Summer Camp for Adults

When I was younger, I used to attend summer camp at Riverview right outside of Cusick, Washington. I remember the excitement, the smell of Clorox in the messhall, the mystery orange drink, the beautiful view of the water, the late nights, the squeaky cabin beds, the people you'd always run into but never quite remember, and that one boy who didn't shower the whole time.

Ten years and one college degree later, I am back at summer camp... with a strangely adult twist. Complete with mystery orange drink, messhall and bunkhouses (though I have single accomodations). The main difference is the fact that rather than the one boy, there are definitely many men with infrequent showering habits.

Glamourous as my post graduate summer position is, I must say I'm not minding it. There are long hours (we work 11 hours a day; and from what I hear, they are about to get longer) but I have a rather nice desk, a continously full coffee pot and snack pile, and a stunning view of the sunset (that is, if I bother to stay up until 12:30 a.m.)

Naknek is a fishing town, and with the 2013 salmon season upon us, the number of fishermen we see daily is steadily increasing. AGS products center around this season, and because I have little to no knowledge of fishing practices of any kind, I have been learning more about fish than I ever thought was neccessary.

The people that are currently at the camp are the managerial and main staff (about 80 employees, including myself) and the seasonal workers for whom I'm doing orientation soon (about 500 individuals) will be arriving throughout the next couple of weeks. My current duties include payroll, airport pick-up, new employee paperwork and training on all office software I haven't yet learned.

Overall, there's not much to Naknek. There's a post office, a few bars (which I have yet to explore), a general store, a liquor store and a little coffee shop called 'The Shire'. The atmosphere is welcoming, and arid, giving one a sense of freedom (and a big whif of  what I can only describe as testosterone incarnate). Whelp, It's about time for dinner, Mystery orange drink here I come. Wish me luck! Here's some photos for the road...


The view on the flight into Anchorage



AGS facilities in Naknek. Storm clouds moving in.



My office building overlooking the water



Fishing gear storage facility on site



The walk back to my room... watch out for boats.

The classy lock system





The 12:30 a.m. sunset from my room





Until next time

Besos,

Hil