Alaska 2015

     The forest green Suburu  is packed with all of our camping supplies and gear for our week long trek to Alaska.  I wish I would have taken a picture of the whole scene.  We have a new car top carrier with light items packed inside.  We have a hitch haul; with my bike ratched to the cooler, plus a camp cook box filled with food and supplies. The car top carrier has a bag of junk, work clothes for Doug, work boots for all three of the guys, a four man Kelty tent, and four pounds of peanut butter for sandwiches while traveling. 

     The travelers are Doug (Dad), Terssa (Mom), Joshua (son), and Leo (son).  We each have our assigned spots.  Doug is the driver, Terssa is the navigator, Leo is co-navigator, and Joshua is in charge of spotting animals so we arrive safely. 

     We left Iowa at 9;40 am driving two cars toward our daughters military base at Ellsworth, South Dakota.  We managed to drop off Alexis's car and make it to Spearfish, KOA for the evening.
Upon arrival Leo gave everyone five lives and we would lose a life if we do something dumb or unsafe.  Joshua was the very first to lose a life for undressing in the KOA cabin with the door wide open and evening traffic rushing by. Doug lost a life for mid-night peeing where Mom has to walk to get to the restroom...just not cool! 
Our friend Paul and his girlfriend Tonya came by the cabin to visit with us after they got off work. We sipped red wine and talked about all the rain that has been falling in the Rapid City, SD area. Over all a very mellow and productive first day of driving to Alaska. 
    

The mountains that we will see today will be breath-taking but nothing compared to the beautiful mountains in Banff, BC. tomorrow.  I took these pictures while Doug is driving 80 MPH down the interstate. He only stops when I say stop and that would mean our drive to Alaska would take about three weeks because I see so many things I want to capture and share with my readers.

 

In the morning, on our drive to Montana, the cloud formations were spectacular! We drove west as these formations were roiling up in the east behind us. 

  The antelope in Wyoming are everywhere.  I stopped counting after the first one hundred or so.  I know these look like dots but they are antelope...just more 80MPH pictures.

Look everyone I do take pictures that are still and beautiful.  This robin was quite a ham and posed for several pictures.  He was building a nest I think because he kept flying back and forth from the grasslands to this tree. 

The boys when we arrived in Great Falls, Montana...on their phones.  If you look closely Joshua is in the window on his phone inside the cabin.  Doug and I are diligently trying to build a fire to roast some brauts.  It rained in Great Falls, for two days prior to us arriving on June 2, 2015.  The ground is saturated with water, mushy and slightly slimy.  The wood which is free at this KOA is wet and building a fire seems like its going to be a job of creativity and patience. 

Doug asks me to search for  paper that is not wet.  I managed to find two pizza boxes that someone has discarded and begin my job of ripping these up into smaller pieces.  Doug finds lint from our dryer stored in our camp box and sets to work making the family triangle of tiny sticks, dryer lint, and my shredded pizza boxes.  I surmise that the pepperoni grease from the pizza boxes is also helping get this fire started.  The boys are still on their phones!  Leo finishes up his call and goes in search of dry wood.  We have the smallest of camp fires just starting to take off when he arrives back with an armful of dry wood.  Great work, Son!

 These are the first mountains I start to see in western Wyoming and they still have a skiff of snow on the tops.   We managed to get a nice fire going last night and we are off on another adventure today.  We will cross over into Canada at the Sweet Grass border station.

 

Art, Fishing, Reindeer Sausages, and Fred Meyer

On Thursday of last week the crew went Halibut fishing.  They were up at 4:30 exiting the cabin by 5:00am.  I drifted off to sleep and had a quiet day at the river reading my third book.  Friday we went to the Summer Solstice Festival, The Historic Tour, and in the evening we listened to a  local legend Hobo Jim.  The chainsaw carver was at the Solstice Festival.  He looked like he was in his late twenties or early thirties, even sported a little beard. The five of us watched chainsaw wood carving up close and personal. 

The carver would examine a spruce log and declare "bear or eagle," then fire up his chainsaw to begin the process of transforming wood into art.  We finished watching him carve the eagle; left the festival and spent the evening listening to Alaska's official Balladeer Hobo Jim.  He is an accomplished guitar player, with a keen wit.  He tells stories after each song is done; to keep you clapping, howling, and interested in his art.

