We made it to Adak for Diesel! We ended up at about 90 gallons left (out of 300), so were in good shape but it always pays to have full diesel out here in nowhereland.
We landed in the small boat harbor and were waved in by four of the 27 current locals and immediately gifted fresh salmon. Netting is much more efficient, and they gave us 3 of their 50 or so. As we cut it up we felt eyes upon us, and sure enough, as soon as we finished the first fish a bald eagle swooped in to try to take it. He got freaked when he didn’t get it the first time and flew off to a nearby pole. We waited for him to try again, but he just waited until we went below and immediately grabbed it…
Adak was home to a bustling town of over 5000 people built around a commercial fishing operation and a Navy outpost. Apparently, the operation became too expensive and the entire island was basically abandoned overnight. Entire suburban neighborhoods are like scenes from Zombieland. It’s SUPER creepy. We walk past a brick building and see a pile of wrecked steel plating on the field 100+ yards away. We realize it’s the buildings ROOF. Wind has exceeded 100 knots here, and the buildings show it. We walk further and into spooky abandoned suburbia. Playgrounds, stop signs, cul de sacs…all abandoned and overgrown. I keep expecting zombies to poor out of the broken doors.
Finally we have had our fill and start walking back towards the boat. On the way we see two guys working and decide to stop and ask directions to the one liquor store that supposedly opens in 4 hours (in the hope we can get it opened up). We start talking to the two and find out they are there removing WW II ordinance from Adak. They have this 72’ crane where they’ve replaced the windshield with a blast door and a camera. They had just dug up a 500 lb bomb the day before. How about that for unexploded ordinance.
We get directed to the liquor store only to find it closed…but there’s a phone number! I call it (ATT actually works on Adak) and Bernardo answers, only he’s in Anchorage. I thank him and we start heading back, passing a phone booth on the way…sweet. Suddenly my phone rings. It’s Bernardo! He is having someone open the store in 5 minutes.
We walk back to the store and find it open. Beer is expensive, but more like bar prices. We GLADLY pay. We grab 4 Mickey’s Big Mouth’s for road sodas (they were cold) and head back to the boat.
Arriving, we decide to make a quick departure and head over to Finger Bay, 3 miles away. It’s a beautiful quick motor over there, we anchor, and a pickup truck comes over the hill. Desiring solitude and seeing good weather for travel, we up anchor and head off to Atka in the dark.
Thanks Adak!!!!!!
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