While Kate is busy writing all the quips and one liners - I'm starting to get a little more retrospective so indulge me for a minute - or close the page, whichever works for you.
A funny thing happens on Day 15 of your vacation. You start to get real relaxed and real comfortable living this simple life....breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided...take a tour sometime during the day....soak in a hot tub....read your book...find a quiet spot on the ship where no one will find you.....check email if and when you want to....check your bank balance online to be sure you can still be away from work....stroll through the shops.....sit and have a drink...wander out on deck and stare at the ocean...life is short and we all need to slow down and just look around - the world is a magnificent place if only we would take the time to notice.
We have had such a great getaway and we really feel like we have seen and experienced lots of Alaska. Forgive us when we are daydreaming a bit next week - you know where our heads will be for awhile....Betsy
Friday, July 16, 2010
One If By Land, Two If By Sea
A vacation of this kind is only for the strong of heart. I've spent almost every waking moment of the past 2 and 1/2 weeks with various members of my family. We've been in cars, trailers, boats and buses together. I've learned more about them than I ever thought I would learn - or would need to learn. We've all been a party to each others quirks and quips - many of which have become inside jokes. One would think that a vacation of this magnitude could only end in bloodshed. However, the only blood shed was when Mom got a bloody nose due to a change in altitude.
Alas, our time together finally came to an end in Juneau. My parents got fed up by my late-night drinking escapades and my sarcastic wit. They ditched me to take their own tour - a float trip down the Mendenhall River. But more on their time later for I must have my say first.
So they threw me out early to go on my own tour - another hike. This one also included Mendenhall as we hiked to a point overlooking the Mendenhall Glacier. I awoke at 7 am when room service knocked on our door. I looked outside to see that it was....raining! Hooray! Hiking in the rain. That's the only way I'd do it anyways.
Met the tour group by 750 a.m. and boarded another bus that took us to the trail head. On the way, we got a short history of Juneau and here are some points of interest.
Quick Facts:
- Juneau is the only U.S. capital that cannot be accessed by car. You must come in on either a boat or plane. Spread that trivia around.
- Juneau has two McDonalds. When the first one arrived 20 years ago, there was a line that surrounded the building twice. People bought 20 burgers a piece - for everyone they knew. Also a plane came in and took over 200 burgers to another town nearby that has no McDonalds. It was a huge moment.
- Juneau just recently got a second high school. Find another U.S. capital that only has one high school. Crazy. Those who play high school sports in Juneau must either fly or take a ferry to play other schools. Lots of fundraising.
- There is one major road - called The Road. It is 39 miles long. At both ends there are signs that say "The End." Both have bullet holes in them.
- Juneau has more trails than roads.
- Also, Juneau has about 250 days of rain and 270 days that are overcast. Not much sunlight to be had in Juneau.
My hike commenced at 830. We climbed high into the Tongass National Forest. There was a 600 ft. elevation change - not too bad - and the hike was about 3 miles round trip. One of the worst parts of the hike was the rain but that is to be expected in Juneau. Another bad part was the 200 stairs. Right before the scenic overlook, you had to walk up 200 steps. It was like a slap in the face after spending most of the first part of the hike going uphill. We all made it to the top and then took a short path to the scenic overlook. Got some beautiful views of the Mendenhall Glacier that can only be seen by those who hike there.
Then we began our descent - all downhill...of course. Stopped for some more shots of the glacier and some pretty waterfalls.
Despite hiking in the rain, the tour was awesome and I was able to truly experience Juneau for what it is. And despite the weather, I think I could live in Juneau.
We got back to downtown Juneau by 1230 and I met up with my parents. We did some shopping and then boarded the ship to get lunch and relax for the rest of the day.
Now, since you are all sick of reading my writing, here is a recap of my parents trip - written by my mother.
Juneau - A Family Divided!
