Which reminds me... How do the dogs fare up there? I hear that wolves are stealing pet dogs right off the leash of the people walking them in Anchorage.
What's the relationship of the people with the dogs? Are they mostly considered working dogs? I don't see many dog sleds.
Do the kids play with the puppies? I don't recall any images you've posted of the dogs and their relationship with the people. Am I forgetting?
Wolves stealing dogs in Anchorage ? I have never ever heard of that and I have spent a lot of time in Anchorage. Nope. not one instance that I am aware of.
BUT... DOWN IN VALDEZ.. well that's a different story.. and one that is very very true, it has been published twice that I know of, in the newspaper in that town.
In the town of Valdez Alaska, down south in the middle of the "mass" very far south. This small quaint town is nicknamed little "Switzerland" the mountains that surround this town resemble the swiss alps very closely.
In that town is a large clothing store, general store as such, and on the wall by the cash register, these two stores are pinned up & framed.
A tourist couple was departing their hotel one morning, walking their little tiny dog. An huge bald heade eagle swooped down out of the sky and grabbed that dog and flew away, with the leash hanging as it rose in the air higher and higher, the husband could be heard and seen, jumping up and down yelling "hooray, hooray"!
This has happened at least two times probably more. but the Anchorage story is pure bull.!!
Dogs in the village, yes I have some dog photos. Lots of them, well not lots but a few.
Eskimo dogs are something you stay as far away from as possible. http://majikimaje.com/collection/children/boydog.jpg
They lurk around most houses and if your not very careful that dog will have your leg off before you know it. These dogs are fierce, and they are kept chained up 24/ 7 all year around. Most people keep dogs as a warning if someone is near their premises.. Tobasco sauce has to be put on the chains regularly as the dogs will continue to try and chew through them.
Dogs are far too valuable to ever bring out to the ocean ice pack. Dogs are very expensive to keep, providing food for them. I know of two people that keep dogs for a dog team, I suppose there are some others, but that is no longer, part of their culture as hondas & snowmachines have replaced that aspect.
There are many stray dogs and many have dogs as pets,
Dog teams are a huge part of Rural Alaska below the Arctic Circle.
Near south central and all around the surrounding area, dog teams are popular and constantly seen in the off trails, keeping in shape and practicing for the Big Yearly Event the world famous Iditarod. http://majikimaje.com/collection/Anchorage/Iditarod.jpg
Wolves in Anchorage, nope, never heard of it.
Moose ?? Sure, they are everwhere, Hundreds of them get killed each and every year North of Anchorage, and one thing happens every time a car or truck hits a moose, that moose comes through your windshield. Many people have died hitting these monsters. A moose is huge, you can drive a small car under them. but once you hit once.. there goes your windshield and half your vehicle.
having dogs requires a large area and a lot of work. These dogs stay outside the year round, viscous storms with temps well below 100 below and these dogs just curly up, and the snow blows over them, They lie there, all winter long. Step to close to one, and you will get the lesson of your life. These happens when you get too close to a house and you don't see the dog buried in the snow.
You have to be careful what you read and listen to, and believe. I read on one web page that there is only one huge caribou herd left in Alaska. (above the arctic circle). That statement is the biggest bunch of outlandish lying. south of Point Hope there is a herd well over 400,000, Up near ANWR.. top right area near canada border.. is a much larger herd.!
I have lived in Anchorage from 1990 -2003 and I have been all over that town, Population 250,000 in an area much larger than New York City.
thousands of people walk their dogs, and I have never heard of one incident.
"A woman and her dog walking on a lighted loop of the Beach Lake trail system in Chugiak Dec. 4 were also confronted by several wolves, though the dog was uninjured in that encounter.
The next day, a woman walking her dog on Artillery Road heard her pet give a quick yelp as it vanished. The dog's head and collar were found the next morning about 50 yards off the road."
two incidents.. that happened after I left Anchorage.
You originally made it sound like it was a daily occurance.
Like I said. I have never heard of that happening.
what is of major concern in Anchorage is the "wars" that occur on a daily basis.
shootouts in the shopping malls. Asian gangs have taken over anchorage and the "wars" that go on are extremly troubling.
Last June there was a shootout every day !! but in 30 years I have never heard of wolves in Anchorage..
Yes you did manage to pull two incidents out of the news, I have never even heard of. ( go figure).
Chugiak is no where near Anchorage !!! that is a completly different city.
North of Anchorage some 35 miles or so.
Anchorage is extremly populated and I just don't see how wolves are wandering in that city.. On the outer outskirts of the city, sure it is possible.. but lIke I said again and again.. I have never heard of that happeing in Anchorage.. In other parts of the state ? Sure.. this is a vast wilderness up here.
