In all my years of living here, if there is one common “complaint” I hear from people that journey to the Great Land to see it in all its glory, is that it was a lifetime in getting here. Particularly, a lifetime of saving. When I hear this I can only nod my head in agreement. Summer comes and the rates at local hotels, restaurants and events aimed at the tourist trade tend to sky rocket. And lets face facts, not everyone is able to constantly spend an unlimited amount when it comes to the mighty dollar.

There are however events around the state that can be attended free of charge. One in particular is the Music in the Park series put on by the Anchorage Downtown Partnership. As a way to bring awareness to downtown Anchorage local bands and musicians appear on stage several times a week at Noon at Peratrovich Park at Fourth and E streets throughout the summer. The reality it is a win-win situation. For local businesses and tourists alike.

Under glorious sunny skies today, I had the luck of wandering downtown over my own lunch hour to hear a local group perform group perform. With my toes tapping, I watched the crowd around me engage in a little afternoon enjoyment. What a great location to people watch!

Held Wednesdays and Sundays, Music in the Park offers a wonderful blend of local talent while being uniquely easy on the wallet.

Under the glare of the midnight sun,  I do admit to being somewhat lax about updating here as frequently as I have as of late.  Rather I find myself with my nose buried in guide books and travel vouchers planning the next “Lubbock” adventure for Denali National Park towards the end of July in addition to planning my own jaunt around the state the following month.

Life brings challenges in many ways.  One such challenge would be attempting to plan these type of getaways in Alaska’s busiest time of year.  The prime tourist season where streets are bustling with tourists, roads are packed with traffic and the price of seasonal lodging and restaurants rises much like the stock market.  Where Alaskans certainly receive no favoritism from that of the mighty dollar.

But alas never one to back off from a challenge, instead I dig in my heels and let my fingers do the walking and mind do the wandering.  To locate alternative plans if need be.  Rather than receiving the answers I have been receiving of “Sorry we’re full.” or “Sorry, we’re booked.” as I have been receiving, I’ve been digging deep into the trenches to find that pot of gold.  In this case an answer of “Yes.”

Who would have thought that yes would bring a smile to the eyes as it so has the past few days. Ah yes, the glorious summer in Alaska.   I am indeed one with the hunt - even if it is simply the hunt for vacancies.

Ah, summer solstice.  That being the longest day of the year where the sun is at is peak.  And with the sun scheduled to set tonight in the Anchorage area at 11:42 p.m. only to rise again a scant four hours later, we can indeed see why.  All around me I have watched groups gathering to celebrate this longest day through scheduled solstice hikes, picnics, and kayaking adventures posted on local calendars. 

And with Anchorage’s temperatures projected to rise to the upper 70’s today, I too have the bug to be out indulging in some of these activities and celebrating the sun.  Rather than having reality hit me that from now until December, we will in fact be in the cycle of losing light once more.

Alaska has always been a land of cycles; where its intricacy of patterns and puzzle pieces begin to fit together of the common whole.  Mirroring that jigsaw puzzle that we call life.  Whereas sometimes its pieces fall easily into place while other times its a struggle to atempt to make things fit together.  Our brows furrowed in concentration making every effort along the way.

I can think of many things recently where we again seem to be repeating patterns.  Mostly through mirroring a weather pattern from the 1996 era.  In another El Nino year at the time our winter included a higher than average snowfall.  It was long, cold and hard.  Much like this past winter was.  Yet when summer rolled around our days were long, hot and humid.  A time when it was not uncommon to have thunderstorms roll in across the Chugach range on a nightly basis as the rain would again to beat down its torrential paths of water.  It was those thunderstorms and lightning strikes that caused us the devestation here in Southcentral Alaska that year known as the Miller’s Reach Fire in the Big Lake area.

Last night Anchorage again had another thunderstorm begin to build.  And as my eyes began to close for the night, I could hear its low throaty rumble off in the near distance.  Had I been a bit more awake at the moment, I would have certainly pulled an act from the movie Poltergeist and begun to count the seconds between the thunder and lightning.  But alas the undercurrent of sleep overwhelmed me and I fell into a peaceful slumber with thunder being the last conscious thought on my mind.  And when I awoke, I was greeted with the news that a new wildfire had developed.  Almost as if it were mirroring 1996 once again.  In the last few days we have begun to see fires become a constant news source for us - with fires beginning in Caribou Hills down near Ninilchik and a new one cropping up overnight near Trapper Creek outside of Talkeetna. 

It might seem a strange occurance to be thinking of fall when summer has only just begun.  But when one lives in the land of the Midnight Sun with extraordinarily short summers that are inhibited by extreme seasonal rates when it comes to travel within the state, looking and planning ahead is vital.