(written by Betsy, with permission by Kate)
We finally were able to ditch Kate (or maybe she ditched us??) and Ed and I headed off on a tour of the Mendenhall Glacier and Mendenhall River Float Trip. Unfortunately we have caught up with the true Alaskan weather and today it was raining and quite cool, with patches of fog - a little difficult to even see the glacier. However, as always, our tour guides make it fun as they handed out colorful bib overalls for us to put on, along with rubber boots, rain slicker and life jacket - think of Charlie Brown getting dressed to go out and play in the snow - you can hardly move once outfitted. Ed's favorite part was when I was issued ORANGE bib overalls - yes, ORANGE - that favorite color of Ed's that we give him so much grief about - well this time I had to wear them and he was quick to snap a picture of me.
Attractive? You bet.
My favorite picture of the cruise.
Sidenote: Did we tell you that Ed actually lost his orange overalls and rain slicker in Nilnichik? Now I know you are probably thinking that Kate or Tim or Jackie or I had something to do with them disappearing and it would have been a pretty neat trick on our part but honest, we have no idea where they went. Ed put them in the back of the pick up truck and next thing we know they are gone. Could there be someone else out there who likes to wear that color besides Mr. Ed?
Alas, our time together finally came to an end in Juneau. My parents got fed up by my late-night drinking escapades and my sarcastic wit. They ditched me to take their own tour - a float trip down the Mendenhall River. But more on their time later for I must have my say first.
So they threw me out early to go on my own tour - another hike. This one also included Mendenhall as we hiked to a point overlooking the Mendenhall Glacier. I awoke at 7 am when room service knocked on our door. I looked outside to see that it was....raining! Hooray! Hiking in the rain. That's the only way I'd do it anyways.
Met the tour group by 750 a.m. and boarded another bus that took us to the trail head. On the way, we got a short history of Juneau and here are some points of interest.
Quick Facts:
- Juneau is the only U.S. capital that cannot be accessed by car. You must come in on either a boat or plane. Spread that trivia around.
- Juneau has two McDonalds. When the first one arrived 20 years ago, there was a line that surrounded the building twice. People bought 20 burgers a piece - for everyone they knew. Also a plane came in and took over 200 burgers to another town nearby that has no McDonalds. It was a huge moment.
- Juneau just recently got a second high school. Find another U.S. capital that only has one high school. Crazy. Those who play high school sports in Juneau must either fly or take a ferry to play other schools. Lots of fundraising.
- There is one major road - called The Road. It is 39 miles long. At both ends there are signs that say "The End." Both have bullet holes in them.
- Juneau has more trails than roads.
- Also, Juneau has about 250 days of rain and 270 days that are overcast. Not much sunlight to be had in Juneau.
My hike commenced at 830. We climbed high into the Tongass National Forest. There was a 600 ft. elevation change - not too bad - and the hike was about 3 miles round trip. One of the worst parts of the hike was the rain but that is to be expected in Juneau. Another bad part was the 200 stairs. Right before the scenic overlook, you had to walk up 200 steps. It was like a slap in the face after spending most of the first part of the hike going uphill. We all made it to the top and then took a short path to the scenic overlook. Got some beautiful views of the Mendenhall Glacier that can only be seen by those who hike there.
Then we began our descent - all downhill...of course. Stopped for some more shots of the glacier and some pretty waterfalls.
Despite hiking in the rain, the tour was awesome and I was able to truly experience Juneau for what it is. And despite the weather, I think I could live in Juneau.
We got back to downtown Juneau by 1230 and I met up with my parents. We did some shopping and then boarded the ship to get lunch and relax for the rest of the day.
Now, since you are all sick of reading my writing, here is a recap of my parents trip - written by my mother.
Juneau - A Family Divided!
