Here we go Aces!

We went to our first Alaska Aces hockey game. The Aces played the Utah Grizzlies, and unfortunately the Aces lost. It was a fun game. The Grizzlies tied it at the end, so it went to overtime. The score was 5 to 4 Grizzlies.

Cross country skiing

Last night, Eric and I went to Kincaid park after work. I love Anchorage in the fact that there are hundreds of miles of trails right in town. You don't have to travel up the mountain to get to skiing or mountain biking. It's all right here. Kincaid park like many Anchorage parks has lighted paths for night skiing. The parking lot was packed with people and families. It was around 10-15 degrees with a light wind. It's cold at first, but once you get going, you start to sweat. It's not at all like downhill skiing. This is a wonderful way to get some aerobic exercise.

It's easy to hunker down in Anchorage during the dark months, but now we have a fun activity. We just keep our skis and gear in the car at all times, so whenever we feel like it, we can go. It does not cost anything to use the parks in Anchorage ( I guess that's why property taxes are so high!). So, it's a cheap date night. I'm so glad Eric and I picked up some cheap skis at garage sales, because we are having a blast!

Christmas break

Eric and I enjoyed a nice 4 day Christmas weekend. I had to work at my part time gig, but other than that, we just relaxed. I've been dying to go cross country skiing for a few years now, so on Saturday we went to Kincaid park. Eric and I bought some cheap skis on Craig's list... So we were ready. We decided not to take our dogs, since we had no idea what we were doing. I am a good alpine skier, but this is different. Our snow has not been very good yet, so lots of rocks and tree roots were still showing. Kincaid park is an amazing place. There are lots of groomed trails for the skiing enthusiasts. They even have lighted trails for some night skiing.
http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/skiing/cros_top11.htm
http://alaska.org/maps/kincaid-park-anchorage-map.htm

Alaskans are SERIOUS cross country skiers. It was obvious that we had no clue what we were doing. I guess that there are directions that skiers must travel, and we were headed in the wrong direction. We were getting some dirty looks from seasoned skiers. We were also dressed like alpine skiers, with our heavy coats and all.

Eric and I did pretty well for our first go. I fell really hard on my butt, and was sore for days! If you don't fall, you don't learn right? Eric read in the paper that the Parks and Rec department offers skiing lessons starting in January. I think I'll start those!

On Christmas Eve, we headed up to the Eagle River Nature Trail. It was starting to lightly snow, which made it very beautiful. Quite a few people were hiking to various public use cabins or to yurts that are along the trail. Our dogs had a great time playing in the snow. Living in Anchorage, we have learned that you must carry a gun at all times when traveling to the backcountry. There are bears, and wolves to watch out for.

The dogs were off their leashes and were doing well at following us along the trail. They went off into the woods for a bit, and we had went down a hill. I called for Katie, and saw her quickly run off into the opposite direction. I panicked as ran after her. It took us almost 10 minutes to find her. Thankfully she was smart enough to sit down on the trail and wait for us to catch up to her. I think she got scared too. Anchorage does not have much snow, which is causing a problem with the wolves. With no snow, the moose can get away faster, and the wolves are running out of food. The wolves are now heading into the city limits and stalking people walking their dogs. About 10-20 dogs have been killed this winter by these wolves. So, that was another reason why I was so worried about losing Katie.

We hiked to Echo Bend, which is 4 or so miles up the trail. It was so quiet and peaceful out there. By the end of the hike we were all exhausted!

Merry Christmas from Alaska

Alaska had not received much snow, but that all changed today. Anchorage received almost 1 foot of snow over Christmas. Everyone was getting pretty worried about it. What's Alaska without snow? We had a relaxing day at home opening presents, talking to family and eating good food. My dad sent the dogs a toy ball, and as you can see Jake loved it!

Ready, Aim, Fire!

We took a drive up north, and ended up in the Mat-su river valley. It looks much different in the winter. We need to work on some target practice, since we have bears! I have no idea what kind of gun that was, but it was fun. We did not stay out too long because it was freezing!

