My Alaskan Life

Hawaiian Landscapes

2012-02-12T17:10:00.005-09:00

You'll definitely see things in Hawaii that you'd never see in Alaska. You know. Palm trees. Roadside coconut stands. People wearing shorts. Below are a few of my favorite pictures from my Hawaiian vacation.

Nothing like having the beach to yourself on Thanksgiving day.

I love the contrast between the metamorphic rocks and the sand.

If you look closely, you can see quite a few surfers and body boarders down by the beach. I tried surfing in 2-3 foot waves, but it was a little too slow for my taste. I'd have loved to try some bigger waves, but my swimming skills aren't exactly exemplary.

Close to Waikiki Beach in the middle of Honolulu.

I admit that it was a lot of fun sleeping a block away from this stretch of beach.

Hawaiian vegetation

2012-02-06T21:16:00.004-09:00

Being one of the most isolated land masses in the world leads to some interesting vegetation in Hawaii. I'm not a botanist or arborist by any means, but I can safely say that I know a weird plant when I see one.

Ironically, one of the most popular symbols of Hawaiian vegetation isn't actually native at all. Pineapples were introduced on The Islands in the 19th century. I visited the Dole Plantation to see just how, exactly, a pineapple grows and, of course, try some pineapple ice cream. For the record, pineapples grow from the bottom up and pineapple ice cream is worth the 20-minute wait.

One of my favorite trees was a banyan tree, which seemingly grow from the top down...seriously. Unfortunately, my trusty (read: it's cheaper than a trinket bought on eBay) point n' shoot camera failed to capture this curiosity. Fortunately, Google didn't.

But my favorite tree of the trip had to be the rainbow eucalyptus, which easily has the most colorful bark of any tree that I've seen. Of course, the color differentiation of my tawdry camera is equivalent to that of a 1950s era television so maybe that Google search will give you a better idea.

Pearl Harbor

2012-01-28T12:34:00.005-09:00

Winters in Alaska are rather long. If the cold doesn't get to you, then the lack of daylight eventually will. It's healthy to leave the state and visit somewhere warm during the winter. Luckily for us, one of cheapest vacation destinations is Hawaii.

I spent about a week on Oahu over Thanksgiving. Most of my time was spent snorkeling, surfing, and eating frozen coconuts from roadside produce stands. But no trip to Oahu would be complete without a visit to Pearl Harbor, where you can see both the beginning and the end of World War II for the United States. I visited the USS Arizona Memorial, which was sunk by the Japanese during the attack on Pearl Harbor. And I toured the USS Missouri, where the Japanese signed the instrument of surrender that officially ended World War II. Here are a few pictures of my visit to Pearl Harbor.

Part of the USS Arizona rises from the ocean floor. You can't see it in this picture, but oil still seeps from her hull, even though it sunk over 70 years ago. The "black tears" are something like a living memorial to her crew below.

The USS Missouri stands guard over the USS Arizona.

It's hard to imagine just how big these ships are until you've been on one. The Mighty Mo had a crew of over 1,800 men.

The exact location where the Japanese signed the instrument of surrender.

Hanger 79, still riddled by the bullet holes from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The hanger currently houses a pacific aviation museum.

The red and white control tower, made famous by movies such as "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and "Pearl Harbor", is currently undergoing renovations.

A view of the USS Arizona and the USS Missouri as seen from the USS Bowfin. If you look closely, you can see the flag flying from the mast of the USS Arizona.

Winding down

2011-10-19T21:32:00.004-08:00

I spent a day on the Russian River last Saturday. The fishing action was great, but all good things must come to an end. Winter is definitely in the air here in Alaska. All that's missing is the snow.

I have one remaining fishing trip planned for the year. A buddy and I are going to travel down near Homer next weekend to see if we can catch a few steelhead. In the meantime, I thought that I'd share a few pictures of my mutts.

Tommy's Burger Stop

2011-10-09T22:26:00.004-08:00

With years of experience, I consider myself to be an expert in the subject of cheeseburgers. Simply put, I know a good burger when I taste it. And there is no finer burger in Anchorage than the ones served by Tommy's Burger Stop, which is (luckily) located about a block and a half from my office. Let's just say that they know my order.

The Double Tommy starts with two five-ounce patties grilled to perfection. The patties are served on a potato bread bun with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, mayonnaise, and two types of cheese. It's simply heavenly...

Looks good, huh?

Wyoming vs. Nebraska

2011-09-29T22:00:00.005-08:00

Last Saturday, my beloved Wyoming Cowboys welcomed the Nebraska Cornhuskers into War Memorial Stadium. When I moved to Alaska about 18 months ago, I promised myself that I would do everything in my power to return home and watch this game.

And so I made a quick trip from Anchorage to Laramie. Not that there is such a thing as a quick trip from Alaska. I ended up traveling for 29 hours (including time in airports, planes, and cars) just so that I could spend a measly 12 hours within my home state of Wyoming.

Wyoming showed up for the first half as the Pokes were only down at halftime by a score of 14-7. Unfortunately, the second half proved to be a little bit different as Nebraska ended up winning by a final of 38-14.

So was the trip worth it?? Absolutely!! Even though the Pokes didn't come out on the right side of the final score, I got to catch up with a few old friends and the atmosphere at The War was absolutely incredible!

Nothing says "autumn" in Alaska quite like...

2011-09-19T22:15:00.004-08:00

...the changing of colors along the Russian River...

...and the pungent odor of rotting salmon carcasses.

Opening day on the Kenai

2011-09-08T12:54:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year, I headed down to the Kenai River to catch the opening day for sockeye. As is typical in Alaska, I wasn't the only one with that idea. Here are a few pictures that truly embody what combat fishing is like on the Kenai River. Personally, I have absolutely zero interest in fishing that close to anyone. I'd rather hoof it downriver a couple miles through some bear-infested terrain to get past most of the people.

Can you tell what area of the river is closed to fishing and what area is open?

There's an open spot!

I wonder why there isn't anyone fishing right there...

Valdez Trip 2

2011-09-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

A buddy from work accompanied me on my second trip to Valdez this summer. The purpose of this trip was to fill the freezer with as many silver salmon as Valdez Bay would allow. I think we did a good job of that.

The Valdez small boat harbor.

It's sometimes easy to forget to watch your rod when you're fishing in Valdez.

The three of us caught 18 silvers in about 3 hours. Fish anyone?

Valdez Trip 1

2011-08-27T23:00:00.000-08:00

I've had a few opportunities to make my way to Valdez this summer. I made the first trip simply because I had never been there before. A couple of weeks later, a buddy from work offered me the opportunity to go fishing on his brother's boat and, well, I've certainly never been one to turn down a fishing trip.

My first trip involved quite a few more "touristy" activities. I hiked around Worthington Glacier and explored the harbor area. I visited "Old Valdez", which was destroyed by a tsunami generated by the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in North America. I also went fishing at Allison Point (which is home to maybe the largest pink salmon run in the world...an average of 10 million humpies return to this every year). Here are a few photos of that first trip.

A great view of Thompson Pass from Worthington Glacier.

A glacial melt stream near Valdez.

There are waterfalls everywhere in Valdez.

Traveling through the Valdez Narrows (not too far away from Bligh Reef, where the infamous Exxon Valdez ran aground in 1989).

Camping

2011-08-22T22:44:00.004-08:00

I spend a fair amount of time camping on my various fishing trips around Alaska. Here are a couple pictures from one of my favorite campsites.

My trusty Coleman tent all set up.

The view out of my tent in the morning...no Photoshop needed.

Charter fishing

2011-08-10T21:30:00.001-08:00

An old buddy of mine from my days in Wyoming and I spent July 3rd and 4th out on a fishing charter in Homer. Over the two days, we caught over 300 pounds of halibut as well as almost 100 pounds of ling cod and a few salmon to boot. Not a bad way to celebrate our nation's independence.

The first day's bounty. I caught the biggest halibut in the middle (which weighed in at a touch over 100 pounds) and the second largest halibut to its left (60 pounds). Justin caught largest ling cod on the boat, which I believe weighed in at just under 50 pounds.

By the way, I'm always asked for recommendations regarding charters. I'd definitely recommend Deep Strike Sportfishing in Homer.

Fishing in the bush

2011-08-05T20:58:00.003-08:00

A buddy and I celebrated our birthdays by hiring a bush pilot to fly us to a remote fishing area. We spent approximately 48 hours at our little fishing camp. At least half of that time was spent on the water. We estimated that we caught over 100 trout and grayling between the two of us. I also managed to hook into three king salmon. Sadly, I wasn't able to land any of them due to an unfortunate series of events (beyond my control, of course). I guess there's always next year!!

Our home for 48 hours as seen from the float plane as we were on final approach.

Me hooked into a king salmon. It's the first time that I've ever hooked into a king on my fly rod. This picture was taken by my buddy, Justin.

An unusual site in Alaska: a good fishing stream without anybody on it. This picture was taken by my buddy, Justin.

The end of a long day of fishing. This picture was taken at about 1:00 a.m. as we finally decided to call it quits.

Gauging summer

2011-07-31T23:39:00.003-08:00

Summers are short in the Last Frontier. Most Alaskans recognize this aggravating truth and respond by spending as much time outdoors as daylight hours permit. Unfortunately, even though we still have over 17 hours of daylight, there are plenty of reminders that winter is just around the corner. The fireweed that is prevalent across much of the state is one of those cues.

