Homer Grewingk Glacier

August 15, 2021August 15, 2021 / rugreen4u4632 / 3 Comments

Another amazing day. Went to the Homer spit. The spit, probably some glacier moraine, now just beach, shops, and the marina.

On the way, we stopped at a farmer’s market and got salmon and kale for dinner. This is the view from the spit. Across the bay is kachemak state park.

The Homer boat taxis to kachemak bay state park were really busy. It took us about an hour of phone tag, but we got a ride at 2 pm to the park.

First stop Grewingk glacier. I’m still sore from yesterday so we took it nice and slow.

Tides came in fast while we were at the glacier. There was a little dog that got stuck on the other side of the point. The taxi had to rescue him.

Boat ride home

Harding Ice field

August 15, 2021August 23, 2021 / rugreen4u4632 / 1 Comment

3500 feet up, nearly 7 hours, and 9 miles of amazing hiking. I’ll let the pictures tell the story.

My mountain spirit animal posing for me. It’s just a mountain groundhog.

Exit glacier at top of the cliffs. 2500 ~feet

The whole hike took 4 hours to get up to the top. Started the hike at 8 am. The last bit was hard but it was packed with wildflowers, mountains, snow, glaciers and ice fields. I forgot how hard I was working because of the sheer beauty of the scenery.

Tiny People on the glacier

Lazy day in Seward

August 14, 2021 / rugreen4u4632 / Leave a comment

We had one lazy day in Seward. Walked around town explored the town and took a beach walk.

Aialik Glacier / Bay

August 12, 2021August 12, 2021 / rugreen4u4632 / 2 Comments

I almost bagged this trip when Jess said the waves were a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10 for rough water. I braved the elements with a heavy dose of dramamine and adrenaline. None of team Austin puked even while watching others lose their cookies (Go team). For the record, she said later it was 6 or 7 on a scale of 1 to 10.

Riding back was crazy. I wish I could have taken a picture but I was holding on for dear life and couldn’t spare a hand. When we got back inside resurrection bay we saw humpback whales, dall’s porpoises, and puffins.

Kenai and exit glacier

August 12, 2021August 12, 2021 / rugreen4u4632 / 1 Comment

It was a rainy morning traveling from Healy to Seward, but south of Anchorage the weather was amazing.

By the time we got to Exit Glacier the weather was amazing!

We hit the grocery and made our fancy dinner at the rental and then had an after dinner walk.

Denali tease

August 10, 2021August 10, 2021 / rugreen4u4632 / Leave a comment

Today, first stop: dog sled kennels. These Alaskan huskies are still in used in the park during winter. The are on holiday now and get walked by volunteers. The coolest thing about them is their circulatory system is intertwined so that the arteries warm the veins. The park huskies mush around 5 to 6 mph, but race huskies go about 9mph in the Iditarod.

They sit on top of their doghouse for a better view.

It was another beautiful day. Beautiful mountain ranges on both sides of the road. We thought Denali (the high one) might poke out in the evening but she just toyed with us. She only rears her head 13 to 30 percent of the time (depending on who you ask).

So close

And yet

So far away

Denali tour

August 8, 2021August 9, 2021 / rugreen4u4632 / 3 Comments

Started early today to catch the tour. Woke up at 5 and still didn’t make the sunrise.

We saw a 2 moose, 4 Grizzley bears, countless caribou, and 5 sheep. Saw several using binoculars so I couldn’t get them on pics, but the grizzlies were posing for us.

Things I learned today :

Grizzlies usually maintain 300 square miles for their own food and eat 320,ooo berries a day. Denali bears are vegetarian for the most part because there are very few fish in glacial streams.
Denali moose are twice the size of a continental moose. 1700+ pounds and typically lose 400 pounds over winter.
Dall sheep were studied in the making of football helmets because they have a soft membrane between their brain and their skull. Their impact can reach a total combined impact of 140 mph. The studies led to the invention of gel padding in helmets used today.
Adolf Murie studied wolves in the park for 40 years and basically saved the wolves from extinction.
Dog sleds are still used in the park to maintain a park presence during the winter months. You can adopt these sled dogs.
The second largest (9.2 richter scale) earthquake in the world was in Alaska in 1964. The landmass grew up to 82 feet.
Don’t get buried in Alaska because the permafrost will push you back out of the ground. Get cremated. Duh.

Denali or bust!

August 8, 2021August 8, 2021 / rugreen4u4632 / 1 Comment

Hit the Anchorage market before heading out of town. Two rings and two wallets later we’re on the road to Denali.

It was worth the wait.

Anchored down in Anchorage

August 7, 2021August 7, 2021 / rugreen4u4632 / 5 Comments

After a 3 hour mechanical airplane delay we managed to get to Anchorage. Finally asleep by 1:30 am AK time, we managed to sleep in until 630 am local time…Jet lag conquest!

We took a walk early and did a little shopping. We also walked parts of the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail but the mountains weren’t out

Beautiful gardens of Anchorage foxglove and geraniums

We found a local brewery (49th state) for lunch. One fish and chips down, and many more to go.

Next we were a house divided. I went to the Anchorage museum with Fiona and Dee Dee. Some of my favorites:

For dinner we had sushi or grilled cheese on the veranda and the mountains came out for us.

And they are off again!

August 5, 2021August 7, 2021 / rugreen4u4632 / 1 Comment

The Asheville Austins are on the way to Alaska! This time we are taking the kids and meeting the Austin grandmother. We are very excited but anxious to get there.

Ringo has to stay behind this time.

Sadira is on her way back from Costa Rica to meet us. Hot to cold! Here’s a picture of her and Cora with a volcano in Costa Rica.

I’ve spent the last week at home preparing for our exchange student (Helena) from Spain 🇪🇸. She arrives in the states on the same day we arrive back from Alaska. I just have to show off the cleaned closet. No other closets in the house have ever been cleaned like this in our 20 years of living there.

White painted closet. I keep forgetting to take a before shot.

Next stop anchorage!

5:30 we loaded the plane in Chicago to Anchorage. 7 pm. Having to switch planes in due to technical difficulties. I guess we’re lucky they found it before we took off. Anchorage will have to wait.