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So the snow keeps coming back.  Last week was pretty warm, most of the walkways and roads had melted turning brown and soggy.  Then this weekend abra-cadabra it was white again.  Not sure how much snow dropped, but it was enough to give a everything a healthy coat of WHITE.      

           My seeds have sprung.  Hip Hip Hooray, my starter seeds are showing promise.  This year I plan on growing some Spinach, Butter Lettuce, Basil, Cilantro and Lavender.  Once it stops freezin I’ll move them to the Greenhouse in C-Camp.      

Friday @ 8:05  I felt a 4.75 Earthquake while chilling in the rec hall in C-Camp.  The Epicenter was located 34 miles SSW of Kantishna.  Kantishna was a mining town back in the day and is now a small private inholding and resort town within the park located at the end of the 90 mile Park Road.  Not sure if anyone lives out there year round.  Anyhow 34 miles SSW from Kantishna stands Denali itself, so “the Great One” was shaking a bit.  Check out current rumbles http://www.aeic.alaska.edu/ 

Saturday Night was the first Cornhole get together of the season.  Cornhole isn’t what some may think by the name.  Think bean bag toss.  Not sure where the name came from but I think it’s big in the midwest (Corn Country)   Well It’s also big in Denali culminating with a Cornhole Tournament at the end of the season.

Sunday I went out with one of Denali’s Sled Dog Teams.  It was surely a beautiful day and warm.  The heat made the dogs work a bit harder, we made added rest stops for them to cool off and play in the snow.  Snow was a bit soft at times which made the dogs work harder.  It was an amazing experience. What a way to travel and see the park.  The dogs have so much power, I can only imagine how much smoother and faster the ride would have been with a harder base to sled on.  I took some video with hopes to soon display it.  Here are some pics.

Denali National Park, Alaska ’08   

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(This is a repost, I REPEAT this is an OLD entry from New Zealand.)  This specific entry seems to get hit with spam so I have decided to delete it’s original and repost it.   Cheers Hello from Wellington.  It’s Monday New Year’s Eve, I thought I’d use the time to get week 3 out there as well as pix for 2.   So week three, ah yes I took a bus out of Auckland south to Rotorua.  Rotorua is a town located on the Ring of Fire and has tons of thermal energy going on.  Most of it looks to have been commercialized, but there was a local park that had some activity.  Hot bubbling water and mud, the smell of sulphur in the air everywhere and one that smelled like rotting feet.  There must have been about 24 enclosures in the park to keep people at a safe distance.  About 6 of them must have been olympic swimming pool size.  Really cool or actually HOT!!  It looks like they also use the geotherms for power, I passed by a place that looked as if it was harnessing the energy some how.  Even from off in distant towns I could see steam clouds rising from Rotorua.  While in Rotorua I did some rafting.  Very fun.  The guides boast that the Kaituna river has the largest commercially rafted fall of 7m.  It was pretty fun.  I hope to get pictures from a fellow rafter.  Cross your fingers.  Water was warmer than the ambient temp.  Good swimming. Rotorua has great food options, much better than I have seen anywhere else, even better than downtown Auckland.  Indian, Thai, Italian, French, not sure I remember Mexican (that’s one thing, not much Mexican food here) There was a street faire happening so that was perfect time to snoop around some booths. Checked out the Polynesian Spa, ehh not so great.  It was nice to sit in a hot pool, but the pools were right on the shore where seagulls gathered.  And boy did they gather.  So the experience wasn’t so quiet and relaxing. After Rotorua I headed to Taupo with hopes to hire a kayak and skim the lake for Xmas.  No luck, actually I didn’t see any activity on the shore for hiring water vessels of anykind.  It looked as though there was a lot of residents on the shore so camping would have been rather difficult too. I pushed on to Tongariro Nat’l Park for Xmas and found I had a white xmas coming after all.  Maybe a little too much white.  Nah, I just wasn’t expecting and maybe totally unprepared for the HAIL, RAIN and GALE FORCE WINDS.  Anyhow it was a great hike (no thanks to the trail), Landscape was amazing.  This area is also along the Ring of Fire and it is evident in the sulphur and steam rising out of the ground.  Some beautiful lakes, (nope they are cold water), martian landscapes, and tall mountains. Making my way further south I ended up in some coastal towns for a couple days before hitting Wellington on Sunday.  The towns of Levin, and Paraparaumu.  I slept close to the beach not 5 feet from a trail (there was a perfect tree that enclosed my whole tent), I slept in a dog park that borders a cow pasture (so yes there was MOOOing)  Ahh the joy of finding camp.Happy New Year’s!!

