I have long since learned that sometimes life hands us unexpected choices. How we learn to deal with them is measured by us as individuals. Over the years when things haven’t always gone my way, I typically learned to accept it and move on. Though sometimes there was the little “why me” that built inside of me when I felt I wasn’t given a choice in the matter.

So when life handed me not only a bacterial throat infection in the last few days but also a double ear infection, I found myself regretably accepting that my vacation I had planned wasn’t quite going to to turn out like I had expected. And thus the reason I’m back in Anchorage a full week ahead of schedule. There also exists the fact I can’t even talk right now, much less swallow easily.

What I’m having the most difficulty accepting is the fact that because of a double ear infection, any and all flying is curtailed for the next 14 days minimum. And thus I had to cancel my bear trip to Katmai as well.

Disappointment wouldn’t even begin to describe it right now.

Though my vacation started within the last few days it truly begins in earnest as I find myself packing up my car this afternoon to begin my trek north to discover and immerse myself in the spirit of Alaska once more. Hinted with tipped specs of fall, I found myself up early yesterday morning to begin a 22 hour day up to the confines of Denali National Park.

I was met with shadows of darkness with ghosts of the brilliant aurora dancing overhead. It ended with a breathtaking sunset on the shores of Kashwitna Lake outside of Talkeetna. In between was nothing less than surreal moments of what a day in the park can do to the spirit.

It’s unlikely I’ll be able to journal these tales adequately until I return from my vacation and then fly over to Katmai next week. Among all, be safe and enjoy the journey!

I’m always one that tends to get a crazy notion in her head when it comes to exploring Alaska.  Which is probably why I drove 1500+ miles around the state of Alaska by myself last autumn.  Including the relatively remote Denali Highway.  In the year since has come also exploration of Stampede Road and Petersville Road. 

When I decided to take this vacation next week I threw away the planned agenda and decided not to do things by the book.  Instead I would go where the spirit took me.  The only thing that is set in stone is a trip to Paxson next Tuesday and Wednesday and a trip to Katmai the following week.

So what has been on my mind in the meantime?  Probably entering one of the most remote roads in Alaska and doing it by myself.  The 160 mile Taylor Highway which ends on the shores of the Yukon River in Eagle Alaska.

It’s still a speck of curiosity that has entered my mind about this location and journey.  And that is usually what gets me in trouble.  But Eagle is filled with a rich history and the stories and escapades that go along with it.  If it has that and I hear it, I’m always hooked.

Wanderlust.  Born and bred with it.  And the reality is I don’t think it will ever change.  All this in the name of adventure.

With summer counting down and life beginning its frenetic pace into the coming fall and winter, life seems to have taken on its own zeal in its apparent rush to make every effort to be ready for those long months ahead.  Much as the local wildlife is making every effort to prepare in their own survival efforts, I too have found myself making a list of needed accomplishments and things to purchase before then.  In between bouts of hiking, camping trips, photo shoots and last minute summer bbqs of course.

I’m in the last few days of preparation for my own upcoming vacation around the state of Alaska.  Earlier this summer when I had my itinerary planned out step by step and everything ready to go, I suddenly decided to scrap the whole thing and just leave everything unplanned.  I would end up wherever my mood would take me.  It would be a true exploration of Alaska on its own.  And given it’s been almost a year since I’ve taken anything more than two days off from work, to say I am looking foward to vacation would be putting it mildly.

I have also been stocking up on gear as the sales hit the store.  I will be moving into a new residence in the coming months and know that once I do, I won’t have copious amounts of cash lying around, so am stocking up now.  To include purchasing such gear as backpacking supplies, skiis, etc.  I have also decided to “turn to the dark side” and in this case migrate to a completely new digital camera SLR setup.  Away from the Sony Alpha over to the Canon EOS40D when it finally hits the streets.  It will indeed be a big change for me.  I’m keeping my Alpha but it will become my backup body.  With Canon having so many more lenses freely available, it seems like the right choice.  Though it’s a decision I fought tooth and nail to get to.