The best part about the solstice festival was the wood carving.  Wood Carving with chainsaws seems to be a fascination for the tourists here in Alaska.  There are so many trees it just seems natural to carve a few into decorations for ones front yard.  Benches, totem poles, planters, and carousel animals are available for purchase.  The carvings come in the forms of moose, bears,

The carvings come in the forms of moose, bears, salmon, and eagles.  These four powerful animals seem to be the main animals for the chainsaw wood carving array.  Options include tiny bears made from wood into refrigerator magnets all the way up to life sized bears carved for a front yard or grand cabin entry way.  Paul, Shari, and Doug posed by the latter for a picture this morning.

We make an almost daily trip to the grocery store it's called Fred Meyer.  We make jokes about missing Freddie and needing to visit him.  We are diligent and create a list every time, but it does not fail that we have to visit our friend Freddie nearly everyday.  We purchase the normal stuff fishing tackle, food, licenses, but not one day passes without us going to the store.  Fred Meyer loves us! Today we had to visit Fred Meyer because yesterday the crew caught so much fish we needed to get fish shipping containers for our most prized possession right now Halibut.
 
I also found out that the route I have been running has a enormous female grizzly and three of last years cubs hanging out near the running path. So, really that's four bears, I am thankful we (Ms.
Grizzly and I) have not met, yet.  I even changed my route, but sadly this route change included lots of stop lights, cross walks, and unconscious drivers.  I could continue to run the path where the grizzly bears are, but I do not want to be one of those people who has a blog called "I was almost eaten while training for a half marathon.."
The new shortened path may be almost as deadly as the last based on the 1.4 miles of dodging cars in cross walks and people driving their cars without really paying any attention, thus unconscious driving.  I think I will take my chances with the cars...at least they may have insurance.

This is Shari with a grizzly bear.  The only kind of bear I what to be close to or run near!  The claws on bears are nearly as intimidating as their size.  I am sure the expression on her face would not be the same if this were a real live grizzly. 

Fishing has been superb.  Yesterday Paul caught a 90 pound halibut and Shari worked a 50 pound er all the way to the boat, but the young man trying to net it bumped it out of the net and poof it was gone.  Shari was a trooper out on the boat; she actually caught the most fish.  Leo caught one nice halibut while Doug, Paul, and Shari all limited out on their catch. Many thanks to our new friend Mr. Petska for taking the fishing crew out and showing them otters, seals, killer whales, and whales. 

90 pound halibut and a smile as big as the sea it was caught in!

The guys spent the evening cleaning, freezing, and vacuum sealing up our catch.  I sat around the fire and bragged about how hard I worked cutting the potatoes thin for our fish and chips dinner.  We have been trying to drink in the whole experience but I do not think two weeks quite captures all of the opportunities and fun we have had.

Today we headed to Fred Meyer, again!  Reindeer sausages are on the menu for lunch today.  They are delicious I pile mine high with jalapenos, sauerkraut, and some mustard. So now it's time for a nap!

Woman Down in the Russian River...

Having so much fun I forget to write!!  On Wednesday we went back to the Russian River for more salmon fishing.  We decided to get up early and beat the long lines at the gate.  Five o'clock in the morning arrives just as early in Alaska as it does in the lower forty-eight states.  The sun was brightly shining, we each grabbed a granola bar and steaming cups of coffee to hit the road.  Four miles from our cabin we determine that our folding lawn chairs are at the cabin in the garage.  We return to the cabin for the chairs! The 43 mile drive is peppered with Shari asleep in the back seat, me reading a book, and Leo asking random questions.  Shari has car induced narcolepsy, after five minutes in the car she falls asleep!  I have watched her try to resist the sleep that passes over her, but it never works.  She falls fast asleep after five minutes. The drive goes quickly and we arrive at the Russian River gate at 6:30 am.
 
Our trek to the prized fishing spot has been streamlined! We have all made sacrifices so we can carry our tackle, wear the waders, and only bring one bag of snacks. The bag of snacks is small but tied in plastic with the hopes that the bears in the area will not smell our cantaloupe, fruit, and granola bars.

