I woke in the dead of night, cold and confused, barely aware of the 2 a.m. alarm that I set before falling asleep on the couch in my work clothes. The dehydrator’s whirring white-noise almost completely drowned out the synthesized … Continue reading
Tag Archives: mountain
Harding Icefield, Brrrrr!
With a name like that, I should have known this hike would get cold. I was forewarned about a storm system pushing through Alaska, but I chose to follow some advice that sounded good at the time. As it happens, … Continue reading
Stagger up, skip down. (Mt. Marathon)
“This is crazy!” I said aloud too many times to count. “People seriously run a race on this trail?” More unbelievable is the record time of 43:21. I tried running, but that didn’t last long. It took this flatlander approximately … Continue reading
Shapes and shades of Denali
Our first glimpses of “The High One” came as we passed through Montana (the town, not the state) and over Honolulu (the creek, not the city). It loomed enormously over the road even at 100 miles away. Inside the national … Continue reading
Speak like your life depends on it. (Denali, days 2-3)
His remains were found on Friday, the same day that I hiked down the canyon from where I camped on Cathedral Mountain and walked a few miles of lonely park road in dawn’s twilight to the bus stop at Igloo … Continue reading
Scat, tracks and animals (Denali photos)
Most of our animal sightings happened on the bus trip from the Wilderness Access Center to Eielson Visitor’s Center, along the only road in Denali National Park. Traffic is limited to buses, construction equipment and very few personal vehicles. “Camper … Continue reading
Kenai Fjords by sea
Weather in Seward is rarely sunny, but the clouds parted when we took a half-day cruise with Major Marine Tours. The captain, crew and a ranger from the National Park Service made it a very interesting experience. Animal sightings included … Continue reading
1 inch = 5 miles (Lost Lake Trail)
In Alaska, scores of miles are reduced before your eyes. It doesn’t help that most continental maps of the U.S. shrink the state to make it fit. Tina-Fey-as-Sarah-Palin’s infamous “I can see Russia from my house” statement almost seems plausible–until … Continue reading
No such thing as bad weather
“There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.” So said my single-serving friend en route from Dallas-Ft. Worth to Anchorage. I’m not sure I fully agree, but it was great to hear from a woman who appeared to … Continue reading