(written by Betsy, with permission by Kate)
We finally were able to ditch Kate (or maybe she ditched us??) and Ed and I headed off on a tour of the Mendenhall Glacier and Mendenhall River Float Trip. Unfortunately we have caught up with the true Alaskan weather and today it was raining and quite cool, with patches of fog - a little difficult to even see the glacier. However, as always, our tour guides make it fun as they handed out colorful bib overalls for us to put on, along with rubber boots, rain slicker and life jacket - think of Charlie Brown getting dressed to go out and play in the snow - you can hardly move once outfitted. Ed's favorite part was when I was issued ORANGE bib overalls - yes, ORANGE - that favorite color of Ed's that we give him so much grief about - well this time I had to wear them and he was quick to snap a picture of me.
Attractive? You bet.
My favorite picture of the cruise.
Sidenote: Did we tell you that Ed actually lost his orange overalls and rain slicker in Nilnichik? Now I know you are probably thinking that Kate or Tim or Jackie or I had something to do with them disappearing and it would have been a pretty neat trick on our part but honest, we have no idea where they went. Ed put them in the back of the pick up truck and next thing we know they are gone. Could there be someone else out there who likes to wear that color besides Mr. Ed?
Two-Timing Tongass
Well we've gone from 80 degree temperatures to glaciers and now we have entered the rainforest. No joke, the Tongass National Forest - all 17 million acres of it - encompasses much of South Eastern Alaska. It is the largest national forest in the U.S.
So Alaska can get pretty crappy summer weather. Southeast Alaska that is. They actually don't have a summer as we know one at home. Fairbanks gets the extremes: from 80 in the summer to -40 in the winter. However, in southeast Alaska, it ranges from 20-60 degrees Fahrenheit over the course of the year. Sometimes it gets below zero and sometimes it reaches 70 and 80 degree temperatures.
We entered Skagway, the first stop on our cruise, very early on Tuesday morning. The town is tucked back in a valley and was formed during the gold rush of 1898. Nowadays it only operates during the summer - purely a tourist town. During the winter, the entire town is boarded up and it shuts down. This is not abnormal for many towns in Alaska. For example, the Denali and McKinley Princess, two hotels we stayed at during our trip, shut down entirely come mid-September. They board up the buildings and become ghost towns during the winter months. Seems rather eerie to me.
However, Haines - a small town across the bay from Skagway, does not shut down during the winter months. It was here that we took our hike. This town's population fluctuates between 2100 and 2500 people over the course of a year, the 2500 being the population in the summer. We disembarked the ship around 9 a.m. and boarded a ferry to cross the bay to go to Haines. Then we boarded a small bus that took us to the trail head.
A view of Skagway from Battery Point
The hike lasted most of the day. It was about 4 miles round trip. They took us to a place called Battery Point where there is a beach. Quick note - Alaskan beaches are made of rock. Don't get too excited about beach visiting. It would be rather uncomfortable to lay on. We got some great photos during our hike and learned a lot about our surroundings. 90% of the trees in the woods we were hiking in are either Sitka Spruce or Western Hemlock (not the stuff that killed Socrates.) However we did locate that.
I brought some home in hopes of testing it out! Take that, Canadian custom officials.
The guides were locals - not born and raised - but have lived in Haines for an extended period of time. We lunched on Smoked Salmon Wraps - jury is still out on them - and then headed back to the trail head. The terrain was full of roots. Not a ton of elevation change but you had to constantly watch your feet so as to not trip over rocks or roots.
After ferrying back to Skagway, we stayed in town to do some shopping. Walked the main drag - known as Broadway - and got dinner at the Skagway Brewing Company. They have excellent porter. Mmmmm dark beers :) Then we wandered back to the ship, getting lost once, and almost decided to make a run for the Canadian Border - it's only 15 miles away!
We got back on board the ship to have a relaxing night. Went to the Lotus Spa and enjoyed the hot tubs and sauna. Almost fell asleep on the heated beds. FYI, those things rock and should become household necessities. Got some room service later that night and then fell asleep. It was definitely one of our most relaxing nights since joining the cruise and was much needed.
