Cathy says it's my turn!

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While Cathy was busy writing the blog, I was downloading pictures, hoping to post them here, but the computer here at this lodge blocks that, so I have to wait until Anchorage to post pictures.
So now I have to tell our stories. Cathy is so much better at this but here goes.
While Cathy and Neil were getting lots of exercise on their 4 mile hike, John and I chose to go flight seeing. We boarded a small Cessna 206 airplane, 5 passengers and the pilot, Bill. John got to be co-pilot. We all had to give our weight to which they automatically add 10, they probably are used to people lying!
We sqweezed ourselves into this plane sitting shoulder to shoulder and knees to back. The takeoff on this short runway surrounded by mountains was flawless. There were clouds around but pretty clear otherwise, we wanted to get good clear view of Mt. McKinley. We soared thru valleys and over mountains. McKinley was surrounded by clouds so we flew thru them and once above saw the mountain in the clear sky. Pictures from our camera cannot do it justice, it was majestic. We flew 360 degrees around the mountain. At one point we were 3/4 mile away from the face and our pilot turns around to tell us about his friend who does this same thing and at this point as he is looking backwards and the plane is going forward towards the mountain, he knows when to turn back forward by how big his passenger's eyes get as they get closer to the mountian. Needless to say my eyes were huge! We have lots of pictures of the mountains and the glaciers. An hour later we made a flawless landing. An incredible experience.
Later that day, feeling a little guilty about not doing a hike we signed up for an easy hike at a nearby lake. Well, noticing someone loading a bike onto the van, they were going to be driven out and bike back, an easy flat 5 mile ride back, or so we were told. Well another couple decided to do the same thing after hearing that john and I had decided to do this. I mean how bad could it be, 5 miles was nothing and it's flat, NOT.
We load the bikes and off we go, up the same road we came in on.
This is not loo,kng good. These are very steep hills, 2 very steep hills, one of which was a 2 mile incline. Where is the flat valley floor trail we expected. Our driver/guide, Mike, is a 25 year old, this is nothing for him. He still maintained it was an easy ride. Had you looked at us lately, not exact.y the picture of tip top shape and neither was the other couple. We laughed so hard we must have lost oxygen to our brain, because we decided to try it anyway. Mike dropped us at a gravel pit and sent us on our way, but not before convincing us we could go flward a other two miles to see the reflectng pool, which now means 7 miles back. Off we went, nice, easy peddling, of course we're going downhill. NOw the up hill and I'm gasping for breath. John is making it look easy, the other couple is even further behind me. I am now walking my bike up the hill and so is Dianne. At the top we're back on the bike but not for long, more hills and again I'm walking. I soon see a ranger station and decide this is it, we haven,t made it to the reflecting pool, but I'm done. My plan is to head back to the gravel pt where mike has to wait until we pass by him. On the way back to the lodge. Here comes Dianne and Dwayne, blood is pourng from her nose. She is or one to nose bleeds and the added pressure of biking caused this. I was never so glad for her nose bleed. We volunteered to ride back and get .mike to come and picked them up. John rode like the wind and I lagged way behind, but we got to Mike and the van and went to pick up Diane and Dwayne. And immediately offered to forego our ride so they could get back to the lodge. We were never so glad to get off those bikes.
When we get home, we vow to take our bikes down from the rafters and actually use them. I know my neighborhood is flat!

Those are my stories. I too did laundry today and we're off to Anchorage in the morning, but not before we stop at the post office. We all have too much stuff and plan to ship suvenirs and extra clothes we packed and don't need. Our suitcases are way too heavy.
Sorry, no spell check!
Bye for a day or two.

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