Sitka by the Sea

A secret gem sits in a remote area of southeast Alaska. Sitka is a sea side village hugging the coastal islands off the main land of north America. From the locals that I talk to they only get 5-6 inches of snow a year but tons of rain. This I will testify to because in the three months I have been here it might have been sunny twenty days. And those don't come all together

Your can arrive by plane

Land at the airport surrounded by water

Which has one terminal with a great restaurant that services breakfast all day long!

Or you can arrive by boat!

From May to September cruise ships bring thousands of people to shop and take in all the sites of Sitka.

Tourism is one of the main sources of revenue. The downtown streets overflow with people leading the locals to avoid the area unless absolutely necessary. Somehow the tourist always thinks the best place to take a picture is standing right smack in the middle of the road. Then you might take a visit to one of two medical facilities to see me!

SEACRH medical facility

So after you get off the plane or boat you have to cross the only bridge in town.  Sitka is made up of two islands. The smallest of the two houses the airport, SEACRH medical facility, Alaska University Southeast, Coast Guard, and Mt. Edgecomb High School. 

Sitka town sits on the main island with fourteen miles of paved road system. 



The majority of the business district is located on the waterfront with fish packing plants mixed in with all the touristy stores. 

Beyond the town are hundreds of miles of wilderness and oceans of water.  There is much yet to be discovered in this village that has captured my imagination. 

Swimming Upstream

Climbing trails up the mountain or swimming up stream against the current take extra effort and conditioning of the body, mind and spirit.  In the first month (August) of being in Alaska, I navigated up a trail that followed a mountain stream filled with migrating salmon swimming upstream where they will spawn and die. 

A colleague of mine, Wendy, joined me on the hike.

Wendy showed me where to pick wild blueberries while pointing out some interesting creatures along the way.  Below is a slug very fat on blueberries! You can see how blue it is!!  

During the whole hike the stream ran beside the trail overflowing with fish swimming against the current.

Now it is the beginning of October and just a few are still swimming up stream and most have went to meet their maker. The stink on the river is a little better because as the season closes they all die and it starts to smell like rotten fish flesh. Yuck!! The birds love it though!

Mountain Top Experience

Memories permeate my mind of moments past.  People of yesteryear have flooded my soul, linger, treading up memories of the distant and not so distant past.  Memory lane can be a time of refreshing. triumph or despair.  Praise the Lord that despair does not linger to much on memory lane for me.  Don't get me wrong, there are some I would like to change but most are wonderful, lingering moments that I treasure.  From the mountain top experience to the valley floor below the path is what ties them all together and be the best part of all.

The most impact, life changing moment in my life is when I was standing in the parking lot of Prairie Camp in Wakarusa, Indiana in the dark just after attending the revival service of the Missionary Church. The evangelist was Dr.Harold Hunter from Cookville, Tennessee and his sermon had been about what heaven would be like.  A friend looked at me and asked me if I knew who Jesus was. I replied,"Of course I do!". He asked me again and I replied the same but then my mind began to doubt.  Inside I was screaming "I know the story. Its in the Bible.  Where do you think I have been? Don't you know where I came from? We have the corner on this Jesus thing all figured out." Oh, how sadly was I wrong.

Over the next several weeks I struggled with this question.  I finally decided to ask Jesus himself who he was. And boy, did he ever show me.  He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.  So one afternoon, I called my friend and asked him to meet me at McDonald's.  In the dining room of McDonald's I met Jesus Christ for the first time in my life, right over a cheeseburger and fries.  My heart and life where forever changed from that moment on.

To me, that is why McDonald's is known as the Golden Arches.  They lead right into heaven.



This past week, has been another week of wonderful memories. On Sunday I had an unexpected phone conversation for several hours with an old friend that knows and shares a lot of my deepest and sweetest memories.  On Tuesday, I woke up to a bright sunny day.  I lingered over my quiet time with God then he whispered to me to come outside and play.  I have to admitted I argued with him about needing to do earthy chores such as clean, wash clothes, grocery shop ect.  But I finally surrendered and took a hike up Sea Harbor Mountain, I was so glad I did because it rained on Wednesday. Thursday the sun really shined so I went for another hike and met some wonderful new people. 

My Hike up Sea Harbor Mountain!





On the hike up.





Sitka airport. The quickest way out of Sitka!





If you look really close to the left above the tree limb you can see the ferry boat at the ferry terminal.  This is one of the only two ways to come and go from Sitka.





The last lingering of blooming vegetation.





At the top of Sea Habor Mountain





On the way back down with one more mile to go!