Cabin



Brr . . . .

 Last weekend, Bryant and I went out to the property for the night to see how winter was shaping up in that direction.  We hadn't been out there since mid-October, so it always feels good to check in on things.  There turned out to be about 1 foot of snow and some cold temperatures.  We did get in a little snowmachine ride and of course our usual evening campfire.

Highbush Cranberries



Riding around the swamps



It's December, All Right!

Which means we still get daylight here in Southcentral Alaska, just not much or very bright.  The sunrise is at 9:53 and the sunset is 3:48 and between now and the solstice we lose about 30 seconds a day and obviously that pattern reverses itself after solstice.  December and January end up being the gloomiest months especially when there is a low cloud cover or fog like there was today.  I did happen to snap this picture when the fog moved away from the back deck, but it wasn't long before it surrounded us once again.

Bryant, having spent 3 1/2 weeks in the Mexican sunshine, decided he needed to lighten up the outdoors and spent some time hanging Christmas lights on the front porch, fence, and the garage.  I added a few more indoors, plus a Christmas tree, and other decorations, so we've managed to create an atmosphere of good cheer for the holiday season and through the darkest days.

We're Back Home . . .

A few pictures from the trip . . . the details will have to be interpreted through them as I'm not taking the time to write much now.  Bryant and Kenny (a friend from West Virgina) dealt with motor issues and maintenance in the beginning, and lucky for me, all that was taken care of by the time I flew down.  We found an RV park in Loreto to store the boat for us, which will make logistics a lot easier for future use.  I ended up with about 6 days of really nice high 70 - low 80's and then it dropped into the low 70's when a northern blew in on Thanksgiving Day. Overall, a great trip. 


Anchored in Isla Cornados



Agua Verde anchorage - south of Loreto

Palapas on the beach in Loreto - Isla Cornados in the background



Loreto Boat Harbor - Sol Searching's
mast sticks out in the background.

For more pictures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jillcaho/NovemberMexico

To Do: and Done

Right now the "To Do:" list is bigger than the "Done" list as I get ready for my vacation.

My Done List : 

Wyatt - Not exactly a Jazz Instrument . .
but closer than the oboe or bassoon.

Gus - Tenor Sax, a true jazz instrument,
equally talented, less enthusiastic participant

 On Saturday, I enjoy Mat-Su middle and high school jazz bands and choirs.  They have clinics all day for the students, are critiqued by UAA jazz professors and Air Force Band Members, and in the evening they give a concert to the public.  I am amazed by the talent of all these young kids.  Instead of my usual, drop the kids and run strategy, I volunteered for the concession stand on Saturday.  This gave me the chance to watch the kids from 6th - 12th grade interact with each other, among their peers, and with the different schools.  I even had one ninth grader recognize me from 5 years ago when I taught 4th grade in another elementary school.  All I can say is what a neat group of kids.

On Sunday, I completed a stage in a running journey that began in January, but never realized the course it would take or even where it will end.  I ran 20 miles and I haven't done that in over 20 years. Surprisingly, I didn't do so bad, considering it was two women on a back road in 30 degree temperatures out for a Sunday run.  I found a local running partner at the race in August and she and I have been running one long run a week since September building again to the half-marathon in October with a final goal of 20 miles before my trip.   My legs feel better today than they have in the last month, but maybe they too realize that a Mexican vacation in the sand, sun, and sailboat are soon on the way.

Tonight, I came close to getting my suitcase packed and organizing my list of things "To Do:", which includes organizing the kids, the dog, fuel supply for the house, and the big one is my classroom.  Wow, maybe I better get to bed so I can attack that list tomorrow with some enthusiasm. 

Evening Alpenglow

Reflection of the Chugach Mountains in the Knik River

It is the time of year when the sunset casts beautiful pink color onto the mountains and conveniently it happens while I am driving home from work.  Yes, the sun is setting early these days around 4:30 p.m.  I couldn't help but pull over a take a few pictures.

Knik River looking into the sunset and toward the bridge.

What a Wonderful Winter Day!

