Year 6 take 2 - Day 7

Our last day in Alaska. The best state so far, by far. Chris and I have done plenty of talking about moving here, Becca's not game until she graduates high school. We did decide that a trip back in the winter is an absolute necessity.

Leisurely, we spent our last day hiking around Denali. Since mom was quite nervous about the bears we took a guided hike with a fun ranger named Lori. She travels from park to park all over the country being a ranger. If I could go back...

Finally settled about the bears we convinced mom to hike down to a lake...no animals but squirrels. Nature. Its beautiful and refreshing. A wonderful way to spend the last day. Off to Fairbanks for the flight home.

Until next year.

Year 6 take 2 - Day 6

Denali. Powerful. Beautiful. Stunning. Wild.

Boarding buses at 6am, carrying coffee and hot cocoa to cut the 43 degree temps, we were on our way. Dave (the bus driver) leading the way was ready to give us a trip of a lifetime. In the old school bus turned tourist bus, we bumped and squeaked down the road. At first its not much to see. A visitors center and a lot of cars going here and there. The tree line in Alaska is 2000 feet so as we slowly pulled away from the tourist center the tundra began to appear. Green, gold, yellow. Fall just starting to peak out. Snow had fallen 2 days earlier, coating the peaks and tundra half way down. All was still. Time seemed to stand still. Nature surrounds you. It soothes you.

Denali is managed different. Only buses are allowed in and very few cars. Its a lottery system to get in. Only a hundred or so a year. The road is gravel after mile 11. Its small and winding. Nature and wildlife always has the right away and the buses stop frequently. At first you think there will be nothing to see. Another bust like the rest of the days here, and then slowly things start to show up as the miles tick past.

A female grizzly began chasing a ground squirrel about 100 yards in front of our bus on the road. She chased it as it went into its hole. Now two feet away we watched as she dug it out for almost 15 minutes, finally snagging it and carrying it off daintily in her mouth, breakfast burrito. The guides call squirrels bear burritos. She was so close we could almost touch her.

The scenery surprises you at every turn. You don't think it will get any more beautiful, and then it does. All said and done we were on the bus or at the lodge at mile 93 for 14 hours. The final tally of animals?
2 grizzly bears
3 moose
3 caribou
lots of Dall sheep
Squirrels and birds

Cozy in our cabin after a 10pm soak in the hot tub (still daylight outside), we sign of anxious to get out tomorrow and do some hiking in Denali. Out of the bus and face to face with the greatness that exists there.

Until Then..

Year 6 take 2 - Day 5

What is there to say about day 5. It was the longest driving day. Leaving from Stewart and heading to Denali National Park. 7 hours. We drove and drove. Looked for moose, or any wildlife. Nothing but a few almost dead salmon. We ate at a funky dive bar with good food and fun music. We ate ice cream. And then it happened. We were struck on parks highway at mile 103 by a load of firewood that had come loose from a truck.

Jason was very apologetic and kind. He was worried about us and he was friendly. Dixie his dog greeted us too and made sure we were all safe on the side of the road. It took the Alaska state trooper about 2 hours to get to us. He had to come a long way (over 100 miles). All said and done were were delayed 3 hours getting to Denali. Good news...it was still light when we arrived...and when we went to bed. Not the greatest day, but our chat with Jason about Alaska was a pleasure, and meeting the Trooper was cool too. No one got tazed. Id like to think of both of them as our new Alaska friends.

.....

Year 6 take 2 - Day 4

Sun. Water, Boats and ICE! All aboard at 9am this morning. Fired up and ready to go we took out seats on the outside deck. Bundled up and cold. There were 8 hours ahead of us of water, ice, glaciers, wildlife and sun. It was amazing. Hands down the best so far.

Wildlife seen:
7 humpback whales
a ton of porpoise's
Otters
Sea Lions
jumping Salmon
Fin Whales (apparently rare)
Seals
Puffins
Tiny little birds that are cousins of the penguin (common mirrors?)
A ton of other birds
Jellyfish (Huge groups of them that change the color of the water)

When you approach a glacier that is 1 mile wide, 6 miles long and 400 feet tall and you are in a boat with ice chunks floating all around you. it is COLD. Your eyes hurt, your skin wants to crawl in a hole and you cant feel most of your fingers. Surreal and one of the  most awe inspiring things I have ever seen.

