Sled Dogs at Denali National Park

The rangers at Denali NP use sled dogs to help maintain the park in the winter and offer free tours of the kennels and demonstrations of their training. Some of the private teams, throughout the state, charge up to $70 per person for a tour and demo!

It was fun to see how excited the dogs get when harnessed and ready to pull a sled! These dogs are big and muscular compared to the smaller dogs used in the Iditarod Race. They pull heavier weight for shorter periods of time and the Iditarod dogs are bred to run fast for up to 100-120 miles!

The staff pick them up by the scruff of the neck and "walk" them on their back legs - it looks so mean - but they explained that if they leave them on "all fours" they will take off with unimaginable strength and speed leaving the poor trainer on the ground!

Denali National Park

We are camping just outside of Denali National Park - pretty area but our worst campground!

You can only drive about 14 miles into the park - the rest has to be toured via buses. Roger, Judy and some of the others in our group took an 8 hour round trip tour today and saw the scenery and wildlife but did not see Mt. McKinley - it was covered in clouds. I elected not to irritate my pelvis injury by riding 8 hours on a school bus! Roger got some good pictures of caribou and bears!

Follow the leader!

Hank the Moose

Our crazy group in Talkeetna

Talkeetna

We have traveled from Homer back to Anchorage and then north to Talkeetna on our way to Denali National Park. We had dinner with Sharon (Jordan) and Ed while we were in Anchorage - they live in Eagle River - it was nice to reconnect with Sharon and meet her husband.

We have a new member to our extended family - Timber - Judy's adopted bear   isn't he cute?

Saw this "moose on the loose" along the roadside!

Talkeetna is a popular stop for the Alaskan Train and cruise ship excursions - restaurants and souvenir shops all within a short walking distance. We went on a jet boat ride on the Susitna River - not much scenery because the mountains were covered in clouds but, interesting to hear some history of the area. Talkeetna is the place for climbing Mt. McKinley, or "Denali" as the native Athabascans call it. "Attemptees" are flown to base camp from here between mid-May and mid-July - earlier or later is too cold or too warm - for the 2-3 week excursion. The total cost is around $10,000 including fees and equipment and only 57% of about 1,200 made it to the top this year.

Homesteading was possible around here until the early 1980's. In the 1950's you could claim 5 acres of land, live on it for 5 years, pay around $100 property tax each year and then it was deeded over to you. Of course, there were no roads to your property, no utilities, no water!

I saw a sign that read "Gifts and Hair Salon" - haven't had my hair cut or colored since early May - you can just imagine!! So we checked into it and Desi ended up doing Roger, Judy, me and then Pam and then Dorothy's hair. Quick, convenient and she did a good job!

Homer Fishing Trip

Homer is the "Halibut Fishing Capital of the World" and Roger, Judy, Dorothy and Dan went on a halibut/salmon fishing charter and caught their limits. It was a beautiful day and none of them got sick! One guy caught a 126 pound halibut! Our freezers are full!

Judy's Coho Salmon

Judy's halibut

Halibut taste great but are UGLY fish. They are born with an eye on each side of their head but as they grow one eye moves to the side so they can better bottom feed!

Katmai National Park

St. Augustine Volcano on the way to Katmai

OMG! OMG! Roger, Judy and I had the most awesome trip yesterday!! We flew on a float plane from Homer to Katmai National Park to see the bears "fishing" at Brooks Falls. The flight took about an hour and a half - we left at 9:30am and returned at 5:00pm - so we had plenty of time to watch the bears. Roger got to sit in the copilot seat so he had a great time chatting with the pilot. It was raining (glad we had our rain wear!) when we landed but it cleared up and was sunny on and off the rest of the day.

We are camped at the very end of the Homer Spit

After our "bear safety" orientation we walked about 1.3 miles (through bear infested woods!) to the falls viewing platform. There are two viewing platforms - a lower one near the river and an upper one near the falls. The park rangers do a good job of regulating visitors - they take your name and the number of people in your party and notify you when it is time for you to go to the upper platform - you only get to stay 1 hour on the upper one so everyone has a chance to enjoy the experience.

It was as much fun watching the salmon try to jump up the falls as it was watching the bears catch them!

Homer

We spent one night in Kenai on our way to Homer and will return to fish in the Kenai River on our way out of the Kenai Peninsula. Here's the crowd at the neck of the Kenai River dip netting salmon. You have to be an Alaskan resident for one year before it is legal to fish this way.

