Alaska, August 2012

Day One is the flight from LAX to SF, then to Anchorage.

Here we are arriving at the airport and ready to go!

Our first flight is missing a crew.  Sis gets us transferred to a flight from LAX to Seattle to Anchorage.  Kids were seated together the first leg.  Second leg, we asked one of our fellow passengers if we could seat swap so we could stay together, two and two.  He was very kind to change seats.   We arrived in Anchorage after midnight and called for the hotel shuttle.  Very tired.

Day Two is Train Day!  We're sleepy but excited and walked from our hotel to the train depot.  We'll be riding the Alaska Rail to Denali.

We love riding on the train and all agree it's the best way to travel.  We have seats in the "Gold Star" train and get to sit in this windowed dome car the entire trip.  Our dining car is just below us.  Our fellow passengers are as relaxed and happy as we are.  And, we are free to roam and explore most of the train passenger cars.

We all enjoyed plenty of time watching the scenery and taking photos.  It was fun to take a picture of every new sight.  

One of the many rivers we crossed...will look up the name eventually.  The second photo might be our first view of Denali/Mt. McKinley.  It would be the smaller looking of the white peaks in the background.  If it's not Mckinley it is certainly a peak nearby and in the Alaska range.

Our destination was the Denali Cabins, small and quaint but comfortable enough for one night.  The hanging baskets were to become familiar sights throughout our journey.   They were very nearly ubiquitous at hotels and in front of shops.

Day 3

We got up super early, 4:45 a.m., to get dressed, get breakfast, and get on the shuttle for Denali National Park tour.   We had a superb naturalist/bus driver who made the ride interesting without his narrative being overly intrusive. We had a banner day of seeing Alaskan wildlife.

This is about the only "cold" we felt for most of the trip.  We had hats, vests, scarves, and jackets but usually a light sweatshirt was the most anyone needed.  This morning was definately a hot cocoa kind of morning.

It took a while to get over sleepy.  The first part of the 6-7 hour bus tour was pretty uneventful but very pretty.

The wildlife!  First up, Moose.  We learned that a mother with twins is rare.  They were right out in the open seemingly unperturbed by the presence of a bus load of people pointing cameras at them.

Then we stopped to watch this caribou.  He blended in so well with the scrub that it took a while to get a good photo.

The only Dall Sheep we saw were waaaaaay up on the mountainside.  Any time we saw them they looked like cotton balls on the mountains.

Sis took these cool pictures of a mama Grizzly and her cubs.

Not much further along the driver first spotted a wolf, then another, and then this male Grizzly.  He was heading straight for the wolves' location.  Our naturalist driver thought he was heading for berries and the wolves happened to be where he was going.  We saw the wolves moving a bit further along.

The wolves' coloring blended perfectly with the scrub.  It was hard to get a good photo.  The wolf in the top photo is identified as the alpha male and is radio collared.  In the lower picture he's with two of his pack.

The landscape.  Our driver/naturalist did a nice job explaining our journey through the different scrubs, taiga, and tundra.  I enjoyed seeing areas that were just names from textbooks before the trip. We learned about braided streams at the first place we could get out and look around.

 

I'm pretty sure the tall mountain in the clouds is Scott Peak.  It's the only one I asked the guide about.  I've changed my mind.  After looking at Sis' photos and those of friends who have taken similar trips this summer I think the photos with the path winding off to one side are Denali.

One of our last stops was an interpretive center.  Moose antlers are heavy!

Alaskan Fireweed.  We learned on a train ride that when the blossoms open at the top then summer is over and autumn is beginning.  We did see the beginnings of yellow color here and there.

It's still Day 3, Flightseeing

I had such a great time with our flightseeing from Denali to Talkeetna.  I've never flown on an airplane this small.  It was great fun.  I only had a couple moments of vertigo or motion sickness when I looked out my window and the horizon was tilted at an odd angle.  I quickly learned to look at the sights out the windows on the other side of the plane.  And here's Sis sitting right behind me.

The rest of the photos are difficult to choose.  Both Sis and I took so many pictures that our cameras were hot in our hands.  So much to see and photograph from glaciers to glacier bowls carved into mountain sides and tracks left by glaciers.  From jagged peaks along the spine of the Alaska range to Mt. McKinley/Denali so large that it creates it's own weather and then looks smaller because of it.  Here are some of the best of my photos.

Day 3 isn't over yet!  We still have dinner and a superb view of the Alaska range and Denali in full view.  We stayed in a lovely new hotel in Talkeetna.  It was just what we needed after a long, long day.  The food in the restaurant was delicious and the view from the dining area, the deck, and our room was spectacular.

This is where we're going to stay!  Didn't know it when we were coming in but did hope for it.

Denali/Mt. McKinley, Taken off the deck/outdoor dining area of the hotel.   We are so blessed to have this spectacular view and to see Denali out in the open.

Best traveling companions!

Day 4.  This is the day that I was worried about.  I didn't remember choosing a trip that had a whitewater adventure but there it was in the itinerary.   I didn't fret a lot but I wasn't looking forward to today with a lot of eagerness unlike Sis.

Well, as you can see it was to be a different kind of whitewater adventure than either of us were anticipating.  I am relieved but I know Sis was looking forward to river rafting.  I might just be able to get us on a rafting trip for next summer though.  Here's what takes us on today's adventure:

It's a jet boat!  It goes to the whitewater!

The day started off cool and overcast.  We're all sleepy from getting up so early each day and being awake and still excited at the end of our day when the sun doesn't go down until 10:30 p.m.   The Alaska range was somewhat visible this morning.

Along the way to the white water we saw several fish tagging operations.  The driver had to go slowly by these so his wake didn't swap the operation.  We saw the rusting remains of some railroad history, a fish camp (no photos-they were all fuzzy), and spectacular scenery.

Twice someone spotted eagles perched in the high trees.  I feel pretty lucky to have taken it's photo.

When we reached the whitewater area our driver held the boat in the rapids and his assistant opened up the front windows/doors for photo ops.   I think most of the people on the boat took the opportunity.

After the whitewater experience we turned and headed back.   On the way toward the nature hike area our guide spotted a black bear on the far side of the river.  With a little maneuvering he was able to put the boat where we could quietly see and photograph the bear.

While I enjoyed a bit of quiet time with my Kindle Sis and kids went on a short hike to see what a native Alaskan camp might have been like in this area and a trapper's cabin.  Along the way were wildflowers and berries.   Here are photos from the hike, taken by Sis.

Check out the trail guide's bear deterrent!

Some of my reading during this time was Psalm 104.  Although it's long there is so much in it that expresses the wonder and joy of knowing our Creator and experiencing His creation.

Psalm 104 New International Version 1984

---

Psalm 104

1Praise the Lord, O my soul.

O Lord my God, you are very great;

you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

2He wraps himself in light as with a garment;

he stretches out the heavens like a tent

3and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.

He makes the clouds his chariot

and rides on the wings of the wind.

4He makes winds his messengers,^a

flames of fire his servants.

5He set the earth on its foundations;

it can never be moved.

6You covered it with the deep as with a garment;

the waters stood above the mountains.

7But at your rebuke the waters fled,

at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;

8they flowed over the mountains,

they went down into the valleys,

to the place you assigned for them.

9You set a boundary they cannot cross;

never again will they cover the earth.

10He makes springs pour water into the ravines;

it flows between the mountains.

11They give water to all the beasts of the field;

the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

12The birds of the air nest by the waters;

they sing among the branches.

13He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;

the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.

14He makes grass grow for the cattle,

and plants for man to cultivate—

bringing forth food from the earth:

15wine that gladdens the heart of man,

oil to make his face shine,

and bread that sustains his heart.

16The trees of the Lord are well watered,

the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

17There the birds make their nests;

the stork has its home in the pine trees.

18The high mountains belong to the wild goats;

the crags are a refuge for the coneys.^b

19The moon marks off the seasons,

and the sun knows when to go down.

20You bring darkness, it becomes night,

and all the beasts of the forest prowl.

21The lions roar for their prey

and seek their food from God.

22The sun rises, and they steal away;

they return and lie down in their dens.

23Then man goes out to his work,

to his labor until evening.

24How many are your works, O Lord!

In wisdom you made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

25There is the sea, vast and spacious,

teeming with creatures beyond number—

living things both large and small.

26There the ships go to and fro,

and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.

27These all look to you

to give them their food at the proper time.

28When you give it to them,

they gather it up;

when you open your hand,

they are satisfied with good things.

29When you hide your face,

they are terrified;

when you take away their breath,

they die and return to the dust.

30When you send your Spirit,

they are created,

and you renew the face of the earth.

31May the glory of the Lord endure forever;

may the Lord rejoice in his works—

32he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,

who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

33I will sing to the Lord all my life;

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

34May my meditation be pleasing to him,

as I rejoice in the Lord.

35But may sinners vanish from the earth

and the wicked be no more.

Praise the Lord, O my soul.

Praise the Lord

And, I bet you thought Day 4 was over, didn't you?  It's not!   After the jet boat whitewater, lunch, hike/rest we walked across the road to a souvenir stop and bought souvenirs.  Then we walked up the road a bit to the train station/stop in Talkeetna.  We had time to change clothes, re-pack our backpacks, snack, and relax.  The train took us back to Anchorage where we stayed again at the Comfort Inn.  We had dinner on the train and I think this Sis and the kids went swimming when we got to the hotel.

Souvenir Stop

Train Station

Another view of Denali

Day 5, Spencer glacier.  We're up early again off to our next adventure.  We traveled by rail to Whittier.   Along the way we traversed a tunnel that is 9/10ths of a mile long and a second that is 2.7 miles long.   That's a lot of tunnel!   Then, after the train let out passengers in Whittier it backed up to Portage to load our boats and equipment and backed up some more to the Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop in the Chugash National Forest.

The rail depot is one of the few buildings in Anchorage to have survived the 1964 earthquake. 

I found the train ride and scenery as interesting as ever.  We were traveling along the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet.  The Turnagain and Knik Arms of the inlet surround the little jut of the bigger Kenai peninsula that forms the Anchorage area.   The Turnagain arm is subject to extreme high and low tides and tides called Bore Tides.  Rather than trying to explain here's a link:   Turnagain Arm Bore Tides

I'll also link how Turnagain got it's name:  In the History section

Yet another view of the Alaska Range and Denali

Tidal flats

Gorgeous scenery, very peaceful feeling to watch out the train windows

Sis and Niece writing postcards

The view from the opposite side of the train was just as marvelous and beautiful.  Sis took most of these.

The "Ghost" forest.  The 1964 earthquake liquified the 

land under the trees allowing salt water to infiltrate

the area.  It killed and preserved the trees.

After the Whitter stop there are very few people left on the train.  Sis, niece and nephew have fun with cameras.

Our neighbors in the seats in front of us were quite the photographers. HUGE camera lens. The dad/husband took these of us in the little view space between cars with my camera.

Backing up is pretty slow and there is a lot of scenery to be had.

Our guides are on board and bring our boots for the trip.  Being who we are we had to model them.

We're finally here!  Next is a bus ride to our launching point and lunch.

We're standing next to the Spencer Lake and the glacier looks close in this photo.  It's a mile across and our guide gives us a great ride across the lake.  We're at the time of year that ice can clog the river but today it's clear and off we go after some safety instructions

I don't know it at this point in our float but this is to become my favorite day of the trip.  But, for now, I'm busily snapping photos of scenery, glacier, and family.

The charcoal color is from ground avalanches that cover a part of the glacier.  Then it snows and ices, then calves and you end up with black parts of the glacier.

Almost melted bits of glacier

The striking blue color in glaciers

 More of that blue

 Close enough to see more of the ice field and the 

glaciers in the mountain behind

 More blue (it's my favorite color)

Nature's ice carvings with Alaskan Fireweed in the background

Here is where we turn into the stream, get a few more shots of the glacier and begin our float down the river. The further we go the quieter it gets and all we hear is the sound of the water, the dip of the oars, and once, the train going by. We went by a part of the river where the water was rushing over rocks in the shallows and I could here their conversation, "Hello!", "Hello." hello, hello, hello.


What does that do to this singer's heart but bring up song after song about streams of living water, fountains overflowing, and from Christmas:

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

Oh, so that's what the stream and the rocks are doing! Repeating the sounding joy! Our God is Creator, Savior, and King, Sustainer and bringer of Life.

Here in the middle of a peaceful float I have my God moment of the trip and tears fill my eyes as I wonder at the blessings of being here, with beloved family members, enjoying this peace and beauty. I realized sitting in church the next Sunday how a moment like this can resonate both forward and back encompassing the trip planning, the sisterly relationship, smoothing out the little annoyances of traveling, and canceling out, when all is said and done, any of the cranky, unloving moments.

So, once I compose myself I lean over to my niece and say, "When I'm really old and in a nursing home......" And she gives me a funny look....."It's gonna happen eventually," I say, "so, when I'm old and in the nursing home will you put all of these photos from today on your Ipad 40 and come see me?" More funny look........"No, really, do that and I will remember today and how happy we were to be floating down a river in Alaska." And we smile at each other.

That's the story of my God Moment on the river and here are my photos:

 And here is where we exit the river, get back on the train, 

and head to our next adventure.

 Looking pretty happy, to me!

 One last look back

Our journey back to Anchorage was via motor coach/bus. With it's tinted windows photos just didn't come out well. We did enjoy another trip along the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet. Our bus driver was very chatty and had fun trivia about places we were driving past that we had not already heard. We asked her when we were close to Anchorage about her favorite local eateries. She recommended Humpies seafood. We were not able to get to Humpies in downtown Anchorage the next day but much to our delight there is a Humpies at the airport and we had time for lunch. Our driver made a good recommendation.

Day 6, Downtown Anchorage. We booked an extra day for play and exploration. It was lovely to sleep in. Our hotel was right next door to the Ulu Factory and they had a little trolley that we could ride into downtown.

Downtown Anchorage, looking up from 

the hotel and Ulu Factory area, Shipp Creek

When we arrived in Alaska sunset was after 10:30 p.m.  

When we left it was nearer to 10:00 p.m.

 The visitor's center with Sod Roof, surrounded by flowers.

 By time we hit the visitor's center we'd already done

some souvenir shopping.  We took turns carrying the 

big yellow bag!

 A Dr. Pepper a day keeps a boy happy in play.

He's already purchased tomorrow's Pepper.

 The train station with a bit of the Harbor in the background.

This is the view from the walkway to the Bridge Seafood

restaurant.   It was fun to see dozens of people fishing.  We 

saw a few pull silver salmon out of the stream.

Walking downtown Anchorage was very easy.  The tourism maps are clear and detailed.  We went to the Oomingmak store where you can meet knitters who use musk ox yarn, one of the warmest and most expensive yarns you can find.  They only sell items made from the yarn and not the yarn itself.   I had a nice chat with a young man who was a member of the co-op.  There were knitters in the store blocking their work that day. (blocking: wet, stretch into shape, and pin a knit item, mostly done with lace)   Once they have their knit item on the blocking board they hang the board for drying.  I'd never seen that before.  

We also visited a store that was a co-op of Alaskan artists/crafters.  Right next door was a quilt store that had a small selection of locally (in Alaska) hand dyed yarn.  I found a yarn that reminded me of our glacier/float day and purchased two hanks.  No plan for it yet but something for me.

It was fun to see art and murals at every turn and the ever present flower beds and hanging baskets.  Anchorage has a delightful downtown.   I took the Ulu Factory trolley back to the hotel while Sis, Niece and Nephew did some more exploring.   We enjoyed a nice dinner at the Bridge Seafood restaurant that evening watching people fishing in the creek.  

Day 7 is our travel day.  We are able to sleep in a little bit and then catch our shuttle van to the airpost.  United bookended our trip with another snafu.  I can safely say they won't be my first choice for flying in the future.  Yet, weeks later, it's not such a big deal.  We still enjoyed our trip and have many marvelous memories to share.

The End