Oct 1988 Travel in the Kodiak Archipelago- Supplies

Supplies! At last...yet...

As we walked we could hear the echo of an engine winding down, our pace quickened at the thought of all that food waiting for us back at shore base. Yes, and Harry too. We were curious as to his delay.

We walked for a ways talking of the meals we were desperately missing by then, commenting our hopes that Harry did not forget certain condiments. Of course, as long as it was not Spam we would even consider eating it raw.
Because of our location in the valley tightly fit between northern and southern mountain ranges the walls would echo back distant sounds. Waves from the shore miles away would vibrate against itself and eventually sound like the roar of an airplane engine. This auditory mirage was maddening and would later torment us when expecting arrivals. We would know better after a while but when about half an hour into our hike back we hear that familiar sound we dismissed it as the mirage.
“Is that the plane?”
“Naw, it couldn’t be…”
But it was. Shortly after the buzz we see Harry’s red trimmed Piper PA-18 Super Cub fly overhead. Circling over us once and tipping his wing as he turns northward back toward Kodiak City quickly disappearing over the ridge of the mountains.
Maybe he is going for more supplies Jim states hopefully. Me, I already have a bad feeling about this since he was already nearly a week late for this arrival. But I keep to myself, my hunger probably jading my opinion.
We arrive to the shore at midafternoon. The brown igloo contained fresh foodstuff piled waist high. The vision was a welcomed sight. On it a note scratched on a paper plate explains why Harry departed. Apparently his business at Anchorage was ongoing and he had to return, promising to return in a week’s time. This extends our stay to four weeks now.
With the recent experience still fresh in our minds we agree that we should be more frugal with this stash of food, to be more selective of our meals. Bad weather or further business might delay his final return.
What followed in the note soured our good mood though. We have been evicted from the igloos. Our sanctuary from the elements is no longer ours to use. The owner required us to vacate upon notice. Harry indicated that the content of a bundle placed next to the supply pile, a tent, was to be set up just beyond the trail twixt beach and lagoon.
This news was disturbing, even Jim’s absolute faith was about to wane. First was the chance eviction of the cabin in the woods, because as Harry stated, of a misunderstanding. Now the same was ordered by another set of owners, it seemed that Waterfield and Associates were misunderstood. Or maybe something was more obvious to them and not us.
The bundle contained a military surplus 6-man tent. Olive green canvas screen was and 70 pounds heavy. How that old man dragged it from the beach to the igloo was a point of speculation. But truthfully upon retrospect that bundled tent was probably already brought in by another crew Harry hired before us. Not being a thing to pique our curiosity in that igloo the eviction was probably pre-existing before our arrival. I haven’t seen it before so I was not sure as to its origin.
Yet the tent with its heavy canvas seemed adequate enough to withstand the current element but we wondered how it would fare in incumbent colder conditions. Being October the winter weather imminent and in just a few short months we were glad to miss it because we had one more week for Harry’s return.
But first we ate. Not having eaten in a couple of days already, expecting that Harry’s arrival with resupplies to be sooner than this. We each prepared a full meal for each other, eating our first full satisfying meal before subjecting ourselves to the rations.
That night, our last in the igloo, we slept full and content.