(Top): Our van with two canoes, Day 1. (Bottom): Final dinner at The Salmon Bake, Denali, Alaska July 9, 2010
Q. What do you get when you mix three families who didn't know each other before, one week, a white mini van, two canoes, an amazing guide from Alaska Outdoors named Trevor Archibald, and the majestic scenery of Alaska?
A. A lifetime of memories and the desire to return to Alaska someday to experience even more camping, hiking, bears, caribou, salmon, tundra, black flies...well, perhaps not the black flies!
This is the unofficial blog of the July 4, 2010 Family Tour of Alaska, courtesy of the Bessner-Friedlans, the Levy-Uyedas, and the Cappasola-Martins.
A brief introduction:
We had all booked with the Wasilla (yes, that Wasilla!)- based outfitter, which comes recommended by National Geographic as one of the best Adventure travel companies in 2009.
We were three families (one from San Diego, one from Mountainview, California, and one from Toronto). We met as strangers on July 4th Sunday morning in the parking lot of a motel in Anchorage after long flights from our various destinations. By the time our adventure ended a week later, we had shared many unforgettable experiences together: we hiked countless miles up and down trails (kilometres for the Canadians!), slogged through wet sub-arctic tundra, canoed on the lakes under the midnight sun, viewed Mount McKinley from Denali without any clouds around it, photographed thousands of shots of grizzly bears, moose, porcupines, camped in Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, sailed through seasickness to see orcas and porcupines in Kenali Fjords National Park, played in the snow of a glacier, and so much more, under the watchful eye of guide Trevor.
Here is a day-by-day journal of our trip, with some select photos.
Day 1: July 4 Anchorage, Alaska.
Our trip began Sunday morning, when Judy and Mason, Rachel and Katie, Gray and Maggie, Jensen and McIan, Ellin and John, and Alex and Evan all piled into Trevor's white passenger van with the 2 red canoes on top, and drove out of Anchorage on the highway south westward towards Turnagain Arm on the Cook Inlet. We stopped at the Bird's Point lookout to view the inlet and the Chugach mountains.
(View from Birds Point lookout, Turnagain Arm.)
Jensen Martin, Trevor Archibald, John Friedlan at the Birds Point Lookout.
(Judy Levy and Mason Uyeda at the lookout)
For lunch, we stopped at the Begich and Boggs Visitors centre at the Portage Glacier, which is Alaska's most visited tourist attraction and one hour's drive outside Anchorage.
(photos courtesy of Mason Uyeda)
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fter a short walk to the glacier, you are able to throw snowballs, which was a big treat for the California kids, but no big deal for the Canadians who see snow like this every winter.
Kate, Mason, Judy and Rachel Uyeda
Gray Martin on the glacier
En route to Kenai.
We stopped for a roadside espresso at Wildman's at Copper Landing on the way into Kenai Wildlife Refuge. The shack is their version of Starbucks!
Maggie Cappasola and Gray Martin sampling the coffee.
Onto Kenai, where even before we stepped out of the van, we encountered our first wildlife (live animals, that is -- hiking in Anchorage on Saturday, Jensen had found an eagle's beak): moose, two of them, one male one female, and young by the looks of it. (photos by Judy Levy)
By 5:30 p.m. Alaska time, we arrived at our campsite in Hidden Lake, Kenai.
Some of the more experienced campers among us had their tents and gear built and arranged in no time! While the kids played cards, Maggie and Judy prepared hors d'oeuvres, while the other less experienced outdoors family (yes it was the Friedlans) took a bit longer.
Meanwhile Trevor set up the meal tent, and prepared an Alaskan salmon dinner.
The view from our campsite.
By 11 p.m. it was still light out...we retired to our tents, and some of us may have found it weird getting used to the summer midnight sun here. Some people say it gives Alaskans more energy so they are able to do more activities all summer, then they hole up in their homes during the dark winter months. This must have been why the folks at the next campsite to ours decided to drink and party all night for the Fourth of July weekend. They kept both Ellin and Gray awake, until someone went to knock on the park ranger's cabin at midnight to complain about the noise and swearing. The ranger ordered them to pack up and leave at first light (just kidding--let's call it lighter light).
Day 2, July 5, 2010 Hidden Lake campsite, Kenai Wilderness Refuge.
In the morning, a hike along a trail to see the Kenai River with its teal to aquamarine coloured water. We saw a Spruce Grouse in the trees. We also saw bald eagles soar overhead. Yes the word soar does sounds corny, but when you see them, that's what they do. Cow Parsnip and Devils Claw plants are dangerous to touch.
These plants are everywhere so we have to be careful.
On the return trip back to the trailhead, we lose Mason and Maggie. For about an hour, we wait nervously while Trevor returns back on the trail with his bear guard to track them down. In the meantime, the boys and Gray jump across wooden posts like in "The Karate Kid" while we look at our watches and worry. When Trevor did return all sweat soaked, with the pair in tow, it turns out they had lost sight of our group and tried to find a high road, but ended up hiking twice as far as they should have. Much ribbing and endless teasing about this would ensue for the rest of the day, once they were safely back and we were all relieved.
After lunch, we drove to the K'Beq Native interpretative centre to learn about the local Kenaitze people and their traditions.
They have a boardwalk and guided nature walk where we learned how the people dug caches to store their food just above the permafrost, lived in dwellings that had heated floors, and, that being skilled fishermen, in deference to the spirits, they believed they needed to throw the salmon bones back into the rivers in order to ensure plentiful catches next season.
We then split up in two groups to do a late afternoon hike: some (Gray, Maggie and Jensen) went to Russian River Falls, while others hiked to Fuller Lake trail to see a beaver dam.
McIan Martin.
At Russian River Falls, they met subsistence fishermen who were catching salmon. They chatted with a nine year old girl and her mother and grandfather who were eager to talk about the fishing. They are permitted to keep 30 fish a year for their own uses.
Meanwhile, in what is beginning to look suspiciously like a pattern, Mason (this time with Ellin) charted their own course and climbed at their own pace, arriving at the dam (top left photo) about 20 minutes after everyone else (middle photo Mason and John). The kids, however, powered up that trail lightning fast (bottom left photo: Alex and Rachel resting at the dam).
A fajitas dinner with Tofu for the vegans in the group, and night time canoeing was the activity for some.
Evan Alex and McIan pump water.
Alex and McIan in the canoe. (Maggie photo)
Others explored the ridges above the campsite where many of the trees had been marked by bear claws.
There was even a memorial for a brave dog who had been killed by a bear there, we presume. Bernie's Trail is well known for bear encounters, and needless to say it made some of us, well, okay, Ellin mostly, extremely nervous to see bear droppings in the area past the outhouse of our camp.
With the party campers gone earlier in the day, we had the campsite to ourselves tonight. All except Ellin slept well, as at 4:45 a.m. Tuesday morning, the magpies and ravens decided to perch on the trees near her tent and become screeching, crowing alarm clocks. No park warden was going to help me out with this disturbance, unfortunately.
Day 3 July 6, Drive to Seward.
(Top: Alex breaks down tent poles, Middle: Kate fights the flies, Bottom: Ellin fights flies)
We woke up to a swarm of blackflies that threatened to enter any and all orifices, especially for those folks washing the dishes after breakfast. Two days of no showering wasn't enough bug repellant for them. Or perhaps that's what was attracting them. Sure the fashionistas would be shocked, but we broke out the bug nets for our accessories that morning while we closed up and packed up our camp.
Returning north east from Kenai we then turned south towards Seward, and arrived mid morning to take a 6.5 hour catamaran boat tour with Kenai Fjords Tours to see glaciers and wildlife.
View Kenai Fjords in a larger map
It was an experience we won't soon forget. And I'm not talking about the wildlife or the glaciers, although we were all excited as the boat left the harbour to meet these two eagles.
First, they feed you a chicken wrap, or a veggie wrap, and drinks and a snack. Then, while the captain explains that you are going to feel choppiness for about 20 minutes as we clear the protected coastline, the boat hits swells that make you remember the song for "Gilligan's Island" except that it wasn't a 3 hour tour, it was a 6.5 hour tour and we were stuck in these giant waves, rolling up and down, the bottom hitting them so hard there were many cases of sea sick passengers. Evan was one. McIan did his share of filling barf bags.
Gray was grey. John was green. Alex took enough Gravol to sleep through most of it, and everyone was popping pills. Gravol was handed out and shared. Others used fresh air at the front of the boat to try to avoid throwing up:
Rachel and Judy were channelling Titanic's "I'm the King of the World" posture.
Evan looking miserable
( Mason smiles through his pain!)
Eventually, we arrived at the one mile wide seven miles long glacier, which has its own micro climate, which means the water is calm, the sun shines, its hot outside, and the boat stops for everyone to admire the majestic site.
Question: why is glacier ice blue?
Answer: It's old. "Glaciers are created when decades upon decades of snow compact themselves into ice. As the ice crystals grow, they push out the air. The ice absorbs most light and reflects the short-wave-length blue light." from Alaska.com
As for the wildlife, Judy tracked the mammals and birds. "At one point, we saw four porpoises skimming and dancing along side the boat," she writes in our little beige journal book.
We saw a group of sea lions lounging on the rocks (including a mammoth sized one who was growling and snuffing to the rest of them
), and four killer whales all at once.
Later, we saw humpback whales. There were plenty of Dall sheep on the rocky hillsides, three foot wide purple jellyfish, purple and orange starfish on the rocks.
As for birds, there were terns, a huge flock of seagull-like birds on the rockfaces. Also, both tufted and horned puffins. Funny as they try to take off . Sometimes they eat so much they can't fly. Very cute to watch them and their orange feet.
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And there were eagles, of course, artfully perched on the rocks.
A huge eagle's nest was visible.
So, was it worth the ride to see all this amazing nature? The captain said we were lucky to see so many whales.
Chugging into port back in Seward, the captain happened upon an otter mom, with her pup on her tummy. The captain slowed down and stayed back so we could see them better. If we'd spooked her, she would have likely dove under water with the baby still attached, which is often fatal for the pup.
(Top: Alex looks ill)
Upon our return to shore and terra firma, in the late afternoon, we checked in to the Breeze Inn Hotel, in Seward.
It wasn't a fancy motel, there were mix ups with our rooms (sorry Gray and Maggie and John and Ellin and kids) but it had SHOWERS and BEDS! And Seward had a Safeway and a Starbucks, which is where Gray walked before dinner.
Seward is a breathtaking port, surrounded by mountains, and the base camp for hikes, plus the Mt. Marathon marathon which is a race up and down the mountain on the July 4th weekend. And, of course, these famous water cruises of the nearby Kenai Fjords marine park. (Photo: Mt. Marathon behind the motel.) It is now the #1 destination for Trip Advisor.com, apparently.
After dinner (The Uyedas and Trevor and the Friedlans ate at Ray's on the waterfront, others ate on their own), some folks decided to stay at the motel and watch cooking shows or cartoons while other adventurous types took a late evening hike to Exit Glacer with Trevor (and returned around 11 p.m.)
There are markers and signposts along the trail to show where the glacier used to extend to, and what year, and how much it's shrunk. And yes there was much discussion on this tour about global warming. (Photo of John, Gray, Jensen and Trevor courtesy Maggie Cappasola)
Day 4 Seward to Denali
Overnight at the Breeze Inn where some of us did laundry. Too early morning wakeup call for breakfast. Both our trip and a second Alaska Outdoors group (all adults) are at the motel and meet each other over breakfast.
Seward has excellent coffee shop called Nature's Nectar behind the motel where they serve strong Kaladi Brother's coffee. They make each coffee through a drip one cup filter,so it takes a long time. Alex had a fruit smoothie. Ellin had a regular Americano (smoothie $7.00!!) and was buzzed all morning as the group headed to Fred Meyers for supplies before leaving for Denali National Park. Ellin bought a Sarah Palin 2011 calendar for $12. It is published by Todd Communications, which I assume is her husband's company.
The front page news story that morning in Seward was that
Todd Palin was in the audience when one of the candidates for the Senate race was campaigning. The paper called that Palin throwing support behind the candidate. Herself wasn't at the meeting.
Much excitement in the group as exotic Goldfish crackers (Smores flavoured)
were purchased at Fred Meyers as souvenirs to take home to Canada for friends, but somehow (ahem..Alex) one bag was mysteriously opened and sampled by the group in the van. Verdict: 6/10.
Lunchtime stop near the University of Anchorage campus at the Russian Jack Springs Park, which Trevor our guide explained has a creek that is a major source of clean drinking water but has been the centre of controversy because of proposals to expand a golf course and thereby clear trees and otherwise alter the habitat and the environment which exists there for moose and other animals.
We took a stroll through the park and admired the stunning flora. Photos: John Friedlan.
We also stopped in Wasilla (yes that Wasilla!) briefly at the Iditarod Museum, which is the headquarters of the famous bone-chilling, winter dogsled race from Anchorage to Nome.
We watched part of the video about the race, which Lance Mackey won this past March 2010 for the 4th time.
And while you could pay $10 a person to have some sled dogs take you on a wheeled-sled around a track for 40 seconds, most of us opted for free petting sessions with the puppies.
We also got to see Trevor's fiancee Stefanie who was leading a different trip that week, but met up with her sweetie in the Museum parking lot.
On the drive north
to Denali National Park much new music was sampled as folks plugged in their own Ipods and Iphones to Trevor's speakers: the reviews for some of the music were good, but too much of Ellin's prompted Jensen to put his headphones on in self defence! Judy's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" podcast was great, as were some songs by Canada's Blue Rodeo and Barenaked Ladies. Alex, Rachel, Kate, Evan and McIan played Cheat BS. It got pretty heated and Alex ended up with a black eye.
First stop on the way to Denali, we pulled into a lookout over the Great Gorge of the Ruth Glacier, which is on the lower slopes of Mount McKinley (or Denali, as many people prefer to call it) the highest peak in North America. The weather was nearly perfect for a clear view of the mountain, with just the very top obscured by clouds at 20,000 ft.
Second stop was the Welcome Centre at Denali, to pick up tickets for the next day's Park Bus tour.
By evening, we arrived at our campsite just outside the Denali Park entrance: we were staying at Otto Lake,
View Larger Map
near the Denali Outdoors Centre, in Healey, Alaska. To tell you the truth, I wasn't happy seeing my first impression of the campsite: after a brief walk through bushes to a gravel clearing, I saw where we were expected to pitch our tents and live for three days.
But once we had the tents up, and settled in,
I looked beyond the tent door flaps, and saw this view of the lake, and Mt. Healey and realized what a paradise we had found.
Chinese stir fry (vegan and chicken options) with Pineapple, with some sous-chef assistance by Evan.
Dessert was a special brownie and jam recipe made over a campfire with Trevor's version of the Dutch oven.
We spent some time discussing the next day's agenda: touring Denali Park and the hikes we might take.
Our guide Trevor is not permitted into Denali Park to accompany us, so we need all the information we can get in order to avoid bears, getting lost, and planning our own hikes through more then 6 million acres of wilderness.
McIan and Alex go canoeing in the midnight sun. Jensen and Gray do as well. And the Uyedas.
Ellin and Evan have their turn.
