The ALASKA Journey 2002
Imagine yourself stepping back in time to a place where there are no phones, no TVs, and no sounds of the modern day technological world, yet plenty of comfort, which is what our expedition of Alaska was to be all about. We left Chicago at 8:45am and flew into Anchorage where we transferred to a flight into Fairbanks. First time flying first class and for a flight this long it was really nice. The bloody mary’s made it more relaxing as well. They gave us laptop DVD players and our choice of 7 movies. I watched Shipping News. Got to the hotel about 230 and checked in. Had dinner and then drove out to check out the pipeline. At 1030 pm was still wearing sunglasses.
Anchorage, Alaska USA – Wednesday, July 17, 2002 at 03:38:32 (EDT)
After a 6am breakfast buffet we boarded at train and rode it for 4 hours thru the mountains to the entrance of Denali National Park, which is over 6 million acres. We had lunch there and then got on a bus and took it on a 6hr. drive out to The Denali Backcountry Lodge in Kantishna. It is the furthest any road goes west in the state. And it was a dirt and gravel road. En route we encountered a lot of wildlife including: 46 Caribou, 1 Moose, 1 Grizzly bear, 1 Golden Eagle being chased and attacked by 3 Magpies, a Snow hare, 1 Swan and Shovelhead ducks. Right before 6pm a huge storm erupted and the road was washed out. We were stuck on one side of it and their busses coming out on the other side. It took about 90 minutes but the plowed it over and managed to re-route the water. At 830 we got to the Lodge, which is located at the heart of the Great Alaska wilderness in Denali National Park with adjacent boreal forest and tundra. We checked into our cabin and were rushed right into the lodge for dinner. I was wiped out and needed sleep badly. At 11pm I was still wearing sunglasses. I was about to learn that it only stays dark this time of year between 230 and 4 AM.
FAIRBANKS/DENALI, Alaska USA – Thursday, July 18, 2002 at 03:39:13 (EDT)
After a 6AM breakfast (I was learning quick that they intend to keep you well fed here.) We decided to take a flight seeing tour of Mt. McKinley and got on board a Cessna with Jean and Carol who also happen to be from Chicago. On the way up I saw a black bear in the tundra. We were about to discover that there is no better way to tour Denali than by aircraft. Our pilot was a real daredevil too. As we approached the mountain through the clouds, which disappeared behind us, Mt. McKinley came into view, and its monumental size became apparent. We flew at an elevation of 8000 to 10000 feet, over one of the base camps used by climbing expeditions that attempt to summit the mountain, and the alpine glaciers, gorges, and geological formations. The pilot even attempted to cause an avalanche by flapping the wing of the plane in order to cause vibrations to create the reaction. He failed. After the flight we took a little hike around the lodge and the river. One other thing I learned is that the mosquitoes are abundant in Denali. I mean to say the forest is infested with these mean bloodsuckers. We wore 100% deet at all times and mosquito nets on our heads a lot. After dinner went out to Wonder Lake. We hung out there for about and hour fighting off mosquitoes. On the drive back we saw another moose and then we went to sleep. At this point I still hadn’t seen the dark since arriving in Alaska.
KANTISHNA, Alaska USA – Friday, July 19, 2002 at 03:40:24 (EDT)
After breakfast we went on a morning hike in the tundra. It was like walking on a huge mosquito infested sponge. Saw wolf, beaver, moose and black bear tracks. Had to wear knee high rubber boots and a mosquito net over my hat. Still the fuckers managed to bite thru my heavy cotton shirt. My shoulders were covered with bites. After the hike we went hiking in the Moose River, it’s current was fast, fierce and strong. In the afternoon I sat on the deck of the lodge and finished reading the Evel Knievel biography that Chris Curry bought for me and I saw a moose and it’s calf walk out of the trees and into the river right in front of us. This mammoth beast didn’t even seem to be aware of human presence; they just went about their business.
