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  1. #1
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    Default Kodiak, Alaska Trip

    Forgot to post the Kodiak pics when I got back a couple months ago... this is the trip where the Ferry unexpectedly cancelled on Christmas Eve due to big weather out in the Gulf of Alaska, making us spend Christmas in our hotel rooms eating popcorn out of a funky old vending machine. I think we made it back on the 26th. Good times!

    We were in an F-250 Super Duty, driving from Anchorage to Homer, then jumped on the Ferry to Kodiak. We did it this way because we had a heavy load of gear, batteries and tools with us and airfreighting is expensive. It's about 300 miles from Anchorage to Homer, then a 10 hour boat ride IIRC.

    Couple of shots on the drive down, this is South of Anchorage about 30 miles :




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  3. #2
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    Usually on the Ferry all that's needed to secure the cars & trucks are wheel chocks - but that's along protected waters like the Inside Passage where the water doesn't get very rough.

    Going to Kodiak you're out in the Gulf of AK and the waves can get very nasty out there, so all vehicles are cross-chained with binders like this on our rig - it wouldn't do to have 40 cars and trucks slamming around below decks in a storm :

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  4. #3
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    Kodiak in the distance from the Ferry :

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  5. #4
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    Kodiak small boat harbor across the street from the hotel :




    Downtown Kodiak :




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  7. #5
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    One of the sites where we upgraded battery backup for the cell system at the Coast Guard base - they've got a nice little scenic BBQ area set up :




    You know, out of all the branches of service that I've dealt with over the years, I think the Coasties have been the friendliest and most helpful to civilian contractors like me disrupting their schedules and working weird hours. Granted, they were all Privates or equivalent providing 'escort' and didn't have a choice, but they always had the best attitude... Kodiak was no different. At 2am they still kept bringing us coffee as we did our thing and bullshitted with us while we worked.

    There are no Marine bases up here, so I've not had the pleasure... but now that I know Gunny, I expect they'd be hell.
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  9. #6
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    South of town.

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    This windfarm was part of a big troubleshooting testbed for WindGen.

    Because of the extreme weather, icing is a huge problem and when those big blades ice up, they stop turning. They finally hit on a solution by building in heating elements on the blades, preventing any ice buildup. It took a few years to get it figured out and implemented, and these work just fine year round. And it's always blowing up there on top.

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    Sunrise, South of town.


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  14. #9
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    Our hotel, this is where you want to stay - the others are not as comfy.

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    My wife spent quite a bit of time in Kodiak 20 years ago, and this was her favorite place... Monk's Rock. It's a little hole-in-the-wall cafe and bookstore.

    One of her Christmas presents this year was a hoodie from here and I was rewarded with a "Squee!" when she opened it.... mission accomplished. She was stopped by a random stranger while wearing that hoodie in LAX about a month ago who was another fan of Monk's Rock and they both reminisced about that little store - funny how small the world really is.

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  18. #11
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    One of the projects replacing batteries. These babies are 355# each.




    One of the big benefits to upgrading telecom equipment beyond the additional actual capability is the power usage - 282 amps is a huge draw and this facility would draw less than 50 amps with modern technology. The cost in electricity will quickly pay for the upgrade.

    Another benefit is that all the equipment would fit in one small 12" x 19" x 7' rack, instead of filling the room with a 20' x 30' footprint. It is a big expense up front, though, and telecom companies are reluctant to do this when the old dinosaur equipment is paid for and working fine.

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  19. #12
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    Bald Eagles. Hundreds of them, hanging out on a miserably cold rainy day.

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  21. #13
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    Let the conspiracy theories begin!


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    This is the oldest surviving Russian structure in the United States, built in 1808 back when Russia owned Alaska.

    Unfortunately, they were closed on Christmas Eve, so we didn't get a chance to go in and see all the artifacts in the museum. I'll try again next time.













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    Our Ferry, the Tustamena, docked. This was taken right after we found out we'd be spending Christmas in Kodiak.


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