Blogs from Alaska, United States, North America - page 224

We checked out of our hotel this morning, but before we headed home we went to Mushing School. At the dog camp we changed into some Arctic gear that our guide provided. Glenn & I were wearing parkas that made us look like we were pregnant. First Kathy taught us how to fall from the sled. If you fall and don’t tightly hold onto the sled the dogs will leave you stranded. We stood holding the sled, and then we collapsed to the ground and got back up again. Gee, I’m so glad we PRACTICED that. Kathy untangled heaps and heaps of cords for the dog leads. Kathy went above and beyond her duties by teaching us that “the lead dog is the one at the front.” She was a very sweet lady, and a bit ... read more

Today was a long day of driving. It’s about a six hour drive to Fairbanks depending on the weather. We began our trip on the Glenn Highway (which I pointed out to Glenn) at about 1:00pm. Have you figured out that we’re not early risers yet? At our first toilet break and gas station stop Glenn fueled up the vehicle while I ran inside. When I came out the car was directly in front of the gas station doors. Glenn explained that he didn’t want my little American butt to have to walk any further than I had to…that would just be un-American. Alaska is a big state with a relatively small population. For being one-third the size of the continental United States, Alaska’s population is less than ¾ million. Towns are generally far apart with ... read more

We are brave little soldiers. We woke up this morning still a bit stiff and wondering how the hell we were going to pull today off. We overcame our fears and jumped in the car to Alyeska; we wanted to give the big mountain a go. Apparently I’m a bad tour guide, though, because my car windows weren’t clear enough to take pictures through. Instead, Glenn had to roll down the window and freeze for a minute or two at a time. I tried to make up for it by narrating along the way. We got to Potter’s Marsh and all I could say about it was that it wasn’t named after Harry Potter. We arrived at Alyeska and got ready to go snowboarding once more. I decided to give snowboarding one more try; it wouldn’t ... read more

After not much sleep last night, we had a very late morning today. The morning rays of an Alaskan February, or lack thereof, didn’t help much either. We made it out of the hotel at the crack of 12:30. We drove over the hill and through some woods to visit Grandmother’s house. Glenn & I enjoyed a lovely visit with Grandma over a Costco meal (hot dogs and cheap pizza). We took advantage of Grandma’s dining room to soak up the sun—another beautiful day here. Grandma noted how the “snow diamonds” sparkled, ice particles that reflect more light than snow powder. To us, however, this just meant that it would hurt more when we fell snowboarding this afternoon. We were right. We left Grandma’s in search of the adventures of the slopes. We went to Hilltop, ... read more

by Austin Girl http://www.austingirlblog.blogspot.com I like to write. I like to write about fantasy and I like to create characters. But, it occurred to me, several years ago while tumbling down a mud-spattered trail in the Juneau, Alaskan rainforest, perhaps I should keep a journal about the interesting folks I meet along my life’s journey. Why not? Some of these people are more fascinating than I could ever make up in my head. And, then, this got me thinking, why make up a fantasy place when I can write about the places I’ve been to - like the Alaskan rainforest. A labyrinth of trails, the Juneau, Alaskan rainforest offers spectacular views of moss-covered Douglas Fir trees. The rainforest trees are the tallest trees I’ve ever seen in my life. They tower all the way to heaven. ... read more