This purple wildflower begins blooming in the middle of the stalk in mid to late summer. As time passes, each successive flower blooms just above the one below it. When it's done blooming, there's only 6 weeks left until winter returns.

In my opinion, the flower blooms are reaching the top entirely too fast.

Daylight

2011-07-17T17:59:00.003-08:00

Ironically, it seems that Anchorage has about the same amount of daylight at noon on the shortest day of the year as it does at midnight on the longest day of the year.

A picture taken at noon on the winter solstice (looking towards the south).

A picture taken a few minutes before midnight a few days after the summer solstice (looking towards the east).

10 minutes from my house

2011-07-08T12:49:00.001-08:00

A simple 10-minute drive from my house affords me this view of Anchorage.

Deep sea fishing

2011-06-26T12:31:00.005-08:00

I spent a weekend fishing with my buddy Guy a few weeks ago. He and his wife own a nice boat that's fun to take out into Prince William Sound. We spent the weekend fishing and shrimping. We caught about a gallon of shrimp (which were cooked almost as soon as they were pulled from the pots) and a few rock fish (it was still a little bit early to catch salmon).

We also went and spent a morning looking at the Blackstone Glacier--a tidewater glacier located near Whittier. I have to admit that it's kind of cool being out in the middle of 10,000-year old sea ice listening to the glacier moan and crack. Here are a few pics from that trip.

A pod of sea otters.

Calving sea ice in front of the glacier.

You're jealous. It's okay.

Notes and reflections after a full year in Alaska

2011-05-15T01:34:00.005-08:00

It’s already been a year. And I still love it here.

I arrived in Alaska on April 28, 2010. To celebrate, I thought that I’d write a quick post sharing some things that I’ve learned after a year in Anchorage.

1. The summers are everything that you think they’d be! The days are long, there’s fish to be caught, and the weather can’t be beat (unless you don’t like gray, cloudy weather – Anchorage is the most overcast city in the United States).

2. Unfortunately, the winters are everything that you think they’d be, too. The best advice I have to surviving winter is to stay active. Don’t be afraid to go outside and do fun things when it’s -5 F! And learn everything you can about hockey. It’s big up here.

3. Watch out for moose. I saw two different cars hit moose this winter in the middle of the city. And I almost ran into one myself (literally) while riding my bike on the coastal trail with a friend last summer (I ended up flipping over my handle bars and stopping about 15 feet from the moose).

4. Watch out for bears, too. The local paper posted a photo of some bears about three blocks from my house last week. Speaking of bears, click here for a funny ursine story from last summer. You can’t make this stuff up.

5. Most things (in Anchorage anyways) are not that much more expensive than in the Lower 48. In general, most things are only a little bit more expensive than down south. And some things (like seafood) are definitely less expensive here.

6. Having said that, there are a couple of things that are quite a bit more expensive. Gas is currently around $4.25 a gallon. Orange juice can cost upwards of $5 or $6 per gallon. Footlongs from Subway cost $6.

7. Speaking of restaurants, my favorite restaurant has to be Fiori D’Italia. I highly recommend the pollo alla marsala. Olive Garden could learn a thing or two.

8. The best burger in Anchorage: Tommy’s Burger Stop. Nothing else even comes close.

9. Most annoying thing about restaurants in Anchorage: The Mexican restaurants (in my expert opinion) are substandard. They need to learn how to properly place green chili on a burrito.

10. Restaurant I miss the most from the Lower 48: Probably Jimmy John’s. Or Ruby Tuesday. Or any decent Mexican joint.

11. Best place to listen to live music: Taproot.

12. Most annoying thing about live music in Alaska: Oftentimes, Alaska is only able to attract bands who are about 15 years past their prime. Unfortunately, the people who set the ticket prices seem to think these bands are still relevant. Want to spend $45 to see the Gin Blossoms? Alaska is your place!

13. Learn to love the Seattle airport with its outdated concourses and inane train system. Most flights to or from Anchorage connect through SeaTac.

14. A quick list of free things to do around Anchorage that you can’t do in the Lower 48: watch the start of the Iditarod, wake up in the middle of the night and gaze at the northern lights, check out the bore tide in the Turnagain Arm, and watch floatplanes land at Lake Hood.

15. A quick list of inexpensive things to do around Anchorage that you can’t do in the Lower 48: go fishing for king salmon in Ship Creek, run with the reindeer during Fur Rondy, and play a round of golf that finishes up at midnight (but before the sun goes down).

16. Flattop Mountain is a challenging, fun, quick hike after work.

17. One of the most rewarding views in Anchorage is being able to see Denali on a clear day.

Most importantly, however, Anchorage is just two hours away from world class fishing. Those who know me know exactly why I live here. And it’s not because of the Mexican food.

8 hours of Seattle

2011-04-09T13:15:00.005-08:00

I recently had the chance to spend 8 hours in Seattle as part of a layover thanks to the wonderful scheduling prowess of Alaska Airlines (which quite possibly is the worst airline I have ever flown). I may have only spent 8 hours on the ground, but I had the chance to experience quite a few things. Overall, I had a good time and would like to spend a few more days here in the future. Here are a few pictures from that trip.

The Pike Place Market. A must see for anyone's first trip to Seattle...even if it is for only 8 hours.

Elliott Bay near the Pike Place Market. You can see Qwest Field and Safeco Field in the distance.

Downtown Seattle. Not really any different than the downtown of any other major city.

A fountain near the Space Needle.

And, of course, no trip to Seattle would be complete without getting a snapshot of the Space Needle.

Anchorage winter

2011-03-31T16:41:00.000-08:00

Winter is starting to come to an end (hopefully). Here is a quick picture of Mount Susitna located across the Cook Inlet from Anchorage.

Iditarod

2011-03-18T15:53:00.006-08:00

The Iditarod started a couple of weeks ago in Anchorage. It's something that I've been looking forward to since I moved to Alaska a little over ten months ago. The start in Anchorage is ceremonial in nature and the first leg doesn't count in the final standings. It is, more or less, a warm-up for the actual race, which starts the next day just north of Anchorage. The Anchorage start is full of pomp and circumstance--it seems that about half the city was out and about that day.

For those of you who aren't in the know, the Iditarod is an annual dog sled race from Anchorage to Nome. Since Alaska is the largest state in the union, traveling from Anchorage to Nome is no small feat. There are no highways; just a trail. Here are a few other interesting notes about the Iditarod:

1. Teams start out with 16 dogs. All dogs involved in the race are put through a stringent veterinary examination before the race.

2. The official race mileage from Anchorage to Nome is listed as 1,049 miles. However, twists and turns in the trail put the mileage closer to 1,150 miles. That's equivalent to the driving distance between Denver and Cincinnati.

3. Winning times are usually somewhere around nine days. A good musher has to balance the time on the trail with rest at the various checkpoints along the way.

4. This year's race was won by John Baker, a 48-year musher from Kotzebue.

Here are a few pictures from the day...

The starting line with flags representing the home countries of the participants.

Some pups getting ready for the big race. One thing that struck me about the dogs themselves was how small they were. Most mutts seemed to be in the 40-50 pound range.

The Iditarod's version of "Cool Runnings". Musher Newton Marshall hails from Jamaica (notice the flag on the side of his sled).

Lance Mackey has won the Iditarod four times. He's kind of a big deal up here.

Musher Wattie McDonald hails from Scotland (notice the kilt). A band of bagpipers led his crew to the start line.

Snowzilla!!

2011-02-27T19:17:00.005-09:00

Building a snowman is a winter tradition among children everywhere. One Anchorage family has an annual tradition of building a 25-foot high snowman. It's big.

Some other pictures of Snowzilla can be found by clicking here.

More northern lights

2010-12-29T21:11:00.000-09:00

Maybe one day I'll quit teasing you and get a picture of the actual aurora borealis up on the blog, but--for right now at least--going outside in the middle of the night in the dead of winter is not exactly my idea of a good time. Instead, I thought that I'd post a few pictures of some non-Christmas lights from around town.

Lights are worked into the architectural designs of many buildings and features around Anchorage. I suspect that it's a feature that a lot of architects add just to help people from going crazy in all the darkness. And, to tell you the truth, driving past some of these buildings can brighten your mood a bit. Here are a few examples from around town.

This building is located in midtown Anchorage. The lights on top of the building are a different color every night. On Sundays (the night this picture was taken), a collage of colors are shown. Sidenote: this picture was taken from the parking lot of my workplace.

Lights from the Department of Health and Human Services located near downtown Anchorage.

A street sign on Spenard Road. The sign itself changes colors about every 10 seconds or so.

Northern (Christmas) lights

2010-12-25T23:33:00.006-09:00

Christmas lights are a big deal up in the Last Frontier. I guess it goes with the territory when you only have about 5.5 hours of daylight on Christmas. Here are a couple of samplings from driving around town this holiday season (taken, of course, by my trusty point 'n shoot).

A log house a few blocks away from my humble abode.

South Anchorage...

Christmas moose in front of the BP building.

Perhaps a bit of wishful thinking?

Solstice!

2010-12-21T07:07:00.003-09:00

7 seconds...

It's not much, but that's not the point. Tomorrow, for the first time in 6 months, Anchorage will gain daylight! The solstice is front page news when you only have 5 hours, 27 minutes of the precious stuff.

