ALASKA!
Although this purchase was a little spur-of-the-moment, it was also about five months coming. Back in August, when we found out we would be moving to the land of lovers, my parents also found out that they would be moving. To the land of snow and ice.
Back then, it was August in southern Utah. The days frequently topped out over 100 degrees. There was not a cloud in sight and the sun beat down with fiery spite. A cold wintry day didn't sound all that bad. So when January came, our minds were already set on an Alaska vacation.
We were at least a little smart in timing our upcoming vacation. We bought our tickets for June, meaning the nation's capitol would be headed straight into a hot, humid summer while Alaska was gearing up for spring.
This also provided us with ample time to build up a little anticipation for the trip. Alaska has long been in my "top five" places to visit list, so for me, the anticipation was already there. But for Max, it gave us time to tell him lots of stories and fill his little mind with all of the fun things to do in the 49th state.
Needless to say, when it came time to board the plane, every one of us was as excited as could be. We had a little layover in Dallas, which helped break up the ten hour flight (especially with two little kids) and then it was on to Anchorage!
On our way!
Waiting in Dallas.
Alaska from the air.
Arriving in Anchorage.We arrived at 7:30 that night, a full twelve hours after leaving DC according to the clock, but really a full 16 hours later on account of the time difference. It was now 11:30 pm at home, and our kids were just as wide awake as ever! After getting to my parents new Alaska house, we got our things settled and spent the rest of the evening (by evening I mean night, as there really is no actual night as far as the sun is concerned) by playing outside.
Playing outside at 10:30 pm.Around 11 pm we finally got the kids down to bed, which was an amazing feat itself. They were both so excited to be at grandma and grandpa's house, it didnt' seem to phase them that it was 3:00 am in Virginia. They were just as wide awake as ever! I think the sun not really setting may have had something to do with it, 'cuz when it was 10:00 and the sun was still easily visible above the horizon, we had to explain to Max that when the sun sets in Virginia, it goes up to Alaska to spend the night, and that is why it never gets dark there! That seemed to do the trick. We were able to convince him that it really was night and it was time for bed.
The next day we left Eagle River for the small town of Girdwood. Home of the world famous Alyeska Resort. I have seen a number of ski and snowboard videos that prominently feature this resort, so a chance to go snowboarding there was a temptation too strong to resist! After renting some boards Shayla and I hit the slopes with my brother, Bryan. My parents, Spencer, and our kids found a hiking trail to explore while we cruised the slopes.
Shayla, tearing it up!
Bryan and Bob, overlooking the Turnagain Arm.
Hiking near Girdwood.
The Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet and mountains on the Kenai Peninsula.
Isla found a dandelion and tried to blow the petals off.Sunday was spent going to church with my parents and just relaxing and playing in the back yard. Max wasn't feeling too well and was pretty cross all day 'till he went to bed.
The next morning we got up and headed out early. Max seemed a little happier and didn't act like he was feeling too sick, so we just brushed his attitude from the previous day off as a result from all the traveling over the past few days. He did have to poop a couple times before we left, one of the times he didn't quite make it to the bathroom in time, so he ended up with a little in his pants (sorry for the poopy talk, I'm just telling it like it is!).
After we got him cleaned up, we loaded him and Isla into my dad's Suburban with all of our other things, and headed up the road. Our destination was Byers Lake in Denali State Park. It's a fairly easy and uneventful drive up the George Parks Highway. Well, at least it should have been uneventful.
All packed up and ready to go!
We stopped at a small roadside shop in the small town of Houston, AK for some ice cream, and while we were there, Max's poops hit again. This time, it was a full load, all over inside his pants!
I ran him in to the bathroom as soon as I could, stripped off his pants and underwear, sat him on the toilet, and let the rest of the explosive mess make its way out of his little bum! Shayla poked her head in after a while so I rinsed Max's clothes in the sink as best I could and handed them off to her. After getting Max all cleaned up, we continued our journey up the road.
By now we knew something was definitely up with Max. We told him if he felt like he had to poop, to let us know as soon as possible. We told him that if it felt like just a toot, to tell us as well. About a minute later, he told us.
We quickly pulled off on the side of the road, jumped out of the car, dug a small hole in the dirt, and Max did his best at filling it back up! At least this time it wasn't in his pants!
About 40 miles later we found a little grocery store where we were able to stop and pick up a few things. I asked Max if he had to poop, to which he said no. While some of the others were inside, Max and I waited in the car. Before long, Max said he had to poop. Yup, he did.
Again, his pants were a mess, it was running down his legs, and the only bathroom in the store was already in use! A few minutes later, we were able to get into the restroom and again, take off his pants, clean him up, and rinse out his clothes. Luckily, we happened to be at a grocery store. We bought a pack of Pull-ups, told Max that they were NOT diapers and that they were instead, special unders for sick poops. I think he understood. The little kid was such a trooper and never fussed once during this whole thing!
Now, properly armed with Pull-ups over our little leaking cannon, we hit the road and headed north! When we got to the campsite, we stopped at the restroom where Max, once again, unloaded. This time we were glad we had the proper undergarment attire. It wasn't nearly the messy scenario we encountered twice before.
The rest of the day was spent running back and forth between the bathroom and camp. Max picked up on things really quickly and would tell us early enough for us to run to the toilet without getting anything in his pants. In between bathroom breaks, we were able to enjoy the surroundings a bit.