Along those lines I have also been notified that for the second year in a row, I’m a winner in the 2007 Denali Road Lottery for Sunday September 16th.  So come that day I will again be migrating north in the early morning hours and hoping to have some tales of wonder to share again.  If it is 1/4 of what I experienced along last years route, I will be happy.  And indeed I am very lucky to be able to experience it again. Life happens and time moves on. 

But things are indeed going well.

Perhaps one of the biggest recommendations I hear for those coming to Alaska is to spend the most amount of time you an in the state to truly appreciate it.  And given how vast Alaska is and how its true size can be incomprehensible to the average individual, I would tend to agree with this bit of advice.  However when it comes to my own home state and truly experiencing it, do I tend to follow those same words?  After this weekeend,  I would say apparently not. 

My original plan was to spend the weekend camping out on the Denali Highway to enjoy the fall colors and indulge in a bit of nature and wildlife photography.  If luck were on my side, I would be able to further indulge in a bit of mountain biking.  However, once Friday evening rolled around and we made it to the borders south of Cantwell under darkened skies, it would not truly become obvious until the following morning that fall is still several weeks off.

After reaching the area and pitching a tent in the darkness and spending a bit of time winding down from my second wind that had hit, I found myself later drifting off to a fitful sleep only to awaken in the early morning hours to step out of the tent to find the views overhead almost a mirror of the vast starry skies that had existed in McCarthy only a week prior.  The stars were out in force and after making my way through the tundra and returning to the tent in another attempt to get sleep, I eventually found myself drifting off once more.  Only to awaken shortly after 7:00 a.m. and then again at 9:00 a.m. to the feeling of a rock wedged beneath my lower back.

We got a bit of a late start but began our exploration of the Denali Highway.  The Denali Highway is a 135 mile gravel road that runs in the heart of Interior Alaska between Cantwell on the Parks Highway and Paxson that lies on the Richardson Highway.  At one time it was in fact the only access road into Denali National Park before the construction of the George Parks Highway.  Most that truly know this area consider it an overlooked treasure that is often teaming with beauty in every season.  The fall tends to envelop the land in a vibrant palette of gold, red, and orange that dance below magnificent azure blue skies if you are lucky to experience it on a sunny day.  Filled with kettle ponds, rolling hills of tendra and glacial carved valleys in the far off distance, the road is well worth traveling the miles despite its occasional washboard and rutted appearance.  Caribou and moose wander freely over the open tundra and thus the area tends to be a magnet for hunters come fall when the hunting season opens.

Early into our trip we discovered the landscape we had hoped for was still a few weeks off from reaching “peak” fall colors.  Instead with the light, we were left with a relatively flat looking landscape.  After stopping at a local lake to spend a few minutes enjoying its solitude and taking more pictures, we continued on further down the road when we encountered perhaps the biggest negative of the weekend - a Princess Tours bus rumbling along the road throwing up a cloud of dust.  Alaska has become so dependent on its tourism that we tend to welcome tourists to our great state with open arms.  Many fellow Alaskans I know are of course as accomodating as I am.  There are times however it does have negative impacts and that is with regards to particular tour operators and companies that don’t show the same type of courtesy / regard to the residents that live here.  As an Alaskan resident who often organizes my own summer trips away from the areas that are choked with tourists, I have found that there are very few areas that these tour company’s haven’t yet invaded.  Especially Princess Tours.

Sometimes there are just those moments when one wants to be able to truly experience the peace and solitude of what this great state offers without running into a tour bus that is herding its occupants around as if they were cattle.  But after all, we know the industry’s main drive is their bottom line financially.  Money first and then its occupants second. 

With this in mind I do admit to being pretty dismayed to see the Denali Highway now within their sites.  We had no sooner stopped and were enjoying a particular landscape in our view finders when another Princess bus came ambling alongside us and choked us in a cloud of dust.  And then proceeded to stop in the middle of the road and block it while opening the doors to allow its occupants to exit.  Of course this led to the all to common site of tourists wandering to and fro without regards to others around them.  Want to attemp to pass them?  Forget it.  They shall walk not on the side of the road but rather in the middle of it. After this experience and a brief “discussion” with the driver of the bus who I found to be completely arrogant and cocky, we continued on our way in hopes of evading what has become known as the “evil empire”. 

