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Send photos, additions and corrections to: mail@alpenview.com Part One, The People   Left to right: Connor, Pat, Brent, Ole, Isaac, Tim and Molly Spring Training, Camp, June 4 - 11, 2011 Brent Varriale * Fruitland, ID / Pat Steed * Eden, NC / Tim Longrich * Kodiak, AK / Craig "Ole" Olsen * Kodiak, AK Staff for the week were Dave Jones, Molly Jones, Connor Caldwell and Isaac Fritz. Camp, June 11 - 18, 2011 John Maresca * Wirtz, VA Pat Steed * Eden, NC Staff for the week were Dave Jones, Molly Jones, Connor Caldwell and Isaac Fritz. Pat Steed stayed on from the week prior. John (above left) joined him during this week. Left to Right: Jay, Tom, Greg, Jairus and Connor (kneeling) Camp, June 18 - 25, 2011 Jay Green - Seattle, WA / Jairus Stratton - Seattle, WA / Tom Griffin - Seattle, WA / Greg Fenton - Kingston, WA Staff for the week were Dave Jones, Molly Jones, Connor Caldwell and Isaac Fritz. Left to Right: Isaac, Frank, Steve, Connor, Lloyd, Alan and Dave (kneeling) Camp, June 25 - July 2, 2011 Frank Pirnique * Palouse, WA / Alan Pirnique * El Dorado, AR / Lloyd Luedecke * Pullman, WA / Steve Pryor - San Jose, CA Staff for the week were Dave Jones, Molly Jones, Connor Caldwell and Isaac Fritz. Left to right: Jeff, Mickey, Isaac and Fru Lodge Opening, June 28 - July 2, 2011 Jeff Johnson - Kodiak, AK Staff for the Job were Shawn Finn, Fru Finn, Mickey Jones and Isaac Fritz. Left to Right: Dave, Shawn, Zachary, Isaac and Joe Lodge, July 2 - 6, 2011 Joe and Zachary Wong - Austin, TX Staff for the week were: Shawn Finn, Fru Finn, Dave Jones, Mickey Jones and Isaac Fritz. Left to Right: Peter, Brendan, Walt, Harrison and Ed Camp to Lodge, July 9 - 16, 2011 Peter Schug * Staufenberg, Germany / Walt, Harrison and Brendan Boardwine - Grand Junction, CO Ed Boardwine - Eclectic, AL Staff for the week were Shawn Finn, Dave Jones, Molly Jones, Mickey Jones, Connor Caldwell and Isaac Fritz.   Left to Right: Audrey, Wil, Fru, Isaac, Stewart, Shawn, Marlene and Mickey Lodge, July 9 - 13, 2011 Stewart and Marlene Wooten - Asheboro, NC / Wil and Audrey Albert - Port Hueneme, CA Staff for the trip were Shawn Finn, Fru Finn, Mickey Jones and Isaac Fritz.   Left to Right: Sigrid, Linda, Bobby, Debbie, Dan, Sheila and Connor Lodge, July 16 - 20, 2011 Sigrid Carter - Ransom Canyon, TX / Bobby and Linda Jarvis - Ransom Canyon, TX / Debbie Newcum - Imez, TX Dan and Sheila Dankworth - Abilene, TX Staff for the trip were: Dave Jones, Molly Jones, Mickey Jones, Connor Caldwell and Isaac Fritz.   Left to Right: Isaac, Nathan, Jill, Jeff, Brad, Diana and Connor Lodge, July 20 - 23, 2011 Jill and Nathan Watson - Sherman, TX / Jeff Johnson * Kodiak, AK / Brad and Diana Christensen * Federal Way, WA Staff for the trip were: Dave Jones, Molly Jones, Mickey Jones, Connor Caldwell and Isaac Fritz. Sitting, clockwise from front left: Denny, Mike, Jeff, Martha, Bob, Dave and Jim. Standing: Connor and Shawn Lodge, August 13 to 17, 2011 Bob * and Martha Morrissey - Annapolis, MD / Mike Hagerty * Oro Valley, AZ Denny Sanborn - Montrose, MI / Jeff Askan - Tucson, AZ / Jim Assemany - Novi, MI Staff for the trip were: Dave Jones, Shawn Finn, Amy Finn, Deb Christensen, Connor Caldwell and Isaac Fritz. From left: Dave, Martha, Shawn, Christie, Connor (standing high), Isaac, Helena, Erin, Don and Bob Lodge, August 13 to 17, 2011 Bob * and Martha Morrissey - Annapolis, MD / Don and Helena Knowles - Lima, OH Erin Knowles - Chicago, IL / Christie Knowles-Paysen - Lima, OH Staff for the trip were: Dave Jones, Shawn Finn, Amy Finn, Deb Christensen, Connor Caldwell and Isaac Fritz. From left: The Bear, Cicci and Franco Camp, August 13 - 17, 2011 Franco Del'Acqua and Elisabetta "Cicci" De Medici - Castellanza, ITALY Staff for the trip was: Isaac.   From left: Tom, Brian, Anna, Isaac, Jack, Wendy, Dave, Connor and Amy Lodge, August 20 - 24, 2011 Brian *, Jack * and Wendy Collings - Ventura, CA / Tom and Anna McBreen - Ventura, CA Staff for the trip were: Dave Jones, Shawn Finn, Amy Finn, Deb Christensen, Connor Caldwell and Isaac Fritz.   