Augustine Volcano

I am back on the Kittiwake. We motored from Homer out to Augustine Volcano (10 hour ride) to take empty fuel barrels and old batteries off of the island. Augustine is an active volcano and erupted in 2006. We have 5 GPS stations on it to monitor its activity.
The Kittiwake anchored at Augustine.


Augustine, as we fly over to check out our stations.




Slinging gear off of the boat
After a long day of slinging gear off the volcano. Nice hair!


A beautiful sunset as we come into port at Homer. 10pm and the sun is just beginning to set.


Augustine is in the Cook Inlet off the coast of the Alaska Peninsula about 70 miles southwest of Homer.

Chernabura (Shumagin Islands)

After installing Nagai, we motored 3 hours over to Chernabura Island. We had beautiful weather here and got the site done in a day.
Churnabura Island! Very remote, very beautiful.

Max with the hut
Here I am covering the tools so they don't get blown away by the helicopter.
Our site, very small, at the top of the island.
The helicopter shut down on the boat.

Chilling out, waiting for more supplies to be slung from the boat to the site so we can start.
Ally drilling holes for anchoring down the hut.
Oh yeah, looking tough on the Hiliti.
We looked down to the beach and wanted to go swimming, but then we realized we were in Alaska and not the Caribbean, so we decided not to.

Our tools, in black and white, looking out to the island across the water.
Doerte and I about to hop out of the helo.
Slinging gear


Jeff, the helicopter pilot also helps us with the construction of the sites. Yup, he's awesome!

The Kittiwake and Nagai Island (Shumagin Islands)

From Sand Point we got on the Kittiwake and motored 8 hours over to Nagai Island which is part of the Shumagin Islands. They are south of the Alaska Peninsula and right before the Aleutian Islands start. The Kittiwake used to be a crabbing boat and used to be called the Time Bandit, so it is the senior to the one on the show The Deadliest Catch. We were on the Kittiwake for 4 days. We were supposed to be on there for atleast a week, but the weather was good and we finished early.


Looking from the wheel house down to the deck with all of our gear.
The gang
"Ah yes, here we are."
Pointing to our current location
Tim, the engineer on the boat


Max and Doerte
Doerte, Max and I all ready to head out to sea.

Doerte checking out our route

Anchored at Nagai Island

Looking out the kitchen window

Tim and John fishing while we have some downtime. They caught some cod so we got fresh blackened cod for dinner! Yum Yum.







John, part of the boat crew, watching our progress from the wheel house.
John, the captain of the Kittiwake.

All our gear on deck
Here's our bunks! Nice and cozy. The waves and motor on the boat rocked me to sleep.
Rob, the helicopter mechanic having a cup a joe on the Kittiwake
Rueben, the cook. Lots of wonderful food. Steak, salad, bacon, eggs, fresh fish...pretty much had it all.

John, Tim and Max hooking the hut up to the helicopter sling.


Jeff peeking his head out of the helicopter to check on the sling load below.


And there it goes...


Max drilling at the site

Looking down to the water below from our site


It was super cold out there so I kept moving and worked hard to keep warm. The winds picked up at the end and snow was coming down so we had to leave and come back the next day to finish.
Our GPS monument built and beautiful looking out across the water.
Doerte at our hut. I drilled the holes for the rock bolts and anchored down the hut.


Max and I working at the site.