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.