Breakup 2007

Breakup 2007

Everyone gathering down by the river for the breakup bash.

Everyone lining up for free hotdogs on the grill.

A local band getting ready


On Thursday evening, the Kuskokwim River officially broke. This means winter is over, and fishing can begin. Friday night Janna and I headed down to the breakup bash - an annual event that celebrates the return of summer. We ate free hotdogs, talked with friends, and listened to some music.

Getting ready for breakup

The river by Bethel - gettin' ready for breakup!

These are some pictures I took of the Kuskokwim River. Breakup is a HUGE deal here. It means winter is FINALLY over, and subsistence fishing can begin. Just about everyone on the YK delta is connected via e-mail, and each day lots of people post what is happening with the river. Eric has told me that up river, people already have their boats in the water. That's crazy because there are still huge chunks of ice floating in the river.

The tripod with the Alaska flag is hooked to a digital clock. As soon as the tripod moves 200 feet, the clock stops, and that marks the official time for breakup. It should happen pretty soon. Our temps are in the high 40ies, low 50ies, and we are not dipping below freezing at night anymore. The sun is up at 6-7 am and does not set until after 11 pm. I love the midnight sun!

I'm sure I'll be posting more on the breakup later.....