Bethel Alaska

Bait O' Eggs · 04-01-2002, 06:42 PM

My boss told me today that he expects an order tomorrow from Bethel Alaska. The really bad news :grin: is he budgeted a trip for somebody to go to Bethel to do a few hours work. I cant believe he told me I have (get :grin: ) to go. I just might have to schedule a little vacation to happen once I get there. :grin:

He figured this would all happen in about 2 weeks. I got the map out and it looks like the Kuskokwim River runs right thru there. Does anybody know if it thawed yet? Most importantly can I fish and kill anything while I am there??? :grin:

I got a lot of research to do in the next couple of weeks. :grin: :grin:

I cant get rid of this stupid :grin: on my face. :grin:

birdhunter · 04-01-2002, 06:51 PM

2 weeks. I sure hope you're not gonna miss F4 Eggo. We're expecting you to show up and embarass yourself. :tongue:

Have fun.

Joe Schwab · 04-01-2002, 07:35 PM

Hate to be the one to break the news to you Bait but you will be lucky to see break up by May 1 in that part of Ak. I may be wrong and someone may know better. I hope for your sake you can find open water up there. Possible some feeder Kings in the salt. Enjoy the scenery anyway.

04-01-2002, 08:08 PM

Bethel is the spot where you would insert the hose if you were to give Alaska an enema :grin: . "The Klamath Falls of Alaska!"

Snapshot · 04-01-2002, 09:17 PM

Birdhunter seem to have nailed you on this one. You trying to find a way to be out of town so you can cut back on your crow diet. Is it true aht you wrap your crow in banana peelings? [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

*Fish only bite wet hooks*

R Jackson · 04-01-2002, 09:56 PM

BOE, I've been to Bethel in 1988 and 1989. June and September both years. I think you'll find a lot of snow this time of year. I hate to disapoint you, but Bethel, AK is probably not the Alaska experience you've been dreaming of in April, or any other month for that matter.

TW · 04-01-2002, 10:00 PM

BOE,

Breakup doesn't usually happen on the Kuskokwim until May. The town of Bethel itself is not a hot sport fishing spot anyway. There are spots further up on some tributaries that are known for good fishing. Everything will still be frozen in April though. That area of the Alaska is certainly not what you see on the postcards, but it is worth seeing once. Bring warm clothes.
Tom

bigshark · 04-01-2002, 10:30 PM

BOE
Bethal is out on the tundra plains. In summer you will see a shed boo antler every 25 miles or so if your flying low enough.
This time of year it is a frozen flat endless world of white. I would like to know if the tarmac is still across the river from Bethal. The 551st Topo Eng. were based there in 1953 and 54. They mapped the territory to become a state.
The only radio station recieved was Radio Moscow.
This time of year the only fish you could catch is through a hole in the ice. Use salmon roe and plunk on the bottom. Lots of white fish which taste great if you have eaten out of a can for a few months.

Bait O' Eggs · 04-02-2002, 04:14 AM

:depressed: :depressed: :depressed: :depressed:

Thumper · 04-02-2002, 04:26 AM

But don't be discouraged!!!

Predator Dawg · 04-02-2002, 05:49 AM

Sounds like a great trip BOE. I've been to AK during the winter months many times, never to that area though. Always wondered why someone would live in that place year around. Bring a spare set of teeth in case you find a gal you want to take to dinner and plan on ordering hard food for her. :grin:

04-02-2002, 05:53 AM

I met a girl in Angoon with all of her teeth, on a string around her neck! :grin: :grin:

SAUKit2em · 04-04-2002, 06:55 PM

Hey, watch what you say about Bethel, AK as some of us might actually be from there.

:grin:

I was born in Bethel, Alaska in 1974. Not too long before I was hatched my mom was up there studying the Inuits and writing a dissertation to get her PhD in Anthropology. My dad had homesteaded in Alaska for several years before becoming a contractor and moving to Bethel to build a new school. No chance of getting switched at birth in the Bethel hospital back then since I was the only non Inuit baby :shocked: Shortly after I was born my folks moved to Ketchikan in SE Alaska and I lived there until I was about 5, eventually moving to North Seattle into the suburbian delight now known as the city of Shoreline.

Although I have never been back to Bethel, I have had the pleasure of watching my mother's slide shows about Bethel and it was definately intersting learning about the "honey buckets" not to mention the stories about my folks living in a freezer van and coming home to find strangers in there helping themselves to their wine stash.

I hear that the city of Bethel, AK has not changed all that much since my family left and I hope to return one day to check it out. After all, once I visit Bethel I will have a great excuse to stop back by Soldotna and give it another shot on the Kenai and Kasilof :grin:

BOE, good luck up there. My mom and dad told me that there is some truly awesome fishing to be had if you fly out to some of the smaller streams up in that region.

Grant Scheele · 04-04-2002, 07:28 PM

BOE, when you spend the night in one of Bethels finest hotels I have some advice. If the sheets seem dirty, the soap has hair on it, you lack towels to dry off with, pay $150 a night and you find a cheap wine bottle under your bed, my advice is to not complain. They will make it worse for you.

We stayed the night in Bethel the first week in July 1985 and I called it an adventure. When you are 17 and Alaska everything is fun, even nasty hotels. We floated the Aniak River starting at its source of Aniak Lake and landed 8 days later in Bethel via the Kuskokwim. Not much fishing going on in July around Bethel and I really doubt April is the time to catch fish considering Aniak Lake de-iced the last week of June that year.

Hope you like Mosquito's by the cloud.

[ 04-04-2002, 08:29 PM: Message edited by: O.Mykiss ]

Bait O' Eggs · 04-16-2002, 10:53 AM

I had to move my trip back a week to miss F4, a lot of good that did me

Having not been to what sounds like a stepping stone to hell, I wanted to share a story of my learning curve with Bethel.

The superintendant of the school district told me their are no hotels and I should stay at a nice bed and breakfast, of which he supplied me a phone number. It was that or stay at the school dorm which he didnt think was heated this time of year. :shocked: :shocked: I call the bed and breakfast and spoke to a very nice lady and made reservations. I asked a few questions about Bethel so I would be kind of prepared

I asked if the airport had a rental car agency. She snickered and asked why?? :whazzup: I said I would have the better part of a day to kill and thought I would drive around and check out the surrounding areas. She informed me their is only 2 ways to leave Bethel and they were plane and boat, and the river wont thaw out for at least a month or so :shocked: :shocked: Their are no roads leaving Bethel. I guess there are several taxis and it is a flat $4 meter drop to take you anywhere, they dont even have a mileage charge as their is no where to go but across town.

I drop in Thursday evening and leave late Friday, I'm looking forward to a quick cultural shock. I quit asking questions and decided to just go with the flow.

I will report back when I return, if I survive.