Our Anniversary

Today, we celebrated out 6th anniversary hiking in the Chugach Mountains. We stayed at The Alyeska Resort in Girdwood. That's Alaska's big ski resort. We are hiking around Hope, AK which is a tiny community on the Turnagain Arm. Not many people live in Hope, and I heard they are going to shut down the school since there are less than 10 students attending. The day was crisp and cool, but it was nice to be out enjoying the scenery.

Watch out for bears!

Moose by the road

Trail closure due to bear activity. Eagle River, AK (You are fined if you go back there!)

A bear proof food storage container located at the public use cabin. Eagle River, AK

Eric and I went hiking at the Eagle River Nature center which is 12 miles from our house. The salmon are runnin' and so the bears are out in full force feeding on them. Some of the trails were blocked because of bear activity.

We hiked up to the public use cabin, and saw the food storage container. All food must be placed in bear proof containers, or you can expect an unwanted guest!

Biking along Seward Highway

Eric was in Bethel working, so I decided to pack up my mountain bike and head for the Seward Highway. It was another beautiful day, and 75 degrees. Alaska is a biking bonanza. There are trails everywhere. I took the trail that follows the Seward Highway and overlooks the Turnagain Arm. This shot was so awesome, I even impressed myself. The purple flowers are called fireweed. I biked for a few hours enjoying the sun and scenery. I even got a sunburn!

Our first boat outing

At the toll booth out side Whittier, AK

Eric, our rig and our new boat!

A beautiful day in Alaska!

Waiting in line to go through the tunnel to Whittier.

Eric did not have to twist my arm for this thing. Talk about living the Alaskan dream. We bought a 21 foot Hewscraft boat, and couldn't be more excited. Everyone here has a boat and/or motor home. We hooked up our boat to the truck, and headed for the port town of Whittier. It was a beautiful day. Whittier is about 60 miles south of Anchorage and is at then end of a long tunnel. The tunnel is only one lane, so everyone must wait until traffic flows in your direction.

We unloaded out boat at Whittier, and I waited until Eric parked the truck. Whittier is filled with serious fishermen, and I was a bit nervous. I noticed that the boat looked kind of funny in the water, but thought nothing of it. I got in after about 10 minutes or so, and realized the boat was filled with water!!!!! We quickly tried to get the boat out, and were totally embarrassed. Eric had not put the boat plugs in, and it filled with water! We were very upset with ourselves, and went home. We are now the joke of our friends! Great........

Salmon Fishing

This is the dip net.

Eric trying his hand at dip netting at the mouth of the Kenai River.

Karen displaying her fillet of red salmon. Eric catches them, and I cut em!

Eric is fishing for silvers in Bird Creek, about 20 miles south of Anchorage.

Here are some picures of our fishing adventures. Eric and I went to Bird Creek to fish for silvers. There were lots of people out, as well as brown bears. The brown bears hang out just up the creek, but usually stay away from the fishermen.

There is a technique to fishing, and we were trying to learn as much as we could. One guy helped us learn how to correctly cast among so many fishermen, so that was helpful. He was getting a bit cocky though, as he "caught" a young girl in the ear. Not many girls are out on the creek, so I was talking to another female fisherman, and as we chatted, the guy's hook caught her right in the ear! She ended up going to the ER to get the hook removed. I've heard that the ER is full of people with hooks stuck in various body parts during the summer months!

We then headed down to Kenai to try dip netting. This is only for Alaska Residents. You take a large dip net to the mouth of the Kenai, and scoop reds out of the water. It was a blast. A family is allowed 50 fish per year. The beach had thousands of fish heads along the shore. This is one of the largest salmon runs in Alaska. More than 1 million fish swim through those waters during the summer. It's amazing!

It took Eric an hour or so to get the hang of dip netting, but once he got it down, he was nailing them. We ended up with a cooler full of fresh salmon. YUM! Thousands of people set up "fish camp" along the shores. The dip netting season is very short, so people camp out. We had a great time, and can't wait to do it again next summer.

Hiking Flattop Mountain

Today, was a beautiful Alaska day. We decided to take mom and Aunt Kathy for a hike to flattop mountain. This was something we always wanted to do, but since grocery shopping was always a priority, we never were able to take advantage of these types of activities.

