Friday, April 27, 2007

Quartz Lake, April 2007

The weekend I floated down the Clearwater, I stayed at the Quartz Lake cabin the day before and 2 days after. I drove across the ice, but didn't feel safe leaving the truck on the ice overnite even though it turned out to be plenty thick and safe during my time there. I drilled thru the ice and found it to still be 4 feet thick. Anyhow, I had to sled stuff across several days after I drove the truck across the first day.



Enjoying the warm weather on the deck.



I brought the canoe over to the landing with the truck on Friday, but on Sunday I dragged it back to the cabin. It was super easy.


Cowboy shadows on the ice.



Here is a new twist of an old hobby of mine, working diamond willow. Wine holders. The full bottle of wine balances when the holder is cut to the correct length.
Some tools of the trade and a look at what the diamond willow looks like with the bark on, after it is de-barked with a knife/wood chisel/dremel tool and then all sanded up and coated. I forgot to put in the dremel tool, sandpaper and urethane/brush/spray can.


Hole in the ice for ice-fishing. No luck.

Clearwater Canoe Trip


Floated down the Clearwater River on April 21st with 12 others (some old friends and others now new friends), camping that nite at the confluence of the Clearwater and the Tanana River. Next day we floated less than 1/2 mile down the Tanana and then up the drainage of Clearwater Lake to the take-out.
Wonderful spring weather, temps. in the low 60s. There is no complete ice cover on the Clearwater because it is spring fed. This allows an early spring trip when other rivers and lakes are still ice-covered. It is an easy float with many Grayling to be caught and released, except in August.


The first float for my Ram-X Scanoe. Yeah, that really is the name of the canoe! It has a flat back to put a small boat motor on it. The 2 guys I've been living with this past winter, Ed (front) and Trevor (middle) rode along with.



Peaks of the Alaska Range to the south.





Camping spot





Iced up Flying Goose


Last summer's Salmon


While paddling up to Clearwater Lake we caused this HUGE Bald Eagle to fly up to this
tree. I had the luck to snap the picture just as it was taking off.



Clearwater Lake
Hundreds and hundreds of Canadian Geese migrating thru.