KANTISHNA, Alaska USA – Saturday, July 20, 2002 at 03:40:49 (EDT)
Woke up at 445Am for 515 breakfast, and then got on the bus for the 6 hr ride back out of the park. Saw a total of 25 caribou, 5 Dall sheep, 1 Grizzly bear and it’s cub, a long tailed Yager and other species of birds. Got to the train depot at noon and after lunch at The Perch rode in a shuttle bus a few hours to Talkeetna. We checked into the Swiss-Alaska Inn and took a walk around the small town before dinner. Most of the people who live here don’t have electric or telephones. Population of Talkeetna: 281. After dinner we went to West Rib Pub and Grill for drinks. They had Ice Axe Ale, which is brewed exclusively, or them and it contained 9% alcohol. Ice Axe is the Mt. Hood Brewing Co.’s best selling beer. They are only permitted to sell 2 pints per customer but when the waitress was impressed with my consumption of the 2 she happily offered me a third. It did help me to get good nights sleep.
TALKEETNA, Alaska USA – Sunday, July 21, 2002 at 03:41:25 (EDT)
Woke up at 645 for breakfast and left town at 8AM to travel to Seward. It was another long day of traveling and I was seriously starting to feel antsy. Too much down time between locations. I was running out of reading material and find it impossible to sleep in the vicinity of other people. We rode along the Cook Inlet Basin and managed to see a small herd of Dall Sheep on the cliffs. At 3pm we arrived in Seward and spent and hour or so at the Alaska SeaLife Center where they do marine research, rehabilitation, and visitor education. Afterwards we walked around town a bit and were in awe of all o the pubs. I asked one fellow what they do when it’s dark 24-7 and he replied, “We drink.” At 5 PM we boarded the Glacier Queen and took the 1-hour journey out to Fox Island. This was to be my favorite location of the trip. Located about 14 ocean miles from Seward, Fox Island is a scenic remote retreat at the entrance to Resurrection Bay. The area features protected coves and wildlife such as sea lions, otters, whales, eagles and puffins are often seen. Other than the skeleton crew the 10 people in our group, our guide Layla, and 2 other guests Mark and Wendy, we were the only humans on the island. This place was nothing short of paradise. No phones and no electricity. Our log cabin had beautiful views on both sides. After dinner we went hiking up in the mountain by ourselves. Some of the others went kayaking. Mark asked me if I was a member of KISS. Apparently he was under the impression I was one of them. Damn I must be getting old. Those guys are almost 20 yrs my senior. As I retreated to the cabin to sleep I still had not seen the dark.
SEWARD/FOX ISLAND, Alaska USA – Monday, July 22, 2002 at 03:42:05 (EDT)
Woke up at 530 for breakfast and the Glacial Explorer docked to pick us up for a 6 hr tour. We cruised along the Kenai Fjords National Park, which encompasses approximately 580,000 acres on the rugged outer Kenai Peninsula coastline. The Harding Icefield covers over 300 square miles of the park, with snow and ice accumulations thousands of feet thick. The Icefield has approximately 40 outlet glaciers; some are tidewater, including Harding, Holgate, Northwestern, and Aialik Glaciers. The cold and rainy journey boasted an abundance of seabirds, including puffins, murres, bald eagles, and marine mammals including sea otters, and Steller sea lions. But we didn’t get to see any whales. The waves, due to the weather, were tossing the boat all over the place. People were puking over the side of the ship, someone yakked all over the bathroom walls and a few of us were feeling a bit seasick including myself. The food was terrible so it didn’t help matters. The best part was getting to watch the glaciers calf. The booming sound thru the natural amphitheatre was amazing, and the crashing of the ice caused huge waves that tossed the ship like a toy boat. After the tour we got back to Seward and got on the shuttle and drove to Exit Glacier. We parked and walked the quarter mile trail up to stones throw of the icy mass. The 3-mile-long “river of ice,” fractured and crackling, pours 2,500 feet down out of the Harding Icefield. From under the snout comes Exit Creek, a rapid gray mixture of ice-cold water and glacial flour. The crevasse’s glowed an eerie sapphire blue. When we finished there we drove out to the 3-mile-long “river of ice,” fractured and crackling, pours 2,500 feet down out of the Harding Icefield. From under the snout comes Exit Creek, a rapid gray mixture of ice-cold water and glacial flour. We departed and traveled to Cooper Landing. Population of Cooper Landing: 215, Layla had the shuttle stop at Wild Mans Liquor so people could pick up supplies. We arrived at Kenai Riverside Cabins along the banks of the Kenai River and adjacent to Chugach National Forest and Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Our cabin was a cozy little log cabin named Yukon. It didn’t have a bathroom so the shower/toilets was a short walk thru the woods.