So when this morning dawned and I submitted and had my leave request at work approved, I began to plan in earnest for my fall tour.  Something that I only embarked on for the first time last year and will be making a regular habit of.  What better way to be an Alaskan than to see and experience Alaska.  Its diverse culture and wild and rugged landscapes.  With that said, I have been able to narrow down my tour locations and scheduling.  To include:

8/25 - Anchorage to Valdez, overnight in Valdez
8/26 - Valdez/Columbia Glacier Cruise, overnight in Valdez
8/27 - Valdez to Kennicott/Kennicott Mine Tour, overnight in Kennicott
8/28 - Kennicott to Paxson, overnight in Paxson
8/29 - Paxson/Denali Highway (partial), Evening Wildlife Float, overnight in Paxson
8/30 - Paxson through Delta to Fairbanks, overnight in Fairbanks
8/31 - Fairbanks
9/01 - Fairbanks
9/02 - Fairbanks to Denali, overnight in Denali
9/03 - Wonder Lake Shuttle, overnight in Denali
9/04 - Denali to Homer, overnight in Homer
9/05 - Katmai Bear Trip, overnight in Homer
9/06 - Homer to Anchorage

Plus I get to see some of my favorite people I have met during my travels in Alaska. Ken and Chris Day from Emerald Air Service; and Audie, Jenny and Voxy at Denali Highway Cabins.

Ah yes, this will indeed be a trip that I shall enjoy.

It is in those evenings where the hustle and bustle of life tends to overwhelm the senses that I have a habit of trying to find the most serene and calming spot available in the Anchorage bowl.  And with me being an outdoor lover, I often find it’s the spots somewhere in the great outdoors that lends to those senses.  Over the years I have taken the time to explore this great city of Anchorage to find those spots.  Some of them were never exactly what I was looking for.  But there are those that I have discovered that I know when life tends to be too much, I can step away from its realities for a few moments and immerse myself in the visual splendor before me.  One of those spots for me has always been the Alaska Botanical Garden.

Situated in East Anchorage off of Baxter / Campbell Airstrip Road, the garden is a great place for a picnic, bird watch, paint, read or in my case, explore the inner photo bug.  Nestled among 110 acres of the Campbell track which is a thriving recreational area bordering the Chugach Mountains, the garden offers an entry garden, two perennial display gardens, herb garden, rock garden, wildflower trail, and a self guided nature trail. 

Trails are groomed meticulously and their distances are not so vast that children cannot accompany you.  In fact, I highly encourage families to visit.  What better way to stimulate the senses through a rich visual and aromatic display while providing educational opportunities at the same time.  The garden also offers public tours every weekend. Last night during a quiet evening, I decided to take a half hour and explore the garden once more.  After all, it had been awhile since I was last there.  Though the gardens are not yet in full bloom and likely won’t be until the beginning to mid-July, I was greeted to a canvas of rich colors and sweet smells emitting from the smaller group of flowers that had begun to bloom.

Given there are still approximately 11 acres of the garden that currently remain undeveloped, there is ample opportunity for wildlife in the area.  It is not uncommon to see moose browsing in the area.  In fact, last evening shortly after my visit, it is my understanding that some visitors to the garden encountered a black bear that lumbered along the trail.I certainly enjoyed my time there, however brief.  I exited the garden feeling refreshed and motivated.  What a better way to explore your surroundings than visiting such a place where beauty offers education, research, and recreation.  The Alaska Botanical Garden offers all of this and more.

Kachemak Bay as seen from Skyline Drive
Homer, Alaska

I have always been one that has somewhat of a fascination with coastal towns. Drawn by a love of the sea and its remoteness, I often wonder about the quality of life that these town holds. And thus when I set foot in Halibut Cove years ago during a day trip, I found myself enchanted with a “city” built on board walks and housing encased on the mountain sides by stilts. Where life is slow but quaint. Where you feel like you have stepped back in time even in the modern era.

So it was during a recent trip to Homer and Kachemak Bay that I decided to extend my trip for an extra day and make a day trip to another coastal town built on board walks - that of Seldovia. Seldovia whose name comes from the Russian word from Herring is located in Jakalof Bay approximately 15 miles from Homer. An important supply point and trading post, Seldovia was actually the biggest town in Kachemak Bay until it was destroyed during the title wave from the 1964 earthquake. In the time since the town has rebuilt at another location and offers a look back into the yester years. Most of its inhabitants are of Aleut, Indian or Eskimo descent.

After a night filled with little to no sleep due to the incessant barking dog at the hotel I was staying at, I drug myself out of bed to begin the day and made my way down to the boat harbor in Homer to catch Central Charters boat the M/V Discovery. Even in the early morning hours the Homer Spit was bustling with activity. Since I had a bit of extra time I found myself enjoying a quick breakfast of a bagel and cream cheese at the local eating establishment, The Spit Sisters. A off set of the wonderful Three Sisters Bakery in downtown Homer.

