Alright.  IT has been a while since I posted last.  i spent most of July wishing i was not in Alaska.  It rained for an entire month- everyday!!!!  I was even on the phone with the airlines looking into changing my flight to mid august.  but then i took a deep breath and the sun came out finally.  but i am coming home earlier than planned.  i leave in just a few days.  I fly to St. Paul Sept. 1st.  I AM planning on running the TC Marathon on Oct. 5th.  So come and watch me run and wish me a happy birthday as well.  ia m goign to need all the cheering i can get from friendly faces.  There was only one day i trained in temps over 70 degrees so the MN weather is going to be a challenge.  I hope to do as much running as i can when i get to MN to get use to the higher temps.  i hope the reace day is not as warm as it has been in the past.

So since my last post July 7th- I went on a couple more backpacking trips.  one i just got back from this monday.  This past trip was with my sister and we spent 3 nights in Denali National Park backpacking.  We planned on just kiding far enough off the road to be out of view from the  park road.  it was about 59 miles into the park.  We then just wanted to relax for a couple days, day hiking, reading, napping nad playing skip-bo.  we ended up having a very traumatice experience on the second day.  an easy day hike turned into a very very scary climb and hear helicopter rescue.  We found ourselves in a spot where we couldn't go back the way we came and we coudln't keep going down the river we were following.  instead of staying where we were and waiting for my mom to call the park to tell them we didnt' make it home which would have been the smartest and safest thing to do.  instead we decided to try to climb up a 700 ft elevation change ina quarter mil.  it was the most terrifiing experience of my life.  we literally clawed our way up this crumbly almost veritcal cliff side.  we were crawling using our hands, knees, feet, arms and every muscle we had.  i made it to a safe spot and was waiting for Riana to follow.  she was about 20 feet below me but i coudln't see her.  i heard a really big rock slide.  about 5 min. later i hear her yell my name only it didn't sounds 20 ft below me it sounded really far below me so i thought she had fallen in that rock slide.  i started to scream her name over and over and she didn't answer back.  at that moment i thought she had fallen and was probably dead or really close to it as it would have been a miracle to survive a fall from what we were climbing.  I got up the rest of the mountain and made my way down the other side in about 20 min.  i then was headed for the road which was about a mile along a really rocky river bed.  i had made it to the ri ver bed and had taken off running.  then i heard riana yelling again.  i coudn't hear what she was saying and didn't know if she was hurt or not. we were yelling bakc and fort for a little bit and i was really torn between trying to figure out if she was hurt or just go and getting help.  Then i happened to look up at the top of the mountain and i saw her.  i was really confused.  After she made it to the bottom we were both really happy to see each other.  She did not fall after all.  when she was 20 ft below me she couldn't climb the same way i had so she ahd to go around this rocky thing and so when she was yelling my name it was sounding far away .  and then she could hear me yelling her name and yelling for help but i coudln't hear her because of the wind.  she thought that i had fallen because i was screaming help over and over.  so luckily neither of us fell and we made it to the bottom again.  we were very very lucky.  we should not have made  t up that steep climb.  we were pretty much in shock the rest of the night and had nightmares all night and so we got up as early as we could and walked to the road and waited for the first but.  the bust ride was about 3 1/2 hours to get out of the park.  it wasn't until  we got to fairbanks that i started to feel better.  i have still been having nightmares.  i have also never been so sore in my life.  i have been more sore the last couple days than i have ever been from running.

well that wasn't a very cheery post but it's all that's been on my mind lately.  the trip before that, i went backpacking with my friend Jessica again and it went really well.  I didn't feel like taking pictures from that trip so jessica has them all.  

Good Bye Alaska

This is use bridesmaids and Riana the bride waiting for the wedding to start.  We are waiting in a 1974 VW Bus.  This the bus Riana got to Alaska originally.  

This is my Sister Riana, Brother Regan and me at the top of Angel Rocks.  

This is the bear Riana and I saw from the bus driving into Denali National Park.  It was just walking down the road.  IT didn't even look at the bus.  

This is from this past backpacking trip,  before the scary stuff.  

