. People had relocated to neighboring villages in search of economic opportunity.


A section of the canneries

Lonesome Einar's and blueberry pickin'

Einar, a trapper from Norway, passed on in the 1950's (I think.) His other cabin was a 50 mile walk back up the peninsula.


Here's the legend: one day, near his trapping cabin, the one 50 miles yonder, he beheld the sight of a choice driftwood log, and a great one it must have been. Knowing that his axe was here at the cabin, he jogged the 50 miles, grabbed the tool, then retraced his steps to chop and split the find. What he did with it then we can only happily ponder.

As the rest of the pictures show, the Aleutian Isles (and the peninsula) are practically treeless. We did see a sitka spruce in False Pass last week in the lee of the mess hall, but otherwise its all dwarf willows and sitka alders - shrubs and small shrubs. Wind's the cause for the open slopes. These days, the locals get wood, still a useful fuel, by scanning the shores from skiffs usually, peaveying the logs down to the surf, driving into it an iron staple, roping it up and towing the wood back home. We nabbed on the first day here with Buck. I felt better about skipping out in the middle of the Seattle stream season digging that peavey in and prying as hard as I could. we are waiting for another calm day to go fetch another one.







Jen is now a shotgun toting berry harvester. Possibly not news for those who know her well. So far the gun's remained silent, except for basic training purposes - not Inde's favorite sound.



Oval-leaved blueberry (Vaccinium ovalifolium)


Upon our arrival and for about three more weeks, we were blessed with an abundance of blueberries. Stonewall Place is home to two species. The above mentioned and the low-lying blueberry, or bilberry (Vaccinium uliginsum). The sweeter, tastier one being the shrub-like Oval-leaved blueberry, although we happily devour either. We have gathered these delicious fruits numerous times to the north of Einer's cabin and just north of the house. We were sad to see them disappear last week. In order to hold on to their pleasure throughout the winter, we have bagged and frozen 13 quarts and made a gallon of wine.



Oh yeah, since we are surrounded by the Izembeck National Wildlife Refuge its only appropriate to wish everyone a very happy National Public Lands Day!