Soon the time to check in at the boat came and I found myself attempting to navigate the loading ramp at a low tide of -4. Now to those of you that aren’t quite naughtical in nature, a tide that low makes for an extremely steep loading ramp from the founding’s down to the loading docks below. And to those of us such as myself that are extremely petrified of heights, it does not make for an enjoyable time. In fact the first ramp I attempted gave me such a case of vertigo that I found myself backing up and about to not go on the trip at all. But decided to go on one of the other ramps in hope that it wasn’t as steep as an incline as the first one. That steadfast determination paid off and in the end after having a death grip on the ramp, I slowly made my way down to the boat.

After a quick detour at a few of the bird rookeries we made our way through the waters of Kachemak Bay to the head waters of Jakalof Bay. I spent a combination of time during the trip inside and outside. I was happy to hear the calls of sea otters off in the distance and quickly made my way outside with my camera. We were able to get somewhat close and I was enchanted by one of the sea otters that would come up along side the boat and chirp before diving under again. They can be quite quick and I was able to get a picture of him before he dove back under.

Two hours after departing Homer, we found ourselves in Seldovia for a few hours of wandering to our hearts content. After disembarking the boat with a stern warning from the captain to be back by 4:00 less we be left for the day, I decided a quick lunch was in order at the Tidal Pool Cafe which overlooks the inner boat harbor. Walking around in Seldovia really is like a step back in time. I particularly enjoyed after lunch when I went up to the old historic board walk and took pictures to my hearts content of the houses that line the slough on stilts.  

Of course I would like to go back sometime in the near future to explore the outer recesses in the island. For a weekend trip I highly recommend a quick jaunt across the bay to Seldovia. There are many hotels and bed and breakfasts that are in the area and bicycle rentals and even ATVs can be rented for exploring.

The area is lush and green with a multitude of flora and fauna within the area.

Charming and quaint. Just how I enjoy my days.

For a time all I knew of the world was a bear shining in the dusk. –Nick Jans

Katmai National Park. Its name is one that conjures a variety of images in mind. The Home to Brooks Falls. Hallo Bay. Kaflia Bay. Filled with raw fury through the 15 active volcanoes that line its shores. It is after all known as the Valley of 10,000 Smokes. An apparently nameless valley in the early 20th century but it was the eruption in 1912 of Novarupta Volcano that drastically altered Katmai’s fate. And one cannot possibly step foot in Katmai without feeling the fiery cauldron around you. Where pumice still freely lines the shores of each bay.

Now to most, it is Katmai’s legacy with the Coastal Brown Bear that makes it known. It was those same images that brought me to Katmai this past weekend. Many months in the planning and a lifetime in the making. Saturday started bright and early for us as we met the rest of the crew on the shores of Beluga Lake in nearby Homer. Our transport for that day was a classic 1960 deHavilland Otter operated by Emerald Air Service and our hosts Ken and Chris Day. I had no sooner arrived and stepped out of the car when I saw others already being fitted for their Hip Waders. I wandered down to the office and was met by a sprite of a woman who I then found out was Chris. I felt at ease immediately and knew I had made the right choice in who I had chosen to take this trip with. After talking for a few minutes, I too joined in the crowd of being fitted for my hip waders and then we sat through a brief introduction on bear safety. Given my own history and experience with bears I cannot say I learned anything new during this briefing, but I was left in further comfort knowing that we all would be in good hands. With over 20 years of experience, it was quite obvious that Chris knows her stuff when it comes to interactions with the famed coastal brown bear. I did allow my eyes to wander for a short time around the room and soaked in all of the photos that lined the wall. Hoping that I too would come home with some rare photos and stories of close encounters as we walked among these giants.

But what would the plane be like? I wondered. After all, I do admit I’m not much of a small plane person. Like most people I tend to travel on the commercial carriers and other than a prop plane in the years passed and a journey with a friend of the family in his plane when I was but an infant my experience with small planes was very limited. We had no sooner all loaded our belongings in the back and found our seats when a bit of nervousness began to build in the pit of my stomach. That dissipated the moment that Ken set his hands on the controls and guided us through an effortless takeoff. It was like spun silk - smooth. And as I continued to glance around during our hours flight across the bay it became apparent how much love and care this Otter receives. It was immaculate and every ounce of it gleamed from its pride in ownership.