So on the 4th of July a bunch of my family and friends went to Denali National Park.  On the 4th we all went white water rafting.  That was so much fun.  We had amazing weather.  I don't have pictures of that yet but i will soon.  This first picture is from the next day when Riana, Sean, Nolita (riana's friend from MN), Shirley and Jessica and I took an 11 hour bus trip into the park.  The park is a little different than most parks.  there is only 1 road and only the park busses can go into the park.  They have a really cool system though.  so if you want to go hiking or backpacking you buy a bus ticket and you can take any green bus that might pass you.  so we were constantly picking up and dropping off hikers and backpackers.  you can drive in only if you have a special permit to get to one of several camp grounds in the park.  But you are only allowed to drive in once and out once so you can just drive around the park.  There main mission for the park is to keep the park untouched by humans.  The park is like 6 million acres big.  it is amazingly beautiful.  we had a really exceptional trip.  Denali, the mountain behind me is usually covered by clouds and it's rare to have it as clear as it is.  maybe 5-10 days a summer you can see it this well.  It was so cool.  

Our bus trip was 86 miles into the park up to Wonder Lake.  The water was surprisingly warm considering where it was and i would have definatley jumped in if i'd had my suit.  Along the way we found a really cool place to go backpacking.  we are going to do that sometime this summer soon.  I am excited about that.  Although 11 hours seemed way too long it was really cool to be able to see the mountain and we saw 3 bears and cubs and moose , a fox, some caribou and some cool birds.  riana said that the wildlife we saw was lame compared to past trips she's taken but it was still cool.  i wish i'd had binoculars though.  that would have been smart.  Definately go to Denali National Park if you have a chance in your life to do that.  Make sure you plans some hikes and such.  We could have gotten off our bus along the way and hiked and hung out for a while and then we could have just jumped onto another bus but we were all really tired from all the stuff we had been doing over the past 2 weeks.  

Wedding

So it has been awhile since my last post.  It has been a whirlwind of activities these past 2 weeks.  On June 28th was my sister Riana's wedding.  I didn't take very many pictures with all dressed up because i left that to the photographer and all the other people that were there and not in the wedding.  I don't have any of me in my dress yet.  The ceremony was very beautiful and personal.  Riana and Sean's really good friend Matthew married them.  In Alaska any Alaskan resident can obtain a one day license to marry someone.   Tessa and I played a violin and flute duet during the  ceremony.  She did a great job.  It was really cute.  It was not the nicest weather but it worked out.  It rained all the night before and up until about 20 min. before pictures.  Then it stopped and didn't rain again all the rest of the day or night.  That was nice.  After the ceremony the reception was held at this B&B.  It was so cool.  IT was a huge 5 story log home with a spiral staircase going all the way to the top with an observation deck at the very top with a balcony all the way around.  it was really cool.  We had the entire thing to ourselves.  It was a lot of fun.  The first picture is when Sean saw Riana for the first time in her dress that day.  The other 2 are from the rehearsal dinner the night before.  We had really good food at this place called Two Rivers Lodge.  It was excellent food and we had a great time visiting with everyone.  My grandpa and Uncle Larry were there and Perrin and Tessa and Sunny and Jo.  

OK SO this is us before we began our hike.  Jessica is on the left, shirley is in the middle and I am on the RIght.  We look happy and ready to go.  

This is Shirley and I at the top of a big Hill.  I don't think they were really hills.  It felt like mountains everytime we had to climb up one.  You can see behind us are many many more "hills" and that is what we saw in all directions.  It was pretty cool.

This is a picture taken in the morning.  WE were on the side of one of these hills and the ridge top is behind me.  This big cloud was coming up over the ridge and flowing down the side.  So you can see the bottom of the cloud coming over.  On the other side it was clear and blue.  IT was so cool.  Jessica and Shirley were still sleeping and missed this.  I think i'm standing in front of our tent.

This is part of the plane crash wreckage.  It was a pretty big plane.  This is one wing that is connected to the body of the plane.  the other wing is in lots of pieces scattered about.  you can see a lot of debris in front of the plane. The entire hill was covered in small pieces of metal and plane parts and wireing and such.  it was pretty amazing.  

So this is my cabin that i moved into on June 1st.  I will be staying here for the remainder of my stay in Alaska.  I had to go into the woods to take the picture from this angle.  I think they positioned the cabin wrong when they built it.  It is pretty cozy.  I like it.  I am not there very much of the day though.  I usually go and take showers at the University so i leave to do that and just plan on being gone most of the day doing stuff.  There is my scooter of course in the front.  I was just able to park there because there is a big mug whole but half of it dried up so i can pull in better.  Puma likes it there too i think.  He learned how to climb a latter because that is how i get up to my loft where my bed is.  He doesn't go down the latter yet.  Well a couple times he tried but fell most of the way down.  

