Family News

Hannah and her new harp

Captain Dean & family have been their “busy beaver” selves this winter and will continue that pattern into the spring. Both girls have been active with school and related pursuits. Heather (now 16) spent her summer at U.C. Berkeley rather than as a galley slave on the Discovery. She came home in late August and moved back onboard the Discovery only to go off again. This time to Maine and the Allagash River on an outdoor leadership program, with our small school here in Whittier.

She recently completed a lengthy application to study abroad (in Japan) for 2007 and she’s looking at summer study programs that range from a college term at Oxford to conflict resolution courses in Egypt! Also, she’s exploring the possibility of a military academy for higher education so that when she runs for president, she’ll have her military time in too …… no kidding……. this is her idea. More > >

~ The Rand & family

Christine Kulcheski "bon voyage"

Chris and fiance Pat

This summer marked my fourth year on the Discovery, and Prince William Sound is truly the most spectacular home away from home a girl could ask for. Yet the nesting bug is persistent and I have somewhat sadly given my official resignation as full time chef aboard the Discovery. I hope to remain involved, and make guest appearances from time to time!

Other news hot off the press: Pat and I are now officially engaged! Most of you haven’t met Pat, but he is honest, big-hearted, and a devoted partner plus he’s funny! In true Alaskan form, Pat chartered a helicopter to take us to Grewink Glacier, where he proposed on the glowing blue ice flow. (He said he won the trip in a raffle, just to fool me.) We both feel very lucky.

As a send off I give you a recipe for the popular Ginger Butternut Soup we serve on the boat, which makes a great starter for a late harvest or winter meal. See "From the Discovery Kitchen" to the right. The portions are approximate, but it will turn out delicious, I promise!

~ Chris

Our 2006 Chef Matt Tocchini

Chef Matt Tocchini

Matt came to Alaska in the spring of 1989 to aid in the clean-up of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, in Prince William Sound, with plans to return to college that fall.  He ended up in a cannery, far from the oily chaos, where he earned enough money to embark on a life of adventure.  His love for travel has taken him throughout Alaska, to the South Pacific, the Andes, the Himalayas, East Asia and Central America.  He finds travel exotic, stimulating and fulfilling.

Along the journey that began as a visit is now a place to call home and Matt is easily at home in the kitchen where you will find him this summer. He has been cooking professionally since he was 18 from burger houses to fine dining.  Please welcome him as our new chef on board the Discovery where his mantra is “eat and be merry”.   He draws inspiration from the multitude of  cultures he visits and brings that aroma with him into our gallery.  He looks forward to using these skills and experiences in preparing unique and delicious meals for all of you who join us on the Discovery.

He has a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Policy, and a masters in the art of  having a good time.  He enjoys skiing, kayaking, rafting, biking and hiking and these activities have taken him all around this beautiful state of Alaska.  

We are excited to have Matt as a member of the Discovery team!

Samantha Guse

Sam and Eli.

After a wonderful and busy summer aboard the Discovery it was difficult to slow down to Talkeetna time where my boyfriend Eli and I purchased a 3 acre lot (100 miles north of Anchorage). To get ready for building our cabin we spent the fall clearing trees by chainsaw, for the pad and driveway. It was difficult cutting down the beautiful spruce and birch. We rented a 450 bulldozer to move out stumps and spread gravel. The temperature was around 20 degrees and it began to snow right after we finished. Our temporary home is in Girdwood (between Whittier and Anchorage) where we both work for Alyeska Resort and enjoy the great winter outdoor activities.

Steelhead on the Anchor River.

In September I took a rafting trip down the Chulitna river. A favorite little Class II/III river that is road accessible. The put in is at the base of the Alaska Range, along the Parks Hwy with amazing views of Denali. We caught some rainbow trout, saw a few bears along the way, and took out near Talkeetna. It was a great trip and I am look forward to doing again next year. Fall is a great time to catch migrating Steelhead Trout on the Anchor River. This year we only fished for a few days, but it was worth it!