It's hard to believe, that just a few days ago, we were living in Bethel. It feels like Bethel is a million miles away. I still get a tear in my eye when I see the Chugach Mountains. I've wanted to live in Anchorage for so long, it's still hard to think we live here now.

Flattop is a popular local hike. The first few miles were pretty easy, but we quickly realized, the hike to the top would be a bit of a challenge. Eric and I were impressed at how well mom and Kathy did. We did not realize how strenuous it would be, and were not really prepared. The last 1/2 mile or so was up a rock cliff, which was pretty steep and slippery. I was sucking wind, but the trip was worth it. The view from the top was truly breath taking. You could see the entire Anchorage bowl. Amazing! Kathy decided not to attempt the rock wall, but mom made it to the top. Eric and I had gone ahead, and we could hear her at the base of the rock wall. She followed some teenagers up the mountain. They had to pretty much pull her to the top, but she made it!

The trip down was a bit treacherous. The rocks were pretty slick, so I did a lot of sliding on my butt, so I wouldn't fall. It was a good time, and everyone was beat by the end.

Movin out of Bethel!

See ya later YK delta!

Alaska Airlines flight 46 .

On Friday, June 22, I left Bethel for the last time. I worked until 5 pm, then hopped on the 8 pm jet for Anchorage, where Eric was waiting. It was a tough day with alot of emotions. I cried as I boarded the plane, but was ready to start our new life in Anchorage.

People don't really understand our decision to live in the Bush, and that is just fine. I did not do this for them, I did it for us and I will forever be grateful for the lessons I learned while in Bethel. For me, moving to Alaska was the best thing I ever did. Bethel taught me to accept people for who they really are and to enjoy our differences. That is completely different than my life in Utah, where I was taught if you don't fit the Utah mold - then you are not accepted. I finally feel that I fit in, and I can just be me - and people like me for who I am. I knew there was more to life out there, and I'm grateful I found it in Alaska.

I had to admit, that I was ready to leave the Bush, but I'm not ready to leave Alaska. Everyone thinks that Eric was the reason why we are still here, which is completely untrue. We love Alaska, and I can't imagine living back in the cookie-cutter life of Utah. People are a tough breed up here, which is refreshing.

I'm excited to have this time to explore more of Alaska, but am sad to leave behind the toughest thing I have ever done.

My Birthday!

Good food and fun at the bonfire.

We love Smores!
Janna and I celebrated our birthday on June 2, Bethel Style! We had all of our friends over for a bonfire BBQ. It was a great time. We ate, laughed, and enjoyed each other's company. It's hard to believe that in just a few days, I will leave all of my great friends.

Girl's Night

The Girls

Playing pit

At midnight, the girls sang "happy birthday" to Janna and I. Yes, we have the same birthday! On May 31, some of the girls who moved away came back to Bethel for a visit. The entire weekend was filled with food, laughing, and fun. Friday night, we all played "pit" for hours - no boys allowed! We were so loud, that we could be heard all throughout the complex!

At midnight, Janna and I were presented with our birthday crowns - which we were told we must wear at our birthday BBQ.

Breakup 2007

Breakup 2007

Everyone gathering down by the river for the breakup bash.

Everyone lining up for free hotdogs on the grill.

A local band getting ready


On Thursday evening, the Kuskokwim River officially broke. This means winter is over, and fishing can begin. Friday night Janna and I headed down to the breakup bash - an annual event that celebrates the return of summer. We ate free hotdogs, talked with friends, and listened to some music.

Getting ready for breakup

The river by Bethel - gettin' ready for breakup!

These are some pictures I took of the Kuskokwim River. Breakup is a HUGE deal here. It means winter is FINALLY over, and subsistence fishing can begin. Just about everyone on the YK delta is connected via e-mail, and each day lots of people post what is happening with the river. Eric has told me that up river, people already have their boats in the water. That's crazy because there are still huge chunks of ice floating in the river.

The tripod with the Alaska flag is hooked to a digital clock. As soon as the tripod moves 200 feet, the clock stops, and that marks the official time for breakup. It should happen pretty soon. Our temps are in the high 40ies, low 50ies, and we are not dipping below freezing at night anymore. The sun is up at 6-7 am and does not set until after 11 pm. I love the midnight sun!

I'm sure I'll be posting more on the breakup later.....