Well that's there is to say about my cabin!

Water Skiing in Alaska? Am I crazy?

So yesterday I went water skiing in the Chena River.  This was pretty crazy.  I have never been water skiing in a river before so that was a little creepy.  The water was 40 or 50 degrees not sure but either way it was ice cold.  I got out on the shore and then walked in.  If you have ever gone in really cold water or had to take a cold shower you know what i mean.  As i was getting all the water in the water it was so cold i could hardly breath.  In a about a min or less my entire body went numb and i could no longer even feel that the water was cold.  So at that point I was thinking , mmm this isn't so bad.   I hadn't skied for a long time and the boat didn't have a lot of power so i took a 2nd try to get up and then it was really cold again because i was all wet and it was of course windy.  Luckily the sun was out and it helped.  The first person to go skiing skied for almost 30 min.  it was cloudy and raining the entire time he skied.  

So i skied past this restaurant along the river called Pike's Landing and waved to all the tourist who took pictures of the crazy person water skiing.  Then about 30 secs later i let go.  So i can say i went skiing in a freeing cold river on a crappy day.  

Someone took a picture but haven't gotten it yet.  will try and post it when i do.

OK so this worked better.  This is a picture from our hike.  This was the coolest thing.  We had to set up our tent in not the best location because it was raining and it was windy.  But as you can see we were very close to the end of this cliff.  This picture was taken in the morning.  Behind me is a big hill that goes to the top of the ridge.  The clouds were coming over that ridge and you can see the edge of the cloud in the right corner.  In the left corner was blue skies.  It was pretty cool.!

Facebook is better

OK so i like this blog thing so i can just ramble on and people will read it.  But it is terrible for posting pictures.  It took 15 min. to upload one picture and the so i tried another one and it never did upload.  And they have to be at the very bottom.  Maybe i just don't know what i'm doing but i don't have time to wait 15 to load one picture.  So all of you who do not have facebook should get an account and add me as a friend and then you can see all 70 pictures i have added already from Alaska and my Chena Dome hike.  

trust me everyone who is everyone has a facebook account.  Even my dad has one.  You would be surprised who is on that thing.

Thanks

Chena Dome

Alright!  So we went our on backpacking trip.  I have decided to get internet at my cabin because i do not get online as often as i like so when i do i end up spending all day at the university catching up on all my internet things and never getting to everything.  

So.  The backpacking trip was really fun and really hard.  I went with these two girls that i met, Jessica and Shirley.  This was their first backpacking experience.  The trip we were planning on doing was 30 miles, 2 nights 3 days.  We got off to a good start.  we were on the trail at about 11:30 the first day.  it was very hot and sunny for the first 3 miles.  not much shade.  we were in the trees only it was a burned forest so not much regrowth yet and very little shade.   we were really hot and it was mostly up hill for 3  miles.  Just past 3 miles was a nice rocky outcrop that was shaded and we stopped there for lunch.  we were going pretty slow because of the heat and the fact that it was up hill.  I think it took us about 3 hours.  Our trail discription told us that from mile 4-7 it was flat tundra with little elevation change. So we thought we'd make much better time for those 3 miles since it was FLAT and LITTLE ELEVATION CHANGE.   mile 4 was mostly up hill and miles 5-7 were hilly up and down.  we were beginning to think they were lying to us.  We did not make any better time the next 3 miles.  At mile 7 to 7.5 was suppose to be a steep decline followed by a half mile of very steep incline.  in 1/2 a mile we climbed 900 ft.  it was literally the cliff of insanity.  not only was it incredibly steep but the wind picked up considerably about half way up.  when we got to the top i could not believe that we had just hiked up it.  it was by far the most difficult thing i've done besides grand canyon.  

At the top of that awful hill it was very very windy with no place to get out of the wind.  we quickly dressed warmer and noticed the rain clouds blowing in.  We hiked another 1/4 mile to this little rocky outcrop and sat down to get out of the wind and get our rain gear on.  Only i was the only one with rain gear and water proof foot wear.  We were also starving so we managed to eat and get our bags protected from the rain and then it started to rain.  Jessica and Shirley got wet and cold very quickly.  So i decided to go and try to find a place to set up our tent.  I hiked about another 1/4 mile and found a relatively decent place to make camp.  It was down the side of the ridge and about 20 feet from a complete drop off cliff.   It was a little more protected from the wind but the wind was still really blowing.  So we began trying to set up the tent.  It was realy scary because the wind was strong we were afraid we would let go of the tent or the rain fly or the tarp or the tent bag and it would blow off the cliff.  It was raining and blowing and i had to remind myself how to set up my tent because it's a little confusing and i hadn't set it up in a while.  So after we finally got the tent set up and it was pretty we, the rain stopped and we got the rain fly on.  JEssica and Shirley got dry clothes on and i was still toasty warm and dry as could be.  I have been in their position before.  IT was nice to have all the proper equipment.

