Stay in your car

The Glen Highway is refreshing.

Anybody have a clue what these tall steel structures that line the road are? Well they happen to be guides for snow plows in winter!

This might look like any other mountain shot but it is home to extreme skiing in Valdez. This incredible topography of interconnected peaks coupled with the immense amount of snow is the pinnacle of  winter recreation! The only way to reach the top is to be dropped off by a helicopter, not for the light hearted for sure!

The first warning as we approach our predetermined camp area!

Stay in your vehicle and do not approach the bears! This grizzly mother came to fish every night. Her marksman like skills shamed even the best fisher person.

She watches with intensity as she trains and feeds her hungry cubs.

This move scattered the crowd. She raised on her haunches, ears back and fur rigid. She is clearly aggitated because a person lacking intellectual sharpness decided that they would share the beach with this beast. One thing you learn fast in bear country....do not run from a grizzly! It prompts a rapid forward  rush in assault pursueing their natural hunting instinct.

It's a fish buffet for these sea lions as they gather near the hatchery. Folks...those are pink salmon fins in the water!

Every animal loves the salmon that are spawning. This immature eagle is eyeing a prey.

Coming in for a catch....

One of the most exciting activities we conquered was our courageous paddle to the toe of the Valdez glacier! The constant sounds of dripping water and falling glacial stones was more than amazing! To be gliding in and through the midst of thousand year old glacial ice was breath taking. Picking the ice from the murky silt lake topped the adventure!

Closer and closer to the toe, the danger mounts!

Surviving our escapade we returned to camp, where I am constantly reminded of how blessed we all are to live in this beautiful country. Rugged and wild yet delicate and soothing.

Iditar-up in Sarah's backyard!

On our way to find the Palin compound we stumbled upon a stranded vessel.....it was worn from salty air and pushed deep into the marsh from rising tides.

oh forget finding the house of horror, lets check out the Iditarod Trail Race Headquarters. As witnessed the grounds are groomed to perfection. Inside is reflective of the past mushers, Iditarod winners, and their beloved dogs. It requires great skill and compassion to attain the glory of becoming a champion. Even the act to make the effort is challenging. First,  the competitor must complete an application then prove that they are fitfull both mentally and physically to endure the harshes conditions for countless hours. If successful, they must forfiet $3000.00 to the race official organization.

Dog booties are essential as well as insulated clothing. Any exposed skin is in danger of hypothermia.

There is a team of trained Malimutes ready to offer any wild explorer a joyess ride. Remember that they can run up to 30 miles and hour! No thanks, I'll pass on this one!

I couldn't pass this jave hut up without taking a picture! Iditar-up at the Iditacup!

Instead of having napkins and condiments available, McDonalds elected to display this!

McDonalds....."I'm Loving it!"

Ginormous Cabbage at the Wasilla farmers market. Well, with over 17 hours of daylight what would you expect!

Stoked up on coffee and McD's we drove 150 miles, round trip through Hatcher Pass and toured the Independence mine. There's gold in them thar hills! Grab your adventure and lets go!

Placer mining has always preceded hard-rock gold mining. This type of mining requires precise engineering and skilled miners to extract the gold from the quartz. I will put down my gold pan and pick up a shovel as soon as my imagination rejuvinates.

Buildings ramshackled admist the towering mountains

I'm in this picture....can you find me? That is just how small I feel amoungst nature at it's finest.

Above the mine on our journey over and beyond Hatcher Pass

Alpine lakes admist solitude.......breathe deep....and let your senses digest the moment

A babbling stream can quickly become a river, an arm, an inlet, fjord, bay or mouth leading to an ocean as particals of water rise and fall in the atmosphere. They feed every source of nature including the botanical gardens that outline this vigin bank.

Tails, fins and eyes

Seward is different in character and appearance than most other towns we have visited. It is pleasingly old-fashioned and resembles antique quirkieness beyond imagination. It is either mountains or water.  Each sharing universal collaboration. 

The narrow inlets of the sea between the cliffs and steep slopes propigates satisfication, feeding the soul that only Mother nature can provide.

Arches, these curved structures span opening and open to another world.  We are about to enter the Gulf of Alaska, seas will become rough, but the beauty of our furthestmost destination astounds.

Holgate glacier....

Calving....the sensory experience includes the thundering boom of these glaciers and the crackle of melting ice . It also includes the taste of salt spray in the rich littoral zone, submerged and revealed twice in the daily tides.

Creatures big and small call this pristine place.....their home.

our first humpback whale sighting.....I was amazed how far their spout was from their head!

Humback fin.....

Sea Lions, always barking at each other! Seriously, they must be married or living in the same space! 

Orcas! We were surounded by a huge pod!

These mammoth marine animals travel from southern California  to the Gulf of Alaska every year, and pave the path for their youngens. Oh.....it is for the eyes, the fins, and the tails that they can travel  this monmental distance! 

Kenai Friends

Come on! Let's get out of Anchorage and head towards the Kenai Penninsula, here known only as Kenai. It's like the end of the road, there are only 2 highways and each of them dead end! In the beginning, the mountains swallow our path....

and seemingly ever changing as we advance closer to our destination.

We nestled in to a beach front spot in Ninilchik at Deep Creek Recreation area

With outstanding views of the 3 active volcanos across Cook Inlet.

My life long friend and childhood neighbor Chris, along with her grandson Dustin are about to give me a thrill I will never forget. 

Here I am sporting my attractive attire as we ready ourselves to Fish the world famous Kenai River!

Chris is a veteran when it comes to catching these frenzied beasts.

Dustin proudly giving the high 5 for his catch!

OK, here is the obligatory picture. I actually went skunk but the thrill to have one of these sockeyes fight at the end of my line was exhilerating to say the least! Chris and I are joking around while her husband Steve prepares for the filleting of  9 salmon!

Deep Creek meets the Cook Inlet at 2 o'clock in the morning. It's too beautiful to sleep!

 The phantasmagoria tides provided phenominal views from our campsite, while Mount Redoubt dominates with greater influence.

Steve and Chris just chillin' and visiting.

Sunset over an active volcano.

The sign says it all.

Most of the fishing vessels are still out to sea, with just a few remaining in the port.

One of the tourist attractions in Homer.....and I wasn't thirsty! Let's just go inside to take a peek...

Thousands upon thousands of dollar bills were signed and attatched to every surface imaginable, except the top of the bar and tables!

For those of you that watch The Deadliest Catch, this is the official store!

uhhh, do ya think we ought to get on out of here?

Anything goes in Alaska. Here we have what appears to be a home made camping apparatus completely outfitted sliding windows!

This is a home with 2 bubble-like structures on each end.

Dipnetting at the mouth of the Kenai River. For two weeks in mid to late July native Alaskans are allowed to net 25 salmon per head of household and 10 salmon for every family member. This is called substanence fishing. The idea of this is to walk a huge net downstream in hopes that the fish will get caught while swimming upstream. This activity is also done by boat. Sounds like the fish don't have a chance, but the run on any given day can be up to 20,000 salmon per hour! Yes, that's what I said, an hour! Fisheries expect slightly over 2 million spawning salmon this year alone! Plenty of Alaskans plan their vacations around this eventful time!

Watch out for the mosquito Rosie!

....On to Seward where we obtained internet.