Chosen Frozen
Layla with her first fish (KLS student). Photo by Tenley Nelson
April 15, 2023
Tenley Nelson
On March 21 a crowd of enthusiastic adults and students gathered on 2 Mile Lake near Chitina for Chosen Frozen. Even though it was overcast with a little breeze, spring was in the air!
The Upstream Learning and Kenny Lake School students and families were briefed on lake safety and respecting the traditional Ahtna lands before walking the length of the lake to the north side where ice fishing shelters and activities awaited.
First up was ice fishing and snowshoeing. But the snowshoes mostly stayed in place as the kids jockeyed for ice fishing holes. Layla Shangin-Kosbruk, from Kenny Lake School, caught the first fish as well as several more arctic char and rainbows. She is quite the fisherwoman! Luckily no humans were hooked throughout the day though several lines had to be untangled, and many more fish were caught.
2 mile Lake Chosen Frozen. Photo by Jenny Moser
Chosen Frozen is provided for the Copper River School District middle school kids with a combined effort from the Wrangell St Elias National Park Service in Copper Center, Bureau of Land Management Glennallen Office, Division of Forestry and Fire Protection in Tazlina, and the Wrangell Institute for Science and Environment in Kenny Lake.
Thank you to Diane Ellsworth, Carson Tortorige, and Russ Scribner from the NPS, Bryan Marquardt from BLM, Jenny Moser and Andrew Coulter from Forestry, and Robin Mayo and Jolene Nashlund from WISE for hosting this event. Thank you to Vicky Berger for providing coffee, Michael Moody for representing Chitina EMS, Brandon Holmes and Jenn Kistler from Kenny Lake School, Mark Sommerville with ADF&G who loaned an auger and drilled ice fishing holes, and DOT who plowed out extra parking.
Lunch was provided by yet even more volunteers, and the group happily enjoyed mac and cheese, hotdogs, soup, and hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows before getting ready for the afternoon activities. The group split up into three sections and headed off to their afternoon learning stations. My group started with “Self-Rescue Science,” taught by Carson Tortorige (NPS). We learned about how to judge how thick ice is through observation and then what to do if you fall through. Carson told the kids about how our bodies have a shock response that lasts about one minute before our brain will start working again after falling into cold water. Carrying a change of clothes and sugary drinks can save your life if you fall through the ice, and the kids practiced how to roll someone else up like a burrito in a tarp with blankets and warm water bottles to bring the body temperature up.
We also discovered that if you are unable to self-rescue in a highly visible area, and if there is a chance of someone coming to your aid, it is wise to freeze your gloves (and beard if you have one) to the ice so your head will stay above water if you become unconscious and to hold still (instead of continuing to struggle) so your body can keep the internal organs warm. He showed us some homemade ice picks you can carry in your breast pocket to help you pull yourself out of the water and back onto the ice.
Carson demonstrated how to lay flat, kick yourself up onto the shelf ice (in the direction you came from as you know that ice is sturdy), use the ice picks to pull as you kick, and then spread your weight as you continue swimming or rolling motions on the ice until you are in an area strong enough to get up. Great winter back-country advice!
Carson Tortorige demonstrates how to pull yourself out of the water on the ice by kicking your legs and pulling with ice picks. Photo by Tenley Nelson
Next up was “Science of Snow” with Jolene Nashlund (WISE). The Carson pocket microscopes were a huge hit as the group looked at spruce branches with moss and then snow crystals. Jolene taught us about the molecular structure of snow, the hexagon shape the molecules form when they start freezing, and the different kinds of snow that fall from the sky.
The snow on the lake was all broken crystals but fascinating to look at before they melted away on your hand. We also learned how snow can disappear at below-freezing temperatures due to sublimation when the snow transforms directly from solid crystals to water vapor. So that is where it all goes with the spring sun and wind!
Hannah Nelson uses a Carson pocket microscope to look at snow crystals. Photo by Tenley Nelson
Our last station was “Fire Starting” with Jenny Moser (Forestry). Jenny started with a safety talk about how, where, and when it is appropriate to start a fire (and when it is not!) In aluminum pans, the kids collected materials and built their structures, starting with the fine and small pieces of broken-up dry spruce branches and then gradually added more and larger pieces. Birch bark and wax/sawdust fire starter were available if needed to get a blaze going.
The kids used flexible long lighters to start their fire creations. After successful blazes were going, the fires were added to the above-ground firepit, where many folks warmed their chilly fingers throughout the day. What a great way to learn this life-saving skill!
Sylvia Nelson starting a fire. Photo by Jenny Moser
All too soon, the day was over, and the kids were hik- ing across the lake to head home. Glennallen middle school participated the next day at 2 Mile Lake with all the same folks and activities. Chosen Frozen was a busy and active day outside with fun learning for all.
Thank you to all the organizations and volunteers who participated in creating a fantastic winter field trip for our kids.
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