Category Archives: Traveling in Alaska

Found Berries

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It was a rainy day in late July. We were driving through British Colombia on our way back from Alaska two summers ago. The forested scene around us was lush and green. We were listening to a book on tape and taking in all the shades of green washed in a fresh downpour. We turned a corner and were met with a shocking hillside of red splashes against the green. Thimbleberries, Jack told me. He said they taste ok – a little grainy. We pulled over, donned our rain gear and headed out armed with empty cups.

The first one I picked fell apart in my hand. I tasted it. Wow! Sweet berry with a smooth seedless texture. They were beautiful. Fire engine red specks begging to be harvested. I picked and ate until my cup was full and I was soaked. These beautiful fragile berries were meant to be eaten right off the bush. My cup of harvested berries looked like a smoothie in no time at all.

Something about the combination of the lush drenched green and fresh picked berries found in the middle of a terrific drive…what a great memory.

Sea Ice

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Out of context, I’m not sure if this photograph makes sense. This shot was taken looking straight down onto Norton Sound from an airplane. The lower part of the photo is the sea ice that sticks to the coast. You can see the pattern of the snow as it’s blown across the ice. The blue in the center is the sea water. The ice above the blue is the free ice that is blown around by the wind. I thought it was interesting that I could see the layers on the broken edge of the ice down into the sea water.

The ongoing fascination with sea ice continues…

 

Surreality

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Have you ever seen anything like this? Glacial blue water. Fire engine red berries. Green towering spires encasing this outdoor cathedral. A beautiful shrine.

Fireweed

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Alaska’s state flower is the forget-me-not. My choice for the state flower is fireweed. This magenta beauty thrives in open areas. Up close, it stands tall and proud. From a distance, it colors entire mountainsides. Magnificent.

I had never seen fireweed until our first venture into Alaska. When I look through my past photos, my love for this flower is obvious. I have shots of it alone, mixtures of fireweed blended with other wildflowers, and meadows and mountainsides blanketed by this beauty. There is something appealing about a flower that thrives in the aftermath of a possible disaster and is the beginning of new growth for a burned out area. It’s the picture of hope.

Since my introduction to the flower, I have learned this plant also has culinary benefits. Last summer, I tasted it in a natural plant stir fry. I also have tasted fireweed tea. The dried tea in a jar was beautiful, too. Next summer I plan to harvest some to work with in the winter and try it out for myself.

Shades of Blue

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In the summer of 2009, we drove over 3200 miles to arrive in Valdez. We were hoping to make it in time for a half-marathon in Cordova, Alaska. It took us six days to drive from Sacramento, through Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Yukon Territory and finally through Alaska to Valdez. We drove hundreds of miles per day fueled by eagerness and the energy we absorbed from the incredibly beautiful drive and the daylight that lasted till late at night. The last leg of our journey was the 90 boat trip from Valdez to Cordova.

That sounds pretty doable, right? Never mind that we had just towed our boat behind our truck for all these miles. Never mind that our boat had only about 10 hours on the engine. 10 hours? Yes, Jack and I had taken the boat out of Bodega Bay into the great Pacific a sum total of two times.

We spent the night in the long term boat and trailer parking lot in Valdez. We had prepared the boat, the Gillie, for her journey. We filled her tanks. We scrubbed her down. We loaded her with all that we thought we would need to camp on her for a few days in Cordova. We woke early. She was launched pretty smoothly about 7 a.m. The water was flat. The weather calm and overcast. The further we were from Valdez, the more relaxed we became.

Being very new to boating with the Gillie, we constantly checked guages and our electronics to ensure that all was running smoothly. The main outboard engine was monitored to ensure that it was staying cool.

Ten miles away from Valdez, Jack noticed that the cooling stream from the outboard motor was slowing. It was not “pissing” as it should. Uh oh. We knew we had to shut off the engine and let it cool. Fortunately, we still had cell phone reception. I called the harbor master in Valdez to find out who could work on an outboard motor. Hmmm… no one. Yikes! Now what?

We have an 8 horsepower kicker that runs separately from the main outboard. We started that motor and limped back to Valdez to regroup.

Jack thought to call the motor shop in Sacramento to see if they had any advice. The guy who answered the phone suggested running something long and skinny up the exhaust to see if we could clear it. We found a long zip tie that fit perfectly. After a few pokes and a hard blow on the other end, small stones and dead bugs that had collected on the road spilled out. And then came the clear, strong flow of the cooling water. Thank you to Buck’s Outboard!

It was about noon at this time. The water was no longer flat. The wind had increased a few knots. Should we stay and miss the deadline? Should we go for it?

We went for it.

After we passed the place where we had turned back the first time out, we came to a finger of Prince William Sound which ran up as far as the Columbia Glacier. Someday I hope to see this glacier up close. Floating down from this finger where these beautiful sculptures of ice. The blues in the icebergs were amazing. They calmly floated away from the glacier carrying gulls and kittiwakes. The icebergs have these organic shapes that are captivating. The safe arrival in Cordova that evening should have been reward enough. The icebergs were the real reward.