We continued across the waters of Kachemak Bay occasionally hitting a jolt of unstable air that would pitch the plane a bit. As we encroached upon the shores of Katmai National Park and Preserve I lost track of everything else around me and felt my mouth drop at the stunning beauty. Having been in Alaska for so long I do admit to seeing a variety of landscapes. The images that are Katmai National Park and Preserve are nothing short of mind blowing. I was only briefly interrupted from my musings when we began to circle Hallo Bay and people began to point out bear after bear on the ribboned rivers below us. However it was becoming obvious that the westerly wind was going to inhibit our landing there. In fact, we couldn’t land at all in the area. As a result we continued over a few more bays until we reached what would become our destination for the day. That of Kukak Bay. As we touched down and I glanced over I saw a bit of a frown cross Chris’s face. It was obvious that this was not her destination of choice. But we continued on anyway.

We learned the art of disembarking from a float plane and wading through about 4 feet of water to the shores. This my friends is where the hip boots come in. As we all unloaded our gear and began to wait an eagle sitting on the tidal flats is the scene that greeted us. I began to look around and quickly pulled on my pack, anxious to begin the day’s journey. However even with my sense of anticipation I stayed put waiting until Chris said it was time to go. As Ken took off again to moor at a distant glacial lake, Chris and the rest of the group and I began to explore the tides and the beaches around us. As we came around one particular point of land we were met by a site of a group of people sitting on a rock in the distance. Signs of bears at that time were few so we decided to head towards the meadow in search of bears. With hand gestures we later found out there was a large male brown bear sitting on the other side of the rock. One of the guides came down to meet us.

And what a guide he was.

Imagine my surprise to find out that this gentleman could have been no older than 22-23. Furthermore when he came down to meet us he was carrying a bottle of bear spray. Bear spray? Now this being a national park you will find that no other guides carry guns or bear spray for that fact. The more Chris began to talk to this other guide, the more obvious it became how truly inexperienced he was when it came to bears. He had led his group up to the top of this rock outcroppings and they were in fact hiding from the bear down below, with only an occasional peek over the top to watch. Now I don’t know about you but I do know that any time I have run into a bear - they knew I was there. Do people really think that a bear is not going to know?

If there was any one point in my hours with Chris and Emerald Air Service in which her experience level became known, it was during this time. We decided we were going to sit in plain view of the bear and let him get accustomed to us. So as we spent the next hour eating lunch below the rock outcropping while the group above would occasionally peak over and glance at us and then pull their head back, we watched an 800 pound male brown bear grazing in the meadow before us. We were never able to get any closer to him than more than 500 feet away, but it was a site to behold.

As the hours passed it was decided that we would edge over to the other side of the tidal meadow to wait to see if any more bears would make an appearance. It was on another outcropping of rocks that we spent a large portion of the afternoon. With the sun beating down over the next couple of hours we watched another male brown bear come to the meadow and begin feeding. His attention was quickly interrupted by the appearance of a female brown bear on the other side. Giving its mating season we were quite curious as to what this bear would do. He did in fact make a bee line for the female and they spent the rest of the afternoon grazing within a few feet of each other. We also were lucky to see a pack of wolves make an appearance on the other side of the meadow. They began to lope towards us until they must have caught our scent. It was truly amazing to me to sit and watch the communication that occurred between the three of them. The stances, the glances and body posture. Eventually they loped back into the direction in which they came.

As the hours wound down and we needed to begin our journey back across the meadow to meet our transport for the ride back to Homer, we began to edge closer to the two bears I mentioned earlier. We were hoping to get even closer to them, but the male grizzly took off up the side of one of the rock outcroppings to another bear trail and the female after grazing a bit more in the meadow decided to follow him.

All in all it was my first experience in Katmai. Was it everything I thought it would be? Quite simply no. I do admit to some disappointment. Our encounters with bears that day were very limited and it was obvious this was not a “normal day” of bear viewing in the eyes of Emerald Air. I will be going back at the beginning of fall for another trip. But while I may be disappointed in the limited experience with these awesome giants, my expectations were far succeeded by the beauty that was Katmai National Park and the hospitality of our guides for the day. Emerald Air Service is quite simply a top notch and class act.

Coastal Brown Bear
Katmai National Park, Alaska

It begins to build beneath the surface and burrows its way to the top before emerging.  The reticent becoming the thunderous chant in mind.  Its energy verbose and continuous.  This is the Denali chant.  The allure of the park calling out to you as if requesting your presence. 

In fact the call that begin to build in me just this morning and as a result I’ve whipped out the calendar, calculator and notebook to see if I can plan a trip in the coming weeks.  I think I’ve managed to find some free time the weekend of 4th of July in which I can actually do an overnight and then take the shuttle bus into the park.  I’d like to make it out to Wonder Lake but can do that later in the season.  Instead I think Fish Creek / Stoney Hill would work. 

Of course I could always try the suicide run and do this all in one day.  But why push the limits.  I figure if I win the Denali Road Lottery again this year that will become another suicide run. 

Ah Denali - you are definitely on my mind.