Iditarod 2009 is wrapping up

If it's March, it must be Iditarod time. Here's the 2009 Iditarod page at the Anchorage Daily News with all your update information. Before I go, here's a cute picture of Larry the lead dog. He looks a lot like a husky I used to have named Indy.

Bike riding across Canada and Alaska

As I read a story about Lance Armstrong working on his comeback in Italy this morning, I'm reminded of the bicycle riders I used to see in Alaska and Canada. Back in May of 2007 I'd be driving down some rural road, see a couple of bike riders, wave as I passed them by, and then anywhere between 1-5 minutes later I'd see a bear on the side of the road. I always wondered what became of those bike riders? Did they really become "Meals on wheels" for the bears, or did they just wave and ride on by?

Denali, from Talkeetna

Wow, I just ran across this picture of Denali that I took from Talkeetna, and just had to share it here. This picture was taken while looking across the Talkeetna River (and partially the Chulitna River) looking to the northwest at Denali.

Mount Redoubt, active volcano

I've been reading the news stories about Mount Redoubt the last few days, and it looks like it really is an active volcano, and may soon kick out some lava and ashes. One of the pictures I've attached below has the phrase "fire and ice", and all I can say is no kidding, an active volcano in the middle of winter -- how cool is that?

I don't know too much about Mt. Redoubt yet, but I'll share what I do know. I've been to Homer several times, and these pictures were taken from Highway 1 (the Sterling Highway), somewhere between Ninilchik and Anchor Point, Alaska, looking across the Cook Inlet at both Mt. Redoubt and Mt. Iliamma. Without any further ado, here are several pictures of Mt. Redoubt and Mt. Iliamma, along with pictures of two road signs that give nice descriptions and history of the mountains and wildlife in this area.

You know you're from Talkeetna when ...

I learned last week that I have a Facebook account, so out of curiosity I logged in (after having the password changed so I could log in), and then poked around. After a little while I started doing searches on Talkeetna, and then I found a wonderful post by my ex-landlord (Mike -- the landlord who I actually never met -- and his wife, Mindy) titled "You know you're from Talkeetna when ..."

The call of the wild

I woke up this morning with a bad case of The Call of the Wild, which, yes, is just like the book of the same name. It's that feeling of wanting to be "out there", in the snow, deep in a forest, or climbing a mountain. Just you and nature, mano a mano, one of those times when you have to "risk it all just to feel alive".

Once again, Heather Lende describes the feeling very well in her book If You Lived Here I'd Know Your Name:

If You Lived Here I'd Know Your Name

Lately I've been reading a wonderful book about small-town Alaska named If You Lived Here I'd Know Your Name, by Heather Lende. Ms. Lende has been a contributor to the Christian Science Monitor and NPR's Morning Edition, and she lives in Haines, Alaska. At the beginning of the book she writes about life and death in Alaska, and one of my favorite quotes comes from this section of the book, where a woman discusses the events following the death of her father:

"In the Lower 48, for thousands of dollars strangers will take over and do everything for you, in the mistaken assumption they are helping. It was so much easier for me to work through the grieving process when I had an active role in the preparations for the burial."

Veterans Day weather forecast for Alaska

Ever wonder what the weather is like in Alaska? Well, tomorrow is Veterans Day, November 11, 2008, and it looks like a calm and mild day all the way from Seward up to Prudhoe Bay (Deadhorse). Here are the brief forecasts for each town in mid-Alaska, starting in the mid-south at Seward, and working our way up to the top.

Seward, Alaska

Rain and snow. No snow accumulation. Highs in the 30s. East wind 10 to 25 mph except east 35 to 45 mph through Portage Valley and Turnagain Arm.

Anchorage, Alaska

Cloudy with a chance of rain and snow. Highs in the lower to mid 30s. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph except southeast 30 to 45 mph along Turnagain Arm and higher elevations.

Seward, Alaska pictures: A philosophical garbage dumpster

These Seward, Alaska pictures are actually from September 20, 2008, but since I'm feeling really lazy today, and there's nothing special about the date in relation to these pictures, I'm just going to post them with today's date.

"Look for peace,  look for love, look for good things, look for moose." I can dig that. Both pictures remind me of Northern Exposure quite a bit.

