Today the church bells rang in Anvik as Lance Mackey made his way into town.  Lance is this year’s winner of the “First to the Yukon Award.”  This ward is sponsored by the Millennium Alaskan Hotel and includes an 8-course meal prepared on camp stoves by the hotels chief chef.  Mackey feasted on Alaskan Bouillabaise, Breast of Duck, Artisan Cheese Plate, Flamed Strawberries Romanoff, and an After Dinner Mint of $3,500 presented in an “Alaskan Gold Pan.”

I, on the other hand, flew to the next checkpoint on the trail, Grayling, and was served cold smoked salmon, Sailor Boy Crackers, and hot tea for dinner.  It was just what I wanted and it was oh-so-delicious!  My new friend, Melody Kruger, ran home after my presentation at the David-Louis Memorial School to gather these goodies.  The king salmon she served was netted out of the Yukon right here in Grayling.  Melody, Eleanor Painter, and Edna Deacon, Grayling residents, told me that the best king salmon comes from the Yukon at Grayling.  Salmon netted down river are too big and oily, those up river are too skinny.  I don’t know where to find the best salmon, but I do know that what I had tonight was some of the best I have ever eaten.

This is how Melody makes hers so tasty.  She places each salmon over smoking alder wood for three or four weeks.  To feed her family she nets and smokes over 100 king salmon a year.  Melody calls the meal she served me “standard fare” for lunch in her home.  Thank you Melody for making my first time to the Yukon River dinner.  I found it to be far better than standard fare.  I hope Lance enjoyed his First to the Yukon River dinner as much as I enjoyed mine.

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