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So Saturday I decided to start my hike up Mt Healy from the established Mt Healy Overlook Trail.  It is a 2.3 mile trail rising 1664 feet.  Trail was fresh and snow covered, probably hadn’t seen people since last fall.  Starts out in willow and spruce forest rising to a rocky outcrop which looks over the valley giving one views of the Denali Park front country.  A white layer of snow mingles with the green blades of spruce.   Once at the Overlook I opted to pass on continuing to the summit.  The weather wasn’t inspiring for pictures, I had no need to conquer this mountain and it was my birthday and the thought of a Happy Hour starting soon pulled me down the hill. 

Sunday I hit the Triple Lakes Trail.  Yes there are 3 small size lakes along the trail.  I enjoyed walking across the first one and had lunched at the second one.  Very quiet out there.  Tracks of moose lynx, wolf, rabbit and squirrels.

       Denali National Park ALASKA 08 

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  Howdy friends and family.  I am back from my extended holiday and working.  I have returned to Alaska for a 3rd season with Denali National Park’s Trails Division.   I will continue to supervise and facilitate the volunteer trail crews that will be visiting the park this summer.  So far there are 6, 5-week crews, made up from the SCA (student conservation association) and SAYC (southern alaska youth corps.)  There will be a number of shorter staying groups in the summer as well. 

This year I ended up driving the entire way North through Canada.  In previous years I shipped or ferried my vehicle; once to Anchorage and last year to Haines where I disembarked and drove 2 more days.  I left Portland, Oregon Wednesday the 9th reaching the US/Canada border around 2 p.m..  I remember and feel being in a fantastic state of mind to explain my ability to make the 40 hour drive in 4 days.  (It might have been the 2 weeks I just spent with this Rad Chic in Portland, see previous Blogs)  I made it to Quisnel, BC the first night, sleeping in a Walmart parking lot. (passenger seat, 8:15 out like a log.)  The next night I pulled into Liard Hot Springs and went for a soak.  Awesome Soak, (passenger seat 9 / 10 p.m. out )

The next morning I went into the Liard Hotel across from the springs and campground.  I had some brekkie of bacon and eggs with coffee.  I also ordered a chef salad, to go for lunch.  They make good Chef’s salad’s (they did, once ) 

After filling up on petrol I was off and making good timing that I pass Haines Junction and pushed to Beaver Crossing just shy of the ALASKA/CANADA border.   Found a pull off (passenger seat 9 p.m. out) 

Day 4, Saturday, I pulled into Fairbanks around 2pm.  I spent a couple hours shopping for groceries.   I had brought a good load from the lower 48, visiting Trader Joe’s and Costco before leaving P-town.  I needed to pick up fresh fruit, veggies, dairy, and such.  Remember, Denali is still 2 hours south of here, I’m shopping to last me 3-4 weeks.  (As I look at my food shelves right now, I smile, they are stocked for a couple months.  Which is great.)

  I arrived at Denali National Park around 6:30 p.m., feeling I am home for the summer, happy to be amongst good friends and excited for a new season.  Snow is all around C-camp and has been for most of my trip North, I kind of failed to mention that.  I hike around C-camp looking for my cabin, 153, making a pass through the Rec. Hall.  I run into 2 familiar faces and quickly say hello and query my cabins location.

  Ah… there you are cabin 153,  AKA   Last Man Standing,  or   Flagstaff.

I spend the next couple of hours getting stuff in and un-packed.  I’m sure I ate something too.  I do remember going on an ice run for a Vodka Tonic.   Sunday I spent unpacking the gear I had stored here in Alaska.  I baked some cookies, planted some lettuce and herbs and put some homely touches on the cabin.  

Monday I started work @ 7 am meeting Gabe, Pete, Krusty and Chuck in the Trails Break Room.  Most of this first week was spent on orientation and training; season philosophy and outlook, projects planning and logistics.  Not too exciting as most time was spent indoors.  It is snowing outside so that’s not a terrible thing.  By Thursday we had crossed a lot off our list, it was a productive week.  We even produced new pocket brains for all crew members.

  During the week I made a collage of some summer intentions and goals.  I went snowshoeing.  Seasoned my skillet with some BACON.  I visited my buddy, Yakone (AKA Yakkers, who is a Park Sled dog which I walked last year.  I plan on walking him again this year.) 

I Continue to move in while chilling in my cabin reading, listening to music , messing with photos, or writing.  

  Tomorrow is my 35th B-day.  I think I will start and mark the day with a hike up Healy Mountain.  It’s just behind the maintenance yard of the park.  There is actually a trail that goes 1/3 -1/2 of the way, then its a ridge hike to 5k.  All will be covered in snow so a trail doesn’t really matter.  I’ll see how the snow has set then decide my route.  

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BULA!  Bula, