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Matanuska Glacier

Meh... not impressed.


A little closer, still not impressed


Now we're getting somewhere. It's cool when you realise that there is ice underneath the rocks (lots o' rocks, no dirt)


These warnings don't scare me!
They must be ignored!!!


Nice, but I'm still not there.

Now I'm impressed, but I want more.

Oh yeah!


Matanuska Glacier is the largest glacier that you can drive to in North America. When I first saw it, I was not impressed, as there is a great field of “mud” next to it. But I learned that the ground underneath is a submerged part of the glacier. (I have no idea the state of this glacier as to global warming, though several people have told me that several of the glaciers in the area have obviously receded in the past 20 years). But the closer I got, the more impressive and massive it was. For $15 (someone had the foresight to homestead the glacier access point) you can drive up to it, and in about a mile, you can walk out onto the glacier (after signing a release form admitting that part of the thrill of walking on the glacier is disobeying the rules in order to feel the thrill of danger).

Happiest Cemetery

Old Church, circa late 1800's

Recent Grave

Cemetery

Today I stopped at a Russian Orthodox, Athabascan church and cemetery in Eklutna. Normally cemeteries make me very depressed, but I really liked this one. I want bright colors on my grave. The church is Russian Orthodox (first introduced to Alaska with Russian fur traders in 18th century) but the local community is Athabascan (Native American, I asked, but I forgot the specific name) whose belief that the soul remains near the body for a year, and so they build these houses over the graves.

Flat Top Mountain

Objects in this picture may appear closer than they actually are.





Denali (Mt. McKinley to you and me)

Going up! (if you blow this up, you can see people up on the ridge)

I made it to the top!!!!

(Technically, this wasn't the top, but I'm not admiting it)

Yesterday was one of the clearest days since I've been here and so after work, I decided I was going to go climb a mountain. This was the first day that I was able to see Mount McKinley. It was truly Lovecraftian. After not seeing it all summer, and then to have this HUGE snow covered mountain hovering in the distance really brings home the immensity of this thing.

Flat Top Mountain is the most climbed mountain in Alaska. The hike is rated moderate. Moderate means something completely different here, than it does in the lower 48. Obviously I knew it was going to be physically taxing, and it was. There were several points where I seriously considered turning back, when I kept looking up at how far I had to go. The only thing that kept me going was the stream of people coming down, including people older than I and way younger than I (little kids you'd normally see whining, carry meeeeee...). If they can do it, god dammit, then so can I. Which was all well and good... until you near the top, and where the "stairs" (the trail is maintained, but it’s still a bit harry and a lot of work) stop and the rock climbing begins. Nothing serious, mind you, and I would have happily scrambled up 20 years ago, but now, after being completely fatigued, with knees that won't bend and trusting muscles to be sure footed, when a slip will likely end with you sliding a few hundred feet, gets to be more than a little nerve wracking. Again, I reassert my observation that Alaska is not child-proofed. However I did prevail and it was quite spectacular. Now, if I can only get down….

Kincaid Park

I finally found a spot in Anchorage to take pics of the mountains without powerlines or civilization getting in the way.

Caines Head

Remnant of gun emplacement overlooking bay.

Fort entrance

Creepy!
Permafrost

Small Bunker

Inside the fort

Inside gun nest

The is the site of an old WWII fort and big guns that overlooked the entrance to Resurection Bay, where Seward is located. Resurection Bay was an important port in WWII, because it was deep and was connected to Anchorage and Fairbanks by train. The only way to get here, is by boat, there are no roads. It is now a state park. Further proof that Alaska has not been child proofed, you can climb up the hill and wander around inside the bunkers and fort. The fort is really creepy, because it is dark (the guide had brought a flash light) but there are still large open pits and things to fall into and kill yourself. I was shocked that it wasn't sealed shut.

Kayak Sky

If you blow up the above pic, you can see an otter floating along just above my bow.

On Thursday, I went Kayaking from the southe end of Seward to Caines Head, which is a State Park that has an old WWII bunker / fort / gun enplacement. The day started out cool and very cloudy. We had to wait 1 1/2 hours to leave, because we were waiting on two women who were running late. People in general here, don't seem to be in a hurry - It's REAL annoying. Anyway, just as were getting ready to put in, the sun starts peaking through, and it continued to clear up. The ride out, the water was smooth as glass, really amazing. On the way back, the wind had picked up, and there were a lot of waves. Nothing too high, but after several hours of paddeling and hiking, I was tired. At this point, there were was just me and the guide, and we decided (or he decided) to make a bee line back, and not stay within a couple hundred yards of the coast, like we had on the way out. I tried not to think about it, but a few times when I got a bit sideways from the waves, I realised that it was a REALLY long way to shore, and that if I dumped now (in very cold water, e.g. hypothermia) that it was going to be a good long time that I would have any chance of getting out of the water, and that I was so exhausted that there was no way I'd be able to swim that far. So that was kinda cool, in a scary way. This is why there are no pics of the return journey. I was too busy paddling for my life!