We were spending the next two nights in a little one-room cabin right next to Byers Lake. There were trails to explore, rocks to throw into the water, flowers to pick, and birds and squirrels to chase. And even though Max had had a rough day, to say the least, he was glad to be camping and enjoyed it as much as he possibly could. He never complained once about not feeling well, pooping in his pants, or having to wear Pull-ups.
Our cabin at Byers Lake.
Picking up pine cones in the parking lot.
Throwing sticks into the lake.
Cheese!
Even though he wasn't feeling too great, Max was a trooper and still went with us on small hikes around camp. Of course, he wanted to be pushed in the stroller. Can't say I blame him!
By the time night rolled around, it was still fairly light outside so we hung blankets over the windows in the cabin so we could get some sleep. While my mom and the kids dozed off, Me, Shayla, my dad, Spencer and Bryan drove up to the Alaska Veterans Memorial just a few minutes up the road. From there, we had a clear view of Mt. McKinley.
Alaska Veterans Memorial.
Well, what should have been a clear view anyway. The peak was obscured by clouds so we walked around to read all the interpretive signs on display. The clouds were moving north, revealing more of the massive mountain as they went, so we decided to wait 'till they had all passed by.
About thirty minutes later, Shayla was tired of waiting so we took her back to the cabin before returning to the viewing area. By now, the clouds had moved on and Mt. McKinley stood there before us. All 20,320 feet! Even though it was now nearly 1:00 in the morning, it was still bright enough outside to see the highest point of the North American continent completely.
Mt. McKinley.
The next day, Max was feeling much better. We kept him in the Pull-ups just in case, and even though his poops were still quite runny, he was aware enough of his situation that we didn't have any more accidents.
We spent the day driving further north, toward Denali National Park. The drive up was stunning. Giant mountains flanked each side of the road. Occasionally we would glimpse turbulent rivers of glacial meltwater, and further up the road the forested hills thinned out and made way for stunted-growth pine trees.
Once inside the park, we stopped at the visitors center, looked at the exhibits inside the lodge, made a stop at the gift shop, and then loaded up into a park bus for a short drive to the sled dog area.
Denali National Park is the only park in the entire National Park system that has its own sled dogs (imagine that!) and during the summer when the dogs are not working, they let park visitors go and meet them. This was definitely a highlight of the trip for our kids. Both Max and Isla loved getting up close and petting the dogs and the dogs loved it too. Sometimes the dogs would get too excited and although they were all chained up, they would jump around and bark wildly. Shayla got in trouble a couple of times for crossing over ropes or getting too close to fences, trying to let our kids closer to pet the dogs.
Before too long it started to turn cold so we left the park and headed back down the road toward Byers Lake. The rest of the night was spent playing on the shore of the lake, throwing rocks in the water and running around on the trails surrounding the cabin.
The next day was Shayla's birthday. It was also our last day at the cabin. We packed up our stuff and got ready to head out. Before leaving Byers Lake, we rented canoes and paddled our way across the lake. Max loved dragging his hand in the cold water as we paddled along, and about 15 minutes into our trip, Isla fell asleep and didn't wake up 'till we were on our way back to shore!
The next morning we got up and headed out early. Max seemed a little happier and didn't act like he was feeling too sick, so we just brushed his attitude from the previous day off as a result from all the traveling over the past few days. He did have to poop a couple times before we left, one of the times he didn't quite make it to the bathroom in time, so he ended up with a little in his pants (sorry for the poopy talk, I'm just telling it like it is!).
After we got him cleaned up, we loaded him and Isla into my dad's Suburban with all of our other things, and headed up the road. Our destination was Byers Lake in Denali State Park. It's a fairly easy and uneventful drive up the George Parks Highway. Well, at least it should have been uneventful.
All packed up and ready to go!We stopped at a small roadside shop in the small town of Houston, AK for some ice cream, and while we were there, Max's poops hit again. This time, it was a full load, all over inside his pants!
I ran him in to the bathroom as soon as I could, stripped off his pants and underwear, sat him on the toilet, and let the rest of the explosive mess make its way out of his little bum! Shayla poked her head in after a while so I rinsed Max's clothes in the sink as best I could and handed them off to her. After getting Max all cleaned up, we continued our journey up the road.
By now we knew something was definitely up with Max. We told him if he felt like he had to poop, to let us know as soon as possible. We told him that if it felt like just a toot, to tell us as well. About a minute later, he told us.
We quickly pulled off on the side of the road, jumped out of the car, dug a small hole in the dirt, and Max did his best at filling it back up! At least this time it wasn't in his pants!
About 40 miles later we found a little grocery store where we were able to stop and pick up a few things. I asked Max if he had to poop, to which he said no. While some of the others were inside, Max and I waited in the car. Before long, Max said he had to poop. Yup, he did.
Again, his pants were a mess, it was running down his legs, and the only bathroom in the store was already in use! A few minutes later, we were able to get into the restroom and again, take off his pants, clean him up, and rinse out his clothes. Luckily, we happened to be at a grocery store. We bought a pack of Pull-ups, told Max that they were NOT diapers and that they were instead, special unders for sick poops. I think he understood. The little kid was such a trooper and never fussed once during this whole thing!
Now, properly armed with Pull-ups over our little leaking cannon, we hit the road and headed north! When we got to the campsite, we stopped at the restroom where Max, once again, unloaded. This time we were glad we had the proper undergarment attire. It wasn't nearly the messy scenario we encountered twice before.