Well, I'm not sure I would have used wonderful this morning as I headed to Palmer at 6:00 in the morning with thick wet snow flying into the windshield, but as the day progressed, clouds passed over, and it actually turned out kind of nice.  After school, Gus decided that the additional 2 inches of snow added on top of the 1 inch over the weekend was enough to try snowboarding down the hill. More than anything, I'm quite pleased that snow has held off as long as it has.

 Looking out the kitchen window . . .

Where did October go?  I noticed tonight I haven't posted anything for the month, so that usually means I haven't had the camera clicking much.  I do know I've been negligent in that department, but everything has been rolling along with nothing too out of the ordinary or interesting enough to take a picture off. The boys are busy with school, school activities, and friends.  There were a couple of weekends in early October that we went to the property and hauled wood around, the campfire trash wood, the cabin wood, and wood to be brought home wood.  And if I remember correctly, I was too exhausted to care about taking any pictures.  It's a good thing Bryant drank the kool-aid this summer and bought an I-Phone; now he takes a few pictures and passes them my way. 

Diesel Fuel - helpful flammable for soggy campfire wood

This year, I've been exercising so regularly during the week that the property wood work just plain wore me out.  In prior years, my exercise has been so sporatic I usually enjoyed a full day of labor in the wilderness. This year when I drop the kids off in the morning for jazz band, I run and swim before work.  Surprisingly, it works out well.  I also found a running partner to put in a long run Fridays after work.  On Oct. 23rd, I ran another half-marathon and improved my time by 3 minutes, so at least I'm feeling rewarded for my efforts. 

Bryant is busy packing as he heads to Mexico on Saturday night/Sunday morning.  He'll be down there for 2 weeks and then I join him for a week around Thanksgiving, which was a very pleasant thought, as I shoveled the snowy slop off the front deck this evening. 

Fall Turning to Winter

Surprisingly, we've been enjoying a sunny September.  Today was our first day of precipitation in almost three weeks and strangely it was via way of flakes.  Snowflakes that is.  Bryant and I had planned on going up to Hatcher's Pass to mountain bike, but the predicated sunny day turned out to be 42 degrees. So instead of detouring up to Hatcher's Pass (we stayed at the property last night) for a miserable bike ride, we left from the house for a ride right when we got home. We happened to hit the worst part of the day as snow squall came through as we were descending on the trail.  I needed my ski goggles on, along with the thin gloves and head band I already wore under my helmet. As we neared base elevation, the flakes turned to rain.  It was a cold ride.  If this keeps up our biking days may be winding down for the season. 

Last weekend, we enjoyed two beautiful days up at Hatcher's Pass biking.  Here are a couple pictures . . .



 And a picture of the boat harbor in Seward from the weekend before.  We went Sailing Inc.'s Annual Sailboat Show and toured all the sailboats for sale in the harbor.  Not because we want to buy another sailboat, but because we wanted to see what our options are when we get ready to buy another bigger sailboat in the years to come.  It was also a good excuse to get out of town and do something for the weekend.





Matanuska Peak Hike and Bike

Matanuska Peak viewed from the McRoberts Creek Junction

These pictures only show the hiking and that in itself ought to say something about the biking portion of our Labor Day adventure.  I can't gripe about biking the first 1,000 feet on a steep dirt road.  It was the next 1,000 feet that left me saying, "Never again,with a bike." 

McRoberts Creek trail will never again 
see bike tracks from me!

At one point we talked about taking a picture, but we really didn't have the mental energy to whip out a camera as we foolhardily pushed bikes through a muddy, rocky, root strewn trail.  And when we reached the steep slimy sections on the trail where we had to carry the bikes while ducking under alder trees, the picture taking option never even entered my mind. Optimism worked for the first 200 yards, but it didn't take long for me to realize the trail wasn't getting better anytime soon, nor were we going to be above treeline around the next bend.  Perseverance seemed to be the only character trait worth exhibiting.

Views from 3000 ft.

At around 2000 feet, we hooked into the Matanuska Peak trail.  We left too late in the day to reach the summit at 6,000 feet, but we had hoped to reach some bikeable terrain and take in some good scenery. Because of recent rains, the trail was coated with a thin layer of slime and we had little hope of catching much traction for an uphill climb, so we ditched the bikes and used leg power.  

The peak is still 2,000 feet away!

Although it was tempting to "push to the top," we stopped at 4,000 feet, ate some lunch, enjoyed scenery and headed back down.  We picked up our bikes along the way and chose the Matanuska Trail, which hooks into the dirt road we started from. Surprisingly, we were able to ride both the bike and the brake, much of the way down other than a deep exposed ravine that required the bikes to be pushed and carried for a bit.  But that seemed easy in comparison to our uphill battle with the bikes.

All in all, it was better spending the day laboring outdoors with bikes, mud and branches than being cooped up inside all day at work. 

Flashback: Southwest Tour and Back North

Lake Mead Recreation Area, Nevada

Prior to our Mexico trip in June with Bryant, the boys and I spent a week traveling around the Southwest.  We spent a few days with my cousin and her kids in Phoenix, and then headed northwest to tour Hoover Dam, Lake Mead Recreation Area and Las Vegas.

Valley of Fire Campground, Nevada

We met Bryant in Tucson, AZ and headed down south for our Mexico adventure. Three weeks later, the boys and I dropped Bryant off at the San Diego airport and began our trip back north via way of the storage shed in Phoenix, AZ, Slide Rock State Park, AZ, Mexican Hat, Utah, and Bryant's parents in Grand Junction, CO.   Last winter when we were planning out this past summer, I was concerned that I would miss Alaska in its finest month, June.  But as it turned out, I didn't miss much at all. 

A lunch stop at a picnic area in Montana.

Here is a link to more pictures:  http://picasaweb.google.com/jillcaho/SWTravelAndBackNorthToAK

A Beautiful Day

Clear blue skies and mountain views . . . a shame I'm back at work, but I have my ways of making use of such a beautiful day.  Not one of my twenty-three 2nd graders argued or complained with me when I said, "Because we need vitamin D and exercise to help us grow healthy bones and bodies, we will have an extra recess."  

After dinner Bryant and I rode bikes down the Knik River Road to the Old Glenn Hwy bridge. I grabbed the camera because I'd been wanting to get a shadow picture of a biker on the bridge. I found out I needed go earlier in the day to get the ideal picture but it turned out to be a nice evening bike ride.

Bryant riding across the Old Knik River Bridge

The biker shadow is barely visible.

Vacation is Over

I started work today.  After seeing folks again after 3 months, the usual formalities are exchanged, but this year I needed to refrain from using the word "summer" in front of vacation as summer never did quite make it to Southcentral Alaska.  Instead I asked, "How was your time off?"  or "Did you enjoy your break?"  On Saturday, Anchorage broke a record set in 1951 for the most consecutive days of recorded precipitation.  The local newspaper's headline was "Day 28: Anchorage reaches soggy milestone." 

In spite of the lack of the good weather, we managed to pack in some activities these last few days before the start of the school year.  Earlier in the year, our friends asked if we wanted to rent a sailboat in Seward for two days.  On Thursday afternoon, the boys and I packed the truck with gear and headed down to Seward to set up camp for a few days.  When Bryant arrived in Seward a few hours later, I had a great campsite right near the ocean all set up and the boys were already long gone exploring and immersed in Seward's kid/teen games on the playground nearby.

Enjoying a campfire in Seward

Under high grey clouds we enjoyed a nice campfire and then did our usual tour of the boats in the harbor.  Last year, we had Sol Searching (our 26 ft MacGregor) in transient moorage for August and September, which seemed to work well for us so we put ourselves on a waitlist for a permanent slip thinking it would be at least 2 years before one came available.  As it turned out, upon our return from Mexico without the boat (the original plan was to bring it back), we received notification that a slip had come available.  The unanswered question in this case is "Would we have brought the boat home if we knew a slip was available?"   It made for interesting conversation as we walked up and down the slips. 

Friday, we sort of sailed on a 32 foot Beneteau.  It is called "sort of sailing" when the wind is mostly non-existent, but every once in a while, a breeze would kick in.  And because we wanted to use the boat for its intended purpose, we'd put the sails into action and could sail 3 - 4 knots for about 20 minutes, and then the wind would die. 

Kaeson steering us out of the harbor

Around 3:00 in the afternoon, we made our way back to the harbor.  Not only did the wind disappear for good, but it started to drizzle and fog rolled in.  Seventeen hours later, the weather still hadn't improved and Sailing Inc., who rented us the boat, offered a refund for the Saturday rental.  The fog and no radar on the boat being the obvious safety concern. 

Leaving a little early allowed me the opportunity to swing through Anchorage on my way home to pick up my bib and chip for my running race on Sunday.  Back in January, I started running for 30 minutes a couple days a week on the treadmill.  As time went by, I knew I'd be more motivated to stick with it if I had something to work toward.  I verbally committed to the Skinny Raven 1/2 marathon in Anchorage on August 15th.  A couple of times last spring, I tested my running legs by extending a few runs into the 5-6 mile range.  I started feeling more confident with my abilities.  Then I went on the epic 5 1/2 week western vacation, which included hiking, camping, swimming, sailing, and driving from the Baja to Alaska.

Upon my return on July 1st, I remembered my verbal commitment to the race and decided I needed to get with the program.  The 12 week training schedules I found online needed to be trimmed into 6 weeks.  I made it work by skipping the first six weeks, then doing my best to stick with the second six that entailed 3-4 shorter runs in a week and one longer one.  My personal goal was to finish the race between 2:00 - 2:10.  Sunday morning, I crossed the finish line at 1:52.37. 

Although vacation is over, I was obviously pleased to finish off on that note.

What do we do . . .

 . . . when its too wet to paint a deck, but not wet enough to keep you holed up inside all day?  If you guessed a mega-bike ride, you're right.  During breakfast, Bryant suggested a long bike ride starting from the house, going through Palmer, hooking into the Crevesse-Morraine biking/hiking/ski trails and then back home.  When I attempted to talk him into loading the bikes into the truck to start at the bike path in Butte, which would cut off some of the less desirable road riding, I was told I didn't quite understand.  Apparently, the purpose of the long ride was to maximize the time riding and eliminate time in a vehicle.  Seeing as I'm going through a phase for fitness related torture, I easily agreed to his plan and before long were off and riding. 

Fourteen miles later, we reached Palmer and stopped by Backcountry Bikes a relatively new bike shop in Palmer to get directions to the closest trailhead into the Crevesse-Morraine trails and pick up another spare bike tube.  We wiggled through the backroads in Palmer and it wasn't long until we found the dirt trails. 

While we had never entered these trails from that particular trailhead, we have ridden them before, but we just don't ride them often enough, so we get a little confused when the trail splits in three directions.  The sign may say "You are here" but it's not always oriented correctly so invariably we end up on the wrong trail at least once or twice and need to do a few turn-arounds. This happens on most trails we are unfamiliar with and over the years, I don't become too attached to a Point A to Point B destination, as I know we will always get in some side trips.  I've mentally programmed myself into thinking of it as all as exercise.  We rode on a combination of two-rut roads and single track.  Eventually, we worked our way around in a fun circle and back out the original trailhead.

Riding single track through the UAA Agriculture Experimental Farm

On the way home, we couldn't resist McDonald's in Palmer.  After fueling up on grease and ice cream, we headed back home and surprisingly fast. It turned out that our long bike ride was 42 miles with about 12 of them on the trail and then rest on the road.  And lucky for us the real raindrops didn't begin until after we were already home!   

Drippy . . .

. . . wouldn't be as bad if I was working all day, but knowing my "free time" is limited, it's disappointing to wake up to this kind of weather.

A drippy morning view of  the Chugach Mountains

While we will get a break in the clouds, it hasn't been long enough for the deck boards to dry out and for a new coat of paint to dry. 

Last night, the clouds broke long enough to enjoy cake and the mountain views.

I did however manage to squeeze in a 24 hour dirtbike camping trip to Jim Creek with Gus and his three friends.  He'd been asking me to go and I've been looking at the forecast trying to find a decent weather window.  We decided on Tuesday.  While riding out there, the partly cloudy skies turned to grey and it started drizzling.  I'm thinking to myself, "Great, four kids and a soggy tent."  I figured if it got too bad we would go home.  That is the nice part about camping close to home.   

The Motorhead Camping Crew

 As it turned out the clouds broke up and the kids buzzed around until 11:30 p.m., goofed around in the tent for another 2 hours, and then slept hard until 10:30 the next morning.

We are the blue tent in the left hand corner.

I, on the other hand, listened to the local riff-raff buzz around until early morning light and then determined that quiet hours at Jim Creek don't start until 4:30 a.m. 

The Butte

I woke up to low grey clouds and 52 degrees.  By midday when the weather changed to high grey clouds and 63 degrees, I figured it was time to do an activity that did not take place within 200 feet of the house.  I just finished up masking the windows and doors for the stain job that will take place tomorrow and leaving it all behind would feel good, as real life was getting in the way of my adventures.

Yesterday the boys agreed to hike up the Butte, an 833 ft. climb about a ten minute car ride from home.  After a little arranging and calling friends to join us, we were off.  The high cloud cover limited the mountain views, but it is Alaska and this summer we wouldn't do anything if we waited for the blue sky days.  Wyatt and his buddy scrambled up ahead of Gus and me.  When we reached the top we ate some popcorn and then all the boys raced down the trail, while our faithful dog Ollie stayed behind with me while I snapped photos of the bluebells.

 

I love the way her ear flops down . . . .

 

For more photos:  http://picasaweb.google.com/jillcaho/ButteClimb

Catching Up

Slowly . . .   

. . .  and with Autumn's help the lawn is now under control.  Yesterday morning I got some flowers planted.  Then I took the afternoon off to bring Gus to Jim Creek; he rode his dirt bike and I brought the 4-wheeler.  I guess that side trip plus one weekend trip to the cabin and another weekend in Girdwood for the Forest Fair have ways of interfering with household chore lists.

A couple of pictures . . .

Here's some video footage from Jim Creek: 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmBIHz0mec0

Mexico Pictures

I keep thinking I should put together a few more details about the trip and post it, but that hasn't made it far enough up on my list of things I need to get done.  Hopefully the pictures do an adequate job of telling the story. 

Link to more pictures:  http://picasaweb.google.com/jillcaho/MexicoJune2010

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig

It's nice to see Bryant and have the kids occupied in their own space, but I already miss my short sleeve T-shirt and shorts.  I guess I'll tuck away the summer wear until November as Bryant is already busy planning that trip. 

Liard Hot Springs

Tuesday night we camped at Liard Hot Springs in northern British Columbia.  I told the kids that if I get a good night's rest we can push for home and be there by the early Thursday morning.  They were all for that plan only I found out I'm not as tough as I once was as I had to pull over between Tok, AK and Glennallen, AK for a middle of the night nap.  Wyatt was already sleeping in the backseat and Gus in the front. Not wanting to reorganize them too much I dumped the extra sleeping pads and bags to the backseat floor and managed to sleep for 3 hours, the advantages of a big crew cap truck and 3 people under 5' 4".  Then we were "Back on the Road Again," which had become our theme song each morning as we left camp.  Five hours later, I called Bryant to let him know I was about 10 minutes from home and I may see him before he leaves for work. 

Overall, the trip back through Canada and Alaska was uneventful, which is good when you travel 3,300 miles in 5 days.  I had an oil change done on the truck in Grand Junction, and according to my tag, when I reached Tok, AK I was due for another.  I decided that would wait for another day, but the tag turned out to be an easy way to track our miles. 

Surprisingly the border crossings went fast and well.  I had six 18 gallon totes of stuff of Bryant's from his parent's attic in Grand Junction and I dreaded ripping duck tape free and having to strategically rearrange everything again, but my fears were alleviated after answering a few questions from each about drugs, alcohol, firearms, and thousands of dollars of cash. The interesting contrast to these border crossings compared to the Mexico/US crossing we've done in the past year was the short line. Two cars, two minutes and I'm in a new country.  Ten days earlier, we crossed in Tijuana and we waited two hours.  This makes sense considering where the bulk of the population lives and travels and the drug traffic between Mexico and U.S. but still interesting having traveled through three borders in a relatively short time frame. 

Eventually, I'll sort through my pictures from this trip and make a slide show, but the hayfield growing in my backyard keeps calling me, so I'll add a few to this post and call it quits until time permits. 

 Isla Requeson

Bahia Coyote located in Bahia Concepcion

Dead Dog Beach - Name by the local gringos (whites) as people bury

their dogs on this island because coyotes can't dig them back up.

The Baja Side - Loreto Bound

Our two week vacation has been extended into three, due to that unknown variable . . . weather . . . in this case wind.  The third week offically starts today.  Two weeks ago, we crossed the Sea of Cortez to the Baja side under starry skies and calm seas.  We spent time cruising around Conception Bay, Punte Chivito, and Isla San Marcos snorkling, sailing, and swimming.   We docked in Santa Rosilia at the marina intending to make our way back across to San Carlos after a few days.  Strong winds up the middle of the sea made crossing unappealing and definately a stretch for our boat's abilities so while we were waiting for the weather to calm down, a new plan was hatched, but not before we discussed, started, and discarded at least 6 others. 

Our final decision is to leave the boat in Loreto, Baja California Sur so we can explore that area.  Bryant was able to catch a flight into Guaymas this morning to pick up the truck and trailer from San Carlos.  As I type, he's driving around to pick us up and the boat to bring to Loreto, which has dry storage for the boat and lots of cruising opportunities.  It is a long two day drive to Santa Rosilia and Loreto is another 100 miles.  We will get everything set up in Loreto and hopefully get some time on the water.  We have to be in San Diego on Sunday to drop Bryant off at the airport. Then Wyatt, Gus and I drive the truck back up to Alaska via way of the storage shed in Phoenix that needs to be emptied and Bryant's parents in Grand Junction.

I wanted to post some pictures, but I'm having difficulty downloading them onto Bryant's computer, so they will have to wait until I get back to Alaska around July 1st.  Anyhow, that is what we are up to.

Overnight at the Cabin

Gus found time this weekend to make some smores.

The goal this weekend was to move the generator shack.  This isn't something one can do alone so we invited our friends to come out to help us accomplish this feat.  When we first bought the property seven years ago this month, we bought a 12 x 20 Costco shelter to store gear and sleep.  Bryant built a wooden bed out of logs and OSB to fit the two twin mattresses we had. That was our sleeping set up for the summer, functional, sturdy, cheap and heavy.  That fall, we started searching for winter shelter to use at the property and ended up with a 5th wheel travel trailer.  Because we no longer needed a bed, Bryant transformed the bed into a generator shack by attaching longer legs, support boards, and roofing, which also added a few more pounds.

The generator shack worked fine for the years that we used the 5th wheel.  But with the 5th wheel long gone the shack was too close to the cabin.  Not only was it way too loud, but it wasn't an aesthetically pleasing sight when I made coffee in the morning and glanced out the window.  Bryant pulled the stuff out from inside, and with two people per side, we managed to move the shack to the backside of the cabin.  With the shack moved, we could enjoy dinner and a campfire.
Bryant brought the log furniture down a few weeks ago, but I didn't go with him, so it was a nice surprise for me to see everything all set up. I took some video footage of the inside.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrQgfElpY9k

One, Two, Three in a Row

Friday, Saturday and Sunday turned out to be the third, fourth, and fifth day of spring this year.  We didn't do anything too big or exciting, just enjoyed the simple pleasures of a few days off with some sunshine.  On Saturday, I was able to convince Wyatt that the annual spring trek up the Butte was in order. 

It was a hard sell considering Gus was occupied at a school chess tournament and his usual Boy Scout hiking buddy was working at a pancake breakfast. These days hanging out with Mom isn't topping the list of what a 14 year old wants to do.  Going out for a Subway sandwich afterward ended up cinching the deal. 

Later in the evening, Bryant and I enjoyed a fire in the backyard.  If you turn your body in the right direction and block out the neighbor's house, cars, and junk, it is almost like you're camping, only better because you sleep in your own bed.