If you do a search on it, there are several articles describing several incidents and I saw an article describing a wolf problem in Fairbanks. I don't know anything about Anchorage and the locations they're talking about. I just said it was in Anchorage because that's where they said it was. Here's a quote from another article:
According to Sinnott, there are approximately 30 wolves living in the Anchorage area in four or five packs. He added that only two packs regularly come into contact with people. One is the Ship Creek pack, which roams the Chugach Mountains near Hiland Road and Fort Richardson. The other is the Elmendorf pack, known as such because it frequents Elmendorf Air Force Base, though it ranges across Fort Richardson as far north as the Palmer Hay Flats and possibly beyond.
“We had a similar problem with wolves from the Elmendorf pack 10 to12 years back,” Sinnott said. “We were able to relocate a couple wolves and that seemed to send the signal to the rest of the pack that being around humans was not safe and brought an end to the attacks.”
While Sinnott said the recent number of attacks on dogs seems unusual, the bigger danger is moose.
“A moose, especially one with a calf, is much more of a threat than a wolf to both humans and dogs when walking on dark trails in the middle of winter,” he said. “There are typically 50 to 60 dogs trampled by moose each winter.”
I was really surprized to hear about the gang wars. I thought that was a southern CA thing. The gang problem in Anchorage sounds worse than LA! A lot worse!
Edited by Brian Lingle on Feb 23, 2008 at 02:05 PM GMT
The last source I sited said, "Anchorage-area", in quotes, partly because that's the words they used and partly, to acknowledge agreement that they aren't saying, "in" Ancorage in that article. Did you hear about the attacks back when they were happening?
Considering that I don't even know where Anchorage is, my only point in bringing it up was to say that I heard wolves were attacking and killing dogs while people were walking them. I don't know all the details, but the newspapers reporting it and my friend in Chugiak who told me about it seem to think it's a big deal. If I were out walking my dog and wolves attacked it, I'd think it was a big deal, too! On the other hand, being attacked by a polar bear or falling through the ice or being dragged down by a whale sounds like a much bigger deal!
You orginally said Anchorage, now your up to Fairbanks and outside of that area!
It only takes 3 Alaska's to fill the entire United States. Yes Alaska has wolves, but they are not a problem in the greater Anchorage area. Go to the outskirts of this city and you will see, lots more wildlife than in the city itself.
A wolf skin is worth 1,000 bux. and they are few and far to find, here in the Arctic.
Moose, we see them every year in Anchorage, in the city. People avoid them and they do not bother people. (as a general rule).
30 years ago, Anchorage would record or register pehaps maybe one murder per year. Now it is a epidemic. 35 - 45 in a single year. It is getting way out of hand.
Especially the "traffic" from too many cars with an underdeveloped road system for the entire state.
It is still a great place to live, but I much prefer the village life. we have no traffic or any type of gun incidents here, and everyone is loaded to the max with weapons of every type imaginable. Children even have rifles !
Quiet peaceful type life, is what is so attractive about living in the Northern Villages.
that plus the cold crisp clean refreshing air. You would have to "taste" the air up here, it is different from anything you have ever experienced. L.A. is all polution and smog. & millions of people.
Two weeks ago it was 70 below, two days ago it was 20 above zero, much to hot for us. I do not like that type of heat. Today it is below zero by 10 degrees and tommorow is supposed to be much colder, good. Umailiq's are getting ready, to launch their respective crews to go whaling.
Next month, we begin all over again. First step is to cut a trail out to the lead opening.
Although the lead is very far out, perhaps as much as 20 miles here in Barrow, No one goes out, until that lead opens up. Workers work on the trail with pick and axe to blaize a trail for the hondas and snowmachines to carry equimpment out.
But by looking at the sky, you can easily tell when that lead opens, from way back in the village, The ice reflects back to the clouds, and they are all white.
But when the lead opens, the clouds over that open water area, are much darker and it is very easy to see, The water reflects back to the clouds and it is very much darker.
As I said, the Inupiaq Peoples have many tricks that most people do not understand or comprehend.
It took a long time to understand and comprehend what was meant, when people merly looked at the sky and said.. Good, there is open water !! I always wondered, how does he know the ice is open ??
Once you know how to read the sky, Much information can be determined.
These people are far more accurate predicting the weather, than any weather man with all the sophistacted equipment they use.
30 below zero up here, is a wonderful beautiful gorgeous day, you can easily stay outside all day long and not get cold.
NO I don't think you can compare L.A. with Anchorage, no comparison.
today the main concern here in Barrow is / are some people lost, out on the ocean ice. 5 people were lost and well overdue. 3 of those people were found and safely brought back to the village in good health. A man and his two children. Two others are still missing and search and rescue has been out there all night, looking for them. They will never give up until they are located and brought back to the village.
Using a "niksit" to snag that seal, once it has been shot, so far out, requires great skill, and "balance". This is a 16 year old boy out here on that ice. Gus Kowanna. I have known him since he was a child him and his older brother Ashley (Unqsii).
The distance he has to throw this is pretty far, and to be that accurate means the difference between going hungry, or having food for the entire family, and some of the "dogs" !!
We are in constant touch with all villages, during the day, This is one incredibly tight knit vast area. Each and every village is knit together as one, over the huge distances.
