530 mile drive

 So Amanda is in Florida...Phinn and I were feeling lonely so we decided to go exploring.  Loaded up the truck with fishing poles, guns, camping gear and snacks we put some Carpenters on the radio and hit the road north.

 got a little muddy

 When your feeling lonely why not take a 120 mile dirt road into the middle of nowhere.

 I hate porcupines (Phinn had a bad experience) but this little guy was cute drinking for the puddle...so he got to live another day.

 My main goal was to get into Caribou country.  I saw this group cross a river (very National Geographic) and watch them move to the east.  So I decided to drive a mile then head into the tundra and see if I could cut them off.

 After a 15 min hike across a river, over some hills and thru the muskeg I sat down and waited to see if they would show themselves.  This guy pops up 150 yards away.

 Then he starts coming straight toward me.

 At 40 yards he finally sees that there is something going on.  Now I had a rifle with me but I did not have a tag for caribou (permit only area) so I'll have to wait til next year.

 it was awesome to get so close to the magical walking critter of the North.  I watched him for 10 min and I was in heaven.  I finally let out a grunt and he started to walk around trying to catch my wind.

 Glowing in the experience and the autumn colors

 I only saw 8 vehicles on the 120 miles of the Denali Highway.

 SNOW

 I spotted another herd close to the road and ventured into the tundra again to see if I could catch them.  100 yards from the truck I startled some ravens and bald eagles and come across this site.  So Sad.  A baby and mother who were killed by wolves (right next to each other.  I can just imagine how stressed she was protecting her baby til the end).  Knowing a fresh kill site is one of the most dangerous places to be in the wild (Big Critters lurking near by who would love to eat a lonely Jay Wuoti) I took a good look around (Rifle in the truck.  But I did have my Bear Spray) I high tailed it out of there.  I did grab the antlers off the mother first though (they'll look cool on the wall, and I can always look at them and think of this mother Caribou)

Lots more Caribou.  Well we were planning on camping out here but the Pats play tomorrow at 9am Alaska Time so we put the pedal to the medal and made it home at 1am.

There is no doubt Phinn and I really missed Amanda on this adventure but as she is having fun on the beach with her sisters we were able to get out and put a day in the record books ourselves.

Glen Highway to Eureka

 Here is what our freshly painted house looks like.  We finally sold the Suzuki Sidekick, took a loss but we needed to get it out of the yard and Amanda is in Florida visiting her sisters and mother...things are going great.

 Last weekend we wanted to take a drive and look at some of the foliage.  We headed northeast out of Palmer on the Glen Highway.  I have not been on this road since we got her (it is the road we took to get to Anchorage).

 We drove 100 miles on winding roads until we got to Eureka.  Had some coffee, soup and a slice of pie.  everyone else at the roadhouse was getting back from caribou hunting and we saw lots of antlers in the back of their trucks, hopefully that will be us next year.

Matanuska Glacier

If you look closely you can see a handful of white dots...SHEEP!

Western Alaska

 I flew to Bethel, AK this week. Each day I would jump on a little plane, visit a village or two and then return to Bethel.  Working in remote Alaska and for the Government (AK National Guard) teaches one to be flexible very quickly.  This trip was planned for 3 days but turned into 4 days in the first hour we were on the ground.

 Bethel from the air.

 Quinhagak

 Kwigillingok - this place is built on the Kuskokwim River Delta.  The entire village is on marshy tundra: the houses are built on stilts and the "roads" are all boardwalks.

 Russian missionaries were the first visitors to these villages 300 years ago.

 Good News Bay

 Tuntutuliak - more board walks

 Back in Bethel these are the delta cottages where we stayed.  cute or creepy? you be the judge.

 Chevak

family in Juneau

 Well on my way back from Ketchikan the plane stopped off in Juneau and was not going to make the final leg to Anchorage until the morning.  I called Karl and he picked me up so I got to spend some quality time (2 hours) with Tory, Destiny and Ryan before going back to the hotel so I could make the 7am flight.

Sitka and Ketchikan

 I flew to Sitka and Ketchikan to work for the U.S. Coast Guard.  It was raining but for a few hours the sun came out and it was really nice.  The work was super easy so I was able to explore a little.

 Lots of salmon

 Humpback whale

 Baranof Island Brewery - Sitka

 Ketchikan Harbor

 Seal

This pic is from the ferry that brings you across the straight to the airport which is on an island.