Mason and Rachel notice an otter who comes swimming from the opposite shore looking for bullrushes to build a nest.
Day 6 Denali Park
After breakfast, everyone made sandwiches and snacks and loaded up with water and hiking gear, and Trevor drove us to the park entrance and distributed cans of bear guard to us.
The park doesn't allow regular traffic through it; only park buses, and park rangers, and the occasional lucky camper who wins a raffle. Visitors can either walk into the park, or, because a round trip takes about 12 hours by bus from east to west, you take one of the park buses in to a scheduled stop, and get off and hike. When you are done, you wait alongside the road and flag down a bus going the other way to take you back to the park entrance.
We all boarded the bus driven by Elton Parks, a gregarious storyteller who provided an entertaining and informative explanation about the wildlife and the park as he drove towards several campground sites, and this stop where we got a perfect clear view of Mount McKinley, which only happens about 20% of the year, he said.
Eventually, after about 1 and a half hours, we decided to get off at Polychrome.
Apparently, most visitors to the park don't get off the bus at all, except at rest stops. I admit we felt somewhat superior! Polychrome Overlook is named for the multi coloured terrain surrounding the glaciers (there are 100,000 glaciers in Alaska, and about 600 are named, according to some reference book I read).
Gray, Maggie, Jensen and McIan also got off at this stop, which was a blessing for McIan who's stomach thought he was still on that catamaran in Seward.
(Mason, Judy, Katie and Rachel remained on the bus until the Eielson visitors centre.
More about this later)
Gray, Maggie and the boys hiked up Polychrome as well, charting their own path.
Maggie slogged through wet terrain while Jensen discovered an eagle feather to add to his collection.
At Eielson, Judy and Katie hiked up the hill, while Mason and Rachel decided to hike down from the centre. They were disappointed not to encounter any animals...until their trip home on the bus, which seemed to be the best way to actually see wildlife.
The Friedlans decided to hike north up Polychrome, making our own trail because there was none. And doing the "Hello Bear" and clapping loudly as we went up, as we'd been taught to do in case any bears were lurking behind the next tree.
It was probably only a minute or two before this caribou popped out of the bushes, unaware of us.
Making our way up to the summit, passing Alaskan wildflowers and burrows in the sub arctic tundra.
We have our sandwiches and marvel at the 360 degree views.
We hike back down, and decide to cross the highway to hike south this time, into the creek.
We see lots of hoof tracks in the mud but no animals.
By 5 pm, we were hot and tired, and thirsty so we made our way back to the highway and began to walk, hoping for a passing bus to flag down. And that's when we hit the jackpot and began to see wildlife up close: a group of Dall sheep, just on the edge of their rocky habitats.
By 5 pm, we are still on the road, when a bus comes and we gratefully pull ourselves up the steps and flop into the seats. And just as we cross the bridge over the creek, who should run up out of nowhere? This giant fellow, who's tracks we surely must have seen. Why did he wait for us to leave before coming out of hiding?
And then, our first grizzly bear foraging for dinner in the brush close to the road.
At 7 p.m. we all met back at the visitors centre where Trevor had brought hors doeuvres including his own special salmon dip and crudites. And we all agreed that seeing the animals was best on the bus.
(If you look through the window, you will see a grizzly).
Back at camp, we ate a delicious pasta dinner, and jiffy pop (thanks Maggie!),
the kids played frisbee bocce and went canoeing.
Across the lake, we could see the horses grazing along the banks, while Jensen and Rachel were reading, Katie was studying French, and Mason read Into the Wild, about the American adventurer Christopher McCandless, who starved to death near Denali in 1992. Judy did laundry, and waited and waited and waited for it to dry.
Some of us walked down to the Denali Outdoor Centre for a $4 shower. I think this was probably one of the best showers I have ever taken. Mason and Rachel watched their otter (or muscrat?) again as he swam to where our canoes were.
