After our summer-long trip to Alaska, we’re traveling south through British Columbia, Canada, and the climate, sunlight, ecosystems—really everything—is all changing rapidly. No more alpine or subalpine terrain, and it’s kind of shocking. I shouted out to Tracy when I saw a cow. We both said, “Hey, look at this!” when we had to use the flashlight […]
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Along Kluane Lake
I am beat after a morning of hiking, an afternoon of online trivia (go team Donner Party!), and the heaviness of clouds after one sunny day. So, below are disjointed captions to my photos for this lovely area near Kluane National Park in Yukon. Congden Creek Campground We’re at a Yukon government campground that’s in […]
Kenia Fjords Critters and Views
Here’s more about that boat tour we took from Seward, Alaska, along the Kenai Fjords National Park. It was such a highlight of our summer in Alaska that I want to document as much of it as I can. Previous posts about this one danged day are about the orcas and glaciers we saw. Port […]
The Glaciers of Kenai Fjords
I had never been on a boat tour before, so you’ll have to skip over all this detail if you’re a pro or if you know all about glaciers, or if my low level of research here is annoying. I want to set this stuff down here while I can still remember a bit of […]
Orcas in Resurrection Bay
Geez Louise, I just disembarked from a boat cruise of the Kenai Fjords National Park, and it was all about glaciers and fjords and amazing views, but to me, it was the mammals and birds that blew my mind. We saw sea otters, sea lions, puffins, and I don’t even known what else right now […]
Spawning Salmon at Williwaw Creek
The Chugach National Forest campground we stayed in called Williwaw—the one that’s right on the Trail of Blue Ice and other trails with access to several glaciers—is also right on Williwaw creek, an unusually clear creek running from the glaciers far above. The Blue Ice trail runs alongside it for part of its five miles, […]
Finally Seeing the Light on Denali
What can I tell you about “the mountain” that you don’t already know? You know it’s the tallest mountain on Earth as measured from base to top. You know the absurd controversy about its name. Maybe you don’t know what it’s like to finally see it after you’ve been a curmudgeon about Denali National Park […]
Attitude Check in Denali National Park
Since writing this, I’ve learned more about the protection of the park through the Wilderness Act of 1964 and have a better attitude! Maybe we’ve gotten used to having glorious nature to ourselves. In Yukon, especially, we’d pull off the road to camp, with stunning views and walks on the tundra in every direction—no one […]
The Perfect Campground Stay at Jasper
We’ve had two great-weather days hanging out with my friend Jess and her daughter Nicole, who are camped beside us in Jasper. We miss Jacqui and Hazel and Ruth (they added to the greatness a few days ago) and I’ve been uploading photos to our shared cloud album like crazy to keep them in the […]
A Reunion in Jasper Despite Angry Fates
A long-awaited reunion of two families (and life-long friends) finally happened at the campsite beside us at Jasper–one mother-daughter pair from as far as New Zealand—and against every obstacle the universe could throw at them. Let’s see, the absurd events that seemed to conspire against this reunion include: Lightning struck Ruth’s house the day after […]