Cooper Landing, Alaska USA – Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 03:42:34 (EDT)
Woke up at 545 to shower and eat breakfast. Edie made an incredible batch of breakfast enchiladas. I enjoyed it so much she saved me one to have with lunch. At 845 we got into rafts to float down the river in the cold rain for 2 hours. We saw hundreds of people fishing for salmon and they jumped u out of the water going upstream to spawn and die. Saw a total of 4 Bald Eagles, which by this point have been a more than random occurrence. When we returned from the trip we had halibut chili and I also ate my other enchilada. At 145 we went on a hike on a 4-½ mile stretch of the Russian Lakes Trail, which went mostly through forest. The trail went up to Russian River Falls, where we got to watch spawning red salmon jumping through the falls. It was amazing to say the least. I’ve only seen this on cable and it was a great surprise to see it in person. Literally, it looked as one could walk across the fish, that’s how thick it was w/ salmon. Feeling wiped out we went back to another big dinner and as it poured rain we stayed up in our cabin polishing off the vodka and trying to find music on the radio.
Cooper Landing, Alaska USA – Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 03:42:51 (EDT)
Woke up and at 845 traveled to Portage Glacier, which was also described to as hosting the worst weather in Alaska. And I believe it. The fucking thing makes it’s own weather. In the last few years the glacier face has begun retreating from the lake it created. A small section in the center has exposed bedrock but much of the glacier face is still in the water and extends down more than 100 feet into Portage Lake. We walked around and went into the gift shop for coffee. After that we went to the outskirts of Anchorage and The Alaska Native Heritage Center. It provides programs in an informal settings, includes workshops, demonstrations and guided tours of indoor exhibits and outdoor village sites. I had reindeer sausage for lunch. We were there for 2-½ hrs and I was anxious to get into town. The weather was clear as we arrived in downtown Anchorage at the Sheraton Hotel. This was our only brush w/ luxury on the trip. I went right for CNN after saying goodbye to our guide Layla. Population of Anchorage: 256921, which is roughly ½ of the population of the whole state. We went to dinner at Glacier BrewHouse after shopping and sightseeing. The wait was 90 minutes but they had really good beer to keep us occupied. I had King Crab Legs and they were tasty. We walked around a bit more and went back to the comfort of the hotel and sacked out.
Anchorage, Alaska USA – Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 03:43:19 (EDT)
Woke up at 7Am and wrote postcards out and went to breakfast. I had reindeer sausage again and buffalo sausage. Then we walked in the rain to the mall to buy books. I needed something else to read so I got, Better Than Sex by HST, Hells Angel by Sonny Barger, and a Warhol retrospect as well as some magazines. We rode a charted bus to Whittier, which is a small depressing town where all the residents live in the same building. NO SHIT! Population of Whittier: 237. The town is only accessible by a tunnel, which only opens going in or out one way every ½ hr. Also there is a train that shares the same tunnel after the hole closes at 8PM. We got on board the Spirit Of Colombia and checked into our quarters at the front of the ship on the 3rd of four levels. It holds 78 guests are 143 feet in length and a cruising speed of 10 knots. We were in cabin 302. I was sooo tired after dinner and after a few cocktails tried to get some sleep. We were to spend 4 days and 3 nights thru Prince William Sound, which is Alaska’s world-class cruising area. The Sound teems with sea otters, bald eagles, whales, and a stunning array of seabirds. Cruise West offers 3- and 4-night cruises through these pristine waterways, with more glaciers, wilder shorelines, and less marine traffic than the traditional Inside Passage. At 1030 PM still under sunlight we were awakened to come on deck and view a huge school of Dall Porpoise’s who were following the ship playing in the wake. They were many and followed for over an hour. It was a sight to behold. The Dall Porpoise looks like a mini Orca Whale. It was well worth getting dressed and braving the cold.
