Serenity
I mentioned in my earlier blogs that I found perspective and serenity in my trip North of the Arctic Circle this week. I went to the village of Kiana, Alaska, with several of our team members, partners and clients, and as always, I’ve come back to the “lower 48” now with renewed purpose, a revived spirit, and a tremendous sense of awe for what I saw and who we met. In regards to serenity, I can’t effectively describe how beautiful Kiana is…so the best way to share it is through a picture:
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This picture was taken off the deck of the lodge we were visiting and it was very typical of the incredible beauty that we saw everywhere we went. I believe this picture was taken by the owner of the lodge who used his camera to capture each moment in a way that only someone who respects the land and respects those who live off that land can. We spent two days fishing the river you see under that rainbow, and three evenings in the lodge together staring at God’s wonderful creation as we shared stories, talked about our families, talked about our business passions, and learned about a region of this country and our world that very few people understand or get to visit.
Although the talk was wonderful and we have new friends for life, the competition was on the Kobuk River, where the aggressiveness of business turned into competitiveness of fishing. We fished from the beach and in between catching fish we listened to stories as we learned about the region, those native to the region, and the vast difference between our time there in June and the bitter cold of the Arctic winters. The target of the fishing was the Sheefish, and here’s a photo of the typical fish we were catching as I work to get the lure out of its mouth:
The fish ranged in size from about 9 pounds up to the biggest we caught at 34 pounds. The 34 pounder brought great bragging rights as it was by far the biggest fish caught over the two days of fishing. We kept only those fish we could eat, and we took great care (after some coaching and training from our guide) to remove the lure quickly and then get the fish back in the water for those that we released. For such a beautiful and strong fish, the shock of being out of the water and being handled by humans sure seemed to take a toll on many of them; thus the special care and the extra coaching on how to handle this particular type of fish.
Our time in the region ended the same way it began with low clouds and fog, aircraft delays and cancellations, and plenty of time to talk about what we saw, what we did, and who we met. The discussion at the beginning was filled with great anticipation of what was to come; the discussion at the end was filled with great respect for where we visited and who we met.
I can think of no better word to describe the peace that engulfs you in Kiana than serenity because it’s beyond beautiful and beyond tranquil…it truly is spectacular. If you want to see more of the fishing that occurs on the Kobuk and also see more of the beauty of that region, you can visit Lorry and Nellie’s web site at www.alaskasheefishing.com. Lorry and Nellie Schuerch own the lodge and they make each trip special as they put their own special touch on the time at the lodge and the time on the river. Lorry is the guide and the host, and Nellie is the lodge manager and hostess. What a special couple and what a great adventure.