Lots of weddings in my life. I attended two weddings of long time friends this fall in Talkeetna and Homer. Right before Christmas I traveled to Jamaica for my brother's wedding. He invited the whole family (very brave). They chose a beautiful spot in Ocho Rios to celebrate and what a wonderful time to go to the Caribbean.

If you wish to contact me directly: samanthaguse@yahoo.com or PO Box 1601 Girdwood, AK 99587.

~Sam

Sarah Heck

Caribou hunt up Healy Creek.

Whew! The wonderful summer on the Discovery came to an end quickly and now we are in the throes of a beautiful Alaskan winter. What a great time we all had in amazing Prince William Sound (PWS). Thank you to all those who are still writing and sending photos.

In early September, I went on a Caribou hunt up Healy Creek, across from Denali Park. The fall colors of the tundra were spectacular! It was my first hunt and we planned to do it on bicycles with trailers. We were lucky we didn’t harvest a caribou because the rains were torrential, and the already difficult creek crossings would have turned near impossible. But, even with rain, as on the Discovery it was a great trip!

After the hunt, I took a long-term substitute teaching job at a Middle School in Anchorage. It has been a great experience, and fun, to hang out with kids. I am also trying to purchase some remote property in Alaska. The details are killing me, and it has been difficult to find someone to survey the land. The view is stunning!

The ski season is in full swing and we have been blessed with a ton of snow! I am volunteering to train new recruits in an Adaptive Ski school. I try to give them tools on how to teach to people with disabilities how to ski, and to use the adaptive equipment. On weekends, I have been out in the backcountry hiking to the snow for some turns, and trying to drum up some support for an outdoor class on avalanche safety for teenagers.

My best to all of you!

~Sarah

Brenda Roper

Brenda Roper

From the Anchorage Office:  Tidbits from Brenda

Hola.  The light is returning to Alaska and I love how it falls through the office window and across the floor.  February always marks the return of the light and it is an occasion worthy of celebration!  I have just returned from 10 beautiful days on the Pacific Coast of Mexico.  Well deserved after putting up a solo art exhibition of my recent work at one of Anchorage’s hottest contemporary gallery.  I also have two pieces of sculpture in the All Alaska Juried Exhibition XXXI currently on display in the Anchorage Museum of History and Art.  My life is art and tourism with a little poetry on the side.  It’s all good.

Since I’ve been back the Discovery office is busy as ever as we gear up for the 2006 season.  Thanks to all of you who are willing to work with me via email when I travel south of the border.  Isn’t technology wonderful?  While we have several SOLD-OUT dates on our 2006 calendar we still have availability for those of you contemplating a trip to Alaska this summer, and no better place to experience it than from the deck of the Discovery in Prince William Sound or from a kayak in front of Cascade waterfall.  We are offering three hike & kayak voyages this summer due to their enormous popularity and still have openings on our June 11th departure.  Please let me know if you have any questions about the upcoming season, or photos to share from the past.  Adios.

Hugh Rose - Discovery Guest Guide

Hugh Rose in Antarctica

Greetings from Fairbanks Alaska!  It seems like just yesterday we were photographing sea otters at Surprise, magnificent mountain scenery at Columbia, and whales in Montague Strait, but in reality we are over half way through our Alaska winter and looking forward to being out in the Sound again for more photographic and natural history adventures this coming summer. 

Thanks to all who made last season such a memorable one and thank you for all your great photos and correspondence.  After the busy summer season of guiding and photography on the Discovery and elsewhere around Alaska, I spent the autumn guiding polar bear and aurora photography trips in the arctic of Alaska.  Winter arrived in interior Alaska in late October and the cross country skiing has been fantastic all winter. 

I left Fairbanks just after Christmas and spent a month working in Antarctica on tourist ship as a naturalist and photographic resource person.  What an experience ringing in the New Year with tens of thousands of penguins!   I returned to one of the coldest Januarys on record in Fairbanks (-50!), but now I’m languishing in the long sunny (and warmer) days of early March, taking care of the office work that makes the summer adventures happen.  I’m really looking forward to seeing many familiar faces and  meeting lots of new ones this summer on the Discovery.
Cheers!
Hugh