Since company employees tend to represent the face of the business it works for, I will say my encounter with that particular employee not only left a sour taste in my mouth but further soured my views of Princess Tours.  So much so that I will never seek out any of their properties here or support them financially in any way, shape or form.  Nor will my travel companion from this weekend.

What is interesting to me is that even in an area as remote as the Denali Highway, it still offers some views and reminders of the people that have passed these same locations in previous years and add to its already enriched history.  As we turned up a particular road that led to a nearby mountain pass and began to explore, a group of 3 caribou came bounding through the grass and stopped briefly to gaze upon us in wonder.  Further on, we found a couple of abandoned trucks wedged into the trundra and trees around it.  All the windows of course broken out and their bodies beginning to rust out.  It added an interesting texture to the landscape around it.  Eventually we were turned back by a swollen creek crossing and thus began our trek back to the main road.

As we drove further up the road and continued to gain mileage, we quickly decided that the Denali Highway would not be our sole destination for the weekend.  As the day progressed we continued to head north and found ourselves continuing in to Delta Junction, through North Pole and Fairbanks and then eventually on up to Chena Hot Springs where we found ourselves camping on the banks of the Chena River for our second night away.  We pitched the tend and retired under a sweltering heat.  And whereas I had not slept all that soundly the night before, I quickly found myself “dead to the world” and was probably asleep within moments.  Typically I don’t sleep all that well when I’m away from my own bed, but that night was obviously not the norm.

We broke camp very early Sunday morning and continued north where we had a quick breakfast at the Hilltop Truck Stop which lingers at the beginnings of the Haul Road.  Though I had never been to this particular location before, I quickly came to recognize many landmarks that had appeared in my recent convergence of reading Alaska books and I found it amusing to come to recognize these places I had so read about. 

After a very filling breakfast we decided to begin our trip back to our eventual destination of Anchorage, but not without stopping in Denali National Park, exploring Stampede Road, Byers Lake and then Talkeetna.As the odometer continued to tick and the sites changes, I have found that fall has not come to Alaska as quickly as I thought it would.  In fact it seems to have stalled in many locations.  Not that I’m complaining mind you.  Even areas that are usually in a full fall spectrum of color at this time were just beginning to show signs of the turning of the seasons.  Including Denali National Park. 

In a brief conversation earlier in the day I had mentioned the book “Into the Wild” and the story of Chris McCandless on Stampede Road.  We decided as were were approaching Denali National Park that we would drive up there for curiosity sake.  We only made it about 10 miles up the road before being deterred by a very large rut filled with water that was much higher than the vehicles clearance.  But by then of course my curiosity was peaked.  The area just begs out for further exploration and now I’m left thinking of ways how I can get back there to further explore.  Without going out and buying my own four-wheel drive monster truck of course.

As we stopped in Denali National Park, we decided to go for a brief walk on the Savage River trail to get out and stretch our legs.  After having spent hours in the car by that point, I will say it was something that was desperately needed.  While on our walk, we encountered a family of willow ptarmigan that were nestling in the nearby ground cover.  I stood and watched them for awhile and was just amazed at how well camoflaged they were with their coat of browns and black.  Further up on a rock outcropping, a hoary marmot would peek over at us as if determining if we were friend or foe.  We eventually completed the 2 mile walk and returned to the vehicle efore setting off to Byers Lake for a bit of biking and then eventually on to Talkeetna for some dinner.

Nearly a full 15 hours later, we entered the outskirts of Anchorage after racking up nearly 1,000 miles in the weekend alone.  Obviously a very long journey but with the sites that graced my eyes and some pretty awesome company to accompany me, it was indeed a fun and fulfilling weekend.

