Classic Wizard

Stop: Restricted Area. Persons Not Assigned To This Area Must Obtain Permission Before Entering

"In mid-1962, a specially-designated detachment of communications technicians, from the Naval Communications Station, Adak, augmented an operation within a small hut on this site. This activity became known as "SPECOPS." It was moved to Zeto Point where it was renamed "SISS ZULU." After moving to an improved site on the east side of Clam Lagoon, the operation was known as "Classic Wizard." The last facility complex to house this operation is located due north of this marker at North Lake. From its initial inception, this operations served to provide extremely valuable support service to the Navy's tactical fleet units in the Northern Pacific Ocean region, as well as national intelligence authorities. " Adak Historical Markers

 Extremely valuable support service = super sneaky spy stuff. See what Major A. Andronov Zarubezhnoye Voyennoye Obozreniye had to say about that, in 1993, here. There were five known Classic Wizard installations, which supported Noss / White Cloud satellites. In addition to Adak, there were Classic Wizard facilities in Diego Garcia, Guam, Winter Harbor (Maine), and Edzell, Scotland. They were decommissioned in the early 90s.

Pretty non-descript.

Two layers of security fencing and a guard shack (?) That's a lot of security for an island in the middle of nowhere, crawling with Marines.

Most likely an auxiliary power shed. Many of the buildings have similar structures nearby.

Moat effect caused by recent torrential rains, not likely part of the original design.

Gauges.

 

Carefully destroyed circuit panel.

This door was guarding something secret.

The door to the break room area.

 To see what was inside...

In Which I Become a Barber (and Ivan is Brave)

Before

Supplies

During

 

 

 

 

 

 There is no barber shop on the island, so hair cutting is a strictly do-it-yourself affair. I've managed to dodge the issue by growing my hair out, but Ivan likes to keep his hair short (and he was getting quite shaggy). He was brave to entrust clipper duties to me.

Want to see the results?

Radio Silence

 

The state of the equipment in the abandoned LORAN station pretty much matches my blogging mojo of late. I’ve been totally consumed with my two shiny new jobs. They’re both part time, but together they add up to more than full-time, and have me working six days a week. Both jobs also involve working with children, which means that I have been unmercifully thrown into a pit of (very cute) walking petri dishes, and have been semi-successfully battling the slew of colds and coughs going around.

I am very glad to be working again (I was starting to feel rather like a 50s housewife) and I know that I’ll get used to the pace. But for now things may be a bit quiet around here.

Speaking of things that are quiet—or not—we’re still getting a lot of aftershocks after last week’s earthquake, which I should mention was downgraded to a 6.4 after seismologists had time to crunch some data. I'm so very thankful that there was no damage, no tsunami, and no injuries.

Parting shot. The island's mercurial weather is great for rainbows. This is the start of the path towards the hot springs, which Ivan reached on Sunday—quite a trek.