Girdwood/Alyeska

Nothing noteworthy happened this last week except that Tuesday was 73 degrees and Wednesday was 49 degrees! Also, I got 2 free tickets to a rock concert to see Static Cycle and they were pretty good; Katie went with me.

Today I drove down that gorgeous drive on Seward Hwy again toward Girdwood to visit with Mrs. Lanell who I mentioned previously. On the drive there was a male Dall Sheep with big horns at eye level on the mountain to my left standing almost vertical on the face of the mountain, eating plant. Mrs. Lanell had grilled fish that were caught yesterday in the ocean!!! Halibut and Salmon, Hawaiian steak pinwheel and grilled veggies..phenomenal! We stopped by the Jade factory first thing so I could retake the photo next to the Humpback whale vertebral bodies for my PT buds- manip that!

Then she took me on a driving tour of amazing views, must eat at places and gorgeous mountain homes. Of course, when we first pulled out of the driveway we spotted a black bear cub! We drove to the big Alyeska ski resort and to a chapel in the mountains. We hiked to Virgin Creek Falls (wow!!!!!) in the northermost rainforest in the entire world! When I think of the rainforest I tend to think of hot and humid (like when I was in Costa Rica), but apparently the rainforest can be cold! The waterfall was beyond beautiful.

Then we drove the Crow Creek Road and passed by the old and still working Crow Creek Gold Mine. We saw tons of wildflowers, trails, waterfalls, rivers, creeks, mountains and glaciers (the reason the snow on them in the photos isn't white is from the volcanic ash from the recent eruption of Mt. Redoubt).

And of course as we arrived back to her home, we saw the bear cub again further down the road! Mrs. Lanell gave me smoked salmon last time I was there (fantastic! Tastes like fresh beef jerky). This time she gave me crab manicotti, leftover grilled meat from our lunch, mango, wild mountain strawberries she had picked and some dessert bars she made with honey, peanut butter and rice pellets! That's the kinds of friend everyone needs!

So today was full of exploration and it was great fun, oh and I also saw a cow (female moose) on the drive home!

Another interesting AK fact: It's free to personalize your license plate so everyone has cool plates on their vehicles and it makes driving more fun!

Love, Rachel :)