My plan was to post a couple pictures from the lunar eclipse last night, but my point-and-shoot camera wasn't quite up to the task. I do find it slightly ironic that Alaska was even robbed of moonlight on the shortest day of the year. Oh well.

7 seconds...

Kodiak part 5: Beaches

2010-12-14T11:14:00.003-09:00

So, one of my favorite parts about my trip to Kodiak had to be the beaches. The beaches on Kodiak aren't stereotypical by any means, though I did see a few people surfing at one of them (yes, it looked cold). I think my favorite part of visiting the beaches was that each beach had its own character, even though some beaches were separated by just a few miles. The individual character of each beach is demonstrated in these pictures...

A picture of White Sands Beach. It sounds tropical, but there wasn't a beach towel to be found. For some reason, this beach had quite a few dead (and frozen) jellyfish lying in the sand.

The aptly named Fossil Beach, where you can find fish fossils in the cliffs shown in this picture.

Mayflower Beach was probably my favorite beach of the whole trip. It was, in my opinion, the most scenic of the beaches. There are quite a few rocks out in the ocean (though you can't see them all from this picture). This beach was also protected from the wind, which made it great for a quick hike.

A view of Monashka Bay...

Kodiak part 4: Kodiak launch complex

2010-12-11T11:15:00.002-09:00

So, anyone who knows me very well knows that I get pretty geeked out about anything that has to do with flight. I'm a big fan of space museums and one of my childhood dreams is to get my pilot's license.

Given this knowledge, it should come as no surprise that one of the highlights of my trip was driving out to the Kodiak Launch Complex. Yes, you read that right. There's a state-of-the-art spaceport located about 45 miles outside of Kodiak. The launch complex hosts a launch or two each year. Unfortunately, the launch that was scheduled a week before my trip wasn't postponed a few days.

There isn't much to see at the Launch Complex itself. The facility does not offer tours and there were way too many no trespassing signs for my taste. As such, I was only able to grab one decent picture of any of the facilities. There are, however, quite a few good pictures on the official website if you're interested in seeing more.

A sign detailing the end of the road system on Kodiak Island. This sign was located just past the launch complex. I drove just about every single mile of road on Kodiak Island.

Launch Pad 1 (note that this building is something like 14 stories tall)...

Kodiak part 3: Fort Abercrombie

2010-12-08T22:13:00.005-09:00

So, one character trait that I inherited from my grandpa is a love of war history. I'm definitely more of a pacifist than my grandfather was, but I also believe that those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.

The only place in North America where land battles took place during World War II was in Alaska. During this time, Kodiak Island became a major staging area for North Pacific operations. As such, there are an abundance of military installations around the island.

Fort Abercrombie was one such military installation. During the war, Fort Abercrombie served as a coastal defense installation. Today, the World War II era remnants are overgrown by trees and Fort Abercrombie has been transformed into a state park complete with hiking trails, fishing, and camping. I thought that I'd share a few photos from my quick hike through the park.

The memorial plaque...

An observation bunker...

The ammunitions bunker...

This picture shows remnants of the 8-inch guns that protected the coast. These guns could fire a 250-pound projectile a distance of 20 miles.

A great view of the Pacific Ocean from Fort Abercrombie.

Kodiak part 2: Wildlife

2010-12-04T23:05:00.001-09:00

So, the famed Kodiak bears were in hibernation mode while I was visiting. That's alright--there was still plenty of wildlife to be seen. Unfortunately for you, I'm terrible at taking pictures of wildlife and anything else that moves. Regardless, here are a few of my favorite (read: least blurry) wildlife pictures.

Some sea lions behind a boat in harbor.

A tree full of bald eagles. There was about a mile stretch of highway where I saw over 100 bald eagles.

Kodiak part 1: Around town

2010-12-01T21:56:00.006-09:00

So, I traveled to Kodiak over Thanksgiving weekend. I thought that it would be a good way to get out of Anchorage for a little while since I really haven't had the chance to get out much since I moved here. As such, the next couple of posts are going to display some photos from my trip. Today's installment is going to show pictures from around the town itself.

Constructed in 1808, the Baranov Museum is the oldest building in Alaska. It was originally built by the Russian-American Fur Company and served as a warehouse for otter pelts. The building is one of just four Russian-era structures in the United States.

There is a quite of bit of Russian influence in Kodiak, as evidenced by the Russian Orthodox Church.

A view of Kodiak from across the bay.

St. Paul's Harbor in downtown Kodiak...

Downtown Kodiak...

Anchorage list

2010-11-24T18:47:00.004-09:00

So, I thought that it'd be fun to make a miscellaneous list of things I've learned about Anchorage and Alaska in general during my six months of living in the Last Frontier.

Favorite things about living in Anchorage:

Friends and fishing. I’ve made some great friends in the short time that I’ve been here. I love being two hours away from world class fishing on the Kenai River.

Least favorite thing about living in Anchorage:

Traffic. My daily commute to work is about 15 minutes. A little bit of ice can make it 45 minutes. Anchorage is easier to get around than I thought that it would be though.

Most expensive thing in Alaska compared to the Lower 48:

Health club dues. I pay about $85 a month (compared to about $25 a month for a similar club in Cheyenne). Everything else costs a bit more in Alaska. For instance, Subway has $6 foot longs and the McDonald’s value menu starts at $1.50. Gas runs about $3.30 a gallon right now.

Number of bears I saw this summer:

Seventeen.

Coolest animal I’ve seen so far in Alaska:

A tossup between beluga whales and porpoises.

The joke that’s getting really old, really quick:

Anything that mentions Sarah Palin or seeing Russia from my backyard.

Most annoying thing about Alaska in general:

Alaska has more personalized license plates than any state that I have ever been in. Very few of them make sense.

Most important things I’ve learned about cuisine in Alaska:

Real seafood does not smell like seafood. Sushi tastes good.

Best burger in Anchorage:

Tommy’s Burger Stop. A double patty with two types of cheese, mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato. It’s a heart attack waiting to happen, which is probably why it tastes so good.

Best pizza in Anchorage:

For greasy pizza, I like Fire Tap. Moose’s Tooth is the place to go for yuppy pizza.

Best saying about Anchorage in general:

Anchorage is just 15 minutes away from Alaska.

Something you probably didn’t know about Anchorage:

We’re about as close to Tokyo, Japan as we are to New York City.

Favorite small Alaskan town so far:

Probably Homer (motto: a quaint little drinking village with a fishing problem). Seward would probably be number one on my list, but the weather was cold and rainy every time I visited.

Things I’m looking forward to the most in the next six months:

Developing current friendships. Buying a resident fishing license.

How much daylight do you have right now?

2010-11-15T18:57:00.001-09:00

So, the title of this post is--by far--the most common question that I get asked by friends and family down in the Lower 48. It seems that people always want to know what time the sun is rising in the Last Frontier.

I've learned that there are some common misconceptions about sunrises in Alaska. It seems that a lot of people think that the sun doesn't go down in the summer and never rises in the winter. This statement is true for communities located north of the Arctic Circle. For instance, on November 20, the sun will set in Barrow, Alaska (the northernmost community in Alaska) and will not rise again until January 24. Anchorage, however, is about 350 miles south of the Arctic Circle, meaning that the sun rises and sets 365 days a year. In the summer, our shortest night is about 4.5 hours long but we do go through a few weeks where it never gets darker than civil twilight. In the winter, our shortest day is about 5.5 hours long but the sun is pretty low on the horizon.

To answer your question, the sun currently rises a little after 9:00 a.m. and sets a little before 4:30 p.m., meaning that we have just less than 7.5 hours of daylight. We’re losing daylight at a rate of about 5 minutes per day, meaning that we’ll have less than 7 hours of daylight in about 4 days.

The darkness really hasn’t been an issue for me so far. I’m definitely going to bed a lot earlier than I normally do, but that’s not such a bad thing since I am also getting up earlier and getting to work on time. I do admit that it is a little bit different when I’m at work for nearly 2 hours before the sun begins to rise.

Of course, we still have another month and a half of losing daylight. I'm sure that I'll be ready for the winter solstice on December 21 when the days start getting longer.

Studded tires

2010-11-11T15:46:00.004-09:00

So, winter has definitely arrived in Anchorage. A snowstorm last Sunday night ensured that we won’t see the grass again until sometime in April. Daytime highs are currently hovering in the upper 20’s.

You would think that a northern community such as Anchorage would be proactive in street snow removal. But that’s not the case. I’ve only seen one snowplow in Anchorage so far. And only the slickest of intersections MIGHT have a handful of gravel thrown on them.

Most people put metal studded tires on their cars in the winter. Anchorage’s policy seems to be that they shouldn’t waste their resources clearing the streets when most people have metal studded tires. Hence, I am going to spend part of my Veteran’s Day holiday perusing craigslist for a good set of used, metal studded tires.

I thought that I'd throw in a picture of the Chugach Mountains located east of town. This picture was taken outside of one of my favorite coffee shops.

Alaska after six months

2010-10-29T08:39:00.000-08:00

So, October 29th arrives. It’s been exactly six months since I arrived in Anchorage. Moving to the Last Frontier was one of the biggest risks that I’ve ever taken in my life. After all, Wyoming was home.

Since I’m an engineer and all, I decided to make a list of things I love about Alaska and compare it to a list of things I miss about Wyoming. It’s almost eerie how similar the lists are.

Things I love about Alaska…

1. The weather (a hot day is 75 degrees and a windy day is when the wind—for some reason or another—happens to be blowing).

2. The long days of summer (I love fishing until 10:00 PM and then driving back to Anchorage in daylight).

3. Fishing (I love the fact that 20-inch trout are the norm and not the exception to the rule).

4. Friends (I’ve met a lot of great friends and have had quite a few great adventures with them).

Things I miss about Wyoming…

1. The weather (we had 31 straight days of rain in Anchorage this summer; I guarantee that would never happen in Wyoming).

2. Summer nights (I missed seeing fireworks over the Independence Day holiday; I missed playing softball beneath the lights).

3. Fishing (I missed being able to fish a river by myself; I missed not having to be “bear aware”).

4. Friends and family (I missed being able to see all my friends and family in Wyoming on a regular basis).

There are many things that I miss about Wyoming, but I really to love life in Alaska. It is like no place on earth. And after six months of being here, I think that I can safely say that Alaska is home.

UAA hockey

2010-10-16T01:01:00.006-08:00

So, I watched my first collegiate hockey game about a week ago. The University of Alaska – Anchorage Seawolves was playing the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. For a while, it appeared that UAA was going to lose big as North Dakota played like the second ranked team in the nation (which they were) and jumped out to a 5-1 lead midway through the second period. But, the young Seawolves team fought back and was able to force a 5-5 tie.

Fall colors on the Russian River

2010-10-13T00:58:00.000-08:00

So, the fall colors are in full swing here in Alaska. Actually, that's a lie. The fall colors are just about complete. There aren't very many trees that have a whole lot of leaves left.

I spent last Saturday down on the Russian River, which is quickly becoming my favorite fishing locale. Amazingly enough, I was able to fish the confluence of the Russian and Kenai Rivers all by myself for most of the day. Here are a few photos...

It won't be long for that snow to creep down the rest of the mountain.

Winter reward

2010-10-09T23:14:00.001-08:00

So, summer comes to an end. The leaves are nearly off the trees, snow is just past halfway down the mountain, and I’m scraping heavy frost off my car’s windshield every morning. Snow is definitely just around the corner.

The mood around town right now is kind of somber. Alaskans deal with (and enjoy) cold weather better than most, but I think the seemingly unending length of winter eventually wears even the heartiest among us. The goal is to survive because the reward for surviving winter is some of the best summer weather that Mother Earth has to offer.

Despite the onset of winter, you’ll be happy to know that I’m still fishing as much as possible. In fact, I spent most of today out on the Russian River. It turns out that September and October are great fishing months in Alaska as the crowds disappear and the trout are hungry and active!

In the near future, however, I know that it’ll be time to put my fly rods away for the winter. And then I’ll be putting in my time and waiting for my reward.

Termination dust

2010-10-02T19:23:00.005-08:00

So, I broke my streak last weekend. I didn’t go fishing for the first time since Memorial Day. My streak ended not because I wanted to, but because it had to. Priorities took over. I spent all of last weekend working and I will spend all of this weekend working. I’d rather be fishing, but I also enjoy my job and would like to keep it.

So why am I spending my weekends at work? Well, we had our first snowflakes fall about a week ago, which in Alaska means winter is coming fast and that you had better be prepared. My job, like Alaska, basically has two seasons: design season and construction season. Construction season ends when there is too much snow on the ground to keep working. I’m currently managing 6 different projects in various stages of construction. The first snowflakes served as a reminder that construction season is coming to an end, whether we like it or not.

The Chugach Mountains east of town constantly remind everyone that winter is coming. Termination dust (signifying the termination of summer) seems to come a little bit closer to town every day. The general rule of thumb is that snow will be on the ground in Anchorage 3 weeks after termination dust first appears on the mountains.

Only 2 more weeks until winter.

Glaciers

2010-09-28T19:55:00.001-08:00

So, one of the advantages of living in Alaska is being able to see things everyday that most people might only get the chance to see once or twice in their lives. Glaciers are an example of such things. Over the course of the summer, I’ve had the chance to see quite a few glaciers. I thought that I’d take a moment to share some pictures from those trips.

My sister and I viewed the Exit Glacier, which is located near Seward as a part of Kenai Fjords National Park. The Exit Glacier is so named as it was the exit route that was used during the first recorded crossing of the Harding Icefield. Including all the glaciers spawned from it, the icefield covers an area of approximately 1,100 square miles. By comparison, the State of Rhode Island covers 1,214 square miles.

I also had the chance to see quite a few glaciers when I went fishing with a buddy out of Whittier a couple of weekends ago. The drive to Whittier goes past the Portage Glacier, which is the most popular tourist destination in Alaska. Those of you who know my disdain for touristy sites would not be surprised to learn that I have not visited the glacier beyond driving past it. I'm sure that Portage Glacier is nice, but many more glaciers—with better views and less tourists—can be had by heading out of Whittier by boat.

I guess that you could say that it’s a once in a lifetime view. Unless you live here, of course.

Equinox

2010-09-25T19:19:00.005-08:00

So, September 25th arrives. It’s probably not a day that’s circled in most calendars, but I’ve had it marked on mine for a while. According to my sunrise/sunset calendar, today is the first day since I arrived in Alaska that there are more hours of night than day. Currently, we are losing nearly 6 minutes of daylight per day as Alaska tilts rapidly away from the sun. All of this tilting culminates, of course, on December 21st when Anchorage will have just 5 hours, 26 minutes of daylight. I imagine that the sunrise that morning--or afternoon--will be cause for celebration.

I’m nervously excited for winter. On one hand, winter is usually one of my favorite times of the year. I embrace the cold better than most. And winter seems to bring more than its fair share of good stories. I've got stories of snowboarding in the Alps and cutting down Christmas trees with friends.

On the other hand, winters in Alaska are a different animal. It’s not that I’m afraid of the cold. The winters in Anchorage aren’t much different than the winters in Cheyenne. They have more snow and less wind. I can do that. I do admit that I'm a little nervous about the winter darkness, but I've been preparing myself for dealing with the darkness. I have a rather long to-do list that should keep me busy through most of the winter. I'm as prepared as I can be.

The thing that scares me the most about this winter, however, is being away from my family and friends. One of the most important aspects of winter is the holiday season. It's a chance to get together with those who mean the most to you and to share good food and better stories. I have a lot of great memories from the last few holiday seasons.

Unfortunately, Alaska is pretty far away from most of my family and friends. I'm hoping to be able to visit over the holidays, but I'm sure--in the end--that my visit won't be long enough and I won't get to see everyone or get to do everything that I wanted to do. But, I guess, at least I'll have longer days to look forward to.

Deep sea fishing

2010-09-16T18:05:00.005-08:00

So, last Saturday, I went out deep sea fishing out of Whittier with some friends of mine. It's something that I've never done before, but it's something that I hope to do again in the near future. It helps that my first ever ocean-caught creature was a 200-pound halibut. Actually, that's a lie. It was a 2-pound sea slug. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. It's okay to be jealous.

In addition to fishing, we also set some shrimp pots. For those of you who don't know (mainly my Wyoming friends), shrimp are caught by setting traps at the bottom of the ocean. And by bottom of the ocean, I mean anywhere between 300-900 feet deep. We set a total of 8 pots on 2 lines at a depth of about 400 feet each. Usually, these pots are pulled up with the aid of a mechanical "pot puller". Unfortunately, the pot puller we were using decided to stop working after pulling the first line up about 50 feet. That, of course, meant that we had to pull the pots up the ol' fashioned way: hand over hand.

The first 4 pots we pulled up didn't yield much. Our efforts gave us just a single shrimp. And a hermit crab. We threw them both back. Being just slightly discouraged, we began pulling up the second line. Fortunately, these pots yielded us about 30 shrimp, which we cooked up later that night. I guess it goes to show that the old adage really is true. Shrimpin' ain't easy, but it sure is fun!

Overall, the day was filled with good weather, good fun, and good company. And it was just another weekend in the Last Frontier.

Swimming mutts

2010-09-10T19:38:00.001-08:00

So, I went fishing this weekend, just as I did at least once a week every week from Memorial Day to Labor Day as a part of my "summer of fishing". And, like many other times this summer, I took my dogs--Winny and Remmy--with me.

Circle of life

2010-09-07T19:39:00.001-08:00

So, my buddy Justin and I went trout fishing on the Russian River last weekend. All of the sockeye are at the end stages of their spawning and are starting to die off in the river. And, for the record, rotting fish smell is hard to get out of your waders.

All those easy to catch salmon attracted the attention of a few bears...specifically a sow and her three cubs. These guys kept pushing us further up the river. We finally decided to climb the bank and let the bears pass us. Of course, that gave us some great opportunities for some pictures. These pictures are courtesy of Justin. I was too busy hoping that my little can of bear spray would work if it became necessary.

Thankfully, the bear spray was not needed. Though it might be better than the fish smell in my waders.

From start to finish

2010-08-31T18:45:00.000-08:00

So, I caught my first silver salmon the other day. As silvers go, he wasn't very big. Only about 26" or so. But, I did catch him on my fly rod, which I consider to be somewhat impressive as I was surrounded by a bunch of bait fisherman who didn't catch anything.

One of the things about catching fish up here is that I've had to learn how to fillet, which I never had to do with the trout I caught in Wyoming. I've gotten better at it throughout the summer, but I still have a long ways to go. Below is my most recent effort. The fillets aren't nearly as clean as I'd like them to be, but I got the majority of the meat off with only a few bones to boot!

And, of course, I was able to turn those fillets into a few tasty meals. That's somewhat surprising since I'm not the best cook in the world by any means (by that, I mean that I manage to screw up cereal). Regardless, here are a few photos of my most recent creations.

Pretty tasty, eh?

River full of reds

2010-08-27T19:11:00.000-08:00

So, I went fishing a couple of weekends ago a buddy of mine, who is up here visiting from Wyoming. We headed down to the Russian River to flip some flies and see what we could catch. The river was full of spawned out sockeye salmon. Sockeyes turn crimson red just before spawning. My little point and shoot camera doesn't have a polarized lens, but perhaps this picture can give you a taste of what the river was like.

Changing tides

2010-08-24T17:18:00.001-08:00

So, it's funny how fast things in Alaska change. Most recently, the weather has been changing. We went from beautiful weather in May and June to very rainy weather in July and August. And it's still changing. It may only be August, but there's no doubt that winter is right around the corner. The waining daylight hours hint at what's coming.

One exhibit of how fast things change is the Turnagain Arm. The waters in this area exhibit some of the highest tidal ranges in the world. The water depth changes an average of 30 feet in a little over 12 hours. I've posted two pictures below that show how the tides affect Bird Creek, which is located about 20 miles south of Anchorage. Both pictures were taken at about the same location; one picture was taken at low tide and one picture was taken at high tide.

I've done some changing in Alaska, too. I've become more economical and introspective. I eat more seafood than beef. I see the ocean on a regular basis. And I kind of, sort of feel like growing a beard and buying a Subaru.

Alaska is a place of change, indeed.

Arctic Thunder Air Show

2010-08-21T17:01:00.005-08:00

So, the Navy Blue Angels were in town a couple of weeks ago as part of the Arctic Thunder Air Show. A friend and I headed over to the air force base to see what we could see. Here are a few pictures of what we saw...

Flat Top Mountain

2010-08-11T18:29:00.004-08:00

So, I haven't been able to update the blog very often over the last month or so. The Alaska summer is winding down and I'm feeling the need to spend every second that I can outside. The general feel around Anchorage is that winter is coming quick...even though it's only the beginning of August.

Over the last week, my kid sister has been up here visiting me from Wyoming. On her first day here, we hiked to the top of Flat Top Mountain. It's a short hike with a million dollar view. As always, I have a few photos.

We somehow managed to hike up on one of the few clear-ish days in August. Anchorage weather has been pretty rainy so far this month. This picture was taken at about 9:00 PM.

Here's a picture of my sister and I at the top. I need to take more pictures with my sister; she makes me look better.

Fishing with bears

2010-07-17T20:58:00.006-08:00

So, I went fishing today. Just like I do about every Saturday. I headed down to the Kenai and Russian Rivers to see what I could catch. After walking around a little bit, I spotted this guy across the river. He was fishing, too. And he was having about as much luck as the rest of us. Which is to say, not much.

The presence of bears is the biggest reason why fishing in Alaska is quite different than fishing in Wyoming. My first bear sighting caused my adrenaline to kick in and my heart to start racing. This guy didn't even cause my pulse to increase despite being just 20 yards away. I must be becoming more Alaskan.

Close encounters of the moose kind

2010-07-11T22:47:00.006-08:00

Went out and rode bikes along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail today. I came around a corner a bit too fast and this guy was standing in the middle of the trail. I screeched to a halt so fast that I ended up flipping over the handlebars of my bike. Luckily, the asphalt broke my fall. I ended up with a little bit of road rash, a good story, and a better picture.

Camping

2010-06-30T18:44:00.001-08:00

Camped on a beach for the first time in my life this last weekend. It was alright, I guess.

Combat fishing on the Kenai

2010-06-22T21:55:00.005-08:00

I enjoyed some combat fishing on the Kenai with a friend this last weekend. I was surprised to see how cordial most people were. There are bound to be a few small skirmishes when the quarters are that close, but most people just laughed off the inevitable casting close calls and twisted lines. It probably helped that everybody was catching fish.

Speaking of which, I caught my first salmon this weekend!! Fishing for sockeyes is, basically, legalized snagging. It really isn't fly fishing as there really isn't much skill involved with casting or setting the hook. But that doesn't mean that it's not a real kick in the pants to hook into one! Here are a couple pictures from the weekend...

The Russian River Ferry...

Combat fishing on the Kenai...

Softball

2010-06-17T22:53:00.005-08:00

Thursdays are one of my favorite days of the week. It's when I go play softball with a great group of people. I've been playing baseball/softball for a while...since I was about 10 years old in fact. I'm not a great player by any means, but I enjoy the game.

Softball in Anchorage is a little bit different than what I'm used to. For one thing, there is no such thing as a night game. Tonight, my team played the "late" game, which started at about 9:00 PM. Our game finished a little bit after 10:00 PM, but there was still plenty of light in the sky to keep playing.

Another thing that is different is the view. There is a great view of the Chugach Mountains from the field at De La Vega Park. I thought that I'd post one here.

The weather turned a little sour on my team tonight...as did the result of the game. Despite starting strong, my team lost by a run in the final inning. Oh well. There's always next time. At least I have the view.

It's almost here!!

2010-06-08T22:09:00.004-08:00

One of the reasons (out of many) that I moved to Alaska is because of the fishing. I've been fishing a few times since I moved here last month. Unfortunately, most of the salmon waters across the state have been closed due to spawning trout and/or low returns.

But this week promises to be different!! Salmon fishing on the Russian River opens at 12:01 AM on Friday!! And now I'm trying to think of a way that I could be on the water at the opening minute and still make it to work by 7:30 AM the next morning (while limiting out, of course). Unfortunately, for better or worse, I think that I've become slightly more responsible in my old age. So, I'll probably just call in sick instead.

The Russian River is world famous for two things: (1) abundant runs of sockeye (red) salmon and (2) abundant fisherman standing shoulder to shoulder with lines tangled trying to catch said salmon. And I can't wait to be in the middle of it, which is odd in itself as I normally get frustrated when I can even see someone else on the river. But, I truly believe that combat fishing on the Russian River is a "must-do" on any fly fisherman's bucket list. I think I'm ready!! Bring it on!!

And now, since my writing is on par with that of an advanced 12-year old, I figured that I would close this post with a picture. That way, you'll remember the picture instead of my middling, second-rate writing skills (not that I'm claiming my photography is any better, but still). I spied this moose through the trees when I went fishing this last weekend.

A quick view of Anchorage (part 2)

2010-06-04T23:44:00.005-08:00

Here is another view of downtown Anchorage with the Chugach Mountains in the background. I know that I posted a similar picture a few days ago, but then I took this picture. Frankly, I think that it's better. You can probably guess that this is one of my favorite views of the city.

To keep you interested, here's a picture of the Turnagain Arm from Kincaid Park.

I'm hoping to do some fishing this weekend. Hopefully I'll have some more pictures to share then!

Moose!

2010-06-01T19:26:00.007-08:00

Alaska is definitely a "moose-themed" state. You see them on your way into work. People have little moose caricatures in their front yard. Heck, they're such a novelty up here that they even sell moose dung to tourists (note: I wish that I was making this fact up).

I've heard that Alaska's moose population almost doubles this time of year. Approximately 85% of cow moose in Alaska will give birth this month and most of those births will be twins. Only about 25% of those moose calves will make it to be yearlings due mainly to predators. It turns out that bears and wolves treat moose calves like a late-night snack.

Right now, however, there are quite a number of cow-calf groups walking around Anchorage. Here's a photo I took a couple of days ago along the side of the road.

A day of firsts

2010-05-31T00:12:00.004-08:00

My Alaskan journey really kicked into gear today. I made it out and did a few things that I've wanted to do since the day I arrived in this great land. Check that. I made it out and did a few things that I've wanted to do since I was about 6 years old.

First, and most importantly, I went fishing for the first time. My efforts were rewarded with a colorful, fat, 20-inch rainbow trout. I found it quite fitting that my first Alaskan fish was a fish that I've caught many times back in my native Wyoming. I was not able to grab a clear picture of the fish; however, I was able to grab a good shot of the river on which I was fishing.

I also caught my first good view of Denali. See for yourself. It's a little hard to make out in the picture. Focus on the line of clouds in the center of the photo. You'll see Denali's peak rising from those clouds. One of the cool facts about Denali is that it actually has more bulk and rise than Mt. Everest.

One of the great things about Alaska (at least in the summer) is that darkness is generally not an issue on the drive home. Here is a picture of the sun beginning to set on the horizon as I'm approaching Anchorage. Note that it's about 11:00 PM when this picture was taken.

Flying around Anchorage

2010-05-29T23:00:00.007-08:00

Those of you who know me well know that I'm a bit of an aviation nut. I love being around planes and I love the physics that makes flight possible. Yeah, I know. I didn't get out enough as a kid.

Regardless, Anchorage is a great city in which to be a flight enthusiast. Both Lake Hood (the world's busiest seaplane base) and Merrill Field (one of the busiest general aviation airports in the nation) are located in Anchorage. And Anchorage International Airport is actually one of the world's busiest airports in terms of cargo traffic.