Pictures from Downtown Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage, Alaska pictures: Fog hung around until almost 11 a.m. today, and after that I just walked around downtown Anchorage for a while this morning. There are lots of cool sites if you happen to be a first time tourist, or even a seasoned tourist spending his last day in Anchorage this year.

Hmm, let's start with the fog:

He's baaaack (Hello, Talkeetna)

Wow, it felt great to be back in Talkeetna again today. For some reason I felt hesitant about going back, but on the road it was like, yeah, this is good, like coming home again. In a way, the whole trip has been like coming home again.

Okay, enough of that mushy, sentimental hogwash stuff -- on to the pictures!

Hello Nagleys grocery store:

The Middle Way Cafe

If you happen to be looking for the best sandwiches for lunch (or dinner) in all of Anchorage, Alaska, the Middle Way Cafe is the place to be. Service might be a little slow some days, but the food is worth the wait. And since they moved into their new digs, they have plenty of room if you do have to wait. The coffee is good too.

Fall in Alaska

Here are two quick snapshots off the iPhone from today's trip from Anchorage up to Talkeetna and back again. First, you can see fall is in full bloom up here. Trees are significantly more orange here than they were in Seward and Homer:

Mountains over Wasilla

Alaska is so beautiful that even a simple car ride from Anchorage to Wasilla results in beautiful scenery that you won't find in most other places.

Here is a sequence of two pictures taken from inside my car as I approach Wasilla from the south. The first picture shows a mountain range towering over the road, with an airplane crossing the sky.

Hatcher Pass Lodge (I missed you)

Time is running out on this trip, and I'm not going to stay at the Hatcher Pass Lodge this week as I had hoped to. However, having driven Hatcher Pass nearly 10 times last summer -- and seeing these cabins every time I drove by -- I can guarantee that if you ever visit the lodge you'll see some incredible scenery.

The lodge is in an area near Independence Mine -- and unlike Hatcher Pass itself -- the road that leads from Wasilla, Alaska up to the lodge is entirely paved, so there's no problem taking a rental car to get there. And once you're at the lodge, you'll be at least half way up the side of a mountain range, and hiking in this area is incredible, and all the scenery, including the river, the mine, and everything in the mountains, is incredible. All that, and you're also only about 30-40 minutes from Wasilla, home of grocery stores, restaurants, and (yuk) civilization.

The long drive to Homer

As I took the long drive out of Homer yesterday, I realized for the fourth time what a beat-down that drive is. The first couple times I thought it was just me, but man, that drive wears me out. So instead of driving on to Talkeetna yesterday as planned, I decided to just take a break and stop here in Anchorage.

I think there are several reasons for the beat-down. First, it's roughly a four-hour drive, so it's not something you want to do too often anyway. Second, it's a narrow, two-lane road almost the entire way, and the traffic is heavier on this road than almost any other road I've been on in rural Alaska. That's not to say that's it's heavy, but there is always someone else nearby, so the chances of spotting wildlife are remote. Third, though you could easily drive faster in most spots, the speed limit is 55 MPH most of the way.

Fishing in Cooper River, Alaska

Okay, I'm not a fisherman, but if I ever do start fishing, the first place I'd go is Cooper River in Alaska. Every time I drive past Cooper River (on the way to Homer) I'm impressed by the green water, the small town that's been built along the sides of the roads, and most importantly all the fishermen either standing in the river or on the banks of the river. For me, it's pretty amazing -- I've never seen anything like it.

I guess if you come to Alaska to go fishing and you also want a private, secluded spot, Cooper River might not be the place for you. But if you want an entire community that seems built up for nothing else but to support fishing and the fisherman, Cooper River is your place.

Homage to Alaskan dogs

Here's my brief homage to dogs in Alaska. First, the friendly dog/waiter from the coffee shop in Seward, Alaska:

Homer Theater

Well, if you get completely rained out while you're here in Homer, you can always go to the Homer Theater to check out a movie. As you can see it's just a little on the small side. As I walked the town last night I came by the theater, and wow, they do pack in quite a crowd.

Jenny Lane Cottage in Homer

When I told a nice lady at the Cosmic Kitchen that I was thinking about staying at the Land's End at the end of the Homer Spit, she suggested I stay at the Jenny Lane Cottage instead. And I have to thank her, the view from here is incredible, and I like being able to easily walk this area of town.