Natural Observations 011914 Winter Grub Run
Occasionally I hear a KTNA DJ mention that someone “on the other side of the world” could be streaming KTNA over the Internet”. Recently I thought about that. What if
I kept watch for moose, for they are active in the wee hours of the morning when road traffic is scarce. While I didn’t see any moose, thank goodness, my headlights suddenly lit up a gorgeous red fox standing beside the road a mile from the “Y”. It was resplendent in its thick winter coat as it stood staring at my vehicle’s approach. I took my foot off the gas, knowing better than to apply brakes on the icy road. Thankfully the fox calmly trotted to the snow berm, climbed it neatly and disappeared from my view. I smiled as I continued on to the “Y” and turned onto the Parks Highway. A few big rigs passed me, during the forty-mile drive to Willow-all of them heading North, making the run to Fairbanks. Things were quiet in Willow, as I passed through the small center of town. The highway had been well sanded, and I kept my average speed around fifty miles per hour. I don’t like driving faster than that in winter, particularly in the dark. Too many stories of moose crossing the road with disastrous results. I’ve had my own close calls, but none ending with collisions. I’d like to keep it that way. I checked Darby in at the vet’s at six-thirty. After I hugged her goodbye, I headed out to do some serious shopping around Wasilla until Darby would be ready to pick up in a few hours. My last stop was Pet Zoo, where I bought a padded “cone” collar for Darby so she wouldn’t be able to reach her stitches. It was after ten a.m., by then, and the sun had just risen over the tall Chugach Mountains in the South. I didn’t get to see it, however, as the cloud cover had remained, and it looked like it might snow later. The vet called at ten-thirty; Darby was ready to go home. She was able to walk, but was still coming out of the anesthetic. As I lifted Darby into the car, Lyra was thrilled to see her partner again. Darby stretched out on her bed and was soon asleep as I headed out of the city. Just before I reached a friend’s homestead a few miles south of Willow, I spotted a young moose lying in the snow atop a slope on the East side of the highway. It was calmly surveying the sparse traffic going by below its hillside viewpoint. I remarked about the moose to my friend and he asked if the moose was particularly dark. “Yes”, I replied; “ It was quite a dark-brown colored moose, and looked like a two-year old.” “Oh, that’s Blackie”, my friend commented. The moose had been hanging around the area since late last summer. Back on the road a little while later, I mused that it seems a common practice for Alaskans to name animals that hang out around their homesteads. I’ve named a few myself, over the years, including foxes, moose, ravens, hawks, magpies, and squirrels. It seems to make our adventurous winters a little more memorable to share them with an animal or bird, which makes itself distinctive. I arrived back at the ranch at two-thirty. I found moose nuggets near the generator shed. Apparently a pair of moose had come to visit while I was away. They had nibbled on some alder saplings along the drive, then headed on across the hayfields and back into the forest. Usually I head into town just as dawn is breaking and return well after dark. It was a little odd to be returning in daylight, but I rather liked it. It’s a one hundred forty-mile round trip for me to drive to Wasilla, then there’s a few miles spent driving around the city going to stores to shop. When leaving the city, by the time the road narrows down to two lanes again, a few miles north of the town of Willow, I have begun to leave the stress of the city behind me. When I turn onto the Talkeetna Spur Road, I relax. Eight miles later I turn onto Birch Creek Road and begin the last six miles drive to the ranch, breathing a sigh of relief; I “made it” again. Wintertime Alaskan monthly shopping run includes weather considerations, which can mean snowfall, black ice, glare ice, and sometimes a few glorious hours of sunshine when the sun makes it over the tall mountain range in the South. It also means keeping an eye out for moose, which can be just about anywhere, and always unpredictable. As a birder, I am also watching for birds. Ravens are almost always to be found in various parts of the city and alongside the highway. Sometimes ducks can be seen flying by. Some creeks stay open all winter and some ducks have elected not to migrate. I’ve learned where to look for eagles, and I can usually see one or two in their favorite hangouts. A whole other article could be written about the hazards of winter driving and the adventures I’ve had on other grub runs. For those listeners who will never get to visit Alaska, maybe this gives a little peak at a lifestyle you may have wondered about.
Written and presented by Robin SongNatObs011914WinterGrubRun
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