Bears are the talk of the trail today.  We hear a female grizzly was on the opposite shore last night and chased all the salmon fishermen away.  We also hear about a couple of black bears in the area, one of which was running down the very board walk we will walk on to arrive at our favorite fishing spot.  Truthfully we all say "Oh, I hope we see a bear." This is our human nature, we want to see a bear, but not too close.  We want to encounter a bear, but not encounter a bear!  The desire to see a bear is like we think this is a zoo.  The zoo where we can look closely behind a special fence and say things like "Wow, he's huge," or "Look at those paws."  In Alaska this is not a zoo and we should all want to stay far away from bear.  Doug and Paul both caution us that seeing a bear is not and should not be a desire in our minds. "Well, I say I am a runner so I can out run all of you!"  Doug advises against even joking about running and chastises me because has spent a week telling our 16 year old that running from a bear is the worst idea.

We reach the river and set up our area.  Shari settles into her lawn chair and I grab my book.  Doug and Leo decide that they are crossing the river today.  The river is so much higher than in years past and it literally lifts a person's feet off the bottom of the river.

Crossing the river is a balancing act, feeling for the bottom of river with waders and neoprene wrapped tightly around your feet testing rocks to see if they move when you put your foot on them, and hoping that you have at least one foot solidly on the bottom.  We have been using the buddie system every time we enter the river.  Cautiously the team of two take a step, grip, balance, step, grip, balance.  To say this river is dangerous would be an understatement especially if the person crossing the river is in experienced or alone.  Experience and safety make the difference in a successful crossing and a crossing failure.  Monday, a woman was a crossing failure and when she went down she could not get herself up.  She was being pushed down steam and her waders were filling with glacier water.  Two men fishing grab her by the waders and drag her to the shore.  Tragedy averted!  Doug watched this happen and explained how challenging difficult it was for the two grown men to drag her to shore.  I get the shivers just thinking about how cold the water is...I tested it several times, by putting my bare feet into the water and counting the seconds before my feet ached from the icy water.  If you have ever jumped in a cold lake or turned the shower dial the wrong way to cold, you have a glimpse into the icy river.  The river takes your breath away, the short gasping breaths that one tries to take, trying to fill your lungs with air as your body temperature is immediately dropping!
A simple misstep is serious. 
Funny, I want to see a bear and I know it's serious, but I do not want to see anyone go down in the river! Both of these thoughts are in my mind as I curl up in my chair to read my book.  A few hooked fish and several moments of rushing over with the net only to have the salmon elude our plans for dinner.  I walk dispiritedly back to my chair for the third time.

Right before I sit down I notice a robust man in his fifties and a woman, I feel like she is his wife, entering the Russian River.  They have a young guy (guide) with them and all three are going to fish for salmon on the same gravel bar Leo and Doug are on.  No one is helping each other, not one person of this trio is leaning on our offering to help the other.  The robust man is 2/3 of the way across and doesn't even look behind him at the lady, the guide (young guy) already has his line in the water and he's casting his second time.  The woman is struggling, I am standing on the bank watching!  I know what's going to happen, but I can not look away.  She slips and tries to regain her balance but I can see the river current is too much for her by herself.  She is falling, gasping, and rolling around in the glacial water before she can even say the word "help!"  The guide sees her struggling and begins crossing in her direction.  The husband throws his line toward then river and begins salmon fishing.  We stand helpless on the bank! We can only watch and pray she makes it out of the river.  She is grabbing onto the guide and just grasping and gasping at solid surface she can.  The guide drags her and her filled waders out of the swift current to a calmer section of the river.  Her teeth are already chattering! She is soaked.  I am glad she is alive!
I cast a few disgusted looks across the river at the man, I think he is her husband;  he fishes, he could care less about this woman's safety! My eyes are trying to convey disgust from across a river...it's clearly not working!
Near miss!  Everyone has returned to casting and the leisure of our day has resumed.  I am back to reading and Shari is back to snoozing.  The guys are casting and everyone is relieved.  "Bear," someone yells from the opposite bank.  We all stop what we are doing and look for the bear, nothing!  It appears we missed it, darn.  "Bear," shouts a man across the bank and he is looking up on the ridge.  Shari grabs the video camera and I grab the digital camera and we both search for the bear with our zoom lens. 

This is the perfect bear sighting, he is far away and not interested in us at all.  He is ambling along a high ridge above us and on the opposite side of the river.  He is a nice looking bear, not meaning he was friendly or cuddly, but healthy and strong. 

 

I have seen a bear and a woman floating down the river! One sighting was perfect the other moment was horrible.  Seeing another person in that kind of distress is not something I want to see again. 

