July 2026
- Myron
- Aug 21
- 6 min read
Summer time in Alaska means fishing, and this edition of the ALO news will focus on that aspect of life in the far north. For the Angstman family some of that fishing involves Tikchik Narrows Lodge where daily guided trips often produce impressive catches like his one by long time guest Chris Schaepe with guide Will Paul.
That same day, Chris snapped a picture of an old timer landing a fish nearby. Fishing alone poses some challenges, especially with a big fish on the line, but of course Jack the Dog was there to help.
Lodge workers spend four months living and working together, with one day off per week. Many try to catch fish on their day off and hospitality worker Danielle Kuball of Slayton, Minnesota had great success.
Mandatory Moose and Other Characters
People are not the only ones fishing. Some lodge guests chose to travel to Brooks Falls to observe the grizzly bears gathered there to feed on salmon. Here is a short video of some bears working a prime fishing spot while the Angstmans watched.
Loons also eat fish. This brazen bird has taken to approaching a fisherman to steal hooked fish but is not above an occasional handout.
Eagles also fish, but this one posed for a photo by lawyer Josh Fannon with a golf ball retrieved from a nearby golf course.
Speaking of birds, this Merlin landed on the railing at the Angstman cabin and posed for
photos.
Baby bears often appear on ALO news, but this is the first one hitching a ride.
The Mandatory Moose is having a good time in a backyard pool.
Safety, Solitude & Sandwiches
A week in July spent alone in the cabin caused several folks to express concern about safety. That raises interesting questions about spending time alone in the wilderness. Looking back a bit, this is not new behavior. As a kid on the farm in Minnesota, countless hours were spent wandering the farm with a dog or two. While that wasn’t exactly wilderness, the safety factor is much the same. There was no one within earshot to offer aid quickly. Added to the risk was the fact that many of those early outings involved a firearm, starting at age 8. Of course that conduct would land the Angstman parents in court today, but back then no one gave it a second thought, and it was the start of a fascination with solitude in nature that continues to today.
The next phase of solitude was dog training for more that 40 years in rural Alaska. Thousands of miles behind a sled, much of it alone, was anything but lonely. A team full of dogs commanded a lot of attention, but countless hours were spent observing nature and thinking through important issues, including planning strategy for legal cases. More than one final argument was pieced together on the tundra at -20.
Hunting and fishing also provided some solitude. Many times remote camps were established, and that often resulted in a person being left at the camp alone for a day or two while other flights were made. The person left in camp behind would be warned that when the plane left it would become very quiet, and they would be completely alone. Most handled that situation well but upon return they usually commented that the feeling of total isolation was unique and a bit exciting. Now that feeling of isolation is pretty much limited to staying at the cabin with internet and a cell phone. With no person closer than 15 miles away, it is still solitary and exciting. As for safety, most every human activity involves some risk, and the reward for time spent in the wilderness is immense.
Lodge guests are provided shore lunches every day while fishing and it is often a
sandwich made to order. At dinner one night the guests were provided a story from the past about a similar shore lunch. Amenities were in short supply in early years of ALO in Bethel. In the early 90’s Swanson’s store put together the first deli, making sandwiches to order in a small corner booth, and it was an immediate hit. One day a couple of deli sandwiches were purchased before a trip to Wood Tikchik park for a day of fishing. Andy was about 8 or 9 years old and at mid-day he was given his sandwich while perched on a rock on Chauekuktuli Lake. When he was about halfway through his meal, he made this important announcement. “Don’t tell Mom I said this, but this is the best sandwich I have ever eaten.” Of course, Mom was never told…
Treasure Hunters Wanted
Long time Bethel guy John McDonald put together a documentary about a vessel that sunk near Seward, Alaska carrying his uncle after WW2. John has done many such pieces over his years at KYUK. You can view his work here.
After watching that the big question is why some outfit hasn’t mounted a giant effort to find the gold. Seems like it would make for yet another Alaska reality show.
Till Death Do Us Part
From the vault at ALO this account from an old police report that is still preserved in the files. It seems there was a loud party in a house on the edge of Bethel and neighbors called the police to do a welfare check. Upon arrival the cops entered the house and found several people sleeping, including one man on the floor in the main room. A closer inspection revealed that he was actually deceased. The officers began a canvas of the room to learn what they could about the circumstances. They noticed a man and woman entwined on a nearby bed, unencumbered by clothing. After some effort they were able to awaken the woman. “There is a man deceased on the floor, do you know who it is?" She looked over and was only able to mutter one short sentence before she fell back to sleep. “That’s my husband.”
Degrees of Denial
Hot weather in many parts of the US has increased the discussion about global warming. An overwhelming consensus of climate scientists agree that global warming exists and is driven by human activity. A determined group of political figures continue to dispute the science, mostly because of high levels of financial support from the fossil fuel industry. That effort is aided by media support from right wing pundits. This visual tool shows the change in average global temperatures since 1940. If it doesn’t alarm you, it should.
Wildfires, drought, high wind events and intense rain storms all are products of that heat. All of those have increased sharply in recent years. Rising ocean temperatures are measured daily and are the most easily observed result of global warming. The idea that billions of people on earth have disrupted nature in such a way to threaten their continued well being doesn’t seem too far fetched.
Meanwhile in current politics, the month of July featured the biggest budget deficit in American history.
This despite Trump’s assurances that he would eliminate the deficit, and the continued myth that Republicans are the party of fiscal responsibility. America can’t pay its bills if giant corporations and billionaires don’t pay their fair share. But hopefully there will be enough left in the budget to build a ball room and reward the Jan 6 criminals.
Warren Buffett has some thoughts about taxes.
One reason America is going deeper is debt is the poorly planned war in Iran. It is clear that American military might is not enough to win every war anymore. Here is an excellent discussion of that topic.
With midterms approaching soon, it is important to remember what happened in previous elections. Here is a recording of Trump talking with Republican officials in Georgia about the 2020 election which he now claims was stolen from him.
Sounds like cheating.
Many people wonder how Trump supporters can stay loyal despite the daily barrage of corruption and dishonesty he displays. Here is a fair discussion of how that happens.
If you are looking to make some quick money, here is an investment to consider.
There was a time when insider trading was considered a crime. Just ask Martha Stewart.
Here is the sad outcome for a bunch of Trump lawyers in the past.
Is it true that a man is known by the lawyers he keeps??
Enough politics, how about some humor. You have to feel sorry for this guy celebrating
alone.
And for this guy trying to remove a bandage.
Finally a thought about friendship. After a lifetime of story telling, this one rings true.
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