Nestled in the heart of the Copper Valley amidst whisperings of haunting and patches of copper ore lies perhaps one of the best indications of “old town Alaska” - that of McCarthy and Kennicott in St. Elias National Park and Preserve.  Accessible via air transportation and unimproved gravel road, vis a vie the Edgerton Highway, I recently found myself journeying to the heart of this town to experience the times of yesteryears.They say that taking this journey is an adventure in and of itself and I would be apt to agree with them.  In fact this journey is not for the ill at heart. 

Situated some 7+ hours from Anchorage, the road from Chitina to McCarthy is perhaps one of Alaska’s most perilous hazards to the standard automobile.  The 60 mile road is known for spectacular views and jaw clenching ruts.  Additionally, the road is built over an old railroad bed and as a result it is not uncommon for old rail spikes to suface resulting in a flat tire.  Dire warnings are often issued to bring a full size spare tire if you plan on taking this trip and in fact some automobile rental car companies here prohibit their vehicles from being driven on the road. 

Yet over the past few years the State of Alaska has made a significant effort to improve the road.  And on so many levels I would say they have succeeded.  We were able to travel a steady 20-30 miles per hour making the journey from Chitina in just under 3 hours.  Mile 30-36 of the road is a constant washboard, so caution is obviously advised there.

St. Elias National Park and Preserve is a gem of a national park.  It dwarves Alaska’s most well known park (Denali National Park) in size and sees far fewer visitors to the area given its remote location.  To some it’s known as the “mountain kingdom of North America” and is home to some of the best ice climbing in the world amidst the towering cragues of Root and Kennicott glaciers.  There is quite simply no limit to the backcountry exploration opportunities that are offered here.Bright and early on a Friday morning my travel companion and I set off to explore the heart of St. Elias.  Being relatively new to Alaska my friend C had obviously never made her way to Kennicott to truly experience it.  And of course being me, I was up for that challenge.  Plus it had been several years since I was last there.  The memories of the road were enough to shy me away from experiencing it further.  Our plans were quite simple.  We would be camping in the area at the Glacier View Campground and experience McCarthy and Kennicott on foot.  Though another wonderful way to explore is on mountain bike.  The option I will be doing next time.

With brilliant blue skies and warm weather, we began our long seven hour drive and found ourselves stopping for lunch at one of my personal favorite places - that of Sheep Mountain Lodge which is owned and run by Iditarod musher Zack Steer.  As the dogs howled and chuffed at us, we entered the small quaint restaurant and spent the time indulging in a wonderful lunch and looking out the window at the grand mountainous views.  If you are ever in the vicinity of the Glenn Highway and the Matanuska Glacier, Sheep Mountain Lodge is always a great place to stop.  The hospitality and food are inviting and never disappoints.

After heading up the road we found ourselves in Glennallen making very good time.  After gassing up we continued on to the Richardson Highway until we reached the pull off of the Edgerton Highway.  By late afternoon we found ourselves pulling into the area and then checking in and setting up camp at the campground before walking up to the pedestrian footbridge to explore McCarthy for the evening.

McCarthy is accessible via a pedestrian footbridge and is approximately 1.5 miles from our chosen camping spot.  There is a saying that the unofficial town slogan for McCarthy is that it is “where the town ends and the wilderness begins.”  Home to a menial population of 42 people of which probably fewer than half winter over, once one enters McCarthy you literally feel like you were swept back to the time.  The town offers a variety of lodging opportunities from the backpackers hotels to the more upscale Ma Johnson’s. Restaurant selections are obviously few and far between and that night we found ourselves dining at the Golden Palace Saloon.  Despite the towns limited offerings of dining choices, I must say that during the journey the meals we indulged in were nothing short of wonderful.  As was the service.  The locals are fun to talk to and of course if one has a hankering for some indulgence in loving from the area’s local dog population, you won’t be disappointed.  The reputation of the amount of dogs that roam the town are almost a well known as the town itself!