We fished until 2pm and although we hooked several salmon we did not land one.  A sad day of salmon fishing.

 

Thursday... We saw several moose today, a moose with her calves and a couple of single moose. 

Shari is getting quite good at spotting moose along the roads.  She still can't quite form the word moose when she spots them though.  The words come out "oh, oh, I saw something, oh it's a moose,"

She has great eyes when she's not in the narcoleptic state.  

At 4am on Thursday Shari, Paul, and Doug head out to go Halibut fishing.  They had a spectacular day and caught their limit. The ocean was so smooth and the fishing was rockin! They could not even take pictures until they came back to shore because their lines were in the water for the whole fishing trip.  We had a delicious dinner of packet steamed root vegetable and halibut fillets.  The halibut was swimming in the morning in the inlet surrounded by salt water and by early evening it was swimming in butter and spices! The fresh Halibut was delicious.

 

As you can see this was a good day of fishing!

      

The flowers here seem so bright and unique.  I could not resist taking pictures of the perky flowers that I see.

We had a moose walk through the yard last night and this morning we have an eagle circling overhead.  We are given many moments to ponder how small we are as people and how few things we control.  I love Alaska.   

Alaskan Sunburn and Salmon

We decided to head up to the Russian River for some Salmon fishing.  The day was so bright and sunny.  The sky was a blue that only some people can possibly capture with their cameras.  In the crayola crayon box of 128 I am going to call it cerulean. I take picture after picture trying to capture the sky and the color;  now while explaining the beauty of the sky surrounding me, I feel shallow and speechless.

We packed a nice lunch, sunscreen, and water bottles.  We also brought two large cans of bug spray.  This year in Alaska they had a late spring and the earth under did not thaw quickly therefore pools of water sat on the surface and basically became the ideal mosquito breding ground.  Old timers around the area say this is the worst mosquito hatch in forty years.  For us it means a constant battle of shutting doors quickly, swatting, and cursing the bugs.  I think at this point I can count twenty or more little dots on my legs and ankles.  I feel like I am donating blood every time I leave the comfort of our car or cabin.  So armed with large cans of bug spray we drive off under the smiling sunshine and a clear cerulean sky. 
The Russian River is packed!  We pull off the road and into the lengthy line to a parking lot attendant.  We sit for 20-30 minutes breathing diesel fumes from the four wheel drive trucks and campers on either side of us.  Why don't they shut off their engines?  I have to use the restroom at just the moment we begin to creep forward one car or camper at a time.  There are a few men who get out of vehicles behind us and walk to the front of the line wanting to know what the hold up is?  We sit patiently in our car.  Finally, we are first in line! The young man explains that we can go into the parking area as soon as some one exits because all of the parking spots are full.  I jump out of the car and head for the outhouse.  There is a woman in her 60's that makes it into the single hole outhouse ten seconds before me.  I am now a blood donor again, feeding the hordes of starving mosquitoes as I stand outside in the trees by a pot wishing she would pee faster! She doesn't!! I mean this is a serious situation, my family is waiting at the gate to enter the park and its a two mile hike into the parking area!  I see no way around me walking two miles, at least I will get to use the outhouse first.  Maybe? I am going to look like a welted mess of mosquito bait when I am done with this little side trip.  Honestly, how long can one woman take in an outhouse with no mirrors, no sink, no soap or paper towels?  Well, I will tell you a very long time, seven or eight mosquito bites at least!  I see Doug out of the corner of my eye pay the parking attendant...I know I am probably walking.  Her comes my least favorite person and I do not even know her name I call her Mrs. Slow because I can see her wedding ring as she walks by me.  I see Doug pulling forward and I decide well, at least its a sunny day for a mosquito buffet.  I jet into the bathroom take care of business and rocket out of the door.  A huge smile slides across my face when I see Doug parked off to the side of the road waiting for me.  I do not have to be a mosquito buffet after all. 
We park in the designated spot and unload our gear.  The guys are so excited they decide to leave the cooler in the car, it's not too far Doug announces.  Far is relative when the cooler is heavy and does not have wheels. I know I cannot carry it and will need to come to the car for water and snacks.  During the day I made two trips up to the car, running the six flight of stairs pretending my personal trainer is calling "faster" from behind me.  All of my challenges aside, the sun is shining, I watch four or five people pass us with overloaded stringers of salmon and I quickly calculate our limit and know we will be leaving with nine fish within three hours.  Three hours was the time listed at a local sports warehouse estimated to limiting out!  I can almost taste our dinner.  Oh, the deal is no fish caught means we eat dinner at my favorite brewery St Elia's which makes wood fired pizza's and a perfect Stout!
We set up near a rocky area and watch a few people land two nice salmon.  Also, a few salmon are hooked, but not properly so they must be released. I establish a spot for my lawn chair sit down with my camera in hand. I am looking forward to fresh salmon on the grill as the guys step toward the Russian River. Doug supports his Buddie Paul who has had hip replacement surgeries twice on each hip.  These two have been friends for twenty two years.  I can hear in my mind the song "Lean On Me", playing in my head as they slowly and tentatively navigate to a suitable spot.  Paul is shaky at first. 

