Uncategorized
FURTHER FETCHINS – Adventures from Big Sky to Alaska
Published
12 years agoon
Posted By
AdminOn playing outside
By Mike MannelinExplorebigsky.com Contributor
I could hear the train coming for a few minutes. It must have been a mile away. The ground started rumbling under my feet, and I knew it would come into view any second. When it appeared around the corner through the trees, I cringed with excitement. I’m not sure why, but I always used to do that when I was a boy.
The rusty and dented steel cars flew past, loaded down with steaming piles of iron ore. I counted the cars as they went by.
“14, 15, 16… 78, 79, 80… 123.”
Then it was silent. I raced over to the tracks to pick up pellets of iron ore that had fallen off the train, fresh from the mine.
When my pockets were full, I picked up my bike and ride to my friend’s house. In the backyard we shot slingshots at birds, squirrels and anything else that moved. The marble-shaped ore pellets made perfect ammo.
This was my life as a 10-year-old kid on summer vacation in a small town at the edge of the small world in northern Minnesota.
One lucky afternoon we stumbled across a hatchet and went into the woods, chopping down trees and mapping out trails. We used the trees to build forts, which came in handy when we were hiding from parents, playing army or camping.
Another day, we built a fire using a set of matches my friend found in his parents’ garage. I wasn’t allowed to make fires yet, and when I got home I was in trouble for smelling like smoke.
From my yard we’d scoop up handfuls of smashed and rotting crab apples and throw them at the garage and at other neighborhood kids. The fights often evolved into full-on wars involving all the kids from the block.
At the end of every summer day, our mothers would call us in for dinner, and we’d say goodbye reluctantly.
Not much has changed, although I now spend summers working in remote Alaska. At 7 a.m. the alarm goes off. The snooze button is hard to find sometimes, but the incessant, horrible sound magically disappears if I just swat my hand in its general direction a few times.
The steep stairs leading from the sleeping mats in the attic to the main cabin are always sketchy, especially in the morning. In the entryway, I sift through a few pairs of identical waders to find my own. My feet find their way into the damp boots, and I pull them up to my chest. I call the dog, grab the gun and head out the door.
The fish have their noses pressed into the gate as if they know that I’m about to open it. One pokes his head upstream, looking for danger, then swims through cautiously. Another follows a little less cautiously. Soon the opening is plugged full of salmon charging upstream to spawn. As they begin to slow down, my clicker-counting device is nearing 1,000. I pack up my gear and head back to the cabin to make coffee.
During the day, I wander outside to work on projects around the cabin. There’s the banya addition. I’m building a new diesel tank stand and a new boat shed. The boats need attention. And there’s bear destruction to repair on buildings.
By dinner time, when we have our scheduled radio meeting with headquarters, several projects have been finished, some new ones have been started, and we’ve been to the weir to count fish at least four or five more times. By 11 p.m., the sun is ready to set, and I’m heading down to do one last fish count before dark.
As I write, it’s the first day of summer. It’s been 26 years since the slingshots and childhood mischief. I still feel the same freedom now that I did when I was chucking crab apples at the neighbor kids. These days, my cabin is like a mansion-fort, I get to make fires in the banya, and once and awhile I chuck a fish at my wife.
Mike Mannelin is a skier with roots in Minnesota, Montana, and Alaska. He gains his inspiration in life by spending time in the mountains with friends.
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
more
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
29mar3:00 pm4:00 pmGood Friday Mass: St. Joseph Catholic Mission3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Event City:Big Sky
Event Details
Friday of the Passion of the Lord St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Event Details
Friday of the Passion of the Lord
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Time
(Friday) 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm