RE: Some pics from BogyDave's "backyard"

[firefighterjake]

I think this first set is from my day trip down Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm . . . one of the most picturesque drives . . . the views never get old.

Went to the Sea Life Center and Exit Glacier . . . and geocached.

 

[firefighterjake]

Exit Glacier . . . thought about hiking up to the Harding Ice Field . . . but it was getting late . . . as it was I got back to my sister and brother-in-law's place around 9 at night . . . not an issue with all the light, but I didn't want them to worry too much about me either.

 

[firefighterjake]

Day 2 . . . I went back to Turnagain Arm and geocached . . . as I said . . . the view never gets old. Also checked out Portage Lake.

Day 3 . . . Went up to Hatcher Pass and drove up and down the mountain to Willow . .. geocaching as I went . . . thought I took some pics . . . cannot seem to find them on the SD card though.

 

[PapaDave]

WOW.
Hon, I'll be back in a while....gonna' go for a hike on the ice field. WHAT?! AKA, Glacier.

 

[bfunk13]

Great pics, beautiful place!

 

[bogydave]

Good Pictures.
Did you get a chance to see a bore tide come into Turnagain Arm?

 

[firebroad]

wOw
I think my favorite is

 

[firebroad]

...And my second favorite is

I wish I was there
!

 

[firefighterjake]

Good Pictures.
Did you get a chance to see a bore tide come into Turnagain Arm?

I didn't . . . I think I saw one though on one of the two other times I was visting.

 

[firefighterjake]

Some more pics . . .

Me . . . getting my head stuck in a sign at Cubby's, located on the highway before you take the road to Talkeetna. We had gone to Talkeetna for a jet boat tour (not bad, but not what I was expecting -- thought there would be a lot more white water in Devil's Canyon). On the way back I grabbed some geocaches . . . including this one . . . but got my big, fat head briefly stuck in the sign.


A couple of pics of me driving my sister and brother-in-law's Polaris Ranger up the trail on Bald Mountain in (or near) Wasilla . . . from the top you can see all the way to Russia . . . or at least Knik Arm and Wasilla. Trails were quite steep compared to the ones here in Maine . . . fantastic views. My brother-in-law meanwhile played in the mud before his clutch was toasted . . . he drove back down and never got to see the great views. Incidentally, I know it looks as though I'm either in great pain or constipated . . . I am neither. Not sure why I looked this way other than to say I'm not very photogenic.

Shot taken at the Palmer Creek Drainage in Hope that I hiked with my sister . . . trail is a lot steeper than it looks in the pic . . . at times I was scrabbling across the mountain using the "three points" method of hiking to keep myself from tumbling down the mountain. We never did reach the top . . . mainly because my sister said the trail goes over the stream there that leads to the waterfall . . . and to cross the stream you walk on large rocks . . . which were covered by snow. My sister was concerned that if we misjudged where the trail was (due to the snow pack) and walked somewhere we shouldn't we could possibly fall into the stream, be swept under the snow/ice and over the waterfall . . . a remote likelihood . . . but hey, I'm part Irish, so why tempt fate.

On the only real crappy day I was in Alaska -- July 3rd -- we had hoped to either take the train to Spencer Lake which my sister says is wicked pretty or hike Portage Pass in Whittier. As you can see, despite it being July 3rd, the day was wicked cold . . . and I'm talking late Fall, early-Spring, maybe even early Winter cold. The wind whipping off the glacier-fed lake was biting and bitterly cold. Add in the fog and mist and my sister said the cost to get to Spencer Lake only to see very little and freeze our butts off wasn't worth it . . . and then after doing the tunnel we discovered the trail to Portage Pass had a ton (not literally) of snow blocking the way. We settled instead with checking out the small museum where I learned some of the history of the Japanese invastion of Attu and the other island in the Aleutians.

Final pic is from July 4th . . . we went up to the Willow-Hatcher Pass Road where my brother-in-law took the wheel as we rode up one of the trails there (I forget which one) . . . rode to the point where we could see the top . . . but large mud holes and a concern over the time (I was scheduled to fly out in the early evening) caused us to turn back before we made it to the top. Here is my sister and myself . . . and the Ranger.

 

[firefighterjake]

Just noticed . . . Pic 493 in the first set . . . actually taken near Hatcher Pass.

 

[Jags]

Jake - that looks like a blast. Your pics are awesome.

 

[firefighterjake]

Honestly . . . I didn't take as many pics as I should . . . probably because I've been here twice before and you can only take so many pics of the mountains . . . plus I always find it hard to get a camera with its limitations to truly show the majesty of this place.

That said . . . here's a couple pics from Hatcher's Pass . . . I went up there on Day 3 . . . was going to tour the Independence Gold Mine, but instead opted to go over the mountain to Willow. Very picturesque road. Lots of mud from the snow melt. Hair pin, switchback turns . . . no guard rails or even large boulders preventing your vehicle from going over the side. I didn't bother taking any pics until I was on relatively flat ground. I was a bit surprised to see a RV approaching the mountain from the other side . . . I cannot imagine taking an RV up this road.

I think I mentioned it, but on one day my sister and I hiked Portage Creek Drainage in Hope . . . very pretty, even on a misty, fog shrouded day. Pretty neat to see the lupines growing just a few feet from snow pack. Small pond formed by the snow melt . . . pretty cool as it even had the "glacier blue" look even though it is clearly not glacial. Very clear water. Trail is deceptively high and steep . . . even though it may not appear so in the pics. Road going up to the PCD was also very nice . . . lots of folks cutting beetle kill wood stacked beside the road . . . didn't bother to take pics of this though . . . sorry folks.

 

[firefighterjake]

Hmmm . . . only the two pics of Hatcher Pass posted and one of me in front of the pond in Hope . . . will try this again.

 

[firefighterjake]

Argghh . . . now it has posted multiple pics. Oh well . ..

 

[Delta-T]

I have scoured these pics Jake and sadly...no bigfoot in any of them. I hear the bigfeet (bigfoots?) are so tame in Alaska that you can feed them berries right from your hand. they must not have liked your cologne.
<--is jealous of your trip, but will be in your backyard all the week (which means its a good idear to duck and cover)

 

[firebroad]

Wearing coats on 4th of July--what a concept!!
Such beautiful mountains.
I sure hope that sign is the only place you have ever got your head stuck up...I can't say the same for myself.

 

[firebroad]

I have scoured these pics Jake and sadly...no bigfoot in any of them. I hear the bigfeet (bigfoots?) are so tame in Alaska that you can feed them berries right from your hand. they must not have liked your cologne.
<--is jealous of your trip, but will be in your backyard all the week (which means its a good idear to duck and cover)

Delta, this IS the photo of Bigfoot. Guess you didn't recognize him, he was hiding...

 

[certified106]

Beautiful pictures! Looks like you had a great time. I am envious as Alaska is on my bucket list! Thanks for sharing

 

[firefighterjake]

I have scoured these pics Jake and sadly...no bigfoot in any of them. I hear the bigfeet (bigfoots?) are so tame in Alaska that you can feed them berries right from your hand. they must not have liked your cologne.
<--is jealous of your trip, but will be in your backyard all the week (which means its a good idear to duck and cover)

You have to feed them nagoon berries . . . they weren't in season yet though.

 

[firefighterjake]

Wearing coats on 4th of July--what a concept!!
Such beautiful mountains.
I sure hope that sign is the only place you have ever got your head stuck up...I can't say the same for myself.

Well there was that time with the honey pot.

 

[loon]

Very nice jake!!

 

[ScotO]

beautiful country up there in Alaska Jake, I am jealous. I would love to go to Alaska someday!

 

[tfdchief]

Great pics, Nice Polaris.