Ursus arctos sitkensis

Tom on Vashon, this one's for you:

Is it a brown bear or a grizzly?  The answer is that all grizzlies are brown bears, but not all brown bears are grizzlies. The correct scientific name for a grizzly is "brown bear," but only coastal bears in Alaska and Canada are generally referred to as such. Apparently there is yet another subspecies of the brown bear which only resides on the ABC islands of SE Alaska (Admiralty, Baranof and Chichigof Islands). It has a unique genetic structure relating them to brown bears and polar bears.

Sitka is on the "B" island; Baranof Island.

Due to my over-active imagination when it comes to bears, I brushed up on my bear aware knowledge while sleuthing the internet for Sitka area bear encounters before heading north. There had been a few recent events, in fact, more than normal. The events however took place in remote locations. Hopefully no Ursus arctos sitkensis were roaming Sitka town.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0JQJNsMKig

An unusual 'one-two' punch in nature found the local bear population more hungry than sleepy in November this year.  The berry season arrived early, (or perhaps Lava picked all the berries before the bears had a chance!) and there was a failed pink salmon run. On top of that, there appear to be more cubs than normal. Sows and cubs are a deadly combination particularly when food is scarce. Woe to those who cross a mother who is protecting her sustenance and offspring.

As Sitka seems to be Facebook Capital of the World, naturally there is a Facebook page created for communicating in-town bear sightings and activity. That page is a 'favorite' of mine and was monitored regularly. Indeed, there was and is bear activity around town. Four bears making themselves known. They've become regular midnight marauders of neighborhood garbage cans.

Authorities had hoped they'd soon get sleepy and cold, head for higher ground and hibernate.  No such luck.

A sow and two cubs ultimately scored a full, oversized garbage can. With too much to eat in one or two sittings, the garbage was cached. At that point, the bears would now become very aggressive to protect their prize. Their ultimate score was their ultimate demise. Wildlife troopers came in and 'dispatched' all three animals.



On the other side of town, closer to my home, a very large bear continues to be a nightly neighborhood nuisance. Apparently this one is still wary of people so authorities are not searching him out. However, he is a garbage bear. A fed bear. And a fed bear is a dead bear. It makes me wonder what the authorities are now are waiting for.

Perhaps this choice of living in Sitka is in some way directly correlated to overcoming the Big Bad Bear dreams which occasionally visit my slumbering subconscious. Hmph! And I always thought the Big Bad Bear dreams were an interpretation of some other aspect in my life! Well, I'm certainly in an environment where I can learn how to avoid encounters and practice safe habits. I'll be a happy camper if I never stumble upon a bear in the wild.

Long Nights and Winter Weather

Assuming winter in a small, SE Alaska coast town would be prone to fog, rain, wind, and cold, packing for warmth and comfort was essential.  However, the first full week revealed what? a changing climate? Unusually clear blue skies exposing all the surrounding mountains, water & islands as far as the eye can see, sunrise greetings in bed, sunset viewing just a walk down the street and sunshine all day long FOR A WEEK!!  And warm temps. And! AND!! an atypical showing of the Aurora Borealis view-able at a reasonable hour for several nights running! The week was spent in un-accosted-by-rain walks every day exploring the area, grocery shopping, setting up my cozy girl-cave room, greeting oh-so-friendly Sitkans, identifying volunteer opportunities and finding myself thinking; yup, this is where I'm supposed to be. 


A few weeks have passed now. Flat, gray drizzlies greet us, but not Seattle-style for days on end. Squalls provide excitement with strong winds and sideways rain; tropical jungle-type patterns occur (without the heat!) during which the day is filled with sunshine while the rain falls at night. In December, winter snow arrived building several inches in a day or two followed by f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g temperatures.
The nights are unbelievably crisp, clear and quiet with twinkling stars and a soft yellow moon.

The sun is low, the daylight hours are short. Daylight is a commodity not to be wasted indoors. Walks, exercise and volunteering keep me busy. Then, I look forward to 4pm when darkness settles. Not only is it a time to enjoy with others, it's also cherished time to enjoy alone; reading, writing, contemplating. 


Always one to celebrate changing weather, and one to complain about stagnant weather patterns, I'd love to enjoy more rainy, dreary gray days! 