The rest of the day was spent running back and forth between the bathroom and camp. Max picked up on things really quickly and would tell us early enough for us to run to the toilet without getting anything in his pants. In between bathroom breaks, we were able to enjoy the surroundings a bit.
We were spending the next two nights in a little one-room cabin right next to Byers Lake. There were trails to explore, rocks to throw into the water, flowers to pick, and birds and squirrels to chase. And even though Max had had a rough day, to say the least, he was glad to be camping and enjoyed it as much as he possibly could. He never complained once about not feeling well, pooping in his pants, or having to wear Pull-ups.
Our cabin at Byers Lake.
Picking up pine cones in the parking lot.
Throwing sticks into the lake.
Cheese!
Even though he wasn't feeling too great, Max was a trooper and still went with us on small hikes around camp. Of course, he wanted to be pushed in the stroller. Can't say I blame him!By the time night rolled around, it was still fairly light outside so we hung blankets over the windows in the cabin so we could get some sleep. While my mom and the kids dozed off, Me, Shayla, my dad, Spencer and Bryan drove up to the Alaska Veterans Memorial just a few minutes up the road. From there, we had a clear view of Mt. McKinley.
Alaska Veterans Memorial.Well, what should have been a clear view anyway. The peak was obscured by clouds so we walked around to read all the interpretive signs on display. The clouds were moving north, revealing more of the massive mountain as they went, so we decided to wait 'till they had all passed by.
About thirty minutes later, Shayla was tired of waiting so we took her back to the cabin before returning to the viewing area. By now, the clouds had moved on and Mt. McKinley stood there before us. All 20,320 feet! Even though it was now nearly 1:00 in the morning, it was still bright enough outside to see the highest point of the North American continent completely.
Mt. McKinley.The next day, Max was feeling much better. We kept him in the Pull-ups just in case, and even though his poops were still quite runny, he was aware enough of his situation that we didn't have any more accidents.
We spent the day driving further north, toward Denali National Park. The drive up was stunning. Giant mountains flanked each side of the road. Occasionally we would glimpse turbulent rivers of glacial meltwater, and further up the road the forested hills thinned out and made way for stunted-growth pine trees.
Once inside the park, we stopped at the visitors center, looked at the exhibits inside the lodge, made a stop at the gift shop, and then loaded up into a park bus for a short drive to the sled dog area.
Denali National Park is the only park in the entire National Park system that has its own sled dogs (imagine that!) and during the summer when the dogs are not working, they let park visitors go and meet them. This was definitely a highlight of the trip for our kids. Both Max and Isla loved getting up close and petting the dogs and the dogs loved it too. Sometimes the dogs would get too excited and although they were all chained up, they would jump around and bark wildly. Shayla got in trouble a couple of times for crossing over ropes or getting too close to fences, trying to let our kids closer to pet the dogs.
Before too long it started to turn cold so we left the park and headed back down the road toward Byers Lake. The rest of the night was spent playing on the shore of the lake, throwing rocks in the water and running around on the trails surrounding the cabin.
The next day was Shayla's birthday. It was also our last day at the cabin. We packed up our stuff and got ready to head out. Before leaving Byers Lake, we rented canoes and paddled our way across the lake. Max loved dragging his hand in the cold water as we paddled along, and about 15 minutes into our trip, Isla fell asleep and didn't wake up 'till we were on our way back to shore!
Byers Lake was a beautiful place to spend a few days. Even though much of the trip was marred by Max's diarrhetic tendencies, we were still able to enjoy our time there and would definitely consider going back again if we ever have the chance.
Back in Eagle River we spent the afternoon unpacking and later that evening Analee, James, and Steve & Moe flew in to Anchorage to help us wish Shayla a happy birthday!
Wednesday morning we woke up and headed for the joint army/air force base in Anchorage. This is where my dad works and our first stop there was the air force runway. We saw a few fighter jets take off while we were there. There is nothing that compares to watching those jets zip by! You could feel the ground tremble as they cruised by and pulled up into the air.
Our next stop was the base's rec. center. We spent a few hours here letting the kids run around, climbing the climbing wall, and playing a rousing round of mini golf. Shayla wasn't feeling too well, so she hung out with Isla and James while the rest of us played around.
Max on the climbing wall.
Back at my parents house that evening, we threw a small birthday party for Shayla complete with party hats and a piñata. My mom had baked up about a hundred mini cupcakes earlier, and we enjoyed those with ice cream and soda.
Shayla and the piñata.
Cupcakes.
For her birthday I gave Shayla a little book, written and illustrated by yours truly.
The water was a bright turquoise blue.Back in Eagle River we spent the afternoon unpacking and later that evening Analee, James, and Steve & Moe flew in to Anchorage to help us wish Shayla a happy birthday!
Wednesday morning we woke up and headed for the joint army/air force base in Anchorage. This is where my dad works and our first stop there was the air force runway. We saw a few fighter jets take off while we were there. There is nothing that compares to watching those jets zip by! You could feel the ground tremble as they cruised by and pulled up into the air.
Our next stop was the base's rec. center. We spent a few hours here letting the kids run around, climbing the climbing wall, and playing a rousing round of mini golf. Shayla wasn't feeling too well, so she hung out with Isla and James while the rest of us played around.