Whittier, Alaska USA – Friday, July 26, 2002 at 03:43:42 (EDT)
Woke up at 6 for breakfast at 7. The shower in the cabin wins the all time award for smallest shower/toilet of my life. Thereafter I was feeling bored. I began reading the Barger book. It’s very intriguing. I feel like all they do is keep you on board (bored) and feed you. Icebergs and glaciers are all starting to look the same. Sea Lions and Otters are too common at this point. Still haven’t seen a whale of any kind. I had 6 Jameson’s and Ginger Ale through out the day. Dr. Wolf (from NYC w/ his wife Joan) seems to be amused. It’s like 6 drinks in 8-10 hrs is nothing. I do that in 90 min back home. By dinner I had finished the Sonny Barger bio. It was too good to put down. Talk about freedom fighters/ A little crime aside these guys fight the system for the right to be individuals. After dinner the captain announced we were along side a slue of Stellar Sea Lions and that you could smell them. Out of curiosity I opened the cabin door. Well they were right there outside of OUR door. And the stench was one so overwhelming I will not soon forget nor forgive it. It seemed to intrigue a lot of folks willing to brave the foul odor of stinking sea mammal. I had enough and closed the door, but it was too late. The cabin had filled up w/ the agonizing aroma of these beasts. Luckily we bought a scented candle at Portage Glacier, so we lit it and after about n hour were saved. It was a restless night of trying to sleep. I had too much on my mind. I was missing MK and it’s world, listening to music, my cats, and was worrying about affairs back home on which I was powerless to check on.
“Somewhere” in the Prince William Sound, Alaska USA – Saturday, July 27, 2002 at 03:44:34 (EDT)
Today was the day that I’d been looking forward to for years. As a canoe enthusiest I’ve dreamed for years of white water rafting. Well today would be the day and the water was a brisk 34-37 degrees. We arrived in Valdez early, Population of Valdez: 4106, and were picked up in a bus and transported to the outskirts of town. We signed up for the Lowe River trip, through Keystone Canyon, which is one of Alaska’s most exciting and spectacular river trips. The river flows through a deep canyon, with sheer cliff walls and beautiful waterfalls cascading from its sides. During our raft trip we will float past Bridal Veil Falls, which cascades 900 feet from the canyon wall. The mountains surrounding the canyon are capped with snow and many spectacular glaciers. Susan and I got in the front and everyone in the raft was given a paddle after suiting up. This was one of the biggest rushes of my life. The water and the action was one of the most exhilarating moments of my life. It seemed to go so fast. I could have done this for hours. But before long it was over and we were headed back to town. But I am now addicted and plan to make next summer a quest for rafting in upper Wisconsin and in Colorado en route to the Grand Canyon. On the way back we stopped at the site of where Valdez was located when the big quake hit Alaska in 1964. While there we watched the salmon spawn and swim upstream. Some of them running short on time and passing the salmon that were mating and having their last hurrah. We went back and enjoyed the final two meals and then after looking at more glaciers headed in to sleep. At about 10 or so we were awakened by screams, which was followed by a huge wave that lifted the boat up and down. There was yet another calving of a glacier. It was explained that the ice wall was as large as the boat. And I believe it from the way the ship was tossed. I then went back to sleep looking forward to the trip home the next day.
Valdez, Alaska USA – Sunday, July 28, 2002 at 03:45:28 (EDT)
Woke up for breakfast and bid farwell to the Spirit O Columbia and its crew. After boarding the bus we still had a little time before the tunnel open to escape Whittier, which we heard referred to as nothing prettier, too many times to count. But I’ve come to the assumption that the people who inhabit the region call it Whittier no place shittier. There was Chinese Buffet restaurant that advertised permanently on the building that they had an all you can eat salard bar. Spelled S-A-L-A-R-D. What is salard???? Finally we were on the way back to Anchorage and up the same road we’d been on 3 times before. Alaska was un, clean, and beautiful, but after 4 days on that fucking boat I was ready, willing and anxious to return to the traffic, humidity, and crime ridden streets of Chicago. We ate lunch w/ our traveling companions at the museum for the last time. Pat and Hank, Lewis and Joan, Jean and Carol, and Doris and Leslie were about to see us for the last time. We took a few photos said goodbyes and went to Humpy’s, which is a brew pub to spend the remainder of our time before heading to the airport. The plane left at 830 PM and we landed in Chicago at 530 AM.
Whittier, Anchorage, Chicago, USA – Monday, July 29, 2002 at 03:46:30 (EDT)
Population of Chicago: 2775275 Hazy, hot and humid. Hundred of emails, lot’s of mail to sort and a lot of questions about the diary on the site from which you are now reading. Got with Moe for dinner at Red Light. Sabrina Satana was our waitress and the receipt # was 9666. NO SHIT. We planned for a long day of work the next day.
Chicago, IL USA – Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 03:47:29 (EDT)