We are camped way out on the Homer Spit - a narrow stretch of land between Kachemak Bay and
Cook Inlet - at the land's end! The weather has been cool and rainy. Homer advertises that it is a "drinking town with a fishing problem!" On that note we had to go to the Salty Dog, a popular local bar with signed dollar bills tacked all over the walls and ceiling, and get a "Duck Fart" - a shot glass with a layer of Kahlua, Baileys and Crown Royal! I stirred mine and sipped and it was gooooood!!!

We talked to the owner of this "refurbished" motor home. He bought a Holiday Rambler with a burned out front end from a junk dealer and it is now their home in Homer. They do drive it down the road!

Fishing in Seward

The picture speaks for itself!!!

Kenai Fjords Cruise

Judy and I went on a 6 hour cruise through Resurrection Bay to the Gulf of Alaska and into the Holgate Arm to Holgate Glacier, in the Harding Ice field, today. We couldn’t have ordered a more beautiful day - we were expecting to see glaciers and scenery, birds, a few otters and seals but we got to experience a rare opportunity to see a pod of humpback whales!!!!

Around twenty, adult whales were “bubble net feeding” on all the rich food in the gulf. The captain of our boat explained how two whales blow bubbles on the outskirts of the feeding zone so the fish would swarm in a school in the center – then they make a sound to let the other whales know it is time to come up from the depths and scoop the fish into their mouths.  The crew put microphones into the water and we listened to them “sing.” They blow spouts of water, breach the surface, dive and “wave” their flutes/tails! I am so glad Judy joined us and we were able to enjoy this awesome experience together!

Seward

We were looking at Exit Glacier when we heard a roar and this small airplane came up over the top of the glacier, swooped down the glacier and flew through the canyon! Roger was so jealous!

Exit Glacier, Seward

The Internet is "spotty" at best here in Seward so I have not updated my blog in a few days! We are camped right on the harbor again. This cruise ship backed out of the dock, turned around and sailed away right in front of us!

Seward celebrates the fourth of July with the Mount Marathon Race. Runners race to a stone marker at the top of Mount Marathon and then back down. It is primarily gravel! The winners this year, a couple, set new records - men 40 minutes and women 43 minutes! Crazy people!!

Mount Marathon, Seward

Walliwaw

We drove about 30 miles down the road yesterday to Walliwaw National Forest Campground – noted as one of the prettiest campgrounds in Alaska – surrounded by mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, and fast current rivers. We hate to leave every beautiful place we have been but, it seems we always end up in a better one!

The visitor center has an excellent movie about Alaska with gorgeous pictures – many places we recognize although it is hard to remember all the glacier names.

We drove through the 2.5 mile long tunnel to Whittier today. It is one way and shared with the railroad so you have to get a schedule to know the time cars vs. trains are going through and which way they are traveling! Weird, driving on the RR tracks!

Tunnel to Whittier

Whittier Harbor

How many people do you know with a pet reindeer?

Whittier is a fishing village, on Prince William Sound, that is surrounded by mountains and pretty isolated from the rest of the state – population 220. It was cool and misty but the locals say that’s the usual weather. Ate the best shrimp and fish and chips for lunch!

It is cloudy and misting again this morning but we visited the Alaska Conservation Wildlife Refuge anyway – figured it is the only way we would see any wildlife! Then we hiked to Byron Glacier this afternoon when it cleared up a bit.

Byron Glacier

There is a day use area nearby named “Moose Flats” – we are wondering where they go at night since it is a day use only sight! Of course, we haven’t seen any at any time!!

Alyeska

We left Anchorage and traveled all of 25 miles to Alyeska Ski Resort. They offer RV sites in their parking lot and have a tram that takes you to the top of the mountain for beautiful views of the Turnagain Arm and surrounding mountains. It was named by Capt. Cook as he was searching for an ice free northwest passage to the Pacific Ocean – obviously, he had to “turn around again!” It is interesting to see the tides come in and out.

We originally camped at the end of the parking lot and “circled the wagons” so we would have a common area in the center. As we were gathering for happy hour this is what we saw about 50 yards away!!

The head of security for the resort came around and scared it off with a pellet gun. He then suggested we move our rigs to another less secluded sight – to which we promptly agreed! We all wanted to see a bear but not a hungry one that up close and personal! He was nice enough to give us free passes to the tram for all our trouble! 

We watched hang gliders jump from the ski chalet and glide to a landing area near us and helicopters taking tourists to the glaciers.


We enjoyed lunch at the top of the mountain and a great breakfast at the Bake Shop in this cute ski town. Gorgeous flowers everywhere – they get 24 hours of sunlight! There was one really nice contemporary home with two story glass windows and a big stuffed grizzly bear in the window!

Alyeska Ski Resort - see our RV's in the upper left corner in a square?

Only in Alaska would you see this bumper sticker!

The Turnagain Arm on a hazy day

So far the only moose we've seen!!