Kotzebue = 3,000 people ( 12 more villages surrounding this area)
Kivalina = 125 people
Pt. Hope = 800
Pt. Lay = 250
Wainwright = 650
Barrow = 5,000
That is not very many people for an area twice the size as all of the New England States put together.
Seagulls are virtually non-existent up here, you never see them, until food has been gathered, then they magically appear from out of no where.
The wind in Point Hope is ferocous, violent and ever present.
Ravens seem to enjoy this immensly, for they often "hover" in that wind, then relax, and they go backwards several hundred yards, This is a common sight in the village of Point Hope, birds playing in the wind, flying backwards.
"You orginally said Anchorage, now your up to Fairbanks and outside of that area!"
Yes, I was refering to and sometimes quoting what they said in the news articles. They referred to the problem being "in Anchorage" and they also referred to it as being in the "Anchorage area" and they gave specific locations and a map showing where. They also said there was a problem with wolves in Fairbanks.
"Yes Alaska has wolves, but they are not a problem in the greater Anchorage area. "
Again, I'm referrring to what they said in the news articles. I quoted the articles and I included links to the articles. So, unless I'm misunderstanding you, you're saying that what they're saying is wrong. Unless I'm misquoting or misrepresenting the things they wrote in the articles, I'd say your arguement is with them. From what you've written here, it sounds like the media has been wrong about how it represented some other things. Either way, I'm in no position to argue the case on either side, so the disagreement would have to be with them.
"what is of major concern in Anchorage is the "wars" that occur on a daily basis.
shootouts in the shopping malls. Asian gangs have taken over anchorage and the "wars" that go on are extremly troubling.
Last June there was a shootout every day !!"
The gang wars you described above sound worse than the gang violence I've heard of in LA. That was the only comparison I was making. When you say there's no comparison, do you mean Anchorage is not as bad, is much worse or that it's a lot different?
Thanks for the photos, info and stories about the dogs. I'd think a photo of a dog laying there covered with snow and blended in with the snow could be a really dramatic image. You'd just have to be careful not to get your lens or your face chomped off. Probably wouldn't want to use a fisheye.
I also like the image of the child playing with the older puppy. The are playing aren't they? What's the story behind the last photo of the dogs? If they were all huskys I'd guess that's how they keep their sled dogs, but it looks like several different breeds. They aren't sled dogs, are they?
Glad to hear they found everyone that was out on the ocean ice. That guy standing out on the last little island of ice throwing the grappling hooks, that looks pretty risky considering what you've said about the ocean ice.
You can always tell if it is cold out, just by looking at their hands.
And I was just informed. This image that your referiing to. Shows the only dog team that is left in the village.
Russell J. Lane had the last dog team in the entire village. Emily Lane used to have a team. but she is down to just 3 dogs only.
We wonder, who will take over J. J.'s dogs, now that he is gone, from the village to serve out his time in a federal prison- 40 years.
And, .. .. another sad note, in the village, Martin Oktollik Jr. died yesterday, from a massive stroke. The young man was only in his 30's. HIs wife Margret is left alone with their 6 children. She is currently pregnant. He will be sorely missed.
The image above is Martin Oktollik Jr.'s wife Margret . It is always so sad to see people so young, that you spent many years with, die so young, so suddenly.
Cancer is running rampant through this village and many others close by, all because the governement spread radioactive waste throughout this region to see what effects it would have on the enviroment and on the people & animals.
-=[PROJECT CHARIOT]=-
....and to the best of my knowledge, No compensation has ever been made to the many familes who have lost elders in the prime of their young life because of cancer. 200 elders,(late 50's - low 60's) gone in a flash all so young so sudden, so quick. Dozens of many families.. tisk tisk. ! It is just another miscarriage of justice. (sigh).
But then you see this image and it makes you wonder, how can they be outside like this, in the Arctic and not be cold ? Why aren't those children cold at all ?
http://majikimaje.com/cpg1410/albums/collection/children/3girlsdog.jpg
Snow is melting,.. it is still very cold to me, I don't understand how they can do this, I really don't, I am cold with gloves, hat and parky. Many times when mothers are bringing a two - 5 year old child into the gym or Qalagi for community events, it is a common sight to see children of this age, run.. outside with just a t-shirt and "regular clothing" when it is 40 below and colder and that mother will have to run and chase that child outside with (child's) parky to capture them and put it back on. These chidlren love to do that so much, it must be some type of adrenalin rush ?? I have no idea why,they do it. this occurs much to often http://majikimaje.com/cpg1410/albums/collection/children/3girlsdogv2.jpg
and on the same day, it is still windy but there is no way to show you how windy it is but that is what makes it so cold when it is 30 above, (actual temp) That wind brings the wind chill temp down much lower and you feel it. I am dressed to the max with as I stated gloves, hat, parky bunny boots and ski pants. that wind goes through everything. but if your running around, I suppose that helps !