Creamer's field and Beaver Sports

 It's been a while since the last update.  Believe me it's not from lack of material.  If you like the outdoors Alaska is pretty much non-stop.  Especially, it seems, if you don't let winter coop you up.

Recently I had the opportunity to spend a day at Creamer's Field, which is about two miles from where I'm staying in Fairbanks.  Many of the migratory birds which stop there, including geese and swans, have arrived.  Their website, linked above, keeps a count of the birds currently residing there.  There is already plenty of documentation explaining the story of the viewing grounds so I will not get into that here.  If you'd like to read more about it's history you can check this wiki page.

Most of the trails here range from less than a mile to close to two miles.  It takes less than a day to walk them all should you choose to do so.  Things are still in that transitional period between winter and spring where the colors aren't there yet and everything is muddy from the melting snow.  According to the brochure this is when the wetlands and lakes there are created.  Permafrost prevents the earth from absorbing all of the water creating these bodies of water.  As the rains roll in the lake will fill up and life will boom.  Besides birds, some of the wildlife that can be found at Creamer's Field include predaceous diving beetles,  wood frogs, and an occasional moose.

Once one has traversed what is available at Creamer's Field, there is a connecting trail to the bird observatory on the other side of the field.  Once there two more trails, chickadee loop and wanderers trail, are available.  While walking the connecting trail to the bird observatory I noticed some pretty bright berries hanging.  Since I'm unfamiliar with what they were, they remained there.  Later I was informed that they were cranberries.  Apparently it is not uncommon for some of them to survive the winter.

Given the vast amount of outdoor activities there are here in Alaska, in place of Starbucks, there is an outdoor store on every corner.  That is a small exaggeration, but there are a lot.  Closest to my current residence is Beaver Sports.  So far every time I've been there has turned into at least a one hour event.  This is because the staff there is so helpful.  My first trip there at least half an hour was spent talking about sleeping bags adequate for my outings and the best viewing places and times to see the northern lights.  After that at least another hour in the canoe building discussing rafting practices and the varying vessels.

My pack is a few straps short to carry my gear so I decided to go over and buy some webbing straps with buckles.  Although they carry these they were not long enough for my needs.  When I inquired if there was any by the foot at the climbing department he said no but provided me another solution.  There is a high tensile strength tubular webbing which the employee said would work.  It is cut with heat so the ends are melded together which prevents fraying later.  Apparently one of their staff members came up with the idea to use the edge of the heated cutter to meld an end without cutting.  This allows them to fold the webbing through a buckle and meld it into a loop.   They tested the meld in-house with a 200lb employee they strapped to a climbing harness that is hung from the roof of the store.  Considering I only need it to keep a mat and tent in place that was good enough for me.

It also turned out the employee was a photographer.  I asked what he used to carry an SLR with lenses on an extended hike and that was the begining of another one hour conversation.  Then gentleman checked that all of the customers were attended to then went out to his car and returned with a Tamrac Velocity series bag.  He proceeded to show me how he straps it to his chest so he can carry a pack and then secures it to the pack with carabiners and webbing.  This distributes the weight and allows him to take off one pack without having to remove the other as he would need to if he were using the included strap.  After that he showed me how he waterproofs the interior by lining the pack with a Sea Line Storm Sack.  To top it off he carries a second lens and protects it by putting it into an insulated neoprene water bottle carrier.  GENIUS!!  These were all great ideas and the time and depth he put into it all was above and beyond his job description I'm sure.  He even gave me his personal business card in case I had any more questions related to photography or hiking with the camera equipment.  It's been my experience that most people here are willing to pass on what they know be it about cameras, hiking, hunting, or just general living in the state.