 Doug, Paul, and Leo enter the water and two of the three announce that their waders are filling with the icy glacial water.  Doug is pretty vocal "I have multiple leaks."  I wonder out loud how bad can the leaks be?  I will find out six hours later when Doug comes up to take off his waders for the first time.  He stood with icy water rushing into his waders and never complained once!  The thrill of salmon fishing completely overrode any desire for personal comfort. 

The picture above indicates the multiple leaks in Doug's waders...and this is only one leg!  He dumped out his waders and we moved around a couple of times during the day.  Thwarted so far by the salmon!  My dreams of bringing nine salmon home are quickly fading by hour six, but my enthusiasm for the sunny day and perfect weather have not waned.  I have chosen bug spray instead of sunscreen.  I don't like the choice, but sunburn is the lesser of the two issues for me!  My friend Shari has chosen sunscreen on her face and arms then bug spray on her legs and feet.  She is far whiter than I am so she will burn quickly. We each do what is best for us.

Near hour seven the seagulls are starting to mock Doug, Leo, and Paul. The have each had at least one chance at a salmon, but could not land it.  The seagulls are feasting on carcases of already filleted salmon, but it is looking like we will be having pizza.  I have been praying all day that Paul doesn't fall over or slip and his waders fill up with water.  I calculate we will need all of us to get him out of the water and even that may not be enough.  Paul is 6'4" and I am sure weighs in about 245.  I pray again for him to not fall!

Paul slips on a rock and does the worlds slowest ballet turn ever...one inch at a time, trying to recover his balance and get a purchase on the bottom a the river.  He is still upright but still turning 90 degrees, 180 degrees, and 360 degrees: Paul makes a complete circle and maintains his upright status! Whew, that was close, prayers answered! We laugh and make jokes about Paul's ballet skills.

Near the eight hour mark of salmon fishing Paul calls out "fish on," I rush over with my camera, Shari grabs the video camera and we all try to find the net.  Paul has the net and tosses it to Doug who was up taking off his waders and deciding that he could fish with out them better than with them.  We have a fishing net and camera ready.  Paul has a salmon on the line and it's a good fight.  After a couple of minutes Paul lands the salmon and we all go into celebration mode.  We are so thrilled that Shari is video taping and cheering (she was a cheerleader in high school) Paul has caught his first salmon and stayed upright in the river.  This has been a truly good day. 

 

We fish a little longer Paul in his waders, Doug in a pair of Crocks and his jeans.  Leo in leaky waders and every one is so happy.  We decide pizza is still on the menu and start to pack up the gear.  When we reach the car after the six flights of steps we find out it is 8pm!  We have been here for nine hours and Shari is sunburned on her face and I am chewed up from mosquitoes, but everyone of us is talking and happy about the one salmon!  Eighty seven degrees, salmon fishing, how can one day be serene, thrilling, and challenging?  We are sunburned and armed with our one Salmon; thrilled we have fished one of the world's most famous rivers. We are in Alaska!!! 