We had a good night.  I was cooked our ravioli on the cook stove.  The rest of the night was uneventful.  We woke up the next morning and hiked up to mile 8ish and saw the plane crash.  It was pretty cool.  The plane crashed in 1950.  THere was metal and plane pieces all over the side of the hill.  Then we went back to our tent and packed up and decided that it was going to take too long to complete the 30 miles.  I had to work on THursday night so we decided to go back the way we came.  we thought for sure because the way back was almost all down hill that we would make really good time.  We did not go any faster.  IT was hard going downhill for 6 out of 8 miles.  We got hailed on and the wind was really really strong.  the last 3 miles which were lower elevation so it was warm again and the sun came out so we got sun burned.

We made it back to the trail head after about 7 and 1/2 hours of hiking and found a cool little spot along the river and camped for the night.  We decided we had a lot of food to eat still so we camped and ate our food.  

IT was a really fun trip.  After we got back, Riana (my sister) told us that we hiked the hardest part of the trail and it was not nearly as challenging the rest of the trail.  Also the first time she had attempted to hike that trail she only made it to mile 4.  So we were proud of our accomplishment.  I think though that i might have to hike the whole thing because i don't like not finishing something.  But probably will wait until the end of the summer.    Will post pictures later cause i am out of time.

Spring?

So i've been in Alaska for almost 2 weeks.  It is still pretty chilly.  The other night i was going home from work and it was 41 degrees.  I actually got brain freeze riding my scooter.  I am staying at a house about 12 miles out of town for the next 4 days until my cabin is available.  It has running water.  There are 4 other girls living there from my church.  

I have already planned my first backpacking trip for this coming tuesday and wednesday night.  I met  a couple girls that want to go backpacking but never have and so we are going to go on this hike called Chena Dome.  It is a 30 mile hike that is mostly steep hills.  There is a plane crash wreckage at the top somewhere that is 50 years old.  The pilot died in the crash.  We are goign to be gone for 2 nights.  I will definately post some pictures.  I am excited though because i have never been on a hike where i was the most experienced.  So this will be a new experience for me.  I hope i don't get us lost or we don't starve to death. 

I don't have anything more exciting to report.  if you haven't scrolled all the way down the page there are some pictures i already posted.  

Visiting Riana and Sean's Cabin

I finally got to see where Riana and Sean have built their homestead.  They live 20 miles outside of Fairbanks.  It takes at least 30 min right now but can take longer depending on the conditions of the road.  For instance my mom had an hour added to a trip she took because there was a truck on fire in the middle of the road.  Many times someone will be in the ditch so they stop to help out.  Moose are always a distraction and the road itself is the worst part.  Most of the 20 miles is gravel road.  These are not your average gravel roads.  The entire time driving out there the i was thinking "these guys are crazy"  they drive this twice a day?  IT was so bumpy and muddy and twisty and turny and it was absolutely ridiculous.  Then we got to their driveway.  I thought the roads were bad.  This driveway is 1/4 mile long and it is no more than a logging trail gone bad.  And it is mostly up hill.  Now i really thought they were crazy.  And it wasn't even winter.  I couldn't imagine the roads/driveway with snow and ice (they don't plow their roads in AK)  So we came up to the top of the driveway and saw the cabin.  Then i knew exactly why they do what they do everyday.  Although the cabin is not finished yet it is absolutely amazing.  I saw pictures as they were in different stages of building and when they moved in, but they did not capture the magic of the place.   It is gorgeous.  IT is a log cabin with a deck that goes all the way around.  The cabin is 24x24 with a 3/4 loft.  It is completely surrounded by tall birch trees with little to no brush in the woods so you can see way into the trees.  Hopefully i can figure out how to upload pictures.  The inside is not finished yet.  They just got a refrigerator but have no kitchen cabinets.  They will be putting in hardwood floors and the upstairs is one big open room with no railing (scary)  they also just put in a sink (no running water of course)  with a bucket underneath.  IT is very cozy and warm and surprisingly very big (compared to my 7x7 sauna i had been staying in).  