Max on the climbing wall.Back at my parents house that evening, we threw a small birthday party for Shayla complete with party hats and a piñata. My mom had baked up about a hundred mini cupcakes earlier, and we enjoyed those with ice cream and soda.
Shayla and the piñata.
Cupcakes.For her birthday I gave Shayla a little book, written and illustrated by yours truly.The next day, Friday (one week in Alaska), we loaded back up in to the cars again and headed south. Our destination this time was Seward, Alaska and Resurrection Bay. Before we hit the small town of Seward, we made a little detour to Exit Glacier. This glacier is located in Kenai Fjords National Park, and a fairly easy trail took us all the way to the foot of the frozen river of ice. Shayla still wasn't feeling too well, but she made the short hike anyway. The glacier was an awesome sight as it poured down out of the mountains.
The whole crew at Exit glacier.
On our way back to the parking lot, my dad, my brothers and I took a quick side trail that took us to the glacier's outwash plain. Here we found a level plain of glacial till with a braided river of meltwater coursing its way toward the ocean.
Of course, I had to stick my hand in the river to check and see if the water was cold. It was. I guess the fact that the river was coming directly from a glacier just a short distance upstream could have had something to do with this.
My brothers and I joked about trying to wade through the freshly melted ice water, and before long the joke turned into reality. Each of us took turns stripping off our shoes and socks and walking out as far as we dared. The water immediately numbed our naked feet and only when it felt like they would turn in to solid blocks of ice did we retreated to the warm riverbank. As we stepped out on to the dry rocky ground and our feet began to warm, they would instantly burn with pain from the extreme and sudden temperature change.
Standing in the freezing cold water!
After exiting Exit Glacier, we made our way to our hotel for the night. After a quick trip in to the small yet busy town of Seward for dinner, it was lights out, sun blocking curtains drawn, and in to bed for a nice, cozy night. Well, except for Shayla, that is.
That night, after not feeling too great for a couple of days, Max's explosiveness caught up to Shayla and she woke several times to run to the bathroom. The next morning things were not looking much better for her, but she joined the rest of us anyway as we headed toward the marina for our next adventure.
It was a rainy Saturday morning, but we didn't let that stop us from boarding the Orca Song for a cold and wet wildlife seafari! This boat took us out into the waters of Resurrection Bay where we were able to catch a glimpse of Alaska wildlife at its finest! While on the water, we saw numerous waterfalls cascading down the mountainsides, puffins, gulls, bald eagles, seals, sea otters, orca whales, mountain goats, jellyfish, porpoises, a cormorant, and well, I think that's about it.
Our boat, the Orca Song.
The whole crew at Exit glacier.On our way back to the parking lot, my dad, my brothers and I took a quick side trail that took us to the glacier's outwash plain. Here we found a level plain of glacial till with a braided river of meltwater coursing its way toward the ocean.
Of course, I had to stick my hand in the river to check and see if the water was cold. It was. I guess the fact that the river was coming directly from a glacier just a short distance upstream could have had something to do with this.
My brothers and I joked about trying to wade through the freshly melted ice water, and before long the joke turned into reality. Each of us took turns stripping off our shoes and socks and walking out as far as we dared. The water immediately numbed our naked feet and only when it felt like they would turn in to solid blocks of ice did we retreated to the warm riverbank. As we stepped out on to the dry rocky ground and our feet began to warm, they would instantly burn with pain from the extreme and sudden temperature change.
Standing in the freezing cold water!After exiting Exit Glacier, we made our way to our hotel for the night. After a quick trip in to the small yet busy town of Seward for dinner, it was lights out, sun blocking curtains drawn, and in to bed for a nice, cozy night. Well, except for Shayla, that is.
That night, after not feeling too great for a couple of days, Max's explosiveness caught up to Shayla and she woke several times to run to the bathroom. The next morning things were not looking much better for her, but she joined the rest of us anyway as we headed toward the marina for our next adventure.
It was a rainy Saturday morning, but we didn't let that stop us from boarding the Orca Song for a cold and wet wildlife seafari! This boat took us out into the waters of Resurrection Bay where we were able to catch a glimpse of Alaska wildlife at its finest! While on the water, we saw numerous waterfalls cascading down the mountainsides, puffins, gulls, bald eagles, seals, sea otters, orca whales, mountain goats, jellyfish, porpoises, a cormorant, and well, I think that's about it.
Our boat, the Orca Song.
There are probably as many boats in the marina as there are homes in the town of Seward!
The mountains came right up to the edge of the water.
Sea otter playing in the water.
Someday, I'm going to stay in this little ocean view cabin!
This was easily the most scenic boat ride I have ever been on!
Bird Rock. There were a few of these rocks out along the coast. They were completely covered with seagulls!
Seals on the rocks.
Bear Glacier.A few hours later, the Orca Song took us back to the marina. After a short stop at a roadside waterfall, we made our way to the Alaska SeaLife Center. The SeaLife center houses a fine collection of oceanic flora and fauna and was a huge hit with the kids. I think Isla enjoyed watching the birds and the seals and sea lions the most, while Max liked touching the starfish and playing in the little kiddie boat.
Captain Max, all ready to go!
Rock fish.
Touching the starfish.
Captain Max, all ready to go!
Rock fish.
Touching the starfish.
Octopus.
Max and Analee (and James) getting a close up view of the Sea Lion.
Isla wanted a closer look too.
Jellyfish.Although we didn't get a picture of it, Isla got a little kiss from one of the seals. She was standing next to the glass watching it swim around under the water. After passing by a couple times, the seal passed by again but this time, something about Isla must've caught the seal's eye. Instead of continuing around, the seal made an abrupt u-turn and swam straight for the glass where Isla was standing! It swam up to her and put his nose right on the glass with Isla on the other side. Isla and the seal stood nose to nose for a couple seconds before the seal swam away and Isla jumped, turned around, and quickly ran to her grandma! I don't think she quite knew what to think about her close encounter!
We left from the SeaLife Center and headed back to Eagle River. Sunday was spent enjoying the day at my parents house. Shayla still wasn't feeling too well, and now Isla was feeling a bit sick (although she never quite reached the same explosive magnitude of Max and Shayla, thankfully!). We sent Max to church with my parents and I stayed home to help with the two sicklings.
Looking down on my parents neighborhood from the hill behind their house. Monday morning, My dad, Steve, Moe, Spencer, Bryan, and myself left Eagle River at 4 am and headed for the small fishing village of Ninilchik. Shayla was supposed to go with us, but since she wasn't feeling too well, she let Moe go in her place.
We arrived at our destination a few hours later, and after getting things sorted out we were on our way to the Cook Inlet with a boat, boat crew, and loads of fishing gear! When we arrived at the boat launching area, we climbed into the boat, the boat was hitched up to a tractor, and we were all towed out to sea. From here it was a 30 minute boat ride out to deeper waters.
Our majestic fishing vessel.
Getting towed out to sea!
Our captain on this trip was Captain Jim and he was assisted by a deckhand named Gabe. Captain Jim and Gabe were very knowledgeable of the sea, the fish, and the boat. Captain Jim knew just where to take us and while we all sped to our fishing spot, Gabe rigged the fishing lines and got everything else ready.
About 30 minutes later, we were dropping our lines into the cold Alaskan water. Now, I had never been halibut fishing before, but it is quite different from the trout and bass fishing I'm used to. The fishing poles were rather short and quite stiff. The fishing line looked like a thin rope, and the sinker, well... it was a four pound weight! The bait we used was full-sized mackerel, cut in half to let the fishy scent float through the water and attract the halibut.
Instead of casting the line out, which would be rather difficult with a four pound weight and a bait fish on the end that would rival the size of many Utah trout, it was instead dropped directly off the side of the boat, straight down 150 feet into the dark blue waters below. When the weight would hit the sea floor, you could feel it hit with a thud. After this, it was time to fish!
Pulling a four pound weight up 150 feet from the bottom of the ocean was actually surprisingly tough. When that four pound weight had a thirty pound fish fighting on the other end, was was even tougher!
Moe was the first to experience this, as she caught the first fish only minutes after dropping her line in the water (Captain Jim had told us that it was good luck to have a girl on board)! Throughout the day, we would each take turns catching and reeling in halibut. Bryan caught a Big skate (kinda looks like a manta ray) that gave him quite a workout as he was reeling it in.
Moe and her fish, the first catch of the day!
Bryan's Skate.
While the rest of us were busy catching 20 to 40 pound fish, my dad decided to hook in to a monster! He was pulling in this fish for a few minutes, complaining about how tough it was. I didn't really take him too seriously, but after about five or ten minutes he was too tired to keep going so he handed his pole off to Captain Jim. Captain Jim was immediately impressed with the fight and weight of the fish on the other end, and confirmed that he too though it was a big one. Numbers started getting thrown out there and it wasn't uncommon to hear guesses over two hundred pounds. TWO HUNDRED POUNDS!!!
Captain Jim, pulling in the big one!
About fifteen minutes later, Captain Jim handed the pole back over to my dad. Another ten minutes or so and the fish became visible under the surface of the water. I had my line in the water on the other side of the boat, so I couldn't see the fish, but with all the commotion I knew it was impressive.
Gabe started jumping all over the boat, grabbing a harpoon, large fish hooks, and a shotgun. Wait, what's that you ask? Did I just say shotgun? Yes, yes I did. A shotgun. By now I had gotten a small glimpse of the massive fish, but not enough to do it justice. My dad was hooting and hollering with excitement. My brothers were acting like five year old kids on Christmas Eve, Gabe was running all over the place, Captain Jim was now readying the harpoon, and I was standing there with 150 feet of line out, dragging a four pound weight and a dead mackerel across the ocean floor.
Monster in the water.
Captain Jim harpooned the giant in the water, it was shot in the head not once, but twice (they wanted the fish dead before it was brought in to the boat, so as not to flop all over the boat deck breaking legs and causing all sorts of carnage and mayhem). And then it was hooked with four large meat hooks. Steve, not really wanting any part of this, traded my pole for his hook. I took the hook from him and went over to the side of the boat where the fish was floating in the water. I could now see what all the commotion was about. The fish was huge. It was bigger than any fish I had ever seen, and it was about to be pulled up in to the same boat I was standing in!
My dad, Captain Jim, Gabe, and I all grabbed our hooks and hefted the monstrous beast into the back of the boat. We all stood there, looking at it for a few seconds, trying to come back to reality and the full realization of what had just happened. Captain Jim estimated the fish at about 150 pounds. He mentioned that only about 1 out of 20,000 fish in the Cook Inlet approach that size. My dad still couldn't wipe the silly grin off his face. Come to think of it, I don't think anyone else could either.
Monster in the boat. We were actually pretty lucky that this thing didn't eat Bryan.
Captain Jim and Gabe took over from there, getting all the hooks and lines out of the fish and then shoving and kicking it down in to the live well where it just barely fit. For the rest of the day, every fish we caught just looked small. Even though they were all still twenty pounds or more, we kept turning them back, hoping to catch a fish to rival that of my dad's. After a couple hours and nothing but "small" twenty and thirty pounders, we made sure that everyone had caught their limit and headed for shore.
Pulling in my first fish of the day!
Bryan and one of the fish he caught.
When we got back to the charter office, our fish were unloaded from the boat and the monster halibut was hung up and measured. The length of the fish dictated that it was at least 205 pounds! While it was hanging up on the pole, people kept driving by to talk about it. Word must spread quickly in the small town of Ninilchik, 'cuz I think we talked to just about everybody there! They were all just as amazed at the large fish as we were! One lady even asked if she could keep the fish's tail!
The crew and the fish.
It took well over an hour (probably closer to two) for Gabe to fillet all our fish, but after he did they were all vacuum packed and we were on our way back to Eagle River. I can't remember a time when I've had more fun and excitement fishing. If I ever get the chance to go up to Alaska again, I will definitely head back to Ninilchik and give Captain Jim and Gabe a call.
Tuesday found us back in Eagle River. We took our time getting ready and didn't really do too much 'till later that afternoon. When we finally did get around to it, we loaded up in to the vehicles and drove a few miles up the road to the Eagle River Nature Center. The nature center was a very pretty and very scenic place with easy walking trails through the forest and along rivers, streams, and ponds.
Walking along the trail.
The Eagle River valley. This valley was carved by a glacier hundreds of years ago.
There's a tiger in the grass! Oh wait, it's just Max.
Max and Isla loved climbing up on the railing along the boardwalks.
We had to fight through the mosquitoes as we walked along, but it was a lot of fun, everyone was finally feeling better (except Analee, who had started getting a touch of Max and Shayla's illness the day before), and the kids loved being outside where they could run around.
Family photo in a tree.
One of the many boardwalks along the trail.
This was also Steve and Moe's last day in Alaska, as their flight was leaving early Wednesday morning to take them back to St. George. We went to the Moose's Tooth, a fine pizza establishment in Anchorage, for dinner in celebration of their last day.
Wednesday was our last full day in Alaska, and it started out early. Steve and Moe had already left for Utah by the time we woke up. We had to get Max out of bed by 7:00 so that he could catch the train with grandma.
My mom had been planning for a while now to take Max on the Alaska Railroad, and Max was enthusiastically waiting for this trip as well! When we woke him up he quickly got ready and then they were out the door. My dad dropped the two train travelers off at the train station and then we were going to stop and pick them up in Wasilla a couple hours later.
When we got to Wasilla, Max and my mom were waiting outside at the train station. The train had just dropped them off and Max was excited to tell us all about his train ride. Well, the part he was awake for anyway. I guess the late night before and the early morning were just too much and his sleepiness overcame his excitement. Once they got on the train and found their seats, it wasn't long before Max was out. My mom did say that he loved the parts that he was awake for, and she even stopped at the gift shop and bought Max his very own toy train.
After picking up my mom and Max, we headed for Palmer and made our way up the Glenn Highway to the Matanuska Glacier. The Matanuska Glacier is the largest glacier accessible by car in the United States. When they say largest, they mean it's really, really big. Really big. The glacier is 27 miles long and four miles wide. It is an active glacier, meaning that it is still growing. The Matanuska glacier expands at a rate of about a foot a day.
Matanuska Glacier.
We had a lot of fun at the glacier. We were able to park fairly close to the foot of the glacier and hiked a short distance 'till we were standing out on the ice. Walking on a glacier is a lot different than I imagined it would be. I initially thought it would be like walking on hard, crusty snow. Then, once we got a little closer and you could see ice peeking up from below the rocks, I thought it would be slippery. This was partially confirmed when I was trying to cross a small stream and I slipped and stepped into the frigid water. But as we kept going, I noticed that the glacial ice wasn't all too slippery. It has a rough texture which I think helps provide some grip for walking on. As you stepped across the massive frozen expanse, the ice crunched and sounded a bit like walking on small pieces of broken glass.
A small stream meandering along the surface of the glacier.
Just your typical "family on a glacier'' photo.
The glacier was magnificently beautiful. We were on a fairly gentle part of the ice, with small rivulets and streams of water carving mini ravines as they meandered down off the glacier. Further up ahead, you could easily make out the jagged and fractured ice of the more remote parts of the glacier. The sight was easily serene and at the same time intimidating. It's easy to see how one could slip and fall into a narrow crevasse, getting trapped with no way out. The glacier commanded respect.
Looking for a place to cross a stream.
Max and I, on the Matanuska Glacier.
Max, sticking his finger into a cold rivulet of water trickling down the glacier.
Shayla and Isla, walking across the glacier.
The area we were on was fairly tame by comparison. We let the kids out on the ice and they loved walking along, picking up rocks and exploring the little cold streams of water. Max even found a ladybug walking around on the ice. I have no idea why a ladybug was out on a glacier, but Max was more than happy to catch it and take it to a more ladybug friendly location!
After we were all glaciered out, we climbed back in to the suburban, headed for Eagle River and got ready for one final Alaskan night.
We all had a great time in the land of the midnight sun and I have to say, it was one of the best vacations of my life! I would definitely go back again and I think it's safe to say that the rest of us (Max, Shayla, and Isla) would too. We had a lot of fun spending time with my family. Alaska is an amazingly stunning place.
I have to thank my parents for all they did for us in organizing all of the trips we took. Our vacation to your new home couldn't have been more perfect. Thank you!
And Alaska, thank you too. I'll be seeing you again sometime!
We arrived at our destination a few hours later, and after getting things sorted out we were on our way to the Cook Inlet with a boat, boat crew, and loads of fishing gear! When we arrived at the boat launching area, we climbed into the boat, the boat was hitched up to a tractor, and we were all towed out to sea. From here it was a 30 minute boat ride out to deeper waters.
Our majestic fishing vessel.
Getting towed out to sea!About 30 minutes later, we were dropping our lines into the cold Alaskan water. Now, I had never been halibut fishing before, but it is quite different from the trout and bass fishing I'm used to. The fishing poles were rather short and quite stiff. The fishing line looked like a thin rope, and the sinker, well... it was a four pound weight! The bait we used was full-sized mackerel, cut in half to let the fishy scent float through the water and attract the halibut.
Instead of casting the line out, which would be rather difficult with a four pound weight and a bait fish on the end that would rival the size of many Utah trout, it was instead dropped directly off the side of the boat, straight down 150 feet into the dark blue waters below. When the weight would hit the sea floor, you could feel it hit with a thud. After this, it was time to fish!
Pulling a four pound weight up 150 feet from the bottom of the ocean was actually surprisingly tough. When that four pound weight had a thirty pound fish fighting on the other end, was was even tougher!
Moe was the first to experience this, as she caught the first fish only minutes after dropping her line in the water (Captain Jim had told us that it was good luck to have a girl on board)! Throughout the day, we would each take turns catching and reeling in halibut. Bryan caught a Big skate (kinda looks like a manta ray) that gave him quite a workout as he was reeling it in.
Moe and her fish, the first catch of the day!
Bryan's Skate.While the rest of us were busy catching 20 to 40 pound fish, my dad decided to hook in to a monster! He was pulling in this fish for a few minutes, complaining about how tough it was. I didn't really take him too seriously, but after about five or ten minutes he was too tired to keep going so he handed his pole off to Captain Jim. Captain Jim was immediately impressed with the fight and weight of the fish on the other end, and confirmed that he too though it was a big one. Numbers started getting thrown out there and it wasn't uncommon to hear guesses over two hundred pounds. TWO HUNDRED POUNDS!!!
Captain Jim, pulling in the big one!About fifteen minutes later, Captain Jim handed the pole back over to my dad. Another ten minutes or so and the fish became visible under the surface of the water. I had my line in the water on the other side of the boat, so I couldn't see the fish, but with all the commotion I knew it was impressive.
Gabe started jumping all over the boat, grabbing a harpoon, large fish hooks, and a shotgun. Wait, what's that you ask? Did I just say shotgun? Yes, yes I did. A shotgun. By now I had gotten a small glimpse of the massive fish, but not enough to do it justice. My dad was hooting and hollering with excitement. My brothers were acting like five year old kids on Christmas Eve, Gabe was running all over the place, Captain Jim was now readying the harpoon, and I was standing there with 150 feet of line out, dragging a four pound weight and a dead mackerel across the ocean floor.
Monster in the water.Captain Jim harpooned the giant in the water, it was shot in the head not once, but twice (they wanted the fish dead before it was brought in to the boat, so as not to flop all over the boat deck breaking legs and causing all sorts of carnage and mayhem). And then it was hooked with four large meat hooks. Steve, not really wanting any part of this, traded my pole for his hook. I took the hook from him and went over to the side of the boat where the fish was floating in the water. I could now see what all the commotion was about. The fish was huge. It was bigger than any fish I had ever seen, and it was about to be pulled up in to the same boat I was standing in!
My dad, Captain Jim, Gabe, and I all grabbed our hooks and hefted the monstrous beast into the back of the boat. We all stood there, looking at it for a few seconds, trying to come back to reality and the full realization of what had just happened. Captain Jim estimated the fish at about 150 pounds. He mentioned that only about 1 out of 20,000 fish in the Cook Inlet approach that size. My dad still couldn't wipe the silly grin off his face. Come to think of it, I don't think anyone else could either.
Monster in the boat. We were actually pretty lucky that this thing didn't eat Bryan.Captain Jim and Gabe took over from there, getting all the hooks and lines out of the fish and then shoving and kicking it down in to the live well where it just barely fit. For the rest of the day, every fish we caught just looked small. Even though they were all still twenty pounds or more, we kept turning them back, hoping to catch a fish to rival that of my dad's. After a couple hours and nothing but "small" twenty and thirty pounders, we made sure that everyone had caught their limit and headed for shore.
Pulling in my first fish of the day!
Bryan and one of the fish he caught.
The crew and the fish.It took well over an hour (probably closer to two) for Gabe to fillet all our fish, but after he did they were all vacuum packed and we were on our way back to Eagle River. I can't remember a time when I've had more fun and excitement fishing. If I ever get the chance to go up to Alaska again, I will definitely head back to Ninilchik and give Captain Jim and Gabe a call.