Friends and Favorite Alaskan Spots

Yesterday, began the annual journey to Alaska.  Traveling with me to Alaska are our dear friends Paul and Shari Brei. We had pleasant flights, cheerful moments, and some adult beverages along the way. 
We arrived in Anchorage at 6:28 pm.  The airlines often gets a bad rap, but I would say many things are unfounded.  For instance our flights were on time, our baggage was not mauled, and our stewards were very cheerful.  We see a mount of some muskoxen and decide to take our picture instead with a giant halibut.  Musk Ox must be one of the most under appreciated animals, yet Alaska gives them a nod in their airport, by stuffing a couple and making a nice local animal display.  My friend Shari did not even know what I was saying when I pointed them out and said "musk ox." Hu?, was all Shari really said.  Generally muskox are under appreciated even though they are very hearty animals and live in the tundra.  After our up and down tour of the escalators we safely and  proficiently exited the Anchorage Airport.  I mention the up and down tour only because my husband Doug had seen a huge stuffed grizzly bear near the entrance to the airport and wanted to show it to us. Grizzlies do not get just a cursory nod, everyone wants to see them so they are placed near the front of the airport.   So down the escalator we went, no wait; we are supposed to be on the other side, up the escalator we go, no wait;...the bear is not here.  Up, the escalator we go, no wait, Doug is confused and I am confused, too. We decide that when we exit the airport in a week we will go right past the grizzly so we can all wait a few days to take our picture with him. 
We drive down the highway with our baggage and our vacation expectations tightly packed around us. 
The drive proved to be uneventful.  We gladly exited the car after 13 hours of traveling.  Our respite was at St.Elias Brewery in Soldotna.  Our evening meal was delicious wood fired pizza's and homemade beer.  To describe a glass of the dark rich Mother's Milk Stout is a paragraph indeed.  Suffice to say I relished the whole glass of dark chocolate, with hints of coffee, bubbly amazingness and ordered another.  We went to our quarters and after the unpacking was completed we slept for a whole four and a half hours.  Yes, we were excited to get our day started at 6am.  I know we are on vacation, but we could not sleep any more. 

Mt Redoubt in all of it's glory.  How does one describe a mountain?  My grandson has combined two words "big" and "humongous" and created big-mongous.  That is an simple way to describe all of the mountain ranges in Alaska, big--mongous

We headed to the grocery and to get fishing licenses.  After our stop at the Moose's Loose Bakery, we decided to go to Homer and sight see for the day.  Sunny, 78 degrees, and perfectly clear...we headed to Homer. 

A light house sits unchanging upon a hill.  It is simple, stoic, and stratgeic as it sits high up on the hill! Simple because it is the old style and stoic becuase we do not even know if the light house in still supervised.  The tides roll in and out below, but nothing changes from above. 

We went to the Homer spit and walked around.  Watched three guys clean their halibut, and took pictures of our friends.  I pray they have a great vacation and see the state of Alaska as a beauftiful place to relax and restore their hearts.

Yes, Shari is smiling and hugging a large wooded fish!

Shari smiles so much larger tonight when she is looking out of the kitchen window and discovers a cow moose in our backyard.  We all tip-toed outside to video record our first moose of our vacation. We whisper and point as Paul records all of her movements.  Good night, on day two!

See you all tomorrow

Log Cabin in the Wilderness

      Well, I know this is a little late, but I wanted to write a few more lines.  We stopped near Tok, AK and stayed at a beautiful lodge.  Jon and Jill were the perfect hosts at their amazing off the grid ten acre homesite.  Jon and Jill use a combination of wind, solar, and wood to generate all of their energy needs.  There are no powerlines or gas meters in their neighborhood. We called to see if there were any openings and Jill politely said "Yes, but you have missed dinner."  Dinner is served complimentary as well as breakfast...but you better be on time!
     When we arrived Jon showed us to our cabin and gave us the tour of our area!  He also gave us the tourist bear briefing, it sounded like this, "There is bear spray in the cabin, and don't walk ANY where without it, but please don't spray it for fun because the next campers will not be happy if they need it!"  I guess you have to love the whole truth...bears are a regular occurance near their cabins, but they have something better than bear spray...DENALI!  He's a Anotolian Shepard...this means his ancestors job in the Turkish highlands was to guard the sheep and keep wolves and bears away.
      Denali is really good at spotting moose and bear; he will even chase them down to protect his people (I guess we are like sheep).  Denali also likes "me," but not Doug, I fed him treats and scratched his ears, Denali is my friend for life.   Denali is now my favorite big dog!  I would love to have one I am thinking it would be similar to having a small pony.
     Jon was a school administrator who taught his first two years in the bush.  At the present time he consults for the Apple company.  Jon is always teaching!
      We all went for a two mile hike in the woods.  Jon led the way and Jill brought up the rear, both appropriatley accessorized with firearms.  We hiked for about an hour and it was getting late.  Jon pointed out the historical areas as Jill chatted about general family infomation.  We saw a moose as we were coming into the driveway and Jon said "Denali was hot on the moose's trail." The moose we had seen earlier in the evening was clearly gone. We said our goodbyes so Doug and I went off to the sauna which was artfully hand constructed by Jon.  Doug and I had the sauna cooking at 120 plus degrees, Doug had to go out and get some air...I followed. 

