Off for the frozen northland...

[mom'sfolly]

I'm heading to Alaska tomorrow with the family. It is time for my, ummm, 30th high school reunion. It will also be the first time I've been back for awhile. I'm looking forward to cooler, wetter weather.

 

[Imp]

mom'sfolly :

I'm heading to Alaska tomorrow with the family. It is time for my, ummm, 30th high school reunion. It will also be the first time I've been back for awhile. I'm looking forward to cooler, wetter weather.



I'm pretty sure I've asked you this before, but my memory is faulty.

cooler wetter makes me think SE Alaska. Where? Haines?

Imp's from Ketchikan​

 

[mom'sfolly]

Mostly grew up in Haines. I moved to the big city of Juneau mid way through highschool. Of my facebook friends two are from Juneau, bunches are from Haines. But most of them I knew from before kindergarten. I hated Juneau when I first moved there. It was too big, too wet, too busy and it wasn't home. This is the Juneau reunion, but I'm going to Haines too. My family is still in Juneau.

Ketchikan is some way wet weather!

I think I might also still be afraid of Kushtaka.

 

[Imp]

I got it right. Maybe my feeble memory isn't so bad.

Oh yeah watch out for Kushtaka. Did I mention that I knew someone whose family was involved in killing a Kushtaka, way back in the 50s. Creepy!

I spent some time in Juneau, I remember having sourdough bread and russian tea with Judge Wickersham's grandniece.

I walked into the Red Dog just to see what it looked like. I was a teen.

And walking to the Matanuska Glacier.

Camped at Eagle River as a boy scout. Please don't tell anyone on BYC that I was a boy scout. Reputation and all that you know.

Have a mildly funny story about Haines, but not family friendly.

Imp

 

[mom'sfolly]

PM me the Haines story, but I might not see it until I get home.

When I was about 10, my pastor's son and daughter-in-law say they saw a Kushtaka near their home at 5 Mile. It was talked about all over town. My school was about 1/4 Tlinget, and some of my first friends were Native. Whistles near the water scared me; now I think they were just varied thrushes that I heard. When I was a kid, I knew they were not birds!!!!

Impy was a boy scout!

Impy was a boy scout!

Impy was a boy scout!

I went to girl scout camp at Eagle River
and I had a pastor

 

[redhen]

Have fun! And take lots of pics!!

 

[Imp]

We'll have to post our Kushtaka stories. They are probably very different. Never heard anything about whistles. Might be worthy of a new thread. Let's talk after your trip.

Have fun.

It's late so I will follow up tomorrow

Talk at ya later

Impy scout

 

[perolane]

Have a safe trip & lots of fun mom'sfolly!

Now, what the heck is a Kushtaka?????

 

[sfw2]

Quote:
x2

And Impy was a boy scout???

Actually, that does not surprise me.

 

[Imp]

Quote:
x2

And Impy was a boy scout???

Actually, that does not surprise me.

Kushtaka is a shape shifting creature of South East Alaska (the panhandle); from the Tlingit and Tsimshian tribes. The stories vary, but revolve around their natural form being a land/river otter, but able to turn into a human. Usually considered evil, they lure people to water to drown, rip them apart, steal/eat their souls, or turn them into kushtakas. I have also heard that they would impersonate people, move in with them to up their body count secretively. Or turn people into kushtakas and send them home to kill family, friends etc.
As a kid in Alaska, I remember that very few people would talk about them, as it was very bad to do so and would attract them. Although Native Alaskan in origin, there were plenty of other people who believed too.

Imp