Denali National Park and the Interior

Brian parents wanted to see Mount McKinley and Denali National Park during their visit this summer, and we were happy that Brian's schedule allowed us to join in as well. We all drove to Anchorage (4.5 hours) for a night, and then the kids rode the train to Denali with Chick, Pat, and Linda (7.5 hours) while Brian and I drove (5 hours). 
The last time we were in Anchorage there was snow on the ground.  The drive this summer was beautiful because the fireweed was in full bloom. 

The highway was lined with purple flowers and there were purple patches high up on the green mountainside. 

The kids obviously loved the train.  It was a double decker train and they sat on the upper level outfitted with a glass dome for better viewing.  Here they are before boarding the train.

 

Mount McKinley, often referred to as Denali (the great one), is only visible one out of three days, or so we read.  So, we were happy when we were afforded a glimpse on our drive up.  Some of the best views of the mountain are from an hour or so outside the park. The peak of the mountain is sticking out just on top of the clouds if you have good eyes. 

There is only one road into the park and you can drive your car up to mile 15 of 92, so if you really want to see the park, you take a bus.  There are two types of buses:  park bus and tour bus.  They are both school buses, although the tour buses have installed slightly upgraded seats, provide more thorough narration by the driver, a box lunch, and television screens that the allow the driver to use a special camera to zoom in on any wildlife you might stop to view.  Oh, and the tour bus costs four times as much.  If you know Brian and I, you know we really struggled with paying more when there was a cheaper alternative.  In fact, we debated not going in to the park at all because we have already seen all of the potential wildlife save for caribou.  But, we shelled out the bucks and were rewarded with an amazing tour...

Braided stream, common throughout the park

Grizzly bear mowing down soap berries.  Our tour guide explained that the bears experience hyperphagia, excessive hunger followed by an abnormally large intake of food during the summer months.  I also eat out of a fear of being hungry.  I'm glad to finally give legitimacy to my "condition."  Hyperphagia explains my bizarre eating habits.

Another braided stream running through the park. You can see a little gold coloring on the lower part of the mountain as the fall colors are making an appearance in late July!  I think the park would be amazing to see in mid to late August when the tundra is its most colorful.

 

Dall sheep being majestic on the rocks

Caribou

Caribou with a better view of the velvety antlers.  I learned that caribou are the only member of the deer family where both males and females have antlers.  They lose and grow new antlers each year.  As the antlers are growing they are covered in a fur called velvet that helps get nutrients to the antlers to help them grow.   

 

Artic ground squirrel.  He really wanted to hang out with me.

 

View of Parks Road with Mount McKinley through the clouds

 

Another grizzly with fireweed in bloom behind him.

 

 

Dall sheep on the side of the road.  Crazy amazing.  The bus stopped a couple times at designated areas so we could stretch our legs and use the outhouse.  It would also stop for any wildlife.  Our ride was 8-9 hours and we went to mile marker 53.  It's a 12 hour ride to make it to Wonder Lake and the end of the road.

 

Another caribou

 

Another grizzly.  I think we saw 6 brown bears in total, but this was the only one with the cinnamon fur color.  The others were more blond like the ones we encountered fishing on the Russian River earlier this summer.

 

This is so you can see the bus and how the animals are really non-phased by its presence.  It is possible to hike in the park by taking the park bus that allows you to hop on/off any bus that comes by, and it is also possible to camp in the park if you apply for a permit.

 

I feel obligated to include a photo of the ptarmigan since it's the Alaska state bird.

 

While we were riding the tour bus with Linda, Chick and Pat took the kids to a dog mushing kennel owned by former Iditarod champion Jeff King.  They learned about the 1,000 mile sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome and how the mushers care for themselves and the dogs during those 2 weeks.  The kids were able to play with the husky pups, and now both of the kids have decided they want to run the Iditarod.

 

 

Behind Kate is the running wheel they use to exercise the puppies hamster style.

 

The day after our trip, Chick and Pat went into the park and we headed to Fairbanks (2 hours by car).  We stayed in a hotel with a small pool for the kids and then we explored Pioneer Park where we learned about gold rush history and remembered what it's like to feel hot.  Summer temperatures in Interior Alaska soar (mid 70s) and this was a record breaking summer.  It might have hit 80 while we were there.  By contrast the average summer high in Homer is 60.  The kids required ice cream twice daily to cool off.

We also bought gold pans and set off to Pedro Creek where gold was first discovered in the Fairbanks area in 1902.  The creek is still open to the public for panning and we hear it's not uncommon to find gold flakes.

To be quite honest, everything looked like gold at first, since there were so many shiny things in the water...pyrite, mica, and who knows what else. 

 

Slowly we started, picking out a few flakes that seemed to be contenders.  It was difficult to get them out of the pan, so we just used our finger tip to wipe it on a hand towel.  An eye dropper would have been ideal.  As we were just about to leave, James pick up the towel and shook it so he could dry his hands.  We all shouted, "NO!" so loudly that he started to have quiver lip and teary eyes.  Then, we all started laughing as we lost our 4 teeny tiny, maybe flakes of gold.
On our way back we stopped to view the famed Alaska Oil Pipeline that runs 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez.

