Just stuff

Hello. Here are some pics from hiking, the reindeer farm and Hatcher Pass. Yes, I am aware that one of the pictures is of an Elk (Eddie the Elk actually) not a reindeer. They happen to have some Elk at the farm as well. Nothing special just trying to get out and enjoy things. Storm

Back Home

Well the vacation was a success and we are happy to be back home. On our second to last night we ran the Midnight Sun 10k. It started at 10PM and while the weather looked bad, it was pretty comfortable for running. I put in one pic of KM before the start. On our last day in Fairbanks we met up with our neighbors who were also up there and visited the Solstice Festival in downtown FB. Then we took the 'Riverboat Discovery' tour. It is very popular and gets great reviews, and it is pretty cool if you don't mind being with about 500 other people. There were no less than 14 tour buses in the parking lot. It was interesting but not great for kids. The highlight of the day was later when the Lady that gave us Aly brought 6 Great Dane puppies by the hotel for us to play with. They were only 3.5 weeks old. The drive home was uneventful. We stopped in Denali for lunch and to see the visitor center. Now we are all just happy to do nothing for a day or so. Thanks for reading and we hope you enjoyed it. KM has 700 more pictures that we just downloaded, I'll try to put some of those up later.

More pics

Here's some more pics from our trip. Enjoy Storm

Days 5/6

Hello Readers, well we made it safely back to Fairbanks and now have cell and internet again. It was a wild trip. We left FB on Friday morning around 0730. There are about 75 miles of paved hwy before you actually get to the Dalton Hwy. But 'paved' doesn't necessarily mean nice. We would be cruising down the road about 55-60 and suddenly some frost heaves would just about bottom out the suburban and then nearly toss you airborne...needless to say the kids thought it was the best road ever. The Dalton Hwy (the Haul Rd) is about half paved and half dirt for the first 175 miles and then all dirt/gravel after that. We drove it to mile 189. Ironically the dirt/gravel parts are almost nicer than the paved parts because there are no huge potholes that scare the heck out of you and nearly rip the suspension out at 50mph. We did have 2 full size spares with us just in case. Our first stop was at mile 60 for the 'HotSpot Cafe' and lunch. Its basically a shack, but man do they have some great hamburgers. Our next stop was about mile 120 when we crossed the Arctic circle. It is just a parking lot with a big sign, pretty cool nonetheless. After that we drove to Coldfoot at mile 175, which is also the first buildings other than a few outhouses since mile 60. Coldfoot consists of an airstrip (4 airplanes total), a visitor center, and a truckstop/inn. Here we were able to get a flightseeing tour in a Beaver on tundra tires. It was a great flight, KM rode in front and the kids all got headsets which they thought were very cool. At one point the pilot put it in a big sideslip to drop down into a canyon and we were headed right for a huge granite face...I thought KM and my Mom were going to jump out for a second there, a cool thrill for everyone. we flew up through the Gates of the Arctic National Park/Preserve and then made a short field (and I do mean SHORT) landing on a gravel bar in the middle of the river. I would have never thought a Beaver could have landed there. Then we took off again, spotted some Moose feeding in a lake and then back to Coldfoot. A very cool experience. Then we drove another 15 miles up the road to Wiseman AK population of 12. There we stayed in a great little B&B. The kids got to play with their 4 sled dogs and throw about 5000 rocks into the river. The cabin was cozy and nice but sleep was tough since the sun never went down...very weird. We talked with the owners about hunting/trapping and gold mining. They've lived there full time for over 15 years, with two very well adjusted children ages 9 and 12. They have a phone, generate their own power via wind, solar and generator. They hunt for most of their food, 2 moose and 2 sheep a year for a family of 4 and they run a very nice B&B. An interesting existance to be sure but not for everyone...not for me either. Our drive back to Fairbanks was uneventful, a bit sloppy at times as you can see from the pictures of the car. 35 miles out the kids finally got bored and antsy so we broke down and put a video on for them, we figured they've done a fantastic job for just over 1000 miles so they earned it. Tonight KM and I ran the Midnight Sun Run, the furthest north 10k in the US. We had a great time and even ran the whole way. Now its time to collapse and rest. Tomorrow is the Solstice festival here in FB and then a riverboat ride before our return home on Monday. Enjoy the pictures, I'll post more later, but now I must sleep. Storm

More pics/Day 4

Well, we made it to Fairbanks and have seen our first traffic light and first fast food restaurant since leaving Anchorage. Today it was raining in Delta Junction when we woke up in our really junky motel room. So we got out of town and went to North Pole AK. A word to the wise, don't bother. Its just a totally cheesy tourist trap all decorated like Christmas for the whole year. The kids all got to meet Santa, and Nick wasn't buying it for a second that Santa now lived just outside of Fairbanks. Then on to Fairbanks, where we visited the University of Alaska Fairbanks and toured the great museum that they have on campus. Now we are in our hotel room (2 rooms this time and they are pretty nice!) and just recovering and 'chilling' out. Tomorrow is going to be a big day with an early start. We are headed north on the Dalton hwy otherwise known as the haul road. We plan to stop at the Yukon river, the Arctic Circle, Coldfoot, and then Wiseman AK where we will spend the night. If the weather cooperates, which it is supposed to, it should be an amazing experience. No fresh pics from today, just stuff from earlier. Should have lots tomorrow though. See Ya, Storm

Day 3

Well, we knew the perfect plan couldn't last forever...so tonight when we 'checked in' to the Alaska 7 Motel, which should be called the Alaska 70's Motel, they said 'oh my husband took your reservations and screwed it up so there is only one room available'. By the way the whole town, which means BOTH motels, are sold out due to construction crews. So here we are, all 6 of us in one room with wood paneling, shag carpet, musty 70's smell etc... Awesome! But the rest of the day went great! We started with a great nights sleep in a very nice B%B. Then we went on a really cool hike along a ridge down to the Tonsina River Gorge. We even were able to take the owners dog with us. His name was Birdoc, which stands for Because I Really DO Care, however the dog has interpreted that to be Because I Really DOn't Care. He was hilarious and the kids loved him. Then it was off to Copper Center and the Princess Lodge which would've had fantastic views on a clear day. But it wasn't clear so we went on to Glennallen and ate at the Caribou Cafe. Then it was a gorgeous drive north following the Alaska Pipeline and several amazing rivers. The views were wild. Tonight we are about 90 miles from Fairbanks in this 'cozy' little room. Tomorrow its off to North Pole AK and then continuing on to Fairbanks. The weather has been okay with a few rain showers here and there and broken clouds with sun and great temps. Here are some pics of our hike, drive and sights we've seen. Yes, the mosquitos are HUGE. Talk to you later, Storm
Okay, it turns out I'm having some uploading issues with the pictures so these will have to do for now.

Day 2

Hello Friends. Well day 2 went well. First we spent the morning in Valdez checking out the museums and watching a film on the Earthquake that wrecked the town. Then we headed through Thompson Pass. Even with some fog and clouds the views were amazing. I would love to see it in the winter with almost 900 inches of snow!! Then it was off to Worthington Glacier for a hike and some sightseeing. The kids had a blast hiking up to the glacier. After that it was an incredibly scenic drive to Kenny Lake just outside of Copper Center where we are spending the night at another B&B. Its a very nice place. The plan was for a hike tonight down to the river, but a quick thunderstorm and heavy rain for an hour or two put a halt to that plan. Tomorrow its off to Delta Junction. With some sight seeing along the way. Enjoy the pics. There are more on KM's camera but we don't have the download cord until we get home. See Ya, Storm