Thwarted Plans

 Up north(aka Alaska), August is considered the start of the autumn season. The ridiculously short summers are why Alaskans live their June and July months in this frenetic gotta-soak-up-as-much-sun/warmth-as-we-can. Having received a taste of the coming winter months when we arrived in February, Fam Och is happily following suit, going outside when the opportunity presents itself.

I had dreams of an Arctic Valley hike and exploring Hatchers Pass and the Independence Mine this weekend. But since my sacro-iliac joint has gone wonky once more and has a death grip on my sciatic nerve, it looks like we must postpone. Boooo. There is nothing more frustrating than looking out the window at the bright sunshine and being restricted to bed rest.

Instead, I shall be on my behind, knees propped up on pillows, making plans for our first visitors to Alaska.   My momma will be bringing my niece Madison for three weeks and I am bound and determined to convince them that Alaska is THE best place on earth.

I suppose Arctic Valley and Hatchers Pass can wait until their arrival. *sigh*

Sutton, BB guns, and ATV's

 I have to admit.  I was wrong. There are so many people here who are crazy about ATV's (more aptly called four wheelin'). I'd smile politely when it came up in conversation, but I was never truly impressed. What was the big deal, right? And goodness, it can be so dangerous!

Well, our good friends, the Davidson's are a four wheelin' fam.  Their little ones have their own helmets and hitch rides with their parents practically every weekend. It was inevitable that an invite would come up to join them, and in the sake of keeping friends, we drove up to Sutton to visit on their long weekend RV'ing getaway. First thing I heard when I stepped out of our vehicle: "You and Och can hop on and ride up the mountain."

Ahahahaha. They could smell my fear. I know this because of all the reassurances I heard from R & M that I would love it. I didn't want to be rude, and besides, I'll try anything once (well, almost anything). The Mister received an impromptu driving lesson and I hopped on the back with him at the handlebars and followed the group up into the trail.

It was freakin' awesome. We were more cautious than the rest of the group, driving a bit slower, hesitant to spray mud up all over us. But it was great. They took us up to what everyone calls "the heart of the mountain."

Check out the heart-shaped formation in the upper right corner of the pic. Pretty neat, huh? I was able to enjoy the scenery once properly braked and pointed away from the narrow lookouts. Just gorgeous up there. We came back down with nary an injury except for a broken nail when the Mister slammed us into a pothole a bit deeper than expected. 

Sophia begged and begged for her Daddy to take her for a ride. Afterwards, the Mister came back laughing, saying Sophie was shouting and hollering through the whole ride, "Best camping EVERRRR!"

And this little one is never one to be outdone. She saw her sis put on that helmet, she immediately stomped in front of our gracious host and said, "I want to ride, too." So M went out with her for a little spin as well.

Unfortunately, Mister D was a bit under the weather, probably because of his unusual choice of sandwich he made me build for his lunch (pepperoni, mozzarella, and pizza sauce between two sandwich slices). He wasn't feeling well enough to ride. Although, he had a grand ole' time competing with the rest of the boys involving a BB gun and a string of soda cans. 

It was a grand time, a perfect fun-filled day during this long weekend. Thank you, Davidson's!

A Little Exploring

 Nothing like starting a four-day weekend with a bit of exploring! 

First stop, Beluga Point. A viewing point off the Seward Highway along the Turnagain Arm (arguably the most scenic drive in America), we really hadn't planned on stopping by there today. But we missed the turnoff to McHugh Creek about a mile or so back and had to turn around. As we pulled in, we spied the low tide and the access to the rock outcropping from the side of the highway. It was too tempting to resist checking it out.

Beluga Point is named as such because on a good clear day, you can actually see pods of beluga whales jumping in and out of the water. And across the highway are cliffs in which you can sometimes see white Dall sheep just chilling out. We weren't so lucky with wildlife viewing today.  The view, however, despite it being dark and cloudy, was still spectacular.

We had to climb under a railing (with a sign that clearly stated "No Trespassing, Property of the Alaska Railroad"), down the slope, across the tracks to get down to the small beach below. 

Of course, the girls had to find themselves walking sticks.

It got a bit chilly on the coast, so after several pictures, we clambered into the car and drove to our original destination: McHugh Creek. I had spied a picture of a waterfall from the creek on the internet somewhere and figured we could hike the trail from the highway to find it. But as we drove into the parking area ($5 fee), lo and behold, the falls were right there.

 My pretty little girl.

 I swear there was always an adult within easy reach to provide these little ones from falling to their deaths. 

 Afterwards, we drove back up past Anchorage, through the cute little town of Palmer, and over to Wasilla (Sara's hometown), with a mission to find a field of irises that I also saw on the internet. I figured it was in the Palmer Hay Flats. With it being so large, it had three access points, and I insisted on trying them all.  The irises are on the verge of dying off until next year and I didn't want to miss it.  This was the final access point at Reflections Lake next to the Knick River.

 It was a nice mile hike around the lake. Mosquitoes were everywhere! They were even trying to bite our scalps through our hair. We found a little field of irises, but you could tell they were thinning out. And, the ground was so boggy, I didn't want to step in any further. So we just continued the hike around.

This was on the last leg of the loop, overlooking the Knick River.

In the end, we didn't find the iris field. Why? Because I had mistakenly thought they were in the Palmer Hay Flats instead of the EKLUTNA flats. Duh. We actually passed them on the way home. LOL. But again, the iris season is on the decline. So next year mid-June we will be sure to be there and capture images of them in their glory. Either way, we still discovered a couple new trails and a bunch of great pictures.  There are hiking trails everywhere you turn in Alaska and it seems that you just can't go wrong with any of them. There is always a fabulous backdrop or stunning vista to take in, always a nice little reminder of the wondrous world we live in.

Alaska Zoo

It is no San Diego Zoo by any means. Actually, it doesn't even come close to the variety of specimens in the one in Salt Lake City. But that is the beauty of the Alaska Zoo.  You will NOT find elephants or giraffes or lions here. Why? Well, frankly, they'd freeze their butts off here.  So, you will only find native species and several foreign animals that can survive the harsh winter conditions of this region.

It's a small facility in comparison to zoo standards, but this has become a favorite destination for the fam. Yes, even including myself.  Before, a trip to the zoo meant hot sticky heat, the sun baking the top of my head, and ice cream melting down in rivulets down the girls' arms. Here, it's a cool respite walking through the gravel trails winding through the wooded grounds. 

They have a pair of adult polar bears with an orphaned cub coming soon. Anybody recall that clip of a polar bear grabbing a dumb woman who jumped over a railing to take a closer picture on "When Animals Attack"? Yep, that happened here. And Binky the polar bear is just fine. 

 

One of the girls' favorites is the pair of bull moose. One of the great things with small zoos is that the kids can take their time and observe their favorites and get to know their personalities. (There is a neurotic wolverine that runs non-stop in circles around his pen, and Sophie loves going there just to say, "Still at it, huh?") Dylan loves watching the grizzlies play around and try to swipe at the birds pecking at their food. I, myself, like to observe the ravens (I know, exciting, huh?) push their food out of their cages to feed the wild ravens who come for a visit.

The zoo is also open in the winter, and many come pulling sleds instead of strollers then. I love the fenced in trails, the girls like to run ahead a bit, and I don't feel they'll disappear somewhere.

The fam purchased an annual membership ($85 or so for a military fam) and we have gone five times in the last four months we've been here. This summer, the girls are requesting to visit at least once a week. We are definitely getting our money's worth. We are looking forward to booking our VIP tour that will let us tail a zookeeper for a couple hours and have up-close encounters with the big animals. 

If you haven't come by yet, do so. Just don't expect a big city zoo. This is Alaska, after all, and everything here must be done in Alaska fashion.

First Bear Experience

It was bound to happen. You can't live in a place like Alaska and not have at least one encounter with wildlife. We've spied moose everywhere...gas stations, parking lots, outside our windows...it's a frequent occurrence to say the least. But, bears? We know they're around. And we hear and read many warnings to stay on the ready just in case we run across one. Regardless, aside from purchasing bear repellant spray (it's just a jumbo can of mace) and making lots of noise where we go (they say bears stay away from humans), we really never thought it would happen.

Two weeks ago, we stayed the weekend at the Otter Lake Recreational Grounds. Beautiful place on base. The Mister had taken leave to relieve himself in the porta-potty a little ways from our cabin. As I was watching the grill, I hear Dylan yell, "MOM!!! Bear! Bear! Bear!"

I look back towards him and see this humongous lumbering black bear trudging up the main road behind our cabin, about a hundred feet from us. I yell to the kids to at least get on the porch, I leave our barbecue chicken on the grill and join them. And then I remember my husband is in the porta potty, that he should be about done to be heading back towards us, and he is in the bear's path. YIKES!

I call him up: There's a black bear headed your way. Stay there inside.
Mister: Okay.

I walked towards the back of the cabin to where I can sight the cluster of porta-potties. By that time, the bear was shielded from my view by a line of trees. I wondered if he was still headed that way or maybe up the mountain and away from us.  Suddenly, I spot a porta potty door open and the Mister step outside. He is facing the road, looking like he's trying to find something.

--Train of thought: So I think maybe it's not there anymore.
But then a truck rounds the bend behind the hubster heading towards me and stops.
--New train of thought: Yep, the bear is still in the road. Dammit, Lou, get back in there and lock the door!

And thank goodness, he does. I breathe a sigh of relief, "Yay, my husband is thinking straight and is safe." Everyone is safe, the end, right? WRONG!

That dang door creeps back open. YES, it does! I kid you not! It opens! ANNNNND, my husband's head, which can fit right into a mature bear's mouth, slowly peeks out from behind it! ANNNND at that moment, I, myself caught sight of the bear, walking to the porta potty!!! My heart jumps in my chest, but my head is saying, in the most controlled and calm reasoning voice, "No, he can definitely see it now.  Shut the door! He will shut the door!"

Did he shut the door? NOOOOOO!

Mister pops OUT from behind the door, arms out, and runs sideways down towards the boathouse. Now, the bear can react one of two ways: 1) His chasing instinct will be triggered and it's goodbye husband, hello widowhood to yours truly or 2) Buddy Bear will get startled and run the other way.

Oh, thank goodness for number two. The bear was just as surprised as I was at the Mister's impulsive reaction to coming within three feet of his own death and jumped away. The bear headed back up the road.

So yes, everyone is safe.  The end.

Otter Lake Weekend

 We spent a glorious weekend out at Otter Lake, renting a cabin for two nights, grilling out, sitting by the firepit, and boating on the lake.

These cabins sleep a maximum of six, with electricity, a small fridge, beds, & wood-burning stove. 

E-1 thru E-6 = $50/nt

E-7 & above = $55/nt

Minimum two night reservations during the weekend, and three during the week.

If you want to rough it a bit more, there are others available (although they are not lakeside) that are rustic all the way.

This was taken close to midnight.  The kids were already sent to bed, and the Mister and I just sat out there, taking it all in.

 There was a double bed and a set of bunks in the rear bedroom, and a pull out double in the front room.

 I always love the lake first thing in the morning, when the wind is still, and the surface mirroring the mountains. It's breathtaking.

 Trolling motor boats and pedal boats are available for rent from the boathouse for a mere $25 every 24 hours. 

 The kids loved going out on the water. We had our own boat dock in front of our cabin, and we would just hop on and out onto the lake throughout the day. We even had a picnic lunch on the boat our second day there.

I love that we have this place so close to our house. Twenty minutes, tops, and I am showered and clean and back at the campground. (I know it's a bit prissy of me. I can't help but want to be clean when it's so easy to do from here.) Please note, for those prospecting to do this as well, you need to get a recreation pass from any of the base gates (Ft. Rich gate is much less busy). Reservations can be made 30 days out from the Ft Rich Outdoor Recreation Center.

Summer-Summer-Summertime!

 Last Tuesday marked the summer solstice and the official start of the summer (although the kiddos have been out of school for over a month already). This is definitely a unique summer experience for the fam!

First off, I have never seen a community as a whole embrace and rejoice in summer as Alaskans do. No joke. And really, what would you expect, after being trapped in the dark dark cold for over six months? While everyone else marvels at their tulip-strewn Easters and blooming cherry blossoms in April, we folks up here in the Yukon are still snuggled in our down jackets and trudging through snow. So when the big bud break extravaganza happens in the deciduous trees in this area (around mid-May or so), the sudden burst of lime green sends everyone into a frenzy.

Suddenly, Fridays call for driving in the neighborhood extra carefully, since all the recreational vehicles of all forms are parked in front of houses, spiffing up for the big getaway for the weekend.  If it's not a trailer full of four-wheelers, it's a full-size RV. Alaskans do NOT take summer for granted, no sirreee.

And what a lovely summer it is. Here are some summer impressions of a newbie in Alaska:

1) Yay to clear roads and lane markings. I don't think I've missed lane marks on the road as I have this winter. I can see where I should be driving! Yippeee! That solid blanket of ice on all roadways that has made me crawl into a corner, bite my nails to nubs, and sob uncontrollably whenever I HAD to get behind the wheel is no more. The blessed visibility has given me back my nerve.

2) Sunlight! We have so much Vitamin D-filled hours, it's ridiculous. The solstice gave us 19.5 hours of full sunlight, with the remainder of the day in this weird twilight/dusk. The sun doesn't seem to fully set or sink below the horizon; it is never truly dark. I may be imagining this, but I find I have more energy during the day...and I can do yard work nearing midnight and I don't need a spotlight! LOL

3) Here's a thumbs down...Alaskan mosquitoes are the size of vultures. The ground shakes when they land. I kid, I kid. But, I have mistaken a mosquito for a small bee. Yep, I have become a big investor in OFF!

4) The dandelion is the (unofficial) state flower. Every square inch of yard/field/garden sprouted in full force along with the bud break. They were in so much abundance, it almost looked like landscapers did it on purpose. I hate dandelions. My Utah arch nemesis has followed me here.

5) There are days I still require a hoodie to keep warm. Love this about Alaska. Absolutely love it.  I do not like heat or sweat or humidity. This place is perfect! So far, the temps have not exceeded 70. Most days, it is a nice 67.  With the sun in full force. The kids still wear long sleeves, and a light jacket if it's breezy at night. It doesn't bother me to take the kids to the playground at noon (which was unheard of in UT unless you had a desperate wish for heatstroke). I love it, the kids love it, my flowers love it!

Our travel radius has only gone as far as Seward in the south, and Eagle River to the north. But this next couple months will seriously change that. This perfect weather calls for some serious hiking and exploring, and perhaps a trip to Denali Natl. Park. We have visitors coming next year around this time, and testing out activities for their itinerary is a great excuse to go see what's out there.

I've been absent from this blog, but not because I'm just too lazy to do it, really...I'm just having too much fun!