 

 

We actually went back to Pioneer Park to see if the gold panning shop was open.  The guy in there was no Old Timey Prospector, in fact he recently bought the shop this summer.  He appeared to be in his early 20s, and said he learned gold panning techniques from watching Youtube videos.  Nonetheless, he taught us a lot about technique and we really should have gone to his shop before panning for gold on our own.  We all came home with a small vial containing 5-6 gold flakes, our own gold pans, and a better understanding for the process.  I hear there are places to pan on the Kenai peninsula, so maybe we'll try again later.

Learning how to pan for gold in Pioneer Park

 

We also celebrated James's 4th birthday in our Fairbanks hotel,

and visited the University of Alaska Fairbanks museum.  Kate is ready to apply for college there.  She is focusing on dog mushing opportunities and ignoring the -60 winter temps.

The museum had a nice exhibit on native Alaskan communities and another fascinating one on the gold rush.  I thought it was interesting, James not so much...

The day after we told Kate we were moving to Alaska last year, we went to the library and checked out books and travel videos about Alaska to help us get excited.  One of the videos was a family with small children traveling in Alaska by motorhome.  We loved that they stopped in Homer, went sea kayaking, ate seaweed, and saw moose.  Kate's favorite part of the video was visiting the ice museum at Chena Hot Springs.  I think this is because there was an ice toilet in the video, but either way Kate's Alaska bucket list is pretty short:  go to ice museum and see Iditarod.  I've never been in hot springs before, so I wanted to go as well.  It was another 1.5 hours from Fairbanks along a scenic road dotted with moose.

The hot springs were hot (107), but lovely as well.  In the morning they were too hot for me.  It was at least 112 at 10am and I couldn't get all the way in until they pumped a little more cool water in to moderate the temperature. The indoor pool was also spring feed, so very warm (94).  The kids had a blast swimming while all the adults popped in and out of the springs for as long as our bodies could handle.

Brian taking a swim

 

James investigating the steam coming off the water in the morning.  Because the four of us shared a hotel room for a week, Brian and I took turns sneaking out early when James woke up and going out for breakfast in the hotel while Kate and the other one of us slept in.  Below, James and I out for early pancakes.

 

The resort uses geothermal energy from the springs to power the resort and North America's northernmost greenhouse.  If you're willing to pay they have all kinds of tours available.  We, however, went straight for the ice museum.

 

Everything inside is made of ice...the bar, stools, glasses, etc.  There are even rooms to rent and a tiny wedding chapel.  What an awful idea.

Brian and Kate snuggle into one of the beds at a cozy 25 degrees.  We were told there would be a new reindeer pelt provided if we wanted to rent the room. 

Kate couldn't have the martini from the ice bar, but she did take and eat the glass instead. 

 

Since many signs and menus at Chena Hot Springs are in Japanese, they obviously do a fare amount of international business.  It is an ideal place to see the Aurora Borealis, visible over 200 days a year.  Since it barely gets dark in summer, we did not see the northern lights, but if you have to come to the interior of Alaska in the winter or want to see the northern lights, I would come to the hot springs.

 

The 12 hour trek back to Homer wasn't too bad as we invested in seat back DVD players for the kids, and we split up the trip by stopping in Anchorage for the night.

Here they are cooling off again with ice cream while watching old school Scooby Doo episodes.

 

 

When we passed back by Mt. McKinley, it was a beautiful day and again we could see the summit above the clouds.

We also passed the Batmobile?  Oh the things you will see on an Alaskan adventure!

July

The ship was out for the first 10 days of July, but there were quite a few events to keep us busy.  All of our moving around has taught me that the 4th of July is best celebrated in a small town, and Homer is no exception.  The American Legion put on a children's carnival.  I expected rubber ducks in a plastic pool and a pie eating contest, and I was correct, but there were many more booths and games too.  The kids had a blast and really love that they run into people they know everywhere.  Kate is to the age where she can just roam a small event like this with her buddies and feel really independent.

The Homer parade was in the evening and I worried a bit about the inevitable unequal distribution of candy because Kate is an animal at these events.  James usually doesn't care though so I just hoped for the best.  All my worry was for not though because James is also an animal.   When the U.S. Senator came by in the car, James ran up with his hands out, "Where is the candy?" he yelled.  He also had a technique I've never seen before whereby he would follow the float down the street and keep catching candy from the same float, stepping in front of the people waiting along the curb.  Unorthodox, embarrassing (for me), and successful all at the same time.

Kate, James, and friends waiting for the parade to start.

 

Here is when it all breaks down: Kate loses all civility when the first piece of candy is tossed out.

 

Early July also brought the second annual Kachemak Bay Highland Games.

Fish and chips, tartans, and of course pipes and drums never disappoint.  The Crow Creek Pipe and Drum Corps that came down from Anchorage to play donned the Ramsay plaid as well.  Banner day.

 

James wore the kilt my grandfather brought to me from Scotland when I was just a wee one and made us all proud competing in the children's caber toss (cardboard carpet roll--genius!),

 

stone put, and Alaska's unique salmon toss.

 

 

  

Although the salmon in the toss was stuffed, the second run of "real" sockeye salmon started in mid-July.  There are five types of salmon here: 
Sockeye (Red)
Pink
Coho (Silver)
King (Chinook)
Chum

I have decided to focus all my efforts on the reds because they are most delicious.  Lucky for us, the state marks specific areas for personal use dip netting for Alaska residents only.  We are now Alaska residents (more on that this fall), so we can take 55 sockeye salmon for our household.  We are constantly learning about the subsistence living opportunities provided to Alaska residents.  First, it was one Christmas tree, now it's 55 of some of the best salmon in the world.  Standing around with a rod and reel seems silly when you can drop a net with a six foot diameter in the river to catch salmon swimming upstream. 

Until now, I've never caught a fish in my life, so I am very happy with this method.  We went on three different occasions and brought home 24 fish.  Many families drive for hours and camp at the beach until they get their quota.  It's a crowded, crazy scene during dip net season.  We are lucky to be 1.5 hours from the Kasilof and Kenai Rivers, so we made day trips.  It is certainly easier than casting and reeling in, but at times it felt like playing a slot machine.  We would check the sonar counts (below) and tide charts each night and try to predict when the run would spike. 

The fish come in waves.  The river is lined with people dip netting and either everyone is standing and talking or everyone is catching fish faster than they can put them in the bucket.  On our first trip, Brian was catching so quickly that I became in charge of gutting.  Not the role I had envisioned for myself, but Alaska does not disappoint in the crazy adventures department and I always love learning something new.

The kids were fired up for the first couple and helped to bonk the fish (put them out of their misery) and clip the tails (a dip net catch requirement).

Then, they took to building sand castles.  Next year, we hope to hit our quota as we will be better prepared with the necessary gear.  We are currently taking reservations for our guest room next summer...want to come visit in mid-July to witness the spectacle, watch the kids for us while we fish, and most importantly eat wild Alaskan sockeye salmon?

After watching YouTube videos, talking to friends, and even watching the guys on the spit, we are halfway decent at filleting our own catch.  Here is Brian at the public fish cleaning station on the Homer spit.

 

 

Brian's has mastered the smoked salmon already. Amazing.

Brian and the crew tapped into to some great fishing spots this month as well.  The ship worked buoys during the day and then dropped anchor for the night in what they hoped to be good halibut fishing spots.  Apparently, over half the crew was out at two in the morning fishing (still light out of course).  Assembly line fillet and vacuum sealing allowed many crew members to come home and stock their freezes.  Perfect timing for us as we had just run out of last summer's supply. 

Someone on board caught a giant octopus, so there was 3am ceviche and calamari too. 

 

The weather in July continued to break records.  It seemed like everyday was sunny and warm(ish).  The kids went for another swim in the bay,

and we took out our paddle board for some stand up paddle on the reservoir.

Kate is getting pretty good.

 

Tutka Bay Lodge, accessible only by boat, helicopter or float plane, is a high end wilderness lodge across the bay from us.  Overnight accommodations are $1000 per person per night, so this is not a place we planned to visit.

However, an ad in the paper advertising an evening of local seafood prepared by the on-site chef, served outdoors on the deck, and featuring poetry by local fishermen and women provided a perfect opportunity to experience the place without the overnight costs. 

The weather was unbeatable and the scenery out of a magazine for sure.  As our boat arrived there was another small boat pulling up with fresh oysters.  We stepped off the boat to drinks and oyster shooters and then the night got better with...

 

crab legs, impossibly huge halibut steaks,

 

smoked and grilled salmon, as well as paella.

 

 

 

The dinner was somewhat small with about 40 people under the tent. 

 

We sat between a local fisher poet and nationally recognized novelist from Homer.  The poetry readings were a meaningful and enjoyable way to think about the food on our plate. Here is a short poem shared during the dinner.

 

Kitchen Scales

by Meezie Hermansen

 

Chinook, coho, sockeye, and pink

Eat your salmon however you think

Try salmon pate, dip, or spread

Or salmon salad on slices of bread

Smokes, baked, poached, or broiled

Kippered or pickled or even boiled

Burgers, bisque, chowder and cakes

Cavier, crepes, fillets, and steaks

Salt fish, jerky, or fish head soup

Pan fried, grilled, soufflé or mousse

Whether fancy or plain, however it's styled

Make sure all the salmon you eat is wild

 

 

Speaking of local food, our garden boxes are blowin' up.  The salad is super tasty and we can barely eat all that we're growing.  There is currently a daily minimum salad requirement in our house.

 

The carrots are yummy, but their growth was a bit stunted by the water reservoir in the bottom of the box,

 

 

so next year we'll put them in the ground.  We are still waiting for the potatoes, but the broccoli and peas look just about ready.  Who knew broccoli plants were huge and that they flower?

 

 

Container gardening has been a lot of fun.  Low maintenance, high yield.