We were served dinner on a private island called Fox island. Dinner was fresh salmon, prime rib and king crab legs. I was hoping the boat would leave me behind and I could live there permanently, but alas I came back to shore with everyone else.

What a perfect day. The water was like glass. The wind was low, the sun was out. Cant wait to see more of my new favorite state tomorrow.

Until then.

Year 6 take 2 - Day 3

Anchorage. The city version of Alaska. If I had to live in a city it would be one like this. There is lots of walking and only a little bit of scary city stuff. Today was an outside day. We took off on our bikes headed for a bike trail that follows the inlet. 11 miles one way. Why not? Atop our bicycles from Pablo's Alaskan Bike we jumped on the trail of started off. Beautiful little trail through the woods, near the inlet. Breathtaking views of the mountains on all sides. Even a peak of Denali. Amazing view no matter which way you face. Chris, Becca and I went a total of 18 miles, mom went 14. Wore out, sore and hungry we headed out.

A beautiful short drive lead us down Seward highway. We followed the inlet as we wove in and out of mountains. Green hills covered with bushes that will be covered in berries and bears shortly. Dips in the land holding water and lily pads. Still no moose or bears have shown themselves to us. Hopefully soon.

We caught a good show at a creek on the way down loaded with salmon and people fishing. It was crazy the amount of people jammed in there. People pulling out large salmon one after another. We hoped for a bear to arrive, but none did.

The mountains now surround us. Sharp, high mountains with ice and snow still coating them. The hotel is across the street from the gulf of Alaska. We settle in anxious for the boat tour tomorrow.

Until then.

Year 6 take 2 - Day 2

Rain fell on the roof of our small cabin in the tundra all night. It was peaceful. Quiet. Becca and I watched the sun late into the evening wondering why it was still up. We all woke early marveling at the moisture and cool temperatures. The road awaited.

It was quiet out this morning. We drove along the winding road back through the many lakes of all sizes. We drove through more tiny tree forests; which we have learned are black spruce. They grow so slow and small because their roots cannot penetrate the perma-frost. Civilization met us about 2 hours down the road in a small town called Glennallen. One gas station and a restaurant. Mom and Chris had reindeer sausage. I'm certain they are on the naughty list now.

The mountains begun peaking around the corners, taunting us to follow. This is the Alaska we all imagined. Tall snow capped mountains with glaciers running between. Rivers and streams in every direction. Beauty. Perfection. Serenity.

Making a turn onto a small gravel road, we arrived at the Matanuska Glacier. The small bridge took us over the river coming from the glacier. Oddly enough, all the rivers are colored here. This one was a deep grey color. (some are yellow, white, etc) It greeted us with its white face shining in the sun. A mountain of ice. A slippery 1/4 mile walk took us to the face. Ice and water everywhere. Amazing!

Our final stop tonight is Anchorage. We have come to the west side of the state tonight. A retro hotel with style on the 12th floor gives us an amazing view of the mountains. A late night walk down to the inlet stretched our legs and provided much needed relaxing time. If only the sounds of the city were not rushing in the windows it would be perfection. I wonder when people here sleep...odd.

Until tomorrow.

Year 6 take 2 - Day 1

Ahhhh Alaska! I feel like we have been waiting for this one since we started these trips. Drifting slowly through the clouds well after midnight the sun was peaking at us over the eastern horizon. Not sure if it was still up or just coming up again, but it gave us enough light to see the outlines of mountains, rivers, trees and green nothingness. Grey-white clouds drifted past the wings and a fine mist was falling. My heart feels at home. My soul happy.

Warm, full, plain people everywhere. Smiles. Warm hugs. Friendliness. What a wonderful start to a wonderful state. Deciding on an SUV we loaded up and headed for a short hotel stay. Anxious to start exploring we all slept little. The great beyond calls.

Rising like an iron snake, the oil pipeline greeted us just outside of Fox, Alaska. This town is not far from the arctic circle. The pavement ends at Fox and the road becomes "primitive" so we turn south. It seems the iron snake follows us, up and down, in and out of the ground, everywhere we go it surfaces and shows its shiny face. Our tour has begun, interior Alaska. Next stop, the North Pole. Light poles lined to look like candy canes. Street names like Santa Claus Lane, and Snowman Way. I fully expected to hear Christmas songs playing over the town. A quick visit to Santa Claus' house leaves us joyful and ready for more adventure.

Driving south with our ever present pipeline friend, we notice tiny trees that look ancient, but are barely 5 feet tall. Tiny tree land. Our little red SUV makes frequent stops at roadside pullouts for pictures and oohs and aahs. We follow the delta river system leading us toward the Alaska Range of mountains. Tall, mighty, and full of glaciers. Their height and beauty amazing us. This is the Alaska we have all been waiting for. Mountains rising up from green fields full of wildflowers and streams. A true sight to see.

Delta Junction is far east Alaska near the Canada border. The winds here are relentless. The silt from the delta whips across roads, houses, cars, everything. A few small buildings dotted here and there. More friendly people and warmth. We leave here headed for our destination for the night, Tangles River Inn at Tangles Lake near Paxson Alaska. Its not on the map really and the GPS cant find it. Moms worried. Its about 50 or so miles southwest from Delta Junction, the last place with any "life" for miles. A small two lane road meanders through a tundra like place. No trees, lots of grass and rolling hills. Between all the hills are lakes, big, small, everywhere. After a slow 20 miles we finally see a building, or "cabin" for the night. There are about 10 in total of different sizes, all run by a generator. A small restaurant and canoes for use. The light drizzle and grey skies doesn't stop us from a paddle on the lake. Beautiful. Snuggled into our quiet cabin we listen to the wind whipping outside. Its August but it feels like a December day. Soul happy, replenished.

Until Tomorrow...

Year 6 Day 5

The final day in paradise. We could not have asked for a better week here on the rainy island. Rain clouds rolled in last night and it rained like crazy. Us rain deprived Californians were out on the porch watching and listening. It was wonderful! It poured, the tin roof sounded amazing. Great to fall asleep to. The rain continued lightly this morning. We enjoyed breakfast and then made our way to the beach. Becca and Chris had an appointment for SUP (stand up paddle boarding). The beach was pretty much empty since it was raining. The instructor Yulia was amazing. She was very reassuring and kind. Becca and Chris got her all to themselves. Out on the water they went, Becca was a pro already. She only fell once when a wave came up behind her. Chris...well he fell a bit more. :-) They both had an amazing time. Granny and I watched from the beach in the rain.

The sun came out and the clouds cleared a bit. Why ruin a good thing? We just stayed on the beach the entire day. Sun, surf, smiles, sand. Who could ask for more on the last day here. We did a little talking about the next trip in August. Its time to go home, love our animals, make more money, and gear up for ALASKA in August.

Late addition...I just had a palmetto bug ON ME! It was ON ME. It crawled down my side and down my leg. Im fairly certain the neighbors think someone was just murdered and I am in the process of setting the house on fire now...

Aloha!

Year 6 Day 4

Oh the sunrise. It will be glowing orange and yellow and peering around the clouds and the mountains will light up golden colors and it will be the best sunrise we have ever seen.

Get up 4:30 am, pack lunches, rush out the door. Excitement is in the air, the mountains are calling. We are after all mountain people. The road is small, there is no cars in sight, its dark. 2500 feet, 3000 feet and climbing.Temperature dropping..Que the fog. Not just fog, fog that wants to eat you, fog that makes you feel like you are driving blind, fog that obscures EVERYTHING. Ok, fog, we don't care. We are going anyway. Drive and drive, drive at 10 miles an hour. One car passes, and then a couple more. They are all going down, out of the fog. Not us, we are determined. Arrival. Fog, fog everywhere. We drove the 18 miles to the end of the road up Waimea canyon to where you can see the Napali Coast. We spent 20 minutes in the car and then 10 out checking to see if the fog lifted. Come back to the car, feed the wild rooster, try and get him in the car because its cold and he looks like he wants to get warm, go back out. 9am...eat our lunch that we are supposed to be taking on a hike. The clouds broke for about 5 minutes.  9:15 give up that the fog will lift, find new trail to hike. Decide that a trail where an entire family of wild boar hunters are gathering is not the best trail. Finally find a good trail, convince Granny to go.

The hike was the best part of the entire day. We hiked about 5 or so miles. The path was slick, steep and very much like a rain forest. Wild mountain goats greeted us, but no wild boars. We were all sure we were going to be gored by a pig. No pigs even though I really wanted to see one. A waterfall called to us. Signs warned of cliff drop offs and flash floods, but onward we went. Becca, Chris and I went the whole way slipping and sliding. We got to the end of the line. A steep drop off stared me in the face. The clouds opened up, surrounded us, and it started pouring! So I'm supposed to climb down a slick cliff face with a stream running off it and try and see a waterfall through the fog. NOPE. Hike back to the car where granny was waiting. Even though we didn't see the falls, the hike was awesome. Well worth it.

Relaxing afternoon at the beach across from the house and a walk down the street to try and sneak a peak at the hoarder house. Dinner and bed to follow soon. Wonderful day spent outdoors.

Year 6 Day 3

The best made plans are sometimes spoiled and then the best things come from not having a plan. What a wonderful day. We slept past 4am which was a treat, we ate the best breakfast we have had yet, and our day just got better from there.

We took a small two lane road out to a waterfall overlook. From the overlook you could see about half of the waterfall. The travel guide had mentioned that it was possible to climb down the hill and see the waterfall from the bottom, but all that stared back at us was a large green fence and "do not enter" signs. Discouraged we walked down the fence line. A mostly toothless man who was making small trinkets out of palm fronds grinned widely at us and asked if we were planning to take the hike down. "We'd like to", I responded. He grinned even more and took us down the fence, showed us where to go around and how to use the rope system to get to the bottom. He said a Californian had fallen in near the bottom of the falls, got stuck under the powerful water, drown, and then his family sued Hawaii for not blocking the trail that takes you down there. The fences went up and the trail blocked. Damn Californians always ruining everything! He assured us that as long as we didn't fall in and drown we would be fine. Good tip! He said minute 1 was extremely steep, minute 2 was a slippery mess and minutes 3-10 were just fine. "10 minutes down, 15 back up." Hesitantly we followed his instructions (minus Granny), and made our way down. Ropes strung along the trees helped us down. Boy was the hike worth it! Amazing! We scraped our way back up and took off for the next stop.

All week we had been trying to see this botanical garden or that botanical garden. One was back down the too crowded road, and one wanted $50 a person to visit. I really wanted to try out my new camera lens. So we found one on the south shore in a resort area that was FREE. Now that's my style. You get what you pay for. It was pretty, and lots of beautiful orchids lined our path, nothing spectacular, but again, it was free.

Kauai Coffee was the  last stop before heading back home to clean up for the Luau tonight. Miles of coffee trees every way you look. We missed the flower bloom, but all the little bean or "cherries" were coming out. Mom and Chris got to sample about 20 different kinds of coffee. When they couldn't sit still any longer we headed out.

Cleaned up a bit into "nice" beachwear for our luau. What an awesome experience! I liked this way better than the helicopter. We got seats right in front of the stage. Dinner was served with a big ceremony bringing in the pig. We all tried Poi...it was gross. Becca went on stage and learned to hula and then she got to dance with one of the dancers (a super hot guy) during the show. Of course, would it have gone any other way? It was an amazing time for sure. Her favorite dancer "looked like auntie".

As I sit on the front porch typing this, two young men drove by on bicycles...one carrying a dead rooster presumably for dinner. Two nights ago we ordered "ribs" and I am fairly certain we got wild boar. Things here on the west side of Kauai are apparently still quite primitive.