An Outdoorsman's Journal

The Journey Home and More Adventures

Selina Walters,

Hello everyone, this week I, Selina am taking over the column to write about my most recent adventures. When I wrote to you last, I was sicker than a dog and my summer was looking grim, but since then things have turned around for me and that’s what I’m here to tell you about today!

Once my health recovered, I was able to return to my job as a snorkel technician with the state of Idaho to finish out the season. I spent my final two hitches (eight-day work trips) of the snorkel season near Stanley, Idaho surveying fish underwater. I have been fortunate to have a variety of different technician jobs doing different kinds of work with fish but I really wish that I could have had more time with this one specifically because the feeling of being right in the water with the fish that you spend so much time studying, and observing them in their natural habitats is really incredible.

For our final hitch we backpacked into alpine lakes to survey remote headwater streams with limited access other than by foot. We hiked over 30 miles in total, much of which included heavy packs from wet wetsuits as well as general camping gear. This hitch was exhausting but one of the greatest trips I’ve taken with incredible views, unique fish experiences, and lots of fun had and memories made with my other crew members.

Our “snorkel season” ended mid-August and following that my work primarily consisted of conducting spawning ground surveys for chinook salmon. These fish are born in tributary streams of the Salmon River drainage and travel over 450 miles through the Columbia River system to the Pacific Ocean as juveniles and then make the return trip after a few years growing and maturing in the ocean to spawn in their natal (home/where they were born) stream. As they make their journey they pass through a number of obstacles, additionally they stop feeding and rely on stored fats and their bodies start to literally fall apart. After this incredible journey females will then locate the ideal place to dig their redds where they scrape the bottom of their bodies and dig with their tail to build what looks similar to an underground nest to deposit their eggs which will then be fertilized by males. These fish will only make this journey once, they look like zombie fish as they arrive, and they will die once they have spawned.

To track chinook populations over time, spawning ground surveys are completed by walking historic sites to search for redds, live salmon, and salmon carcasses. This often-meant walking 2-7 miles in or adjacent to the stream to look for recently disturbed areas that may be redds/spawning sites or the fish themselves, it was kindof like a constant game of Where’s Waldo. Prior to this job I had never worked with salmon, and it was awe-inspiring to get to witness firsthand the journey that they make and the resilience that they have to hold on with so much adversity facing them.

On top of spawning ground surveys, I assisted in a variety of other monitoring efforts including working at rotary screw traps, raft and backpack electrofishing, fish salvages, and got to do some environmental education. It was great to return to working in field after my last office-based position and get more hands-on experience to fuel my fire towards fisheries conservation.

For the time being I am unemployed- living my best life off the little bit of savings I’ve built up, doing lots of hunting and spending some much-needed time with my family. I am super excited for my near future though as I will be heading to New Zealand for a month over December and through my birthday! It will be their summer, and I’ll be road tripping and backpacking throughout the North and South Island exploring the country. This will be my first big international trip, and I cannot wait to take in the beauty New Zealand has to offer. Following my trip, I’ll be returning to Montana to put in as many ski days as possible and then hopefully starting grad school in the late spring or fall!

Everything is looking up aces,

Selina