Adventures with Kiah

Two weeks ago we ventured out onto the Kuskokwim River for a day of fishing with our friends Russel and Brenda and of course our trusty companion Kiah. We left early in the morning and headed north on the Kuskokwim river until we reached the mouth of the Kwethluk river which we traveled on for roughly two hours until we reached a place called Magic Creek. Once at Magic Creek we landed the boat on the shore and began to fish. Within one hour we caught ten silver salmon, all nicely sized. It was incredibly fun watching Rox fight these large Silvers. Of course Kiah had to get in on the action as well, coming up and greeting each fish that we pulled in.

After this short fishing session on Magic Creek we continued up the river to the base of Three Step Mountain. Rox, Kiah, and I decided to climb part way up the mountain so we could see over the tree line. It was absolutely beautiful. You could see the mountains off in the distance, the river we just traveled up, and the many lakes scattered throughout the tundra. We spent a significant amount of time just sitting and taking in the beautiful sight before us. If it weren't for the mosquitoes, it would have been perfect. We climbed back down the mountain and back to the river where we picked berries for a little while.

During this time Kiah decided to jump in the river for a swim, but miscalculated the strength of the current and her own swimming abilities. Before we knew it, she was being swept down river. She did the right thing and angled towards shore but the boat separated her and the land and the river pushed her under the boat. I ran down the shore and when she popped up on the other side of the boat I jumped in and grabbed her, pulling her to shore. The water was extremely cold! Afterwards I told her, “Kiah! I just saved your life, so someday you will have to save mine. You owe me one.” Rox said that she thought Kiah was a goner. Needless to say, it was an exciting 10 seconds of our trip.

After going for a most enjoyable “swim,” we all decided that a fire and some food was necessary. We found a gravel bar with plenty of wood and made a fire. I made a sock drying rack and we sat around the fire roasting hot dogs and drinking coffee. We even cut up a piece of salmon and roasted it over the fire on a stick for Kiah. She is a spoiled dog! I did try it and it tasted really good, confirming the theory that everything tastes better when cooked on a fire. After we ate, it was time to go so we processed the fish, packed up the boat, and headed back to Bethel. As we headed back a rainbow formed over Three Step Mountain, which we watched for a good portion of our boat ride home.

It was a day in which we all felt greatly blessed. We were with good friends, a good dog, in a beautiful place and it is our hope that we will have many more days like this one.

Here are some pictures that highlight our day...