From left: Bernie, Ray and Shawn Lodge, August 27 to September 3, 2011 Bernie Beaudoin * Overland Park, KS Ray Sirois * Shapleigh, ME Staff for the week were: Dave Jones, Shawn Finn, Amy Finn, Deb Christensen, Connor Caldwell and Isaac Fritz. Clockwise from bottom: Shawn, Lisa and Jennifer Lodge, August 31 to September 3, 2011 Lisa Bradley - Cumming, GA Jennifer Goodman - Smyrna, GA Staff for the week were: Dave Jones, Shawn Finn, Amy Finn, Deb Christensen, Connor Caldwell and Isaac Fritz.    Top row from left: Jim, Dave, Bernie, Fritz, Carole, Joe, Deb, Hal, and Isaac Bottom row from left: Ray, Maik, Carsten and Connor Lodge, September 3 - 10, 2011 Bernie Beaudoin * Overland Park, KS / Ray Sirois * Shapleigh, ME / Fritz Jorg * Poulsbo, WA Hal Weirth * Poulsbo, WA / Jim Jacobsen * Novato, CA / Joe Toth * Carson City, NV Carsten Burghart - Wennigsen, Germany / Maik Heinemann - Garbsen, Germany Staff for the week were: Dave Jones, Carole Velez, Deb Christensen, Connor Caldwell and Isaac Fritz.   From left: Al and John Lodge, September 3 - 7, 2011 Al Beaver - Clancy, MT / John Beaver - Helena, MT Staff for the trip were: Dave Jones, Carole Velez, Deb Christensen, Connor Caldwell and Isaac Fritz.   From left: Ole, Don, Shawn and Chick Camp, September 7 - 10, 2011 Chick Forrence * Hudson, NH / Don Berube * Nashua, NH Staff for the trip were: Shawn Finn, Amy Finn and Craig "Ole" Olson   Clockwise from front left: Chick, Ken, Bruce, Jasper, Jan, Niels, Jerry (set back) and Don Lodge, September 10 - 17, 2011 Chick Forrence * Hudson, NH / Don Berube * Nashua, NH / Ken Wiseman - Bakersfield, CA Bruce Brown - Fresno, CA / Jerry Cook * Aptos, CA / Niels Due Jensen * Bjerringbro, Denmark Jan * and Jasper Tryk - Horsens, Denmark Staff for the week were: Dave Jones, Carole Velez, Deb Christensen, Connor Caldwell and Isaac Fritz. Clockwise from front left: Evelyn, Mike, Sumner, David, Shawn, Angie, Jeff and Ole Camp, September 10 - 17, 2011 Jeff * and Angie Johnson - Kodiak, AK / Mike McKinstry and Evelyn Fuchser - ??????? Sumner Newman - Bountiful, UT / David Newman - Farmington, UT Staff for the week were: Shawn Finn, Amy Finn and Craig "Ole" Olson. From left: Jimmy, Jim, Wade, Chris, Rob, and Joe Camp, September 17 - 24, 2011 Wade Ward * Jacksonville, NC / James Slack * Emerald Isle, NC / Rob Jones * Greenville, NC Joe Taft * Greenville, NC / Chris Ward * Wrightsville Beach, NC / Jimmy Slack - Capistrano Beach, CA Staff for the week were: Shawn Finn, and Craig "Ole" Olson / Dave Jones, Deb Christensen and Isaac Fritz. From left: Brent W., Frank, Isaac, Scott, Dave, Bill, Brent V. and Kerry Camp, September 24 - October 1, 2011 Frank Varriale * Boise, ID / Brent Varriale * Fruitland, ID / Bill Davis * Eagle, ID Scott Kaufman - Boise, ID / Kerry Kegel - Ontario, OR / Brent Wilde - Boise, ID Staff for the week were: Dave Jones, Deb Christensen and Isaac Fritz. From left standing: Cliff, Bill, Deb and Phil From left sitting: Bob, Ted, Dave Eric and Isaac Camp, October 1 - 8, 2011 Phil Reinig * Los Alamos, NM / Bill Enloe * Los Alamos, NM / Eric Jensen * Bend, OR Bob Berti - Diamond Springs, CA / Ted Berti - Knutsford, BC / Cliff Rackham - Pollok Pines, CA Staff for the week were: Dave Jones, Deb Christensen and Isaac Fritz. From left standing: Dave and Isaac From left sitting: Mack, Yale, Dick, Chris, Donny and Tony Camp, October 8 - 15, 2011 Donny Andrews * Denver, CO / Chris Gill * San Antonio, TX / Mack Jenkins * Indian Springs, AL Antonio Paulnio-Alvarez * Reykjavik, Iceland / Dick Negley * San Antonio, TX / Yale Sacks - Central Point, CA Staff for the week were: Dave Jones, Deb Christensen and Isaac Fritz. From left: Jim, Dave and Isaac Fall Training, Camp, October 15 - 22, 2011 Jim Arneson * Kodiak, AK Staff for the week were: Dave Jones and Isaac Fritz.  Part Two, In Season Events   The season officially kicked off when the camp set-up crew flew into the Ayakulik on June 4, 2011. Above: Pat Steed and Dave install the new entry door for the main cook tent. The first, and only, door in camp that has no zipper! Right: Tim Longrich dries his sweater above the new camp oil stove.         