Now I could go on talking about airport cargo traffic statistics for a while, but I won't as I realize that I would lose about 80% of my readers in about 3 seconds. Granted that's only 4 people, but still.

Being a high volume cargo airport means that there are always huge jets flying in and out of Anchorage. It also means that there are some great picture opportunities if you know where to go.

A quick view of Anchorage

2010-05-25T21:05:00.003-08:00

Friends and family have been asking me for a picture of Anchorage. Well, here you go. It's a view of the downtown area as seen from Earthquake Park. I'm hoping to post some more pictures of Anchorage soon. I just have to remember to carry my camera on me at all times.

The ALCAN Highway

2010-05-22T16:01:00.009-08:00

It's been a few busy weeks up here in Anchorage. I've pretty much settled into my job. I'm adjusting to living in a large city. And I'm making a few new friends. I must admit, however, that I'm still trying to get used to going to bed when the sun is still up (the sun goes down at about 11:00 PM this time of year). Oh well! I guess that you can't win them all!

Since I'm adjusting fairly well, I wanted to take some time to post some pictures from my move. The drive to Alaska really is a pretty drive. Well, actually, it's kind of like driving across Nebraska until you get to Edmonton. Then some trees start to appear. Then the Canadian Rockies start to appear when you get to Dawson Creek, B.C. And they really don't disappear for the rest of the trip.

So, pull up a chair and take the journey with me to Alaska!!

Packed up and ready to go!! Farewell, Cheyenne! It's been fun! Maybe we'll meet again in the future!

The Big Horn Mountains in northern Wyoming, where I spent most of my youth.

A common view for the first 1,000 miles. Nothing but the highway and the racing stripes on my U-Haul.

Almost time to start throwing unnecessary vowels into all your favourite words (no offense to my Canadian friends ;) ).

A cool looking railroad bridge.

British Columbia!! A small step in the journey to Alaska.

A steel grate platform bridge...a common type of bridge platform on the ALCAN.

Some wildlife on the road. These are stone sheep. You always have to be on the lookout for critters on the highway...especially as it gets darker.

A cool looking river valley...although I forget which river.

A few caribou near the road.

As an engineer, you have to love suspension bridges.

The Liard River.

Here is my second favorite picture from my journey (keep scrolling for my top photo). It's a picture of the Village of Teslin along the banks of the Nisutlin River.

Crossing the bridge into Teslin.

Here is probably my favorite picture from the drive. It's a morning picture of some mountains behind Kluane Lake. A beautiful view.

As you can tell from this picture, I chose to camp at Kluane Lake.

My mutts in front of Kluane Lake. It's always hard to get them to pay attention for pictures.

The ALCAN highway definitely has its perils. Here's what happens when you drive too fast across the frost heaves. I slowed down a little bit after seeing this mess. Nobody was around the wreckage so I'm hoping that everyone made it out okay.

There it is!! Finally!! The official "Welcome to Alaska" sign!! Only about 500 miles remain!

The international border between Canada and Alaska. Apparently this swath of trees is cut every few years by the International Boundary Commission.

My mutts in front of the "Welcome to Alaska" sign.

My trusty 17-foot U-Haul inches closer to Anchorage...

The journey ends!! A picture of the Cook Inlet and Mount Susitna.

Thanks for joining me on my journey!! I plan to post more pictures of my adventures in Alaska over the coming weeks. Please feel free to stop by at any time!!

By the numbers: my trip to Alaska

2010-05-07T22:22:00.005-08:00

Hello from Alaska!! As I sit down to type this post, it is almost 10:30 PM Alaska Standard Time (2 hours behind all my friends and family in the Rocky Mountains). The sun is still shining (as it does for about 18 hours a day this time of year) and I just saw a moose walk down the street (a somewhat common occurrence in my neighborhood).

Overall, I love Alaska so far. I love having a ton of daylight. I love my new job. I love living just a few blocks away from a Costco. I'll share more pictures and stories about Alaska in a later post. Tonight, I want to talk about the drive to Alaska.

The drive was great, although it's not something that I want to do again for quite some time. Over the next few weeks, I'll post some pictures of the drive. I think that I'll kick off this series by doing a "by the numbers" post about my trip to Alaska. Tag along if you'd like!

General facts...

Total distance driven: 3,187 miles

Total gas bought: 313 gallons (approx.)

Total gas bought in Canada: 672 litres

Average gas mileage for my trusty 17-foot U-Haul: 10.2 miles per gallon

Total drive time: 63 hours (approx.)

Average speed in my trusty 17-foot U-Haul: 50.6 miles per hour

Total money spent in gas: trust me, you don't want to know

Most expensive gas: $1.21 per litre (approx. $4.58 per gallon) in Watson Lake, Y.T.

Least expensive gas: $2.78 in Cheyenne, WY

Longest travel day: 891 miles (from Pink Mountain, B.C. to just past Haines Junction, Y.T.) in just under 17 hours

Animal facts...

Total number of caribou seen: approximately 20

Total number of Dall sheep seen: 8

Total number of Big Horn sheep seen: 5

Total number of bison seen: 5

Total number of elk seen: 5

Total number of moose seen: 4

Total number of lynx seen: 1

Total number of bears seen: 0

Fun facts...

Total number of questions asked going through Canadian customs: 4

Total number of fruit snacks consumed: 13

Total number of times that my dogs got carsick and ralphed all over the front seat: 2

Total number of hours I spent listening to the audiobook, "The Bourne Identity": 21

Total number of pictures I took of my dogs sleeping because I was bored out of my mind: 146 (approx.)

Total number of times I caught myself using a water bottle for a microphone: 3

Number of clean toilets on the ALCAN highway: 0.5 (we'll give half credit to the semi-clean toilets in Fort Nelson, B.C.)

Not necessarily numbers...

Favorite town on the drive: Teslin, Y.T.

Biggest disappointment: Dawson Creek, B.C.

Wish I had more time to take pictures of: Liard River and Kluane National Park

Best cheeseburger: Watson Lake Convenience Store, Watson Lake, Y.T.

Nicest people: Pink Mountain, B.C.

Number of thanks I owe my aunt and uncle for driving my trusty Corolla to Anchorage for me: countless

Number of memories from my trip: too many to count!!

Moving to Anchorage, Alaska

2010-04-08T05:38:00.002-08:00

So, yeah. Big change in my life coming up. I've decided to move to Anchorage, Alaska. In the spirit of the internet, I've decided to create an FAQ about moving to Alaska. This is the way a typical conversation goes when I tell people that I'm moving to Anchorage.

Q: What?!? Are you serious?!?
A: Yes.

Q: C'mon!! I don't believe you!! Is this some type of late April Fools' Day joke?!?
A: Nope. I'm dead serious. I'm moving to Alaska.

Q: Wow!! Why Alaska?
A: Why not? It's somewhere that I've always wanted to live. I mean, my two main hobbies are fly fishing and snowboarding. I'll be living within two hours of world class fishing and within an hour of a major ski resort. Forrest Gump would say that Alaska and I go together like peas and carrots. And there's no time like the present!

Q: You know it's cold there, right?
A: Anchorage is actually not much colder than Cheyenne. The winter temperatures are moderated somewhat since it's located on the coast. And there's not nearly as much wind. I'll gladly trade a few degrees lower average temperature for a lot less windy days.

Q: Isn't it dark there for 24 hours straight in the winter?
A: No. Anchorage receives about 5.5 hours of daylight on its shortest day. I'm a little worried about getting cabin fever, but I'm an active enough guy that I think that I'll be all right. Conversely, Anchorage receives about 19.5 hours of daylight on its longest day.

Q: How big is Anchorage?
A: Anchorage is actually a pretty large city. Almost 300,000 people live there. The city limits of Anchorage are about the same size as the State of Delaware. It will be quite a change for me considering Cheyenne (at 50,000) is the largest city that I have ever lived in. I actually have to worry about things like "traffic" and "crime". Of course, I'll also have amenities available to me that I've never had available. Anchorage has both a zoo and a Best Buy (which, as your resident electronics geek, I am especially excited about).

Q: What are you going to be doing there?
A: I found a job working for the Municipality of Anchorage. I'll be working in the Water and Wastewater Utility. I'm excited about the opportunity and what it means for my career.

Q: Aren't you going to miss Wyoming?
A: Definitely. Wyoming will always be home for me. My family is here and I have the greatest group of friends right now. I imagine that I'll come back to Wyoming one day, but Alaska is something that I have to do.

Q: When are you moving?
A: The last week of April. Yeah, I know. It's pretty quick.

Q: How far away is Anchorage?
A: A touch over 3,000 miles from Cheyenne. I'm hoping to make the drive in four days. Murphy tells me that it will take seven.

Q: So, after you get up there and get settled down, can I come visit?
A: Definitely! Like I said, there's no time like the present!

Grand Targhee Resort

2010-03-21T10:49:00.006-08:00

I wanted to post a few pictures my trip to Grand Targhee Resort. Unfortunately, I don't have nearly as many pictures from Targhee as I did from Jackson Hole. I guess that's what happens when you spend most of your time going down the mountain instead of taking pictures.