Our Cabin

Babbling Brook

Sauna

Log Cabin built by Jon and Jill

      We left the sauna and headed for the cabin to have a glass of red wine.  After a glass of red wine we both fell asleep to the sounds of the brook ten feet from our cabin door.  A gentle brook trailing over river rock is a pleasant way to fall asleep! 
     In the morning we were up at 6AM and sauntered up to the main lodge by 7AM.  Breakfast is a community gathering and so the other lodgees were waking up and coming to breakfast, too.  Jill is in charge on dinners and Jon is in charge of breakfast...nice division of labor.  Our breakfast consisted of caribo sausage, scrambled eggs, fresh picked cranberries in our pancakes, orange juice, toast, yogurt, coffee, and syrup.  Jon and Jill are excellant cooks!  Their laid back personalities exude hospitality.   I was debating weather to stay another day, but the threat of landslides on the other side of the mountain.  Oh, interesting sidenote...we just missed two large landslides on the way to Alaska one near Watson Lake and one near Destruction Bay...great timing.  Doug and I were concerned about catching one on the way to Haines for our ferry trip so we deferred staying until another time. 
A quick little promo here...go to the Log Cabin in the Wilderness, its gorgeous, but the owners are the real attraction!

Soldotna Final Liftoff

     Rain, again, today!  I am not complaining, because it was a warm and pleasant rain with intermittent bouts of dryness.   We did the loop today... the plan is to go north to Talkeetna and Denali.  We are spending the night up there and maybe doing a float trip, weather permitting. Doug and I had lunch at St. Elias one final time...love their pizza and home brewed beer.  In preparation for the trip we went to Fred Meyer and restocked for our Ferry trip and the tent camping on the rear deck. 
     We will see our sons at Princess Mt. McKinley Lodge and I am going to sacrificially donate my bear bell to the boys.  This should help me sleep at night...because I do not want the country boys to be mauled by the bears while working at Denali. 
      The last night of our Soldotna trip was spent at the world famous Kenai River around the camp fire.  Our host Gary Bennett has only opened this year and I think he will put all other places to shame.  His hospitality and generosity are unprecedented.  He sent us off with fresh smoked salmon and an invitation to return anytime...except July, because he is booked.  Anyone who knows the Kenai understands that this will be Gary's busiest season.  J.C. the neighbor made us take smoked salmon with us too!  J.C. is a campfire staple and full of "Ron White" type quips.  J.C.'s famous line is "This don't suck,"  I can hardly do this sentence justice as I type it. J.C. is a long time oil rig man in the Cook Inlet area.  He is as tough as he is quick.  We loved talking to him and learning about the oil industry.  Tonight while sitting around our campfire in the rain, a cow moose wandered into camp.  She was just munching on the grass and just wandering around.  I mistakenly thought I had time to get my camera...NOPE!  She wandered in as fast as she wandered out.  I guess she is not the neighborly type.  She was reasonably large, but did not hang around for the height and weight chart to be administered.  Moose here...Moose Gone...yes, I am in Alaska. 
     In the morning we will head out and our last stop is booked for Haines so we can take the ferry all through the inside passage.  The inside passage has some of the world's most breathtaking scenery and wildlife I am keeping my camera on my neck the whole ferry trip.   Look forward to the pictures we will upload.  Doug and I have been in the inside passage one other trip so we know we will see killer whales, otters, and magnificent glaciers.  We may not have much Internet access so we will post as soon as we reach Bellingham, WA.
     So, yes we had rain...we also had a crackling campfire, rousing conversation and a lovely last day in Soldotna, Alaska. 
     We are curious who is following our blog if you can please post a comment including your first name, city and state, and comments if you wish.  I think it will be fun to see who our group has become.  Nebraska 2 Alaska is now heading back to the lower 48 on the 18th of June. We are headed to Oregon and the over the Rocky mountains.  Looking forward to an exciting trip.