Alaska Update Friday, Sept. 14

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Hello all from Fairbanks Alaska! I've had a great week that began by meeting up with some folks I had originally met on the Denali excursion who had also continued traveling in Alaska. We all crossed paths again here in Fairbanks for drinks the first evening (Monday evening) and then breakfast/brunch the next morning. They are headed up to see the Polar bears and since they are avid photographers, it will be a great opportunity for them. As for me, I've been to the Visitor Center here in Fairbanks which is really good with some great historical displays. I've been to their Bird Sanctuary, a Pioneer Village (mostly closed but museum was excellent), the Large Animal Station (University of Alaska), drove most of the Steese Highway until I came across snow laden roadway where I decided it was best to turn around, the Ester Mound drive including a little hiking, the North Pole here in Alaska, Chena Hot Springs, and the Fairbanks Ice Museum. Details to follow on all of it. I did try to get some extra rest too - really I did. I kept busy enough though that I still have not gotten back to blogging updates from all the days I've missed or are incomplete. I'll get there eventually.

I was supposed to head down to Seward tomorow morning. However, I've been tracking on weather the last couple of days and tonight it was confirmed there is some definite weather challenges moving in. From Anchorage south to Seward/Homer, they are expecting rain tomorrow and Sunday totalling 4-7 inches and with winds starting first thing Sunday morning through Sunday night between 50-75 mph and gusts that could reach 100 mph. Anchorage had something similar last week ending with trees uprooted and power outages. Sunday is supposed to be as bad if not worse. Of all the Alaskan experiences I'd like to have, that is not one of them. So I am delaying my travel south until Monday. I was going to go part way but the bad weather is going all the way up through Denali and Delta Junction too. And because of this weekend being the Denali lottery weekend, there's not a hotel to be had in that area anyway. I'm not sure now whether I will be able to get back to re-do the Denali highway or drive a part of the actual Park road in this shoulder season as I had hoped. We'll see what the weather is doing after I get to Seward/Homer.

With the predicted weather, I will stay put here in Fairbanks until Monday. Perhaps with this extra two days I will actually get something done on blogging but no guarantees. There's a couple of other drives I wouldn't mind doing up here or perhaps even hike some more but we'll see how the weather goes. I guess I'll have to admit taking a little rest time this week has been helpful too so probably need to continue on that track a bit. Hiked a little today and at least the thigh and back muscles weren't burning within the first 1/4 mile like they had gotten to doing so quickly some days ago. A bit of rest is what was evidently needed. The building stamina thing hasn't work out so well; I guess I just have to keep trying to find a balance between what I want to be able to do and what my body will allow. Not a new issue for me.

That's it for tonight - just needed to update the travel plan change and that Fairbanks has made for a good week albeit longer than I had anticipated here. It's all goodness.

I'll confirm in an update Sunday night of confirmation that I'll move to Seward on Monday. All travel these next two weeks will be weather dependent I'm sure. Have a great weekend!

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