Living in Alaska - Life in the Last Frontier

I have been fairly busy since we got home from Valdez.  We’ve had a few occasions of rain, and it brought thunder with it. I just love the sound of thunder, particularly at night as I’m falling asleep. And nothing beats the clean smell of the air just as rain begins to fall.

We’ve also had gloriously sunny days, today being one of them. A few days ago, we even climbed into the mid 70s, or maybe higher. Mostly it’s been in the 60s, with a slight breeze - which is just perfect.

We’re seeing more and more changes in the landscape as we make our way through August. On the way home from Valdez, Steve and I saw some golden patches in the aspens and birch trees. Nothing too extensive yet, but definitely a sign of things to come. The berries of the dwarf dogwood are a rich red now, and contrasted with the green leaves, they remind me of Christmas holly.  The leaves on the prickly rose bushes are starting to turn orangey-red, while the rose hips seem to get bigger and juicier looking every day. Autumn will be here before we know it.

Steve and I stopped several times on our drive back from Valdez last Wednesday. We woke that morning to light rain, and a thick fog laying low over the marsh. It was quite beautiful, and a fine send-off for our trip home. Here are the photos I took on the drive home, along the Richardson Hwy:

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We didn’t win again this year. *sigh*

We’re both very disappointed, especially because Steve is off the entire week surrounding the Road Lottery weekend. It would have been great to drive into Wonder Lake and enjoy the landscape and wildlife. We’ll try again next year.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. If the weather cooperates (this means if it doesn’t snow in mid-September), we’re considering an ‘end of season’ trip to Cordova.

Cordova can only be reached via plane, boat, or ferry. The Alaska Marine Highway (Ferry System) has a “fast ferry” from Valdez to Cordova that only takes 3 hours. The fare for both of us to travel to and from Cordova with Steve’s truck is about $376. We could save a few dollars by taking my car, but there are some areas we’d like to explore which are definitely off-road. Steve’s truck would be a necessity for that.

Here’s a map showing where Cordova is in relation to Valdez:

Cordova is known for its Copper River red salmon, but I don’t know if there will still be good fishing in mid-September.  The one thing we do want to see is the “Million Dollar Bridge” and Child’s Glacier. Child’s Glacier is about 50 miles out the highway from Cordova - at the road’s end.

There’s nothing carved in stone in regards to this trip. It will be a spur of the moment decision, based on weather here in the interior, how far we’ve advanced into autumn, and our feelings about not only a long drive to Valdez, but spending the money to continue on to Cordova.

We might just decide to drive the Denali Highway from Paxson to Cantwell instead. Or not.

Last year, in mid September, we were already seeing temperatures at the freezing level, and snow in the higher elevations. When that happens, staying home is usually the most desirable option.

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I wanted to let you all know that my brother Mike has returned to work, and things at his job aren’t the best. There is talk of layoffs, which doesn’t bother him as much as losing his benefits. Mike is a super smart guy, so this could be an opportunity for him to find something that he can put his whole heart into; something he loves to do.

Coming home to a quiet house has been tough. I think about him at night, imagining how hard it is to walk into his house and not find Lisa there with a smile, as she prepares dinner for the family. In a recent email he wrote that he was thankful for frozen pizza, although he did marinate some meat the other day and was planning to cook a ‘real’ meal. I wish I lived closer and could cook a few meals for them - even though my kitchen skills are severely lacking and wouldn’t come anywhere close to matching Lisa’s.

So many changes, on top of their sorrow. I wish them all strength.

Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue. ~John Muir

Steve and I spent yesterday on a Stan Stephens catamaran (a very large catamaran), cruising out to Columbia and Meares glaciers, and enjoying the many sights along the way. It was a perfect day for cruising, with abundant sunshine, encounters with wildlife, and spectacular scenery.

The day before the cruise (Sunday) was a wet one, with rain falling from the time we woke, until later in the afternoon. But when the clouds finally cleared, and the rain stopped falling, we did as so many others - we went out for a nice walk around town.

Some of the shops were closed because it was Sunday. That was surprising, as I assumed that since it was the tourist season, they’d be open. Remember the days when nothing was open on Sunday?

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