(no subject)
live from alaska
cool things we've done while in alaska:
climbed flat top mountain - this is the most climbed mountain in alaska at only 3,200 feet and it's pretty much IN anchorage. we just went in tennis shoes and were thinking we might not go all the way to the top since it still had quite a bit of snow on it... but we did anyway! i'll post some pictures we took at the top and getting to the top, but it was pretty easy to get there. getting down was not easy and was kind of scary. ice + rocks + absolutely no clothes/shoes designed to be walking/climbing on ice and rocks + being on a small mountain = lame brain idea. i felt really sick watching gina come down after me. my brother helped her get over the tough spots.
went fishing out of seward, alaska - this was a guys only trip. got up at 3:00 a.m., arrived in seward around 6:00, left the dock at 6:45, got some fuel for the boat, took a 2 1/2 hour trip that had a non-stop absolutely gorgeous view of the mountains where we saw mountain goats, puffins, lots of gulls, humpback whales (from a distance; mostly the tips of their backs and the plumes of mist they blew out), porpoise, eagles, and sea lions, fished for (not kidding) about 7 hours non-stop, caught 90+ halibut between four people, i hooked and brought in a skate and a lingcod which we just took pictures of and threw back. we kept the 8 biggest halibut and gave 2 to the captain, john, who at one point in the day radioed his friend, fishing a few hundred yards from us, to grab his binocular and check out this giant "butt" (short for halibut) we caught. of course, the deck hand, ben, mooned him. the average weight was a little under 20 pounds a fish. each person is only allowed to keep 2 so we just kept catching them and throwing them back in hopes of catching a giant one. a boat came in behind us with one that weighed 109 pounds. supposedly, the 15 - 20 pound range makes for the best eating, but i read that the record weigh is around 700 pounds. my arms are sore.
we have also had a wonderful time hanging out together. my brother and sisters are all here together with our boys (between the ages of 6 months and almost 3 years). the house has been kind of crazy at times, but it's great to be together.
while we were fishing the girls took the kids to the anchorage zoo where they took a lot of cool pictures of black, brown, and polar bears and a porcupine!
there has also been a lot of sunlight. sun rise is about 4:30 a.m. and there's still sun light till after midnight.
and one of the greatest things i've seen on the trip is the shooting range in lon's house. lon is my mom's new husband. there is an old WWII bunker that's under his neighbor's house, but the tunnel to it starts under his. so, whoever lived there before him rigged up a pulley system so that you can clip your target on and reel it back and forth. it's very cool, but they're selling the house.
our children (elliot, jacob and sam) have been having a wonderful time throwing everything within reach over the baby gate and down the stairs.
cool things we've done while in alaska:
climbed flat top mountain - this is the most climbed mountain in alaska at only 3,200 feet and it's pretty much IN anchorage. we just went in tennis shoes and were thinking we might not go all the way to the top since it still had quite a bit of snow on it... but we did anyway! i'll post some pictures we took at the top and getting to the top, but it was pretty easy to get there. getting down was not easy and was kind of scary. ice + rocks + absolutely no clothes/shoes designed to be walking/climbing on ice and rocks + being on a small mountain = lame brain idea. i felt really sick watching gina come down after me. my brother helped her get over the tough spots.
went fishing out of seward, alaska - this was a guys only trip. got up at 3:00 a.m., arrived in seward around 6:00, left the dock at 6:45, got some fuel for the boat, took a 2 1/2 hour trip that had a non-stop absolutely gorgeous view of the mountains where we saw mountain goats, puffins, lots of gulls, humpback whales (from a distance; mostly the tips of their backs and the plumes of mist they blew out), porpoise, eagles, and sea lions, fished for (not kidding) about 7 hours non-stop, caught 90+ halibut between four people, i hooked and brought in a skate and a lingcod which we just took pictures of and threw back. we kept the 8 biggest halibut and gave 2 to the captain, john, who at one point in the day radioed his friend, fishing a few hundred yards from us, to grab his binocular and check out this giant "butt" (short for halibut) we caught. of course, the deck hand, ben, mooned him. the average weight was a little under 20 pounds a fish. each person is only allowed to keep 2 so we just kept catching them and throwing them back in hopes of catching a giant one. a boat came in behind us with one that weighed 109 pounds. supposedly, the 15 - 20 pound range makes for the best eating, but i read that the record weigh is around 700 pounds. my arms are sore.
we have also had a wonderful time hanging out together. my brother and sisters are all here together with our boys (between the ages of 6 months and almost 3 years). the house has been kind of crazy at times, but it's great to be together.
while we were fishing the girls took the kids to the anchorage zoo where they took a lot of cool pictures of black, brown, and polar bears and a porcupine!
there has also been a lot of sunlight. sun rise is about 4:30 a.m. and there's still sun light till after midnight.
and one of the greatest things i've seen on the trip is the shooting range in lon's house. lon is my mom's new husband. there is an old WWII bunker that's under his neighbor's house, but the tunnel to it starts under his. so, whoever lived there before him rigged up a pulley system so that you can clip your target on and reel it back and forth. it's very cool, but they're selling the house.
our children (elliot, jacob and sam) have been having a wonderful time throwing everything within reach over the baby gate and down the stairs.