Tuesday found us back in Eagle River. We took our time getting ready and didn't really do too much 'till later that afternoon. When we finally did get around to it, we loaded up in to the vehicles and drove a few miles up the road to the Eagle River Nature Center. The nature center was a very pretty and very scenic place with easy walking trails through the forest and along rivers, streams, and ponds.
Walking along the trail.
The Eagle River valley. This valley was carved by a glacier hundreds of years ago.
There's a tiger in the grass! Oh wait, it's just Max.
Max and Isla loved climbing up on the railing along the boardwalks.
Family photo in a tree.
One of the many boardwalks along the trail.This was also Steve and Moe's last day in Alaska, as their flight was leaving early Wednesday morning to take them back to St. George. We went to the Moose's Tooth, a fine pizza establishment in Anchorage, for dinner in celebration of their last day.
Wednesday was our last full day in Alaska, and it started out early. Steve and Moe had already left for Utah by the time we woke up. We had to get Max out of bed by 7:00 so that he could catch the train with grandma.
My mom had been planning for a while now to take Max on the Alaska Railroad, and Max was enthusiastically waiting for this trip as well! When we woke him up he quickly got ready and then they were out the door. My dad dropped the two train travelers off at the train station and then we were going to stop and pick them up in Wasilla a couple hours later.
When we got to Wasilla, Max and my mom were waiting outside at the train station. The train had just dropped them off and Max was excited to tell us all about his train ride. Well, the part he was awake for anyway. I guess the late night before and the early morning were just too much and his sleepiness overcame his excitement. Once they got on the train and found their seats, it wasn't long before Max was out. My mom did say that he loved the parts that he was awake for, and she even stopped at the gift shop and bought Max his very own toy train.
After picking up my mom and Max, we headed for Palmer and made our way up the Glenn Highway to the Matanuska Glacier. The Matanuska Glacier is the largest glacier accessible by car in the United States. When they say largest, they mean it's really, really big. Really big. The glacier is 27 miles long and four miles wide. It is an active glacier, meaning that it is still growing. The Matanuska glacier expands at a rate of about a foot a day.
Matanuska Glacier.We had a lot of fun at the glacier. We were able to park fairly close to the foot of the glacier and hiked a short distance 'till we were standing out on the ice. Walking on a glacier is a lot different than I imagined it would be. I initially thought it would be like walking on hard, crusty snow. Then, once we got a little closer and you could see ice peeking up from below the rocks, I thought it would be slippery. This was partially confirmed when I was trying to cross a small stream and I slipped and stepped into the frigid water. But as we kept going, I noticed that the glacial ice wasn't all too slippery. It has a rough texture which I think helps provide some grip for walking on. As you stepped across the massive frozen expanse, the ice crunched and sounded a bit like walking on small pieces of broken glass.
A small stream meandering along the surface of the glacier.
Just your typical "family on a glacier'' photo.The glacier was magnificently beautiful. We were on a fairly gentle part of the ice, with small rivulets and streams of water carving mini ravines as they meandered down off the glacier. Further up ahead, you could easily make out the jagged and fractured ice of the more remote parts of the glacier. The sight was easily serene and at the same time intimidating. It's easy to see how one could slip and fall into a narrow crevasse, getting trapped with no way out. The glacier commanded respect.
Looking for a place to cross a stream.
Max and I, on the Matanuska Glacier.
Max, sticking his finger into a cold rivulet of water trickling down the glacier. 
Shayla and Isla, walking across the glacier.After we were all glaciered out, we climbed back in to the suburban, headed for Eagle River and got ready for one final Alaskan night.
We all had a great time in the land of the midnight sun and I have to say, it was one of the best vacations of my life! I would definitely go back again and I think it's safe to say that the rest of us (Max, Shayla, and Isla) would too. We had a lot of fun spending time with my family. Alaska is an amazingly stunning place.
I have to thank my parents for all they did for us in organizing all of the trips we took. Our vacation to your new home couldn't have been more perfect. Thank you!
And Alaska, thank you too. I'll be seeing you again sometime!
-~-
7 comments:
All your pictures are amazing. Isn't Seward the coolest little town? We went on a glacier cruise that left right from that port. My sister & her fam also live in Eagle River!! & that fish...holy crap!
What an amazing trip and wonderful memories for your family. Love all the photos. Looks like a blast, and we now want to go to Alaska. Man, those fish were amazing!
WOW. You guys do the most awesome things--I love it! Amazing pictures!!! Poor Max...I'm glad he got better : ).
WOW. I'm a little jealous. The photos look amazing. So fresh and clear (and cold). One day we will go to Alaska, mainly for my husband to fish.
I like the part about Max's special "sick poop" underwear too. haha.
I was enthralled the minute I started reading this. I had no idea you were such a writer! This will be a treasure for your family to read and look at for years to come. Thank you for sharing it. Also I loved the book you did on the alphabet. Very talented!
I have been waiting and waiting for you to post about Alaska - and this post was worth the wait! What an amazing trip. Thanks for sharing!
Sherri
The pictures made me want to go back. Jennie and I spent our honeymoon in a yurt on Resurrection bay . . . awesome! Next time we'll get out and see more and have a better idea of where to go thanks to this post. Look slike you all had a blast!
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