Right on Time

The view of Sitka during the landing approach is picturesque.  The closer to landing we become, the more exciting (or nerve-wracking), it becomes.
My reaction is excitement. Coupled with a spectacular sunset, the whole ordeal was breath-taking with a unexpected feeling of calm; this is where I'm supposed to be.

SE Alaska airports are small affairs, with landing strips cut or built from the flattest, longest stretch possible, sometimes several miles out or across channels from town, but always with water on at least one side of the strip.


Sitka's airport location is extremely beautiful in that it is situated on Japonski Island in Sitka Sound.  Sitka Sound is a large body of semi-protected waters, dotted with islands, islets. Overseen by Mt. Edgecumbe, a dormant volcano to the west, it is cuddled by stupendous peaks and valleys to the east, and surrounding mountains lining the nearby northern horizon.  Thus, on a clear day, circling the area to line-up for landing position provides passengers a drop-dead gorgeous view, and at sunset.... well, it was an indelible sight. The photo, of course, does not do it justice.


Denton, the Hostel Manager, along with Sadie and Keana his huskie-mix dogs, picked me up, took a short drive around town pointing out sites which will be important (grocery store, post office, Centennial Hall, Library), and we headed to the hostel for a brief run-down of operations and meeting the other two Houseparents.



That's right, I'm a houseparent at the Sitka International Hostel!  A volunteer position, in trade for a private room which is what allowed me to take this leap in the first place.

Where this journey is going I don't know, but I'm where I'm supposed to be and right on time!

Why Sitka?

In February 2016, my life-style as I'd known it, changed.  The skipper of the 37' sailing vessel Quijote was recruiting crew for a journey up The Inside Passage. A casual encounter with him found me with an open mind and ripe for change.  After a bit of sleuthing the skipper's background, experience and leadership habits, I was compelled to leave my employ of 14 years, clear out personal effects at home in order to rent out my room, say farewell to family and friends and sail (aka slow motor) away for the trip of a lifetime.  From Seattle to Glacier Bay and back.  May 15th through August 27, with a two-week break along the way.  That trip is a different story.  But it's the birth of How it came to be that I am in Sitka, AK.

Knowing my lack of interest in returning to my way of life as I knew it in Seattle, I kept a keen eye open throughout the summer for: what's next?

The sailboat crew took a mid-trip, two-week break and flew back to Seattle.  Not me!  My son, Chris, flew north to Petersburg and we spent those two weeks exploring together. Although Petersburg is a fine town, entertaining ourselves for two weeks there did not sound appealing.  I mean really, WE'RE IN  ALASKA and we want to SEE ALASKA!

After much research on what/where/how, Chris and I found ourselves boarding a small plane to Sitka. We flew up and over a thick bed of clouds, no views of Alaska there. However, on descending we were treated to a spectacular view of the craggy coastline of Sitka Sound dotted with countless islands and islets protecting the coastal town of 9,000 inhabitants from the swell and stormy Gulf of Alaska.  It was love at first site.  Accessible by water or air only.  Fourteen miles of paved road. Rural and remote, yet connected and surprisingly contemporary.  This was a gem to discover.  All the more unforgettable discovering it with Chris.

On a budget, the Sitka International Hostel became our landing place for 4 days while we biked, hiked, walked, explored, and entertained ourselves.

Volunteers are used to staff the hostel year-round.  Aha!  What possibilities lay in store here! Volunteer for 2 or 3 shifts a week in exchange for a private room, shared bath & kitchen.  Hmmmm. This appeared to be a clear sign pointing the direction of my next step.

An email or two with the Hostel Manager to express my interest and Voila!  October 23rd found me on a plane to Sitka not knowing where this journey is going, but knowing I'm here, and right on time!

And that, in it's simplicity, is how I ended up in Sitka, Alaska.

Living in Process - What's in a Name?

When identifying an oh-so-important name for this blog address, I thought I'd coined a unique term. One which describes this 'path' I'm on. The path to live more simply and deliberately, push my comforts and boundaries, follow a desire to explore and experience more of our Pacific Northwest. 

Upon googling the term 'living in process', much information/books/newsletters/groups appear to already be deeply involved in this quest!  However, I'm not joining a cult, or a group, or a following. The title just seems to define and help me remember that life is a process, always changing, exploring, learning, growing.