I am not sure if i will attempt to ride my scooter out there.  They would have to meet me at the end of their driveway for sure.  IT would probably take me an hour to get there.  

Scooters are complicated

So it is Tuesday,  last night i had my first experience with rain and scooter.  Did not go so well.  it was barely sprinkling and there was still blue sky and sun so i didn't think it was going to stay raining.  I wanted to meet Riana and Michelle at the coffee house to use the internet.  So i got all dress up to ride my scooter which is: jeans, dansko shoes, long sleeve shirt, fleece jacket, rain jacket for rain and wind, helmet, sunglasses,  and of course had to load up my backpack with computer and such.  I pulled out onto the highway and made it about 2 blks and could not see.  the sprinkling rain turns into pouring rain when you go fast on a scooter.  so i turned around, got home took everything off  (jeans all wet)  and hung out in my sauna for about 10 min.   then looked out and it was perfectly not raining so i put everything back on and got to the coffee house a few min. after Riana and Michelle left.  

Today i wanted to go running and then take a shower.  I decided that if i went running from my sauna i would be too hot and sweaty to put on my riding clothes.  I decided to drive to the showers and run from there and then i'd be at the showers and things would be better.  So i had to wear my running clothes under my jeans and such and pack all my shower stuff, computer stuff because i shower at the University and they have free wi fi.  

i got to the parking lot and had to unpack my backpack into the trunk of my scooter and try to make things safe as i would have to leave everything there while i was running.  I got everything unpacked from backpack and was about to take off my jeans and i looked down and i was not wearing my running shoes.  So i packed up my backpack again and headed for the showers.  

I am getting a lot better and driving my scooter.  I got up to 50 mpr yesterday and today.  very scary.  It is fun riding it but it is a process.  my back is already sore from always carrying a backpack full of crap.  

And tonight is the last night i will spend in my sauna (still no camera cord to upload pictures)  I will get to spend the rest of may in the same cabin i lived in last time i was here.  Then i move into this really cute cabin that is next door.  It has a little deck and a balcony deck as well.  

I am going to start work today.  I found out the cook who i worked with last time (5 years ago)  was just fired a week ago.  He was my favorite chef.  I also helped him crack all the king crap for the king crab salads for the night.  I would graciously take time out my serving duties to help out.  It was a hard job but someone had to do it.  (he always set a little cup of butter next to me in case there was some crab that might not be good enough for the salads  :)  

He also sometimes "accidentally"  made an extra salmon or halibut dinner at the end of the night and i would have to eat it.  

Day 1, 2, 3

Ok so this is my first blog ever.  I have way too many people to tell about my travels to email everyone individually to tell the same stuff 37 times.  So i will tell of my adventures on this thing and that way i can tell about my trips and adventures.  Please email and i will email you back personally not as a mass.  But this way i can tell the story once.

So here I am in Alaska.  It has been a long 8 months to get here.  The flight was so very long and Puma did very well.  he did not like the taking off part.  My whole family was at the airport with big signs to welcome me.  it was 9:00 p.m.  AK time and after settling puma into my sauna (pictures to come) my mom, sister and her fiance sean went out to eat.  It was 11:30 p.m.  by the time i was back at my sauna and it was still sunny and bright as day.  It was so strange.  Silly me was not thinking about that part so i packed my head lamp, flashlight and tent light.  I have not seen darkness since Friday in MN.

Sunday was Riana's bridal shower and we went to this place called Angel Rock.  It is a really fun quick 3 mile hike up to the top of a big hill  to these granite tors that are sticking up out of the ground.  We did some bouldering and did not get killed.  Then we went to a natural Hot Springs for the rest of the evening.  It was fabulous.  We grilled caribou, hunted by two of the girls that were there.  It was really yummy.  

I experienced my first scooter ride in the rain.  I went about 2 blks and turned around.  I need to better prepare myself for rain.  hope it doesn't rain again until i can get some rain gear and a face shield for my helmet.  Fairbanks doesn't really have small residential streets like st. paul with little traffic.  everything is like Snelling or univeristy, lexington and such.  So it was a little scary at first with a big semi on my tail.  I am getting better at it.  

I start work at the Pumphouse tomorrow and am excited to get myself established independently from my family and meet some people.  Things are going good so far and am really happy to be here.