By Joseph Roberta
Photos by Joseph Robertia, Redoubt Reporter. Catherine Kaminski, of Kenai, jigs her bait through a hole in the ice while fishing Saturday as part of the Girl Scouts of Alaska’s annual “Winter Fun Day,” held at Johnson Lake State Reaction Area.
Redoubt Reporter
We were all young and new once, not just to the ways of the world, but to the ways of an Alaska winter. From how to dress properly, to what activities to do to stay mentally and physically healthy, there is much to learn about making it through the six months of cold and snow, but 8-year-old Catherine Kaminski was off to a good start Saturday.
“I got one,” she shouted, breaking the silence at Johnson Lake State Recreation Area.
Her shout was immed-iately followed by the war cry of several other children her age, all equally as excited as she was.
“She got one! She got one!” they exclaimed, as the mass of kids began running back to shore, looking for both the approval and assistance of the adults waiting onshore.
At the end of a tiny, footlong fishing rod was an even tinier silver fish that flopped and wiggled. While Kaminski’s goal was to catch a trout when she dropped her bait through the plate-sized hole in the ice, it was tough to tell who was more surprised that she actually had hooked one, her or the troop leaders who had organized this and other events as part of the annual “Winter Fun Day,” hosted by the Kenai Peninsula Girl Scouts of Alaska, a division of the Girl Scouts of America.
“I had a salmon egg on there, and I bobbed it up and down, and then I felt weight on the line, and,
Kaminski displays her catch.
boom, I had a fish on,” Kaminski said. “It was my first fish, not just for ice fishing, but my first fish ever.”
Adding to the satisfaction of those who helped her take the fish off her hook was the fact that, while the event was hosted by the Girl Scouts, Kaminski was not yet a member.
“I’m just a plain old kid,” she said.
This was part of the goal that day, though, according to Scout leader Renee Rybak — to show the community that Girl Scouts is about more than just selling delicious cookies.
“This isn’t just for Girl Scouts. It’s a family event. We want everyone to be able to come out and see what we do and hopefully learn a few new things,” she said.
There were many opportunities to do just that. Several stations were set up around the lake, with peers from the community who were well-versed in that particular skill or activity.
“It’s important to teach these things because we live in Alaska, so it’s important for kids to know they need to put on more than just a coat and hat when going outside, but also, since we live in Alaska where winters are so long, we want them to know many different activities for staying active and healthy,” Rybak said.
There was a station on how to dress in the cold with different layers and materials, for the children to understand the basics of dressing warm.
Kaminski had made her catch at the ice-fishing station, where a shanty had been set up over several holes in the ice. Dozens of ice-fishing rods, tackle and bait were provided. Another station had skis and snowshoes for kids to try out around the lake.
A local dog musher, Colleen Robertia, brought several of her canine companions and all her mushing gear to teach kids the essentials of proper dog care. She then had the kids take to the gangline and pull a sled to see what it is like to run a mile in a sled dog’s boots.
“I was a Girl Scout when I was younger, and it helped shape who I am, so I was happy to come and give time to possibly shaping some of these kids,” Robertia said.
At another station a large quinzee had been built, which is essentially a quickie version of an igloo,
Landri Johnson, of Kenai, tests out the quinzee, an emergency shelter made of a hollowed-out snow pile.
to teach children how they could survive by hollowing out a big pile of snow.
“With just a candle, you could make it overnight in there. It wouldn’t be the most comfortable night’s sleep, but you’d be alive in the morning,” said Gary Todd, an assistant Scout leader.
Making it through a cold night wasn’t the only skill taught Saturday. Mike Crawford, a board member of the Kenai Peninsula Trappers Association, manned a station on the basics and ethics of trapping. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game had loaned him dozens of furs, from brown bears to wolves, lynx and coyotes, and he had brought several stuffed mounts of smaller furbearers, such as marten and ermine.
“This is basically to teach them about what fur is and what it’s used for, how traps work, and what they can catch themselves or with their parents,” Crawford said. “Since survival is a big part of this, I thought I’d go over how to set a snare for snowshoe hares, and also how to build an ermine trap, which is something that is easy to do at home.”
Ermine mounts were part of the station set up by Mike Crawford, a board member of the Kenai Peninsula Trappers Association, to teach the kids about trapping for survival or fun.
As the day went on, the children made their way through each station, and just as the winter sun began to wane the kids got a hot meal of fire-grilled burgers, hot dogs, chili and one small trout. It had been a lot for the youngsters to take in, but they all seemed to enjoy the event.
“I’ve been to a lot of Girl Scout events,” said 13-year-old Alex Kaminski, a Scout and the older sister of Catherine. “And of all the ones I’ve been to, this is the most awesome one.”
