The Pilgrimage

Last week with Dan, Jonna and lil’ B came and went so fast! It’s a good thing we have pic’s to remind us of the events that transpired because it seems like a distant memory now. Other than the flight over Denali we went on a scenic boat ride, hike/canoed to a couple of rustic cabins, went to the wild animal park, hit the skate park…and ate! Our once crowded trailer seems so big and lonely now. Thanks Dan and Jonna for being such good roommates and hanging in there.

The next adventure for us was the big pilgrimage to Child’s Glacier. A bit of an undertaking as we had to ferry ourselves and our truck and camping gear 2.5 hrs from Valdez to Cordova. We would have loved Mike’s parents to join us, but come to find out Mike’s dad has “glacier fatigue.” (The truth of it, more likely than not, is that they needed a break from us and who can blame them?) Anyhow, Child’s Glacier is a 300ft high sight to behold especially when you are viewing the mass from only 1200 feet away. It’s has been like an addiction, that even the constant 2 days of rain could not tear us away from, for the time we’ve been here to just sit and watch the calving, and hearing the sonic boom as the ice hit’s the water and the atomic bomb like splash. The constant cracking is more powerful than thunder and if we blink or turn and walk away, we might miss something. The hassle of this little side trip was worth every minute and Mike and I both agree Denali is still the mother of all, but this is a close second!

Best Day Ever!!

The saying supposedly goes that everything is bigger in Texas, but as I have come to find out someone is mistaken and it’s all really much bigger in Alaska. Bugs of all kinds are WAY bigger (mosquito’s and dragon flies in particular), the animals, and the mountains. A little note: your wallet better be bigger too… (Things are a little more costly!)

We have seen a lot of amazing wonders thus far in our travels and they all have had an enormous impact on us (the photo’s are amazing, but will never truly tell the whole story); however one place we visited seems to be the mother of all. In short we along with Mike’s parents, brother Dan and his wife Jonna, (who met us here for a week from Hawaii), chartered an 8-seater plane to take us to the summit of Mt. McKinley better known as Denali. Denali is the largest mountain in North America (over 20,000 ft. tall), it rises 18,000 ft. out of the tundra which gives a view of 18,000 vertical feet of mountain. Just as a comparison, all you see of Everest is 11,000 ft. It is also considered to be the coldest mountain in the world (it was -20 degrees on the summit on the beautiful sunny day, in the most perfect conditions, in July when we flew over). It is massive, awe inspiring, and the most amazing sight to behold. We got to spend over an hour flying less than 1 mile away from the mountain and the whole Alaska Range. All I can say is that I don’t think we ever realize how small and minute we really are in the scope of the earth we live upon, until we witness something that puts us in our place.

Not Top of the Food Chain

I never remembered the drive to Alaska being so long, or the road being so warped. If it wasn’t so beautiful and wild… why would anyone make the effort? Humans intact. Truck #2 intact. Travel trailer intact, (though I thought it was going to launch off the back of the truck several times.)

A couple nights ago we were camped in Stewart, BC under some tall pines, next to a small river. The fire was crackling. Between the trance of the flames and swatting mosquitoes, everyone was occupied. Then, we noticed a wolf quietly watching us from across the river, not 30 feet away. Was it sizing up Caiya, (our dog), in hopes of a meal should we leave our mutt unattended?

The wolf and other animals along the road kept us entertained. It’s a rush to be in situations where you aren’t the top of the food chain.

Our favorite ‘sighting’ was a fox who approached us in the middle of nowhere and spent a few minutes being our buddy. (See the photo, above).

We made it to the Anchorage area yesterday.

Out with the old…on with the new

It’s always hard leaving behind those you have become attached to and moving forward; however, when forward means leaving Winnemucca it’s not as hard as one would think. Winnemucca is a place in the world that most people pass on their way somewhere else and that is all they know about it. Our family has become very familiar with this vintage town, and now it is the resting place of an old friend, and the keeper of our hearts… (Ok that might be pushing it). Yes “old reliable” come to find out wasn’t so reliable…our 93 Chevy truck is dead with 2 blown cylinders. Most people would turn around and return home defeated after 5 days stranded in such a city, but not us. We drew strength from something most would chalk down as a tragedy and have persevered. I don’t want to leave the impression that Winnemucca is a horrible place, we embraced it and with a little help from Honks (the dollar store) we dominated. The city skate park, cemetery, mammoth bones, and Neanderthal skulls are just a few hidden jewels!

With a new ride we left the past behind. As we sit here tonight singing songs around the camp fire in the Jedediah Smith redwood forest, we realize we have so little time to see so much, and the big AK waits.

We want to send a shout out to: Dave and Joyce for showing us how it’s done in Minnesota, Jim and Kathryn, Rick and Alicia and the rest of the West Coast Loveridge crew, Grandpa Fox, Donna and Carl, and Dave Ean for hooking us up with a great deal on our new ride (05’ Toyota Tundra).

Crap Talk

Several months ago Mike did some research and found an awesome way to kick off Summer Tour 2009; a world class backpacking trip in Paria Canyon. Mike’s parents (Carl and Donna), the boys (Creighton and Karac), the dog (Kaiya now known as Caiya per her request), and myself (Kristen) all on our own free will decided we were in on the trip. Paria is a slot canyon that starts south of Kanab, UT and ends 38 miles later at Lee’s Ferry AZ where the Paria River joins with the Colorado. It is the longest continually narrow canyon hike in the world, and the most beautiful!

When you think about it or even talk about it while sitting in the comfort of your home, 5 days to hike 38 miles doesn’t sound bad; actually, it sounds quite nice if that’s all you take into consideration… Here’s how it went…

We get to point A and meet up with Mike’s parents. Partially delayed by weather conditions we set off Monday evening, backpack’s loaded; spirits high. Day one of an adventure is the most magical. Everyone is so naive, fresh, energized and full of excitement. Going in to this adventure we all knew two things….1. The conditions were going to be a little different than we had planned for because of a flash flood that had ravaged its way through the canyon a day or two earlier, and 2. We were going to be carrying our own poo around for 5 days, which for the most part ended up the main topic of conversation. Reader, think about it…. It’s something we all do. I don’t care who you are, you do it, but for some reason when it’s in a bag swinging around from your backpack, you’re better off talking about it, than pretending like it doesn’t exist. Take note of the white bags in the pic’s;)

 That said… we had great time, the boys did awesome (I was really worried about them making it), the dog was in a 5 day state of bliss, and the rest of us endured to the end. We made it out Friday morning dirty, reeking, tired, but with a feeling of immeasurable accomplishment. It was a lot more difficult than I thought, but very rewarding, as it is something most people would not choose to do. I’m thankful for a man that likes to take the road less traveled; we get to see and do some amazing things and enjoy new experiences that make us better people and a lot more grateful for everything.