Above left: Tim Longrich is quite often the one who catches the first king of the season and 2011 was no exception. Above right: One of the nice things about fishing early June is the steelhead are still in the river. Brent Varriale displays his lifetime best steelhead. Left: Life in camp is not all fishing. Tom Griffin comes out on top of a weekly poker game.   The biggest king caught at the camp in the 2011 season. Tom Griffin (left) caught this beauty estimated at 35lbs. He is joined in the photo by his friend Jairus Stratton. This is a story of a fishing rod. It’s a 14 foot, 9 weight, Sage Spey rod. The rod was bought in the late 1990s, as a Christmas gift for Dave Jones, by his lovely wife Mickey. Mickey received direction in picking out the rod from Fritz Jorg, a long time client and friend. Fritz also provided a Charlton reel to match the rod. The rod and reel combo has been an inspiration to many beginning Spey fishermen over it’s 10 year plus career. It has been the first Spey rod ever cast by many AlpenView clients and has resulted in the first king salmon or steelhead for many of them. The rod is also loved by experienced Spey casters from around the world. Often times it’s used when an experienced angler has broken a rod or not brought a Spey rod of their own. Once they get their hands on the rod, it’s often difficult to get it back. Considering the hours it has fished and many beginners who have fished the rod, it has held up remarkably well. The rod has been broken once, then quickly and beautifully repaired by Sage. The Charlton reel has proven to be bullet proof in all kinds of conditions. The rod is the first Spey rod fished by beginning angler Connor Caldwell (above left) and resulted in Connor’s first king salmon. It was the first Spey rod fished by experienced anglers Alan Pirnique (above center) and Lloyd Luedecke (above right), who both had king salmon success.    Molly Jones’ shots of a heated argument between two brown bear. Molly found herself a bit too close to this altercation and was extracted by being tossed on father Dave’s shoulder and waded across the river. Molly took the shots from Dave’s shoulder during the extraction!     Isaac caught his first king on the fly during his work as a guide for AlpenView. Isaac and Connor do a great job as first year guides for AlpenView.     At left: Recently elected, AlpenView Wilderness Lodge, Inc., board members Fru Finn and Mickey Jones. Fru and Mickey begin some of their duties as corporate officers by putting away groceries. Like it is for the other officers, Shawn and Dave, an AlpenView board member has a blue collar position.       Unlike the short tailed weasel (above left) and the red fox (above), Vikoda the crab dog (below left) is not indigenous to Kodiak Island. Below: Zachary and Joe Wong display the first halibut caught for the 2011 season. During early July AlpenView’s lodge and camp run simultaneously. Captain Shawn ran the Finlander and lodge operations while Dave ran the camp.       July 10 and 11, 2011, 124 king salmon landed in two days. Ed Boardwine (left and above) found the catch rate to be so strenuous that he often sat down during the fight to save strength.   Left: Peter Shug got this cute shot of a mother and cub. Below: Molly Jones makes work fun while cleaning up in the camp kitchen.  A view of camp from the tundra.   As the king/sockeye season at the camp winds down, clients and crew put up the jet boat for summer storage.   Ed was part of a group that split a trip between the camp and the lodge. After freshwater fishing at the camp, he landed this nice lingcod while saltwater fishing at the lodge. Sea kayaking is a popular activity at AlpenView. Above: Wil and Audrey Albert make their way toward Seal Island to do some wildlife viewing.     The orange beak and jet black body of the oyster catcher provides a striking contrast for wildlife photographers.   Sockeye! Freshwater sockeye fishing was hot in late July at the lodge. Above: Jill and Nathan Watson and Jeff Johnson display a nice catch of Sockeye from Saltry creek.   AlpenView is a family operation. Above: Dave, Mickey and Molly Jones, AlpenView staff, send greetings to family in Washington state.  Click to continue to page two of the 2011 review.