However, around the New Year, I just want to chronicle some of the great adventures that we were able to have in the Great Land and elsewhere. It really is a privilege to live here in Alaska and we love it.
Last winter, I spent a few months in Guam where I was able to do a bunch of snorkeling as well as some jungle hikes. DW was able to join me for spring break. While I was working (and playing) in the tropical paradise, DW played in the snow back home and learned how to bake a bunch of different kinds of bread.
The summer was very busy -- jam packed even!
- Spring Black Bear Hunt at Alpine Creek Lodge
- Halibut & Salmon fishing out of Seward (DW points out that she caught more fish than I did) -- also saw whales (humpback & orca), otters, sea lions, the usual
- Resurrection Pass backpacking trip to scout it out -- also, DW's first ever backpacking trip!
- Took the train to Fairbanks and visited the Chena Hot Springs
- Sightseeing cruise out of Seward -- saw tons of critters including goats, sea birds, maritime mammals, etc.
- Some car camping
- Trips to Hatcher's Pass
- Took the bus back to Wonder Lake in Denali National Park -- saw all "big 5" (>a dozen brownies (wolves, sheep, caribou, and moose)
- Visited Fairbanks for the Golden Days festival
- We went grouse hunting (succesfully!) at least half a dozen times, if not more.
- We also put together a week-long+ backpacking expedition with some of our good friends in Resurrection Pass to look for caribou (unsuccessful -- but we did find a bunch of ptarmigan! Yum...).
- DW and I followed up another weekend with a short backpacking trip up Devil's Pass.
- We also went to the Alaska State Fair, where one of Heather's wildlife photos won an honorable mention.
- Somehow we squeezed in a few berry picking trips on the Kenai and at Hatcher's Pass.
- Heather took a field-dressing BOW class.
- Heather stayed busy gigging and I was busy at work, so it was a pretty jam packed fall (especially given that our fall is like 3 weeks long...).
The start of this winter has also been full of outdoor adventures. We tried snowshoeing for the first time and quickly learned the fundamentals. We got our own gear and put together a winter backpacking/snowshoe trip to a cabin in Resurrection Pass. We're getting ready for ski season but haven't made it out yet. I was again busy with work involving some business trips on the road. Finally, we both did some musical performance around the holidays.
So, all in all, a busy, fun year. I was on the road over 5 months of the year (less than 2009 at least!) so given that I think we packed a ton of adventures into 2010. Our freezer is full of berries, grouse, halibut, and salmon. No caribou but I can't complain!
Heather took some amazing photos from all these adventures which are posted on her blog. Check them out!
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