So Alaska can get pretty crappy summer weather. Southeast Alaska that is. They actually don't have a summer as we know one at home. Fairbanks gets the extremes: from 80 in the summer to -40 in the winter. However, in southeast Alaska, it ranges from 20-60 degrees Fahrenheit over the course of the year. Sometimes it gets below zero and sometimes it reaches 70 and 80 degree temperatures.
We entered Skagway, the first stop on our cruise, very early on Tuesday morning. The town is tucked back in a valley and was formed during the gold rush of 1898. Nowadays it only operates during the summer - purely a tourist town. During the winter, the entire town is boarded up and it shuts down. This is not abnormal for many towns in Alaska. For example, the Denali and McKinley Princess, two hotels we stayed at during our trip, shut down entirely come mid-September. They board up the buildings and become ghost towns during the winter months. Seems rather eerie to me.
However, Haines - a small town across the bay from Skagway, does not shut down during the winter months. It was here that we took our hike. This town's population fluctuates between 2100 and 2500 people over the course of a year, the 2500 being the population in the summer. We disembarked the ship around 9 a.m. and boarded a ferry to cross the bay to go to Haines. Then we boarded a small bus that took us to the trail head.
A view of Skagway from Battery Point
The hike lasted most of the day. It was about 4 miles round trip. They took us to a place called Battery Point where there is a beach. Quick note - Alaskan beaches are made of rock. Don't get too excited about beach visiting. It would be rather uncomfortable to lay on. We got some great photos during our hike and learned a lot about our surroundings. 90% of the trees in the woods we were hiking in are either Sitka Spruce or Western Hemlock (not the stuff that killed Socrates.) However we did locate that.
I brought some home in hopes of testing it out! Take that, Canadian custom officials.
The guides were locals - not born and raised - but have lived in Haines for an extended period of time. We lunched on Smoked Salmon Wraps - jury is still out on them - and then headed back to the trail head. The terrain was full of roots. Not a ton of elevation change but you had to constantly watch your feet so as to not trip over rocks or roots.
After ferrying back to Skagway, we stayed in town to do some shopping. Walked the main drag - known as Broadway - and got dinner at the Skagway Brewing Company. They have excellent porter. Mmmmm dark beers :) Then we wandered back to the ship, getting lost once, and almost decided to make a run for the Canadian Border - it's only 15 miles away!
We got back on board the ship to have a relaxing night. Went to the Lotus Spa and enjoyed the hot tubs and sauna. Almost fell asleep on the heated beds. FYI, those things rock and should become household necessities. Got some room service later that night and then fell asleep. It was definitely one of our most relaxing nights since joining the cruise and was much needed.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Get Your Bering's Straight
Oh, that headline rocked. Don't pretend you didn't enjoy my classy play on words. I should get paid for this.
Anyways, since boarding the ship we've done nothing but sleep, eat, and run back and forth between the port and starboard sides of the ship in hopes of seeing a whale. Well the latter isn't entirely true but some people are rather fanatic about seeing wildlife. To the point that they got up early on our cruising days to stand outside, camera ready, in case a whale decided to show up. That's a bit intense by my standards but I've seen a whale already so I've filled my yearly quota.
We spent the first two days on the cruise sailing through two different bays. On Sunday we cruised to Yakutat Bay - the bay that is home to the famous Hubbard Glacier. It was a rather overcast day but to our luck, the glacier was out. This was actually the first time in three weeks that the glacier was showing so we have been blessed by the weather gods this trip. It is a tidewater glacier - which probably means nothing to those of you who haven't seen glaciers. So time for a lesson!
First of all, a glacier, according to Merriam-Webster, is a large body of ice moving slowly down a slope or valley or spreading outward on a land surface. Many glaciers, especially those in Alaska, are formed from ice fields. For a glacier to grow, snow and ice accumulation much exceed ablation, or the erosion of a glacier. Thus, most glaciers are receding but there are a few that are advancing.
Now glaciers are classified in three common classes. There are Alpine Glaciers, Ice Sheets and Tidewater Glaciers. They form on mountain slopes and can be known as cirque glaciers. If one fills a valley, it is called a Valley Glacier.
Ice Sheets are the largest of glaciers and are more commonly known as Antarctica and Greenland. So I won't be discussing those.
Tidewater glaciers are those that terminate in the sea and are the ones we saw the most. They calve (break off) into the sea and form icebergs. They are most often formed from large ice fields.
That concludes today's short glacier lesson. Now here are some examples with photos and captions. There will be a quiz following the blog. :)
In Yakutat Bay, we saw the Hubbard Glacier, a tidewater glacier. It is the largest one in the Alaska and we saw it up close.
Hubbard Glacier
This glacier is really dirty.
We also got some shots of the glacier calving - which is what everyone wants to see and hear.
Beginning of a Calve
End of a Calve - I would've added all the photos to show the succession of the calve but that would be a lot of photos.
And we found this friend who was chilling on an iceberg nearby
The next day the entire ship awoke by 8 a.m. to see us enter into Glacier Bay. I, however, had drunk 1/2 a bottle of wine and was nursing a rather viscous headache all morning so I was not interested in whales, glaciers or anything but a bed. After sleeping off the headache, I awoke to see the glaciers in Glacier Bay and even caught sight of some whales by the end of the day. It was another gorgeous day - seriously unbelievable. Cool but the sun was warm. They rangers said it was one of the best days they've had in awhile.
We had so many more photos but it's hard to put them all up so I need to be picky and choose just a few. Hope this is a nice taste of what we saw. The glaciers were beautiful and the park was pristine. I recommend visiting as soon as you are able since the glaciers keep receding and they might not be around if you wait too long.
Anyways, since boarding the ship we've done nothing but sleep, eat, and run back and forth between the port and starboard sides of the ship in hopes of seeing a whale. Well the latter isn't entirely true but some people are rather fanatic about seeing wildlife. To the point that they got up early on our cruising days to stand outside, camera ready, in case a whale decided to show up. That's a bit intense by my standards but I've seen a whale already so I've filled my yearly quota.
We spent the first two days on the cruise sailing through two different bays. On Sunday we cruised to Yakutat Bay - the bay that is home to the famous Hubbard Glacier. It was a rather overcast day but to our luck, the glacier was out. This was actually the first time in three weeks that the glacier was showing so we have been blessed by the weather gods this trip. It is a tidewater glacier - which probably means nothing to those of you who haven't seen glaciers. So time for a lesson!
First of all, a glacier, according to Merriam-Webster, is a large body of ice moving slowly down a slope or valley or spreading outward on a land surface. Many glaciers, especially those in Alaska, are formed from ice fields. For a glacier to grow, snow and ice accumulation much exceed ablation, or the erosion of a glacier. Thus, most glaciers are receding but there are a few that are advancing.
Now glaciers are classified in three common classes. There are Alpine Glaciers, Ice Sheets and Tidewater Glaciers. They form on mountain slopes and can be known as cirque glaciers. If one fills a valley, it is called a Valley Glacier.
Ice Sheets are the largest of glaciers and are more commonly known as Antarctica and Greenland. So I won't be discussing those.
Tidewater glaciers are those that terminate in the sea and are the ones we saw the most. They calve (break off) into the sea and form icebergs. They are most often formed from large ice fields.
That concludes today's short glacier lesson. Now here are some examples with photos and captions. There will be a quiz following the blog. :)
In Yakutat Bay, we saw the Hubbard Glacier, a tidewater glacier. It is the largest one in the Alaska and we saw it up close.
Hubbard Glacier
This glacier is really dirty.
We also got some shots of the glacier calving - which is what everyone wants to see and hear.
Beginning of a Calve
End of a Calve - I would've added all the photos to show the succession of the calve but that would be a lot of photos.
And we found this friend who was chilling on an iceberg nearby
The next day the entire ship awoke by 8 a.m. to see us enter into Glacier Bay. I, however, had drunk 1/2 a bottle of wine and was nursing a rather viscous headache all morning so I was not interested in whales, glaciers or anything but a bed. After sleeping off the headache, I awoke to see the glaciers in Glacier Bay and even caught sight of some whales by the end of the day. It was another gorgeous day - seriously unbelievable. Cool but the sun was warm. They rangers said it was one of the best days they've had in awhile.
We had so many more photos but it's hard to put them all up so I need to be picky and choose just a few. Hope this is a nice taste of what we saw. The glaciers were beautiful and the park was pristine. I recommend visiting as soon as you are able since the glaciers keep receding and they might not be around if you wait too long.
I'm on a Train......I'm on a Boat
Despite having beautiful weather while at the Denali Princess and the McKinley Princess, we woke the next morning to rain and clouds. Bye bye mountain, hello normal Alaskan weather. However, there was one bright spot to this dreary morning - the possibility of a fantastic breakfast.
We piled on a bus, coffee in hand, and drove an hour to the town of Talkeetna. Once arrived we sprinted off the bus and booked it to The Roadhouse, home of the famous Sourdough Hotcakes. Largest pancakes ever - they spill off the plate. My parents each got one while I was crazy healthy and got fruit, yogurt and granola.
I did try the hotcake though and it was amazing.
Talkeetna itself didn't wake up until 10ish. We wandered the quaint town for a bit after finishing our breakfast, looking for places to spend money. Stopped in a few different shops, bought some trinkets and took pictures of trains that rolled passed. We did meet a couple that had been there for three days. Not sure how you spend three days there since I was bored after two hours. Nevertheless, I would recommend visiting it if you get the chance. Supposedly the bars are good and you can drink with the locals which is always recommended when visiting Alaska - gives you the full Alaskan flavor (aka PBR and chewing tobacco - its a good flavor.)
Finally it was time to board another bus. We took the bus to a small pickup for the train that would take us to Whittier - and the ship! And was that not the longest train ride of my life. We got on board by 1 and didn't reach Whittier til 630. We had a seat mate - a talkative woman from New Haven. She obviously didn't get the hint when I put in my headphones as she continued to talk to us. It was a long, cramped 5 1/2 hours.
But finally we arrived. And there she was, back dropped by the lovely mountains that surround the small town of Whittier. We quickly got on board and rushed to our suite. Part three of the trip had begun and we were going to enjoy it. For those who wish to watch, here is a link to video that is near and dear to my heart. It does have some explicit language so I do not recommend it to those under 18.You might have to scroll to the bottom of the page to see the video
Here is a picture of the deck of our suite. It looks out over the port side of the bow of the ship - we've enjoyed beautiful views of the Alaskan landscape from the comfort of our room.
After hastily unpacking, we attended the lifeboat drill. Then we headed back to the room to quickly shower and find a place to eat dinner. It was open dining the first night so we ate in the Savoy Dining Room instead of our normal International Dining Room. We didn't eat until 10 p.m.
Then, to escape the clutches of my parents, I ran off to meet some 18-25-year-old people in the club. Met a few but have since realized that this cruise is not going to have the party crew that I experienced on the trip to Bermuda. Ah well.
But now we are on the boat and have been for a few days. I know I'm behind in my blogs but there is so much to see and so much to eat and just so much more to drink. I'll do my best to blog our sea days tomorrow.
We piled on a bus, coffee in hand, and drove an hour to the town of Talkeetna. Once arrived we sprinted off the bus and booked it to The Roadhouse, home of the famous Sourdough Hotcakes. Largest pancakes ever - they spill off the plate. My parents each got one while I was crazy healthy and got fruit, yogurt and granola.
I did try the hotcake though and it was amazing.
Talkeetna itself didn't wake up until 10ish. We wandered the quaint town for a bit after finishing our breakfast, looking for places to spend money. Stopped in a few different shops, bought some trinkets and took pictures of trains that rolled passed. We did meet a couple that had been there for three days. Not sure how you spend three days there since I was bored after two hours. Nevertheless, I would recommend visiting it if you get the chance. Supposedly the bars are good and you can drink with the locals which is always recommended when visiting Alaska - gives you the full Alaskan flavor (aka PBR and chewing tobacco - its a good flavor.)
Finally it was time to board another bus. We took the bus to a small pickup for the train that would take us to Whittier - and the ship! And was that not the longest train ride of my life. We got on board by 1 and didn't reach Whittier til 630. We had a seat mate - a talkative woman from New Haven. She obviously didn't get the hint when I put in my headphones as she continued to talk to us. It was a long, cramped 5 1/2 hours.
But finally we arrived. And there she was, back dropped by the lovely mountains that surround the small town of Whittier. We quickly got on board and rushed to our suite. Part three of the trip had begun and we were going to enjoy it. For those who wish to watch, here is a link to video that is near and dear to my heart. It does have some explicit language so I do not recommend it to those under 18.You might have to scroll to the bottom of the page to see the video
Here is a picture of the deck of our suite. It looks out over the port side of the bow of the ship - we've enjoyed beautiful views of the Alaskan landscape from the comfort of our room.
After hastily unpacking, we attended the lifeboat drill. Then we headed back to the room to quickly shower and find a place to eat dinner. It was open dining the first night so we ate in the Savoy Dining Room instead of our normal International Dining Room. We didn't eat until 10 p.m.
Then, to escape the clutches of my parents, I ran off to meet some 18-25-year-old people in the club. Met a few but have since realized that this cruise is not going to have the party crew that I experienced on the trip to Bermuda. Ah well.
But now we are on the boat and have been for a few days. I know I'm behind in my blogs but there is so much to see and so much to eat and just so much more to drink. I'll do my best to blog our sea days tomorrow.
Monday, July 12, 2010
The 30% Percent Club
During our second week in Alaska, we joined a secret, elite club. The 30% club. It's intense. They do crazy Athabaskan rituals - stuff you only find in those Dan Brown books. We all have tattoos now. Wild.
Well most of that first paragraph was a lie. Yes, we have now been indoctrinated into the 30% Club. However, it's not as exciting and wild as I made it out to be but it's still pretty awesome. The 30% refers to those people who have visited Alaska and have seen Mt. McKinley.
But we are extra lucky because we saw it back-to-back. Thursday and Friday were the two most beautiful, clear and warm days that the Interior has had in awhile. And we took advantage of that situation. We took 150 pictures of the same mountain albeit from different angles. Now I will not put up all 150 pictures but I will pick out 10-15 that are awe inspiring.
If you all will indulge me as I give a short history lesson about the mountain. It is called Denali, an Athabaskan term meaning "High One," by locals, climbers, and anyone who has sense. Some random gold digger decided that the mountain should be named after William McKinley. And it stuck. However, Alaskans petitioned for the mountain to be renamed Mt. Denali. In 1975, they petitioned the U.S. Board of Geographic Names to change the name to Mt. Denali. However, those wily Ohioans needed to keep the McKinley name for their beloved president. So they found a loop hole in the system, saying that the board cannot consider a name change if a congressional legislation relating to that name is pending. And since 1980, the U.S. House Representatives of Ohio make sure there is pending legislation. This just makes me dislike Ohio even more.
Despite all that, the mountain is gorgeous. And here are some photos.
The first five or six are taken 34 miles away.
These last three are from 40 miles away at the McKinley Princess Resort
Well most of that first paragraph was a lie. Yes, we have now been indoctrinated into the 30% Club. However, it's not as exciting and wild as I made it out to be but it's still pretty awesome. The 30% refers to those people who have visited Alaska and have seen Mt. McKinley.
But we are extra lucky because we saw it back-to-back. Thursday and Friday were the two most beautiful, clear and warm days that the Interior has had in awhile. And we took advantage of that situation. We took 150 pictures of the same mountain albeit from different angles. Now I will not put up all 150 pictures but I will pick out 10-15 that are awe inspiring.
If you all will indulge me as I give a short history lesson about the mountain. It is called Denali, an Athabaskan term meaning "High One," by locals, climbers, and anyone who has sense. Some random gold digger decided that the mountain should be named after William McKinley. And it stuck. However, Alaskans petitioned for the mountain to be renamed Mt. Denali. In 1975, they petitioned the U.S. Board of Geographic Names to change the name to Mt. Denali. However, those wily Ohioans needed to keep the McKinley name for their beloved president. So they found a loop hole in the system, saying that the board cannot consider a name change if a congressional legislation relating to that name is pending. And since 1980, the U.S. House Representatives of Ohio make sure there is pending legislation. This just makes me dislike Ohio even more.
Despite all that, the mountain is gorgeous. And here are some photos.
The first five or six are taken 34 miles away.
These last three are from 40 miles away at the McKinley Princess Resort
Saturday, July 10, 2010
It's a Tundra Wilderness Out There
I'm going to fill this post with lots of pictures. I will preface the photos with the story of our trip and then add captions as I see fit.
After getting lunch in Denali, we boarded a school bus - the safest vehicle alive (thanks Dad, for the 10th time) - at roughly 230 p.m. Our guide, Justin, drove us into Denali National Park and took us into the Wilderness. Along the way we saw Caribou, Dall Sheep, Moose, Grizzly Bear and the Mountain. We went to mile 62, 9 miles further than expected and got some fantastic shots of grizzlies and the mountain. Despite driving in some precarious situations along roads carved out of mountainsides, we survived the affair in one piece. We got back to the lodge by 930, had some dinner and then hit the sack after a very long day.
Here are some pictures of the animals we saw as well as the scenery. I am saving the mountain for another post - one that will most likely be put up tomorrow or the next day - as there were too many photos and it was too magnificent to be muddled in with other blog entries.
Caribou!
I seriously thought about taking one of these home. They are ADORABLE
I spent 8 hours in the back of this thing...
A Golden Eagle
Grizzly Bears - they are golden in color in Denali because of some strange mutation
Our guide, Justin, has been doing this for 12 years. He spends his winters doing tours in other countries of the world. I want to live his life.
We had to go around some hairpin curves like this. The road was cut out of a mountain - one false move and you fall 700 feet
After getting lunch in Denali, we boarded a school bus - the safest vehicle alive (thanks Dad, for the 10th time) - at roughly 230 p.m. Our guide, Justin, drove us into Denali National Park and took us into the Wilderness. Along the way we saw Caribou, Dall Sheep, Moose, Grizzly Bear and the Mountain. We went to mile 62, 9 miles further than expected and got some fantastic shots of grizzlies and the mountain. Despite driving in some precarious situations along roads carved out of mountainsides, we survived the affair in one piece. We got back to the lodge by 930, had some dinner and then hit the sack after a very long day.
Here are some pictures of the animals we saw as well as the scenery. I am saving the mountain for another post - one that will most likely be put up tomorrow or the next day - as there were too many photos and it was too magnificent to be muddled in with other blog entries.
Caribou!
I seriously thought about taking one of these home. They are ADORABLE
I spent 8 hours in the back of this thing...
A Golden Eagle
Grizzly Bears - they are golden in color in Denali because of some strange mutation
Our guide, Justin, has been doing this for 12 years. He spends his winters doing tours in other countries of the world. I want to live his life.
We had to go around some hairpin curves like this. The road was cut out of a mountain - one false move and you fall 700 feet
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