As we began to walk back to the campground we were met with a beautiful sunset and alpenglow dancing off the distant peaks of the surrounding mountains.  With a night of sleep ahead of us, our first day in McCarthy came to a wonderful end.  Though I personally must admit that as the hour of 1:30 a.m. approached and I found myself stepping out of the tent to answer the call of nature, I found my mouth dropping open in awe as I looked up at the stars that aligned overhead.  The Perseid Meteor Shower was beginning that night and from the steps of the tent I was able to watch the most amazing show.  However eventually sleep overtook me and we had an earning morning ahead of us with plans to spend the entire day up at Kennicott, thus I retired for the night.

Saturday morning I awoke to find the area had taken on the reminder of the coming winter - with that of a hard freeze.  Whereas leaves in South-central Alaska are just beginning to remind us that fall is on its way, McCarthy is well into its descent of fall with leaves already changing and in some cases dropping to the valley floor to act as its carpet of foliage.  We bundled up and began our journey once more into McCarthy where we would our way up to Kennicott Mine.

Kennicott Mine was acquired by the National Park Service in 1998 and they have since spent that time attempting to restore the area.  Considered to be the best remaining example of early 20th century copper mining, Kennicott offers sweeping views and impressive structures that hug the mountainside above the valley.  It’s a relic of a town that offers a look into the true history of Alaska.  And indeed as we spend the hours exploring and photographing the town, I could literally feel like I had stepped back into the early 1900s to the era of boom and bust that Alaska is well known for.

As the morning hours waned into the afternoon and C was literally swept up in her berry obsession and began to pick berries to her hearts content, I found myself off and wandering among the ruins and headed up to Silk Stocking Road to indulge in a bit of hiking and taking in the sweeping views of the valley and the town itself.  We eventually began the long walk back to McCarty and the campside and by that time the sun was beating down on us as it neared 80 degrees. 

By that time my feet were also beginning to cry out in protest since I had obviously chosen to bring the wrong hiking boots.  As we neared camp I found myself hobbling as a result.  After taking a bit of time to relax once we returned, I later found myself suggesting we do yet more walking and return to McCarthy for our last dinner there.  Masochist anyone? 

As our second day drew to an end and we made the eventual journey home the next morning, I was left with wonderful memories and a truly enriched experience.  With the road being improved to the extent that it has, there is no doubt I will once again return to McCarthy and Kennicott.  After all, the Root Glacier cries out for more adventure and I have some ghosts to haunt.

Kennicott and McCarthy offers a memorable experience unlike no other.

What does one do if they are having a completely bad day?  Why that is easy.  At least for me personally.  They go out and spend over $300.00 on backpacking gear at REI during their lunch hour and then shop e-bay for more camping and backpacking buys.

Sure as heck works for me.  And it satisfies my inner gear-head at the same time.

Dusk over McCarthy Footbridge
McCarthy / Kennicott Alaska

Extremely wearied from over 14 hours of driving the past few days I have learned and reminisced about many things that Alaska brings to me. Whether it be the continually changing landscape or watching the magenta skies flow over the footbridge of McCarthy. It serves as a reminder that time stands still for no one.

I have long since had a history of insomnia and having what could be termed “unique” sleeping patterns. Usually all I need to function is a few hours of sleep and I find myself recharged for hours on end. Back in college in fact it became quite the norm to live on 2 hours of sleep a night. What is interesting to note is that I find my insomnia tends to pick up when the dark begins to return, usually a sign of the impending winter.

Such would be a case the last several weeks. Though the Alaska terrain has begun to show its own signs of the approaching fall and dark time of the year with berries beginning to come in season and the leaves beginning to turn, so too has my own internal clock begun to prepare.

In fact over the last few weeks I have found my own schedule completely out of whack. Once I’m off of work I will come home and sleep for about an hour and be recharged. Then I tend to be up all night until the early morning hours once more before I’ll indulge in another hour or two of sleep. It’s always somewhat humorous to me when people make remarks on the times that stamp my e-mails or message board entries. Times such as 1:14 a.m. or 3:15 a.m. are not all too uncommon.

