Alaska

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[Adam]

This looks a lot like the gorge I flew through from Seward to Anchorage. Little twin-engine Otter turboprop, and I don't think we ever got over about 7500 feet, if that. Well under the surrounding peaks the whole way, one way or the other. The scenery was absolutely spectacular the whole way. One of those times I wish I could have make a professional-looking video of the trip and then shown that to people so that they could get what it feels like to do that. Closest I've ever felt to actually feeling like a bird.

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This looks a lot like the gorge I flew through from Seward to Anchorage. Little twin-engine Otter turboprop, and I don't think we ever got over about 7500 feet, if that. Well under the surrounding peaks the whole way, one way or the other. The scenery was absolutely spectacular the whole way. One of those times I wish I could have make a professional-looking video of the trip and then shown that to people so that they could get what it feels like to do that. Closest I've ever felt to actually feeling like a bird.

A lot further north Mate!! That's the Northern Brooks Range on the way to ANWR. I know what you mean about feeling like a bird. The vastness you have experienced can not be captured on film regardless of the equipment or technique. Once in a small plane flying through an Alaska mountain pass you realize how small you are.

[Adam]

And here I was thinking that squirrels stealing bird seed was a problem...

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And here I was thinking that squirrels stealing bird seed was a problem...

Just have to up the ante from an air rifle.

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[Adam]

A lot further north Mate!! That's the Northern Brooks Range on the way to ANWR. I know what you mean about feeling like a bird. The vastness you have experienced can not be captured on film regardless of the equipment or technique. Once in a small plane flying through an Alaska mountain pass you realize how small you are.

On second examination, I note that this must be north of the tree line, given, well, the complete absence of trees. One big difference: lots and lots of trees between Seward and Anchorage. But the rest of the elements are there, but for that the tops of many of the peaks still had snow on them in early June. The "small" river running through the gorge, the angular mountains, etc.

The day I took that flight, the ceiling was right at the tops of most of the mountains, perhaps 9,000 or 10,000 feet, so the pilot explained that it was actually safer to fly lower where he could actually see everything with reasonable clarity. I was fine with it, but the other two passengers were nail-biting something fierce the whole time.

It was the first cloudy day we had encountered after nine days in Alaska; I actually got a pretty hellacious sunburn on day 2 in Juneau, probably at least in part because of going up to Mendenhall Glacier with no SPF at all when the sun was really shining bright in a sapphire-blue sky. It had simply never occurred to me that I might get a sunburn in Alaska, so I never thought about putting anything on to stop it. But the glacier was absolutely spectacular with that sun shining through it, showing that incredible blue ice that was calving off. Well worth the tenderness of the sunburn after the fact. I sure as hell got some SPF after that, though!

My landlord and landlady went to Alaska last summer, and I met her one afternoon to give her the rent check about three or four days before they left. Making small talk, I asked if they were ready, etc., and then I asked her if she had suntan lotion. She gave me this very quizzical look (I would have done exactly the same thing 20 years earlier), and I explained the whole sunburn story to her. So when they got back, she sent me a very thankful e-mail about the suntan lotion and how it had saved their butts because they had about six days of non-stop sunshine for 20 hours a day and they never would have thought about that otherwise.

[Frostbit]

On second examination, I note that this must be north of the tree line, given, well, the complete absence of trees. One big difference: lots and lots of trees between Seward and Anchorage. But the rest of the elements are there, but for that the tops of many of the peaks still had snow on them in early June. The "small" river running through the gorge, the angular mountains, etc.

The day I took that flight, the ceiling was right at the tops of most of the mountains, perhaps 9,000 or 10,000 feet, so the pilot explained that it was actually safer to fly lower where he could actually see everything with reasonable clarity. I was fine with it, but the other two passengers were nail-biting something fierce the whole time.

It was the first cloudy day we had encountered after nine days in Alaska; I actually got a pretty hellacious sunburn on day 2 in Juneau, probably at least in part because of going up to Mendenhall Glacier with no SPF at all when the sun was really shining bright in a sapphire-blue sky. It had simply never occurred to me that I might get a sunburn in Alaska, so I never thought about putting anything on to stop it. But the glacier was absolutely spectacular with that sun shining through it, showing that incredible blue ice that was calving off. Well worth the tenderness of the sunburn after the fact. I sure as hell got some SPF after that, though!

My landlord and landlady went to Alaska last summer, and I met her one afternoon to give her the rent check about three or four days before they left. Making small talk, I asked if they were ready, etc., and then I asked her if she had suntan lotion. She gave me this very quizzical look (I would have done exactly the same thing 20 years earlier), and I explained the whole sunburn story to her. So when they got back, she sent me a very thankful e-mail about the suntan lotion and how it had saved their butts because they had about six days of non-stop sunshine for 20 hours a day and they never would have thought about that otherwise.

Adam makes a very good point for you non-Alaskan visitors. Also, always know where your bug dope is.

[Adam]

Adam makes a very good point for you non-Alaskan visitors. Also, always know where your bug dope is.

This part is actually kinda funny to me, because between that long trip and two other very short trips to Alaska (26 hours in Anchorage and about 14 hours in Fairbanks), I have never once encountered an insect of any sort in Alaska. Everyone warned me left, right, and middle about the pterodactyl-sized mosquitoes and whatnot, but I never saw a one. Now, granted, I'm apparently one of those people whom mosquitoes don't find tasty for whatever reason: they never bother me, whether in Nashville or Alaska or south Alabama or anywhere else. They just don't eat me, so I can only surmise that I personally do not smell/taste good to them. Ticks (SPOON!) are a whole different story, but the usual bugs just leave me alone for the most part. Alaska seems to be a bug-free-zone for me.

[Frostbit]

This part is actually kinda funny to me, because between that long trip and two other very short trips to Alaska (26 hours in Anchorage and about 14 hours in Fairbanks), I have never once encountered an insect of any sort in Alaska. Everyone warned me left, right, and middle about the pterodactyl-sized mosquitoes and whatnot, but I never saw a one. Now, granted, I'm apparently one of those people whom mosquitoes don't find tasty for whatever reason: they never bother me, whether in Nashville or Alaska or south Alabama or anywhere else. They just don't eat me, so I can only surmise that I personally do not smell/taste good to them. Ticks (SPOON!) are a whole different story, but the usual bugs just leave me alone for the most part. Alaska seems to be a bug-free-zone for me.

Bugs are usually managable in the cities. Get into the bush a bit and all bets are off.