These are the Chronicles of Famous Surf Writer Ben Marcus and his trip into the Wilds of the Alaskan Frontier.
Latest Update: November 1, 2000

11:18 BC TIME. THE BAR OF THE KISPIOX SPORTSMAN'S LODGE.

I am drinking coffee and watching TV and finishing this up. Hopefully the Lodge will let me use a phone line to send this.

This morning I woke up with Team Swede, who were tying flies and gearing up to go fishing. It was snowing outside, so I drove into town to get some cash to pay Tomas for his rod, and also to buy some coffee and cookies and cigarettes for the embassy.

Now I'm back in Kispiox, at the Sportsman's Lodge, watching the CBC news and finishing this. I'm going to send this now if they'll let me use a phone line, go back to the Embassy, drop off the money and the groceries, and maybe fish a few places on the way out.

On the wall next to my head there is a painting of a guy fishing the Kispiox in the snow. The painting is called "First Snow, Last Fish." Once it gets too cold, the fishing shuts down. Today, it is snowing. I'm out of here, fish or no fish.

On to Prince Rupert tonight. Hopefully I can catch a ferry to the Queen Charlotte Islands tomorrow, if they're still there.

I shall return to the Kispiox. If nothing else, I'm going to be ready to get a fish by the time I get back to Greg Noll's house on the Smith.

NOVEMBER 1, 2000 18:42 BC TIME ROOM 24 AT SOME HOTEL IN PRINCE RUPERT

Just made a long drive from New Hazleton to Prince Rupert, about 200 miles along the Skeena River, in horrid, rainy, slick weather. Not much to report. Listened to the CBC, looked at a few tackle shops but didn't buy anything.

The phone line at the Kispiox Sportsman's Lodge didn't work, so I'm going to send this now.

Tomorrow I'm gonna get on the first ferry that presents itself. If it's going to Queen Charlotte, then I'll got to Queen Charlotte. If it's going to Vancouver Island or Bellingham, I'll got to Vancouver Island or Bellingham. The van is a mess, everything I own is covered in Kispiox mud. Getting a little tired of being on the road.

Time for dinner, maybe.