It was amazing how different Grand Targhee was from Jackson Hole. The "snow" at Jackson Hole felt as though it had been groomed by a Zamboni, while everything at Grand Targhee was nice and soft. These resorts are probably only 20 miles away from each other as the crow flies. The difference is that Targhee is largely hidden from the sun all day.

One of the other things that was nice about Targhee was that you could definitely tell that it isn't owned by a mega-corporation. The resort was a lot more laid back and didn't have that "stuffy" resort feel to it. Also noticeably missing were the mega-corporation prices. Mind you, Targhee still had ski resort prices, but it was definitely cheaper than most other resorts that I've visited.

Targhee is located in western Wyoming near the Idaho border. Here is a picture from the top of Grand Targhee. The border between Idaho and Wyoming follows the edge of the mountains along the treeline.

One of the great things about Grand Targhee is that you get to see the backside of the Grand Tetons. You can just barely make them out in this photo.

Overall, Grand Targhee was a great time. Next time, I think that I'll skip Jackson Hole and spend a couple more days at Targhee.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

2010-03-15T23:03:00.009-08:00

A couple of weekends ago, I traveled to Jackson, Wyoming for a couple of days of good snow and good times with a buddy of mine. We spent one day at both Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) and Grand Targhee Resort. In order to give each resort its due, I'm going to write a separate entry for each area.

We'll lead things off with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. To tell you the truth, I was really disappointed with this ski area. The conditions were simply atrocious and definitely made the $91/day lift ticket a ripoff. It would have made more sense to ride the lifts with ice skates than with skis and snowboards. It was probably the worst conditions that I have ever experienced at a major resort.

Despite the ice, a trip to JHMR isn't complete without a run down Corbet's Couloir, aptly nicknamed by USA Today as "America's scariest ski slope". The run starts with a 25-foot drop onto a 55-degree angled slope that's about as wide as your average Volkswagen. Don't worry though. If you wreck, there's some nice granite walls on either side to help you break your fall. Unfortunately, the run was roped off so we didn't get a chance to prove how brave/stupid we are. That was probably a good thing.

The one thing that JHMR does offer is great views. It has the most vertical feet of any ski resort in America with close to 4,200 feet of vertical goodness.

Jackson is also known for its tram (which can be seen if you look closely in the last picture). Just you and 99 of your best buddies are crammed into a telephone booth that hauls you up the mountain in record speed. Unless someone has a b.o. problem. Then it takes forever. Not that I have experience with this sort of thing.

Overall, it was cool to ride at JHMR just so that I can say that I've been there. It does have great views and the tram ride is an experience like none other. And I also admit that the resort probably would have been worth the money had they just received some fresh snow. Regardless, I will probably skip this resort and spend an extra day at Grand Targhee next time.

First Steamboat Trip of the Year

2010-02-06T13:39:00.009-09:00

Last weekend, I made my first Steamboat trip of the year with a buddy of mine. By chance, we planned our Steamboat trip the same weekend that a couple of other friends had planned their Steamboat trip. It was a great weekend filled with good times and great people.

The Colorado resorts have been suffering from a lack of snow this year, but Steamboat is the best of the bunch. The first two days were spent beneath blue skies; three inches of snow fell on the final day. Here are a few pictures from my adventure.

I tend to stay in the trees when I snowboard. I find that runs through the trees tend to be a lot more challenging with better snow and a lot less people.

Here is a distant picture of North St. Pats--one of my favorite runs at Steamboat. The run itself has three great qualities: it's steep, the snow is (generally) deep, and it's (mostly) tourist-free. A few other pictures of North St. Pats can be found in my Steamboat post from last year. We tend to come down just to the right of where all the cliffs are on the left hand side of the picture.

Probably my favorite picture of the weekend. It's amazing how much three inches of snow can clean up the mountain sometimes. I'm sitting here at the top of a run with nothing by untracked white beneath me. All I need to do is to choose a path and go! This picture is a good reminder for what I need to do with life sometimes.

Arapahoe Basin

2010-01-25T07:41:00.006-09:00

I thought that I'd post a few pictures (taken from my phone so please excuse the quality) from my trip to Arapahoe Basin on Saturday. I like A-Basin as it has a bit more expert terrain, but it's never crowded like other places along I-70 can be. Plus, it tends to be a little bit gentler on the wallet (I bought four day passes this year for $110). Unfortunately, you still have to traverse across I-70 to get there, which oftentimes is like driving a 70-mile stretch of the parking lot at Wal-Mart the week before Christmas.

A-Basin is known for having the highest ski-able terrain in North America. In fact, the altitude is high enough that A-Basin usually doesn't close its slopes until June or July.

This first picture shows the base area of Arapahoe Basin pretty well. You can see the lodge, parking lots, and one of the lifts. You also might be able to tell that they need a little bit more snow.

A good portion of Arapahoe Basin is located above the treeline. The wind can really start whipping around up on top so it's wise to make sure that you're wearing your long underwear.

I like going snowboarding by myself. You get some great reflection time while your cruising down the slopes at speeds that would probably frighten my mother if I told her how fast I was going. But, there's also a lot to be said for going with friends. On Friday of this week, I'm heading to Steamboat for a quick four-day vacation with a couple of good buddies. Here's to hoping that the weather is cold and miserable for four days!

Cutt-Slam!!

2010-01-02T19:32:00.001-09:00

If you read this blog for any amount of time, you know that one of my passions is fly fishing. In fact, one of the reasons why this blog was updated so infrequently throughout the summer was because I was generally out on a river somewhere. Yeah, my summer was pretty tough.

Anyway, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has a neat program called the Cutt-Slam. There are 4 subspecies of cutthroat trout that are indigenous to Wyoming. To earn the Cutt-Slam, one must catch each of the 4 subspecies in their native drainage. Driving from Cheyenne to each of these drainages required me to spend about 1,000 miles on the road. Here's a recap of my Cutt-Slam adventure.

Colorado River Cutthroat

The first cut that was checked off my list was the Colorado River Cutthroat, which I caught on a woolly booger at one of my super secret fishing spots. The fish in this picture is about 18 inches. Pretty, eh?!?

The Colorado River Cut was undoubtedly the most colorful of all the subspecies that I caught. Apparently, they become even redder around the time that they spawn.

Bonneville River Cutthroat

The Bonneville River Cutthroat was the second cut on my list to be checked off. This subspecies of cutthroat can only be found in the Bear River drainage in Wyoming, which is located in the extreme southwest portion of the state. I caught this cut in a stream that was only about 5 feet wide. The water was rarely more than calf-deep, but a few deep pools could be found with a walk through the willows. This 14-inch beauty was caught on a simple grasshopper pattern. It's always quite a thrill to catch a decent sized trout in a stream that shouldn't hold anything more than your common chub.

The Bonneville Cutthroat is distinguished by the red and blue "halos" on the background, which, admittedly, cannot be seen very well in this picture. Trust me though. They're there.

Snake River Cutthroat

As you might suspect, the Snake River Cutthroat is indigenous to the Snake River drainage. For some reason, this species was the hardest of the four species to catch for me. I fished for over 6 hours on the Grays Fork before I finally hooked into this 6-inch monster on a nymph pattern.

Snake River Cutthroat are very easily distinguished from their brethren by the pattern of fine black spots that cover their body.

Yellowstone Cutthroat

The most common cutthroat throughout the state is the Yellowstone Cutthroat. I have caught many of these fish throughout my life as they're native to the streams that I learned to fish on around my hometown of Sheridan. This 14-inch cut was caught on a nymph pattern out of the North Fork of the Tongue River.

These cuts are distinguished by the amount of spotting on their tail along with the lack of spotting on the rest of their body.

So, there you go. My summer in a nutshell. My hope is that they'll only get tougher as the years go by.

Petra, Jordan

2009-12-27T08:55:00.001-09:00

Petra. A World Heritage Site. One of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Standing in front of Al Khazneh (The Treasury), you definitely get the feeling why Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt once described Petra as, "...half as old as time."

You enter Petra by walking down the Siq--an incredibly narrow defile with cliffs that reach as high as 300 feet above you. Walking through the Siq is mystifying to say the least.

The Siq is filled with quite a few unique rock formations and vibrant colors.

Finally, just as you think the Siq is never going to end, you catch a glimpse of the Treasury through the rock walls.

Words or pictures cannot describe that first view of the Treasury. This picture would have been a great picture of the Treasury, but some schmuck decided to stand in the bottom right hand corner. Sorry about that.

As you venture deeper into Petra, you come across even more structures that have been carved into the sandstone.

Petra is full of amazing beauty and structures like these. Unfortunately, we didn't get to experience all that Petra has to offer as my group had to get back to Amman since we were flying home that evening. The pictures that I've posted definitely do not give Petra the dignity and glory that it deserves. The Petra area is vast and would require a good two or three days to fully appreciate it. I hope to be able to visit again one day.

This post will conclude my "series" on Jordan. However, I love telling stories about my travels. Drop me an email if you'd like a few more stories or pictures. If you're looking for an excuse to travel, I would definitely recommend visiting Petra and Jordan.

So, with that, I think that I close with a self-portrait from Petra.

Mount Nebo, Baptism Site, and Dead Sea

2009-12-25T18:22:00.001-09:00

One of the great things about visiting Jordan was that we got to visit a few Biblical sites. It was quite powerful to visit some sites where Jesus and Moses walked the earth.

One of the first sites we visited was Mt. Nebo, which is where God took Moses to see the Promised Land.