In the end its a sign of what is coming. And I must admit I’m somewhat looking forward to winter and its activities. The fact that I’m saying I’m looking forward to winter makes me stop and pause. Winter? Me of all people? I must be crazy.

But the reality is I actually AM looking forward to it. Especially one that will obviously be filled with favorite activities such as cross country skiing and snowshoeing. I won’t however rush the remaining summer in order to get there. But just enjoy the time between here and there.

The air of change is always one that can pass in a moment and catch one in a whirlwind, or it can start like an ember and burn into a slow simmering fire. Yet I am finding my own life these days to be somewhat a combination of both. The weekend that had just started and in fact has no sooner passed has been a prime example. It’s been a reaffirmation to me of what makes me who I am and what I yearn for in life as well as where I want it to progress. Who would have thought that two days bustling with activity would toss me into such a pattern of analysis and thinking. But yet that is exactly where I am.

I can say I am lucky enough to be well and truly recovered from my knee fiasco of Friday night. There’s nothing like a cortisone shot to lower that inflammation. And with such good timing too - as today I found myself heading north on another photography “field trip” to the cavernous lands of Matanuska Glacier. The Matanuska Glacier has long been one of my favorite areas in Alaska. Its surrounding ecosystem is complex and its views are always changing. Yet one of my favorite time of years near there is the coming of fall.

I had no sooner met up at our central meeting location here in Anchorage before we headed North to begin the two hour drive there. Situated two hours north of Anchorage, the glacier itself is 27 miles long and is perhaps one of the most accessible glaciers by car in Alaska. It is in fact the largest valley glacier accessible and it is the source of the Matanuska River. One of the uncommon themes about this glacier is the presence of a “weather hole” that makes the area unduly pleasant and often holds better weather. Even when it may be pouring in the South-central Alaska bowl.

The same would have held particularly true today. As when we left Anchorage there was a consummate drizzle that expanded to rain as we entered the Matanuska Valley. I was pulled into a good conversation with a new friend and as a result found myself enjoying it. No sooner had it seemed we had just left when we pulled over the hill to the Matanuska Glacier and saw bright light off in the distance. Better yet, there was no rain! A welcome reprieve after yesterday’s torrential downpour that had plagued Anchorage. Wet rat anyone? As we drove up there, one thing I began to notice along the highway was the leaves on the trees are beginning to turn. Yet another sign of the impending fall and winter that lay ahead. Time certainly does pass quickly in Alaska.

We pulled up to the access road and met up with another few photographers that had decided to join us. Our plans for the day were relatively simple. Which is why I enjoy being active in this particular photography group so much. Our meetups are relaxing and we all gather and shoot for the joy of photography. Plus the people I have met have been warm and friendly. What better combination could one ask for?

We spent the next several hours walking around the terrain and seeing the shadows, textures, and melting pools of water encapsulated around the glacier. Its lateral moraine especially prevalent. I was astounded at the amount that the glacier has receded over the past several years. For those that say global warming is a farce, I highly encourage them to come to Alaska and experience this phenomenon first hand. With warmer summers and milder winters, the reality is that we are in a time crunch here and the tundra is warming and permafrost melting. Global warming is a phenomenon especially prevalent here.

After I spent a bit of time out on my own capturing images of blue ice speckled with sediment, I wandered over to the next serac of the glacier. As I did my foot paused on the edge of a piece of ice that caused me to look down. A crevasse about six feet wide and of unknown depth was lingering only feet in front of me. With the constant creaking and groaning and occasionally a thunderous crack splitting the air, one must constantly be on watch for their safety sake. Off in the distance a group of climbers made their way over the peaks and valleys before them.

It seemed no sooner had we started when the end was upon us. After walking through several puddles in an attempt to clean my boots from the glacial silt, we made our way to our cars and headed back. Another relaxing Alaska afternoon at its best. Rain or shine, they are always to be found here. All you must do is look and allow yourself to experience.