Rendezvous Peak in the Arctic Valley

This is a favorite hike and one we hadn't done in a while.  We thought we might also get blueberries, and we did see people spread across the hills, but we didn't see any where we were hiking.  When we got out of the car, it was 50 degrees (down from 65 when we left Anchorage), and the wind was just howling, so I'm not sure what the wind chill factor was - I do know that we scrounged around and found anything that we could that had gotten left in the pack or the car from last year -- a winter hat for Brian, a pair of gloves for me, and we both had brought rain gear that sufficed for wind gear!  

And yes, that's a patch of snow there on the side of the mountain - never melted during this summer, which is fairly typical, and this was also a cool summer.  The pictures don't even nearly do the wildflowers justice.  Rendezvous is a fairly mild hike with a pretty gradual rise and then very steep sections near the end. 

There are stunning views as you look back over the city of Anchorage and Cook Inlet -- the Arctic Vally is about 20 miles north of the city. 

It's always steeper to get to the top than I remembered, but not as steep or as difficult, actually, as the High Peaks that we climbed in the Adirondacks, which were more of a challenge to pull yourself up over ledges and boulders.  It was really blowing at the top, and there is this circle of rocks piled up that Brian hunkered down in here for a snack and some water . . . wish we'd thought to bring hot tea -- who knew?!

This was actually last weekend, but I haven't had time to load the pictures or even find the camera, which as it turned out, was still in the car with something thrown over it, hiding it!   This weekend was busy with Freshmen Convocation, and although we thought we'd do a hike today or possibly go out on Kakwik for shrimp, we settled for a bike ride.  We've been doing a loop up and around the university on a paved trail that we'll be skiing on in just a few months -- last year was November 4th, so only two months away - hard to believe!  Still, it's starting to feel like soup weather -- it must be, as I made soup twice this week!  And blueberry cobbler tonight, but I had to buy the blueberries!

A Preview of Grandchildren?

Lance and Mary, our landlords, have grandchildren visiting, and they went out on Kakwik with Brian while Judy was working.  They had a great time "driving the boat" and cooking out on the grill on the back of the boat - also pulling up shrimp and the unexpected octopus!  They'll be going back to Texas soon with lots of stories of Alaska - I bet they'll go to see the beaver family that we've been visiting on Ship Creek and they're off to a cabin north of here for a few days now.

We decided that Alaska is a great place for your grandparents to live and be able to come and visit, but we may be pretty old by the time we have any grandchildren who can do that since none are in the picture yet!   And Brian decided it must be pretty tiring, judging from the day he had and the energy THEY had!

No pictures of this, but we rode our bikes to both of my offices to time how long it would take the other night, and we may ride there this morning as a commute to try it out.  It's a short commute, about 25-30 minutes and about 20 coming home - more downhill.  The question is, what kind of shape do you arrive in to look presentable for a workday and how much (crap!) do you have to carry?!  And of course, today it seems to be rainy since we wanted to start today! Well, commuting is commuting - one doesn't pick the weather!

A Weekend in Alaska

Saturday was Farmer's Market day at Spenard, the first one since we've been back.  This is our favorite Farmer's Market, and we bought swiss chard, fava bean tips, lettuce, tomatoes, snow peas, scallions, a Christmas cactus, fresh flowers, and who knows what else?

After bringing everything home, we got ready to go to Kakwik and Prince William Sound for our first overnight together on the boat -- after a hike first in Whittier up Portage Pass.  The hike affords a great view of Portage Glacier and then a trail down to Portage Lake, with an even closer look at the glacier.  Hiking in Alaska describes Portage Pass as "a gap gouged out of the earth long ago by a lobe of Portage Glacier and opened up for hikers by the glacier's retreat of the last century."  It further says that the Alska Gold Rush brought prospectors in the 1890s, and steamships dropped them off at the foot of Portage Pass, where Whittier is now.  Prospectors headed for Hope and Sunrise on Turnagain Arm, hauling their gear up the glacier with ropes and pulleys.  We were there on a beautiful day, thankfully, but the guide book tells us that wind blasts of more than 120 mph have been recorded through Portage Pass.  

The Town of Whittier and Prince William Sound looking back from the trail

A first look at Portage Glacier from "the knob" on top 

A closer look at the glacier as we drop down towards Portage Lake - a ferry takes tourists out to view the glacier

After the hike, we were close by the marina in Whittier, Alaska, and unloaded our supplies for our boat, Kakwik, to go out overnight on the Sound.  

We didn't take off til about 5 pm, so we wanted an anchorage close by.  Shotgun Cove is a relatively short ride, about 1 hour, and a beautiful anchorage.  We grilled salmon along with vegetables that we brought from home, accompanied by a little wine!  No stars - it's too light by the time we're ready to go to sleep! 

Sometimes Judy gets to be "Captain!" 

A boat we're steaming by on our way to Shotgun Cove -- the Sound isn't what you'd call crowded!

Brian sets the anchor

Brian rowed to shore so we could take this picture of Kakwik anchored.

This is what we're looking at while we're hanging out at anchor!

Judy fixing breakfast "on board"

Brian pulling shrimp pots - we got plenty for dinner and the freezer

Coming back into Whittier

Back to watch the closing of the Olympics after a nice walk on the Coastal Trail with all of the families out on a glorious night -- hard to complain about the weekends here!  

Home Again, Home Again (Jiggety-Jig?)

We've only been home for three days, and it's been great to be back in cooler weather (but a beautiful 72 degrees and sunny yesterday!), with our usual haunts for evening walks, friends we hadn't seen, etc. And we haven't seen even one moose or bear yet -- what gives?

Dinner last night with Mary and Lance and out for an evening walk at 9 pm - we couldn't believe it was that late already -- and it was hard to go inside at 10 with it still light and so nice out.  But we are back to work -- also today to the dermatologist, dentist (temporary cap came off Monday on the way to work), and chiropractor -- getting put back together in one day!

Brian's lining up his work contracting now that he's back, and we have such an appreciation for the friends that we left back in Utica and our friends here in Anchorage -- what a life to be a part of TWO great communities!

Last Thoughts from Back East

After not finding our camera (it was on the boat after all) and taking pictures with the I Phone, we finally downloaded what had been IN the camera and want to share these last pictures from our trip.  The Boilermaker was another hot day, and my sister Carole and I watched from the sidelines at a key viewpoint up in the golf course, top of a hill and almost halfway into the 15K race.

Wendy Sanders waves at the top of the hill! 

Brian stops for his friends just before us; Al, our son is still running just behind him

April turned to wave just as I took her picture!

After the Boilermaker, we joined Brian's family at the Sauquoit Town Park for a cookout!  It was great to see them, and a nice breeze kept the heat away -- Peter could go swimming and play basketball for entertainment while the adults visited!  

Kim and Peter having a "mother-child moment!"

Janet serving "birthday cookie cake"

Carol, Paul & Brian line up for a picture

And finally, the last 2 weeks we worked on Colin and April's bathroom, which had been ripped out to the studs, a 1905 condominium in Utica, supposedly the "first ever" condominiums in the U.S.  Colin and April dealt with most of the rip out and disposing of the lathe and plaster, and we did a rush job, with my brother Dan's help too, of putting up the sheet rock, leveling and installing the floor, putting in a ceiling exhaust and an outlet, taking out a steam radiator, tiling the area around the bathtub, and installing a new sink and toilet.  April and Colin will finish grouting and doing the final coat of paint!  They'll have to send a "finish" picture, since I forgot to even take one after the sink and toilet went in -- tired, hot and sweaty, and only hours from departure -- the last move was home for peaches and ice cream before bed and picking up the car to leave for home!