At the top of Mt. Nebo, God told Moses, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it." (Deuteronomy 34:4, NIV) This is the view of what Moses saw...

Here is a map of present day Israel from the top of Mt. Nebo. The day we were there was quite hazy, but maybe you can make out a few of the different sites.

After visiting Mt. Nebo, we ventured down to see the baptism site of Jesus Christ. It is quite powerful to stand and reflect at a place where Jesus Christ walked the earth. The site itself was dammed up while we were there (for archaeological exploration), which explains the pond scum. Jesus walked down the stairs and into the water, where he was baptized by John the Baptist.

The baptism site is located near the Jordan River, which is surprisingly narrow. The flows in the river have been reduced by irrigation diversions over the last many centuries. The opposite side of the river is Israel.

After visiting the baptism site, we ventured down to see the Dead Sea--the lowest dry point on earth.

We spent a few hours floating around in the Dead Sea, which is just as crazy as you've heard. Of course, we also had to cover ourselves with a little bit of mud from the Dead Sea, which is said to have special healing powers. Unfortunately (or fortunately--I guess--for some of you), I do not have a ridiculous picture of me covered with Dead Sea mud. :)

Amman, Jordan

2009-12-11T20:24:00.001-09:00

Jordan. A beautiful land filled with wonderful people. Here are a few more pictures from my trip to Jordan with Engineering Ministries, International. Sorry that it has taken me so long to get these pictures up. I'm hoping to get the rest of the pictures up by the end of the year.

Some notes...

1. Jabal al-Qal'a has been inhabited for over 7,000 years.

2. The Roman Amphitheater was constructed during the second century AD.

3. The Temple of Hercules was larger than any temple in Rome. The columns are 33 feet high each.

Amman itself is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. I love visiting places that have existed for hundreds of years...or thousands of years as in this case. Even more powerful is that many places throughout Jordan are mentioned in the Bible. And pictures of some of those places will be shown in future posts.

Jordan Food Pictures

2009-05-18T20:43:00.003-08:00

As most of you know, I traveled to Amman, Jordan as part of a mission trip with a group called Engineering Ministries, International. Our group helped design a master plan for a Christian school located in Amman.

Overall, I had a great time on the trip. Jordanians are among the most gracious and hospitable people that I have ever met in my life. They were always willing to go out of their way to ensure our comfort. I had a great time learning about the country and the culture.

I could not have asked for better team members. Our team had a true international flavor to it as team members hailed from Jordan, New Zealand, and from all across the United States. Every one of the team members taught me something on the trip.

Anyway, I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures from my trip to Jordan. The last six weeks have been pretty hectic since I got back, but I should have a few moments over the next couple of weeks (maybe months) to put some pictures and stories up.

I'm going to start off with the food album. Overall, the food in Jordan was great! There was always lots of good stuff to go around.

Here is a picture of some shawarma. We ate this quite a bit as it is a good meal to grab on the go. It is essentially a sandwich-like wrap filled with meat (lamb or chicken). The meat has been slowly roasted rotisserie-style. In this instance, it was served with french fries, a small amount of vegetables, and some olives.

Here is a pretty typical dinner spread. As you can see, there are quite a few choices of food to eat. There are various meats, salads, and appetizers. Typical appetizers include hummus and mutabbel (a smoky tasting dish made from eggplant). Hummus and mutabbel were usually eaten as a dip with pita bread.

Here is a different type of meal. Each of these little pastries was filled with different things. Some were filled with cheese, some were filled with potatoes, and some were filled with meat. And, of course, there is the small can of Diet Pepsi. Pepsi is huge in Jordan.

This was one of my favorite meals. This pastry was filled with lamb, rice, and peas. You ate it with some yogurt on the side. Delicious!

Here is a steak that I ordered from the Wild Jordan Cafe. Very tasty.

A simple kebab sandwich. It's just a tortilla filled with kebab meat and some type of special sauce that may or may not have been mayonnaise. This was probably my favorite lunch.

Of course, you can't travel halfway around the world without having some pepperoni pizza. Overall, it was pretty tasty. And cheap.

Some Turkish coffee that we got after a church service. It was probably the most bitter stuff that I have ever tasted in my life. Good thing it was such a small cup.

So there you go. A little taste of Jordan.

Snowboarding at da' Boat!

2009-03-21T10:01:00.001-08:00

Just a few snowboarding pictures from Steamboat!

Indianapolis

2008-12-17T06:58:00.003-09:00

I thought that I would post some pictures from my most recent trip to Indianapolis. I went there during the first week of December to watch the Colts destroy the Bengals. I hope that you enjoy them!

Backpacking over Labor Day weekend

2008-10-02T19:43:00.001-08:00

Over Labor Day weekend, I went backpacking with my aunt and uncle up in the Big Horn Mountains. It was a fun trip and I was able to catch a couple of good looking trout (including one golden trout and one 16-inch rainbow trout). I wanted to share a few photos from that trip.

If you read my previous post, you will also see that I had an appendectomy over Labor Day weekend. We actually got off the mountain about 24 hours before I had to have my appendectomy. Thank the good Lord that I got off the mountain before the appendix burst.

New York City!

2008-08-26T13:44:00.004-08:00

So last week I decided to do something kind of fun and random: I decided to go to New York City. Honestly, I had been thinking about going for quite some time. Being a big baseball fan, I think that there are three stadiums that every baseball fan must see before they die: Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, and Yankee Stadium. Unfortunately, Yankee Stadium is going to be torn down after this year to make way for a bigger and better stadium.

So I made my way to New York City for four days - mainly just to see Yankee Stadium. I decided that I also wanted to see as much of New York as possible. I think that I did a pretty good job. I didn't go to any museums, but that's okay because I'm not much of a museum guy. I also didn't eat much while I was in NYC, but that was a function of me not feeling well pretty much the entire trip.

So here's a quick list of what I did in NYC:

1. Landed at LaGuardia Airport. Immediately misread subway map. Ended up in Harlem. Walked around lost in Harlem for about 20 minutes before accidentally finding subway. Took subway to Manhattan.

2. Took the free Staten Island Ferry and saw Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Arrived at Staten Island. Immediately took return ferry because I heard that there's not much to do on Staten Island.

3. Went and visited WTC monument in Battery Park. A sobering reminder.

4. Went and saw WTC site in lower Manhattan. It's essentially a big construction site right now. Lots of street vendors make it feel like a tourist trap instead of the site where the largest terrorist attack on American soil occurred.

5. Went and visited St. Paul's Chapel, which is located across the street from the WTC site and served as a launching ground for rescue efforts during the crisis. The best WTC memorial was located at this chapel. Another sobering reminder.

6. Went and saw Times Square during the day. It's fun to see, but it's also just a big tourist trap. My favorite parts of the city were the non-tourist areas located 3-4 blocks from the tourist areas where you couldn't find a chain store if you tried. Better and cheaper food and nicer people.

7. Took a bike tour around Central Park. You don't realize how big the park is until you bicycle around it (or view it from the top of a building). My group had to stay under a bridge for about 45 minutes because it started raining pretty heavily. As a part of the tour, I got to see where Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy lived and where John Lennon was shot.

8. Ate some New York style pizza. Good stuff!

9. Went to a Broadway musical. I saw "Avenue Q". It was pretty raunchy but pretty funny - just like most New Yorkers.

10. Ate some really good Brazilian food.

11. Went and saw Times Square at night. Even at 1:00 AM in the morning, the place is filled with people. There has to be more advertisements per square inch at this site than anywhere else on earth.

12. Went to the top of the Rockefeller Center. Saw the Empire State Building and Central Park from one of the tallest buildings in NYC.

13. Roamed around Central Park on foot. Saw the Balto statue. Took a nap on a bench in Central Park because the really good Brazilian food made me pretty sick. Found some pretty secluded areas in the park.

14. Met a guy from Kansas City on the subway who was doing almost exactly the same thing that I was doing. We ended up traveling to the game together. The guy turned out to be a fellow believer in Christ. Had some good conversation with him. Discovered that we have pretty similar beliefs and pretty similar hobbies. We're facebook buddies now.

15. Sat through a 2-hour rain delay before watching the Royals beat the Yankees by a final of 4-3 from the cheap seats.

16. Watched the Royals lose to the Yankees the next day by a final of 3-2 in 13 innings. I would have had to leave the game early, but my flight back to Denver was delayed so I got to watch the entire game.

Overall, I had a great time in NYC! I feel that I got to see and experience quite a few things during my short stay. I've included an album of some photos from my trip below. Please note that if the pictures are bad, it's a result of the photographer (me) or maybe the subject (depending on whether I happen to be in the photo). Without further ado...

Cabin Pics

2008-01-30T19:12:00.001-09:00

This last summer, I went up to my granddad's cabin with my aunt and uncle. Understand that my granddad's cabin is possibly the coolest place in the world despite the fact that the place lacks indoor plumbing, hot water, cell phone service, electricity, and wireless internet. To tell you the truth, it's the lack of those things that makes the place so great.

A small creek runs through the back of the cabin. This creek also has a bridge across it that yours truly built with his grandma when he was about 10 years old. It's pretty cute.

The cabin is also near some great fishing opportunities. It's a short trip away to a great little fishing hole right next to a waterfall.

Anyway, here are some pics from that trip last summer. Enjoy!