Alaska - The last Frontier

Not too long ago there were two restless souls. One called herself free-spirited, while the other classified himself as a gypsy. But this story is not about them. So let us come back to what it is about. Mrs was on a trip back home. During one of the daily calls she suggested to Mr that they make plans for a trip. Puerta Vellarta was considered, but then dropped. Machu Pichu seemed daunting. Finally they picked on Alaska. Looked to be in the States, and seemed to be a good time. Now you need to know something about these two. Mrs is really good at suggesting something and then sleeping off on it, until D-day arrives. Mr is really good at delaying things, but when he gets something he starts getting organized. He sometimes even goes to the point of irritation of sending a flood of information, without pointing what is relevant and what is not. But once again, why am I talking about them! This story is about Alaska.

So Mrs suggested to Mr, Alaska one fine day. Mr went about burning the computers brains. Then once that was done, he went about doing his favorite - eating others brains. He managed to go on TripAdvisor and first burnt the computer by checking the forums. Then he prepared a list of all the options which matched Mr&Mrs interests. Then he asked folks on that forum for advice. One fine person asked a bunch of questions. After a few exchanges, they gave a couple of itinerary options. Mr made some changes and then sent it over to Mrs for review and approval. Mrs had done some internet searches and gave a couple more ideas. Then Mr went in and made update to the plan. Waited and waited for confirmation from Mrs, but then started making some bookings. Hotels were done, Car-rentals lined up and finally the activities too were booked. Finally the plan looked as follows:

Once Mrs was back, the two set upon thinking on what needed to be done. Mrs helped with parking while Mr took charge of the driving. The two then set about like two chipmunks at work. Backpacks were found, flashlights/headlamps came out of the abyss, hiking poles, and even the good old hiking boots from Grand Canyon days were out. Two suitcases were reduced to one with some efficient packing. So 1 checkin, 2 cabin and 2 laptop bags. Once things were set to bid adieu to home for 10 days, then they went about their good old way to work. Mr dropped Mrs at work, and then later in the day went by her to work to park the car. Uber was the stairway to airport, and they were at the gate well in advance. Having a direct flight helped, but the middle seats alloted (due to last minute planning) did not help. Neverthless the spirits were high and enthusiasm even better. The pizza and sandwich from the airport helped the 5 hour flight. Landed in Anchorage, got the luggage and then went off in search of Budget rental. Surprisingly this was the longest line...wonder if it was due to price or availability. Oh well, got a nice full-sized car and were set for the joyride...well, it was midnight, so I would say it was more of a sleepy-ride. But the chipmunks decided to pick some grocery along the way and that was big mistake. The line was so long and the cashiers at Carrs (aka Safeway) were so efficient at snail-pace. Would remind one of the sloth scene in Zootopia. Finally these wonderful folks checked into their room, a real nice one at ___ and settled in for the night.

Morning started with a lot of love and then some fights as couples do, but then once the dust settled the maniacs decided to hit Carrs again after a wonderful breakfast. Well, the breakfast wasn't anything to rave about, but hey this was their first meal in Alaska. So why would they not be excited! Mrs was smart enough to suggest that they get more details on the places that they were going to stay. If there refrigerators or cooking-vessels or gas-stoves or microwaves, then you could pack yourself some good food. And that is what they did! Got all the info and decided to head sjhopping. Some wonderful planning by Mrs for the next 10 days set the wheels in motion for grocery shopping, while Mrs went about hunting for a gel-pack to soothe his achilles. After an hour or so, they were on their way to Denali. The ride was a long one. Google says 3 hours, locals say 5. But it was a pretty one. Once you leave the city behind, all that one gets to see is the green trees and the mountains. They sped past signs for Wailla, Palmer, Talkeetna and in the middle of this got into some mischief. Now all of them looked so familiar with their extensive research. They stopped to get the Souther View of Denali where one gets to read abut Mt Mckinley. Some snow clad mountain at a distance, couple of bees hovering around. Once the amusement was done, they were back on the road. Before they entered their first home at Backwoods Lodge, they stopped at a Chevron nearby to get gas and some groceries. In they walked into the room, and it was a wonderful one. A good living room with couple sofas to rest, a well-stacked kitchen with all amenities and a neat bed and bath. The home for next three days seemed perfect! Mrs got a good dinner ready. Then they decided to walk by and meet the owner with her dogs, before walking on to mosquito infested pond. Now Mrs would not have any of it and hence they both walked back to their humble nest. Of course it was theirs only for 3 nights. They got back to have a sumptuous meal prepared by Mrs while Mr did the dishes and veggie cutting part. Once done, they enjoyed the daylight which was still looming over the night before pulling the drapes and pretending it was night so that they could sleep off. After all the next day had lots of adventure in store for them.

The second day started with a early morning. Had to catch the Eielson shuttle at 8am. Mrs was in excellet spirits and had cooked up a mean breakfirst, packed a great lunch while Mr had snacks and water in our backpacks. They were on their way early and were there well on time. The parking lot was getting full, but managed to secure a spot. Got their tickets from the agent, and were right in front for the bus. The bus had barely started with the wonderful driver giving his commentary, when they had to pause for a Wolf walking down our way. Mr distracted Mrs and she may have missed the shining eyes of the wolf, but she did get a good snap of his butt. Of course Mr would hear about it for the rest of his life. After all who could miss a walking wolf. Then the drive continued, and some folks in the bus (they later realized that those were Alaska locals) were shouting out so excited about a small flock of birds by the side of the road. That is when our stupid souls realized that the state bird is this tiny little one called Ptarmigan. As the bus proceeded, the same folks wre shoutig out excitedly about something on top of the mountains. They mentioned about some dall sheep. Had no clue what they could see, since these Californian locals could see none. The bus went ahead and for almost an hour or so, with nothing to not see except for the wonderful scenery. Then the driver mentioned that the bus ahead had stated about some grizlies around. That was enough to get the excitement going. After few minutes they saw a grizzly crossing the road. Few more minutes ahead, and then it saw something really mind blowing - grizzly with two cubs. The cubs were playing with each other, and it was a sight to behold! Them rolling around and jumping on each other, while the mom was relaxing on the side. Gave a glimpse of life - on why every little one needs to have someone to share their fun with. Got to the Eielson point. Our romantic duo walked around and got a glimpse of Denali, well at least what they thought was Denali. Had the lunch that Mrs had lovingly packed. Then they heard about a peak which was a mile and had around 2000-3000ft elevation. Were about to head out there, when they saw crowd of people near the buses. Enquired and got to know that there was a bear running around. The brave folks still tried to go to the trail where a ranger stopped them, and pointed out the bear running around at a distance. It seems that the bear can gain ground quite quickly and hence they had to keep folks off the trail. Thanks to the bear, now they got a reprieve from a 2 hour hike. Mr did want to chase the trail, but the ranger and Mrs were not hearing any of it. Instead took a small stroll and then were ready to head back. The ride back had a light drizzle. But they were happy to see the former set of grizzlies and quite a few caribous. They were still looking for a moose but no luck. Once back to the main center, they were tired and decided to head back to room. Cooked up some dinner and then were ready to sleep for the night. How do you call it night since it was pretty lighted all the way into the night. Even woke up at 3AM and could see the light.

The third day they woke up and decided to do some hiking since they had missed out on that the previous day. As usual Mrs packed the lunches, while Mr got the breakfast ready. They got back to the visitor center and looked at options. Decided to go down the Horseshoe lake trail. The hike was pretty easy, except for the odd fear of bears coming down the trail. However they had quite a few good folks walking along the trail back and forth with these bells attached to the day-packs. It was a pretty nice hike, and then they ended up near the lake which overlooked the Princess lodge. The water running on their feet, and a nice stream of water. It was a good morning already! After some good morning pics, they continued their walk and got to the lake. Met some friendly folks on the trail. The lake was very serene and calm. It was great to walk around the lake, and then loop back. As they walked back from the 4 mile hike, and were wondering what to do next, the dog sled tour came to our mind. Since there was a show at 2, they decided to get there by that time. That was quite a bit of a walk and added a mile more. Got to the dog sled tour area and found it pretty packed. Found a spot to watch the show. So the whole show is about the rangers showing the dogs (or call them white wolves) who are part of the sled tour. They breed and train them there, since these wonderful animals are pretty much your only way out during the winter. It was amazing to see their speed and alertness. There were quite a few of them there in kennels since it was a breeding ground. Some were young and restless, while the vets were like "been there, done that". Mrs doesn't miss an opportunity to show her love for dogs and there she was going around and even stroking some. Mr was happy to hold the camera and stay away from the mean looking beings. Then back to the visitor center and had their lunch. They again came by the previous day "locals". Those folks had see few mooses. Now this was enough to send Mr on a me-too-want-to-see-Moose hunt. So Mrs had to sit on while Mr drove left and right. Finally to their surprise, they saw couple cars slowing down the road and got a sight of the wonderful moose. Then they saw yet another a few feet away. Now were so thrilled to drive on till the end of the road. Got to a spot where they could take a 2 mile evening hike. After that, they were on their way back when lo behold - yet another moose, this time with her baby. Now that is what I call a moose-fest. From nil to quite a few! These folks could have played lotto that day with the luck going their way. They were instead happy to get some pics and head back to our lodge. They enjoyed their dinner, walked around the place and then hit the bed.

The next day morning after breakfast and cleaning up, they were ready to say good-bye to Denali. It seemed like the best of Alaska was done, especially with all the wild-life, the hikes and the amazingly dense park behind. On the way back, they stopped at Talkeetna for lunch. Thought about a plane ride, but then decided against it. Instead enjoyed a good lunch, walked down the town and then hit the road. They had decided to see the Hatcher pass since it had got quite a few reviews. Came across an area where some happy folks were parker by the car and enjoying their tea. The way was quite curvy and seemed ok initially. But then came a point where the visibility turned zero. This kinda freaked Mrs out since we could hardly see anything. Stopped at a spot and got out to the same foggy outlook. Decided to follow another car, but it was to be seen nowhere in few minutes. They were adventurous (or stupid) and decided to go down the other way, and look what happens. In a few minutes they were below the fog and things were visible again. This was really fun, since it was one moment being blind, and now regained sight. Mrs was happy and relaxed now, so Mr decided to hit the road which took them to their hotel in Palmer. Got there to find folks enjoying some bbq for July 4. That was a good evening snack. Could see some distant fireworks. Got some some supplies from a Carrs grocery store (Safeway). Had some dinner and hit the bed.

The next day morning was an early morning call to get to Matanuska glacier.Mr had got our tickets for the ice hike with MICA. Got there well ahead of time. There were around 10 people in the small group. This guided hike was going to take them up the glacier. So they gave ice shoes, sticks, glasses etc. It seemed like an overkill, but Mr was happy to have them given his slippery tendency on ice. The hike was for around 3 hours. It was fun, where they got to watch some cool sink-holes and shaky mud-ground. The walk up the glacier was fun too, and they did go up quite a bit. The view from the top was amazing. It just felt flat our ice-cold and in snowland...not regular snow, since it was hardened ice. The clear blue water from the glacier finding its way down at points in the form of narrow spring or streams. Some even dared to drink it, without knowing what would be there and what wouldn't in that water. The pictures were amazing. Once back, they enjoyed some ice cream and even treated the guide to one. The miserly Mr anyway had not tipped him, since he had no cash on him. So it felt perfect to cream the guide with some ice. This was the adventure part where these outdoorsy folks were staying at this place for the night. So went ahead and found their set-up tent. It is good to walk in to a tent which has been set up for you, especially given Mr's track record of ending up with torn tents....oh well, that is another story which you may have read about in the Canyon blog. But it is even more wonderful to walk in, and find a tent with some good bed and mattress inside. The cherry on the top was to be able to sit outside the tent and find the glacier staring back. They did some reading (or pretended to) while enjoying the view. Mrs even was trying her own version of video blogging. It was quite a pretty sight. Then they decided to hit the road again, since Hatcher pass seemed worth enough for a second try. On the way, came across the most amazing sight. A moose putting up quite a show while he was taking bath. He seemed to enjoy the attention since it went on for quite some time, before he walked back into the woods. I think Mrs enjoyed the moose taking his sunbath more than Mr. The road to Hatcher was this time clear and sunny. Once there, they realized why it was a recommended hike. There was this clear lake, and when you walk up you get to the top of the mountains where you get a pretty good view of the scenery. After spending some time here and getting out share of pics, they were ready to head back. Got to the tent and changed into night wear. Walked around the place, saw the sauna, then had dinner and got back into their tents to sleep in the light. Mrs even woke up at 2AM to enjoy the glacier and do some deep study on Alaska darkness.

In the morning, they were ready quickly since showers seemed to be out. There was some light breakfast out there. Once done they were all packed and ready to hit the road. This was the day they were going to see Whittier. It was a 3 hour journey from Palmer, but they had made up their mind. Hitting the road early meant they could even do toe Portage Pass Trail. Before the Pass, they had to pass the tunnel. It is pretty funny, since there are specific timings when you are allowed to drive in. It is a single way, and one of the longest tunnels. So while one side rides, the other waits. They got past the tunnel to the trailhead. The hike was pretty bumps, since it had stones all along. The hike was only a mile or so, but the elevation was pretty damn good. Made their way up, and then could see quite a magnificent view. It was windy, but Alaskan views are worth wind fighting for. Then they were back since it was downhill and much more easy. Mrs did manage to fall couple times. Cute when she laughs after that, but definitely dangerous lest she sprains her ankle. Once back in the car, they drove to Whittier. Chose a Chinese place and Mr ordered in some halibut for the locale taste. There wasn't much to do in Whitter. So they passed the tunnel again on way back, with the wait, and then were on way towards Seward. Their stay was at a place called the Trail lake lodge which was an hour from Seward. The lodge had a nice lake in their backyard. With a grocery store that carried reindeer hotdogs (which Mr didn't have) and a quiet evening, this was a good relaxation.

In the morning, they went around looking for some tea but could not find it. Had to get going to Seward pretty early since the schedule was to be a cruise on Major Marine tours to see the glaciers yet again. They changed their reservations to include lunch, and hence seats got messed up. But hey, no complaints, since the upper deck was free to go and that is where they spent most of their time in the cruise. Started off the cruise with some pictures. As the cruise started, they saw the bald eagle then some otters. As the ship moved on, they saw some orcas and other whales. These fellows would come up and then the next time you would see them at half mile distance. It is amazing how they can manage to stay down and glide below all other things. But the best part is when they come up. They take a few breaths, and before they go down they have this amazing jump where the tail goes in perpendicular to the ocean. The lunch was pretty good. Got some salmons and Mr could tick them off too from the list. Mrs was quite pleased with her veggie dish too. The cruise took them directly in front of a glacier calving. This means the glacier is breaking down. It is a sight to behold. The ships kept their distance, and engines were turned off.Then you hear this amazing sound and see tiny bits of ice from the top falling. Before you know it has gained quite a bit of ice before it gets to the edge, and then a huge chunk or chunks start breaking and falling into the water. It is a sight to enjoy and fear. You see them melting and think about global warming, and where we would be when the glaciers completely melt off. But having seen couple glaciers calving - Holgate and Aialik, were happy to head back. Now the ride seemed less exciting and a lot windy. But it was still fun. As they got off the cruise, they saw folks coming back from their fishing expedition. Huge salmons and halibuts up the weighing scale. There was a cleaning area right by, where we could see folks doing their purchases. Mrs did some shopping. Then went to the Exit glacier. The hike was just a couple miles. But it felt even more depressing, since there were signs all along which showed how much the glacier had receeded. From the 50s till date, it seemed to have lost more than a mile. However got to the Exit glacier and then were ready to head back. Some nice historic facts along the way. Found a place to have dinner, where they got an oceanview seat. A nice dinner and then they were ready to head back to Trail lodge. Once there, they did a little walking around and then were ready to sleep.

The next day they decided to head back to Anchorage. As they drove back, they kept stopping at couple spots to see Denali and Mt Mckinley. The best part was the stop at Alaska Wildlife Conservation. This is the place where they have most of the Alaska wildlife for folks to see. But the ones that are there in this facility have some sad stories, since these are mostly rescued animals. They may have lost their parents, or may be injured. Our stars were treated to some wonderful sights - the black bear chumping on his carrot, the grizzly twins at a distance, the bison and the moose, the reindeers and the caribou. Hey, then even got the wonderful sight of a little brown bear running down the tree as soon as she saw the ranger with food. The weather was a little rainy and hence after spending couple hours we were ready to get into dry land in Anchorage. It seemed like the last frontier was now almost behind them. They were at Aspen Suites pretty early. Relaxed quite a bit. For dinner, found a Nepali spot which served chai since Mrs was missing it. Had that and were back in the hotel. Yeah, the day was pretty short in terms of activities though the daylight was still around.

In the morning had some early brunch before they checked out. Had a choice to make between the Heritage Center and the Museum. Picked the latter since it was closer. The walk inside was quite informative. There were signs of the border with Russia, the civilization in between, the various places in between, and a lot about the Cold War. There was quite a bit about the various tribes and their culture. Seemed like a civilization of their own. Saw their tools, clothes and listen to their folklore. Time was little since we had to catch a flight in the afternoon. So after some quick touring around, they decided to head to the airport. On the way, picked some lunch from Panda Express. Once the formality of checkins were done, they were on their seats. Unfortunately they did not have adjacent seats, but both were pretty much asleep on the way. Got to SF, collected bags, took an uber to the parking place at Mrs's office and drove back home. From the last frontier, back to HOME frontier. From the look of it, I would say that Mr and Mrs did have a good time in Alaska.