Exploring NM

We've been in New Mexico and have finally had a little while to get in a bit of a rhythm which has been nice. I am familiar with the local grocery shopping haunts and have been to more than one farmer's market multiple times. One local man has taken to teasing us about our consumption of squash, but what can I say, it's really good squash. :) We have also had a little bit of time to explore the area and take some hikes. Rodney has ventured up near Wheeler Peak (the highest peak in NM), and together we have spent some time on the West Rim trail, a trail that runs along the Rio Gorge that contains the Rio Grande River and is also adjacent to the Rio Gorge Bridge, which you might recognize from such movies as Terminator 4 and Wild Hogs.
I think the most exciting thing I have done, besides fully embracing cooking whole chickens on a weekly basis and discovering the wonders of rutabagas, turnips, and fresh beets, has been to get a visitor's library card. It has been so long since I have had a local library card, and I am still just tickled pink every time I go to the counter and they let me take books. I did this for most of my childhood, but it all seems new again. Especially since the books are not journals and don't require that I write a paper for them. ;)
I'm staying busy studying for my GRE. Tragically my old scores are more than five years old, and apparently an actual graduate degree is not a sufficient predictor for success in graduate school, so I'm hitting the books again and learning to embrace quadratic equations and word problems that include things like "n number of pears." Rodney is busy working on job stuff and research and is a pretty full-time math tutor as well. :)
We are loving the laid back culture here, and we are really enjoying getting to learn a lot more about the history in the Southwest. Adobe houses dot the landscape everywhere and their muted browns and reds and straight lines blend almost seamlessly into the land around them. Being from the East Coast originally and having an almost obsessive love of all things green, I even surprise myself when I realize how much I like it here. The valleys stretch on for miles covered in little brushy trees and brown dirt, but there is a simplicity to the landscape, and I think I love the calm nature of the land. The mountains are also beautiful, and I think pretty soon here we're going to be seeing snow, at least up there, if not in our own yard.
Well, off to more math problems and maybe a book...

"I see my path, but I don't know where it leads...

Not knowing where I'm going is what inspires me to travel it." --Rosalia de Castro

Our adventure is far from over. Yes, we have left Alaska behind us, and we have struck out for the lower 48, but we are not finished traveling. In fact, in one sense, after this trip, we may never be finished traveling.

Fall has certainly arrived, and we have had the amazing pleasure of watching it for the last month. Around September 20th, the weather started to change in Alaska, and it was apparent that winter was not far away. With the ultimate reluctance, we decided that camping in truly cold weather was soon going to become a reality and campsites were beginning to close, so we had no choice but to buy a house in Alaska or head south. There was still so much left to explore and so much ground we had not covered, but we had hit all the highlights that we had planned on and were woefully without Alaskan employment, so we made the decision to head back to the lower 48. I don't think the distance that we had covered to get to Alaska had really registered with either of us, so when planning our return we figured we could push through and be back quickly. Five days, a few chilly nights, one closed campground, a dead battery, and a terrible border crossing later, we were back in the US.
We got to spend a week exploring Washington and Oregon. What amazing places! Washington, home to Mount Rainier, is full of awesome forests and great views. We spent two days in the park and got to hike and relax after our long drive. I have to admit, however, that Oregon stole my heart, and I was about ready to just set up our tent on the sand next to the fantastic rocky beaches and never leave. It was beautiful and definitely one of the places that I plan to return to.
This part of our trip also included some great visits with great friends. I was able to introduce Rodney to friends of mine from college that I had not seen in 9 years. They have 3 adorable children, and we had a wonderful time telling stories and catching up. I also got to meet a good friend of Rodney's from Boulder. He is married with an also adorable 14 month old. He showed us all around the Young Life camp where they live and work, and we even got to have dinner with them at a local establishment in the closest little town, Antelope. It was really wonderful to get to see old friends and make new ones. :)
I'm sure you all are wondering what we have planned now that we are no longer heading north and are not in the great state of Alaska. Well, when we were in Alaska, we learned a little secret. Many Alaskans spend their winters in New Mexico. So, in order to get the full Alaskan experience, we headed south, and we are spending some time in New Mexico where there promises to be great hiking, wonderful farmer's markets, and really interesting people. We are hoping to spend these next couple of months working on projects and preparing for the next stage of our life. We have turned in our trusty tent for now, and I am loving having a kitchen but already missing being outside. We plan to update this blog with our adventures here, so feel free to check back.
Here's to unknown paths, new vistas, unanticipated adventures, and the possibilities in all of our lives. If I am learning anything, it is that so much in life is possible...that too inspires me to head down the road.

On the road again...

Hi all...the last two weeks have been a whirlwind of chilly nights and very long dirt roads, but we had a great time. After leaving Denali, we decided to head North toward the Arctic Circle. Our original goal had been to head all the way up the state to Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse (the site of the oil fields and the only driveable way to the Arctic Ocean), but with mixed reviews about the road, we were unsure about the long trek. The road is about 400 miles (much of which is dirt), and the brochures admonish you to carry two spare tires, water, flares, watch out for semis flying by, and be prepared to have a cracked windshield. Now while dirt roads are not exactly foreign to either of us, we were a little apprehensive about embarking on such a trek, so we decided to go partway (to the Arctic Circle) and turn around if it proved too difficult. Once we got partway up, however, we were encouraged by the rangers at the Arctic Interagency Center to head on up the road and be wowed by the scenery and animals. This, combined with our friend James telling us that the road is for true adventurers, was pretty much irresistible, so with one spare tire and visions of cracked windshields, we headed out. The drive included going over Alaska's highest pass, Atigun Pass, at 4,643 feet and also took us through the Brooks Range. Yeah...I was pretty excited about that. :) The views were phenomenal, and we even got to see the farthest Northern Spruce on the road as the terrain turned to vast treeless plains covered in ranging red tundra. The fall colors were amazing, and despite the chilly nights camping, we had a blast. The trip included seeing our first muskox, lots of caribou, and getting to touch the Arctic Ocean, so really, what more could you ask for? After reaching the ocean (which had to be accessed by a guided tour that is monitored by the oil company), we realized that it was all South from there. It was a pretty strange feeling after heading North for so long. But we were certainly not done with the Arctic region.
As we headed back south, we drove half of the road and then decided to stop and visit the only real town on the road, Wiseman. Wiseman is about 85 miles north of the Arctic Circle and is home to about 14 full-time residents. When we drove into town, someone suggested that we visit the chapel. We drove up to a very historic building with a chapel sign, and walked inside to find an adorable, quaint chapel that had a sign that beckoned you to stay and engage in prayer. We sat for awhile, and after some time a little elderly lady came up to the door to say hello. We began chatting and after a little while we were intrigued by this women and her ministry of the prayer chapel, so we decided to stay in the area. After a quick walk around the town, we came back to our car, and she invited us into her home for tea. We were able to stay the weekend, and woke up on our first anniversary in the little town of Wiseman, north of the Arctic Circle, and getting to attend church at a wonderful little prayer chapel surrounded by wonderful people! We could not have planned a better surprise if we had tried. What a blessing!

Sadly, we had to leave Wiseman and our new friends later that day and head back toward Fairbanks. The last major place on our list was Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, and we were running out of time to get down there. So, with about 28 hours of driving on the Dalton Highway behind us (and no flats or cracks), we headed for Wrangell-St. Elias, known for its glaciers and backcountry wilderness.
While we were excited to go, our spirits were slightly dampened when we learned that the way into the park was by a 66 mile dirt road that had been laid over a railroad track and was littered with railroad spikes. Let's just say that we drove slowly, scouring the road for anything that might land us on the side of the road. When we arrived, the weather was overcast, and the "campsite" was right near the glacier. When I say "campsite," insert "large gravel parking lot that they let you set a tent up in." Now there is something you should know about glaciers. They are God's form of air conditioning and unless it's hot, you don't want to camp next to one. All night a cool breeze blew through the tent airing out everything in its way. The view, however, was really phenomenal. We awoke the next morning, intent on heading into the town to see the glacier, only to find one of our tires quite low. Rodney filled it up (which I would have never known to do, but I have now been thoroughly educated in the way of tire sidewalls), and we headed out to find the only tire repair shop in town. The guy was putting a roof on somewhere across town, so we waited a few hours. Upon removing the tire, the culprit was determined to be "ye old drywall screw." Yeah...
Well, the next day we got to go into the town, and we were able to hike down to the glacier. It was amazing to walk around on it and get to see it all really up close. The trip was definitely worth it!

We left there, and headed down to Valdez (home of the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill). Having driven the pipeline all the way to the top, I wanted to complete the entire length of it. In Valdez, we were treated to more glaciers, wonderful waterfalls, and a sea lion. The scenery there was unbelievable with mountains towering above you as you head toward the ocean. Really beautiful!
Now we're back in Anchorage. We're hoping to get a glacier cruise in before they end for the season, but we'll see....

Done Did Denali

Hi All...We are in Fairbanks and just wanted to write a quick update. We spent much of the last week in Denali National Park where we saw awesome animals, did some amazing hiking, met some interesting people, and wore almost all of our clothes to keep warm. The 6 hour bus ride (the only way to get into the park) took us 85 miles into the park where we camped at Wonder Lake. This campground is the closest that you can get to Mt. McKinley unless you are on the mountain. They say that only 30% of people who come to visit even get to see the whole mountain, and we were incredibly blessed. Despite our very cold and rainy bus ride in, we had two fantastic days of viewing the mountain. There is nothing quite like waking up, sticking your head out of the tent, and seeing a 20,000 foot mountain right in front of you (28 miles away). We were also able to do some great off-trail hiking. Denali is famous for not having many trails in the park, so you are able to just ride the bus and say, "I'd like to get off here please," and they let you just tromp around on the tundra. It is a funny feeling though, because these are the same buses that carry people into the park for the day to do wildlife viewing, so one minute you are scanning for bears and the next you are hopping out to climb every mountains. Surreal, but really wonderful. We were also very fortunate to hit the peak fall season here. Fortunate in that the colors were unbelievable. The camping was also quite an adventure. Because of the nature of the area, all the food is kept in a building surrounded by picnic tables and most people cook and eat there. This leads to getting to know the people around you much more than normal camping, and we had a great time getting to talk to lots of other visitors. Poor Rodney...some nights I think he had cooked, cleaned up, gotten ready for bed, and returned to the cook area only to find me still talking or helping out a new friend with a Scrabble game. This trip also had some great wild life viewing. We saw several bears and moose, birds, a fox, and a coyote. One bear even walked down the road in front of our bus for a few miles. The whole trip was really amazing, and I would have to say that it was a definitely highlight! Although I was at first a bit trepidatious about heading out into the famed Denali, once I was there I spent the entire time being completely captivated by the expansive scenery and fantastic beauty. (Ok, not the entire time...some of that was spent shivering to sleep in the chilly wilderness evenings, but mostly). :) The mountains there are friendly...they seem to just be sitting there waiting for you to climb them, and the joy of heading out across them with no trail is a sort of freedom and adventure that everyone should get to live. Needless to say, we had a great time.
And now we are here in Fairbanks enjoying great food and trying to stay dry. Apparently we have hit a bit of a wet season here in Alaska, but we are heading north yet again and hope to see sunny skies. Tomorrow we head out for the Brooks Range and then back here to Fairbanks. Our heading North is almost done, and I'm not sure what to think...hmmm...until then...it's north for now.

There and Back Again

Hello All…We’ve had a great last week just chillin’ here in Talkeetna, Alaska. We’ve had some rather rainy days which provided ample time for us to work on the big box of books that we brought along, listen to some Car Talk podcasts, and hang out in town at the local roadhouse where we have renewed our love of homemade pies and baked goods. I am finally starting to feel kind of at home here. The town is fairly small, and I am starting to run into people that I know around town. I love the local thing, and we are really enjoying getting to chat with people a little more.
This past week we took a day and drove up to Fairbanks where we got an oil change, checked out the campus, had arguably the best lasagna ever, and got to see the area. It was lovely with rolling hills and a river in the beautiful plain. On the drive we saw 7 moose, and I was pretty thrilled with Rodney’s photographic endeavors out the car window.
On the sunny days we have had a great time out hiking. With his berry book in tow, Rodney’s been identifying the local berries, and we’ve gotten to eat a lot of blueberries. I was nervous, but the locals haul them out of the woods in bags and encourage you with reckless abandon. They’re really good.
After almost everyone we encounter asking if we’d tried fishing yet, we finally caved and I got my very first fishing license ever. Even though we have little rods and didn’t really have any of the attendant gear, we bought some way too heavy line, a fillet knife, and hit the shores. We decided to go where there were lots of people, and while the fishing there wasn’t so wonderful, we preferred that company to the company of grizzlies. We spent several chilly hours casting, and Rodney pulled in a really pretty rainbow trout that we couldn’t keep. Although we didn’t catch anything else, we got to see a lot of salmon that had already spawned float back downstream to die and there were lots of other fish swimming right near the shore. Quite the sight. At least now I can always say that I have fished in Alaska.
We are heading down the road tomorrow for a scenic drive on the Denali Highway, a dirt road that heads to a small town called Paxson. Next week, we are going to get to go into Denali and camp for four days. Until then I think we are going to really enjoy our last several days here in Talkeetna reading, hiking, and dining on the scrumptious cinnamon rolls here at the Roadhouse café.

Bluegrass, Boats, and Big, Big Ungulates

We are having a great time getting out and exploring the areas around Talkeetna. This past weekend was the Talkeetna Bluegrass Festival, which is apparently a well known camping and music and substance weekend. We managed to wander over there on Sunday afternoon after most of the crowds had abandoned their tent sites, and we got to see the calmer side of the festival. Everyone was very friendly, and I found a Winnebago that I really like. Hmmm…maybe for the next time we make this trek.
About 45 minutes north of where we are staying is Denali State Park. It is right at the edge of the national park and offers some great views of the mountains around Denali (and Denali itself if there were no clouds). We headed up there and found the perfect place to try out our newly acquired boat. After a quick chat with the information center, we learned that this lake is actually fed by a stream that has a salmon run, so we were eager to get in the water and check it out. The boat was much easier to set up than we anticipated, and we were quickly in the water paddling along. It is amazing. I just love being out on the water and getting to see everything from in the middle of it all. The boat is a trooper and carried the two of us with no problems whatsoever. Off we paddled to the opposite shore where there was a sandbar and the aforementioned salmon. The girl had also mentioned that there were loads of bear scat in the ankle deep water because this is where the bears come and they have even been seen teaching their young how to fish here.
Well, even when we were quite a ways away, we saw lots of waves in the water, and when we got closer, there were coho salmon all around us. They are the brightest red you can imagine and have dark green heads. They swim toward each other and then seem to fight underwater and cause a great disturbance before they all swim in different directions only to repeat the scenario over and over. We paddled up onto the sandbar and just sat and watched them for a good long while (ever alert for hungry bears given that there was indeed scat on the sandbar). It was such an amazing sight! They are huge fish and are so powerful when they swim and the colors are just striking. Definitely worth the trip!
On the way home our nature experience continued when we came upon a great big moose on the side of the road. I did a quick turn around, and we were able to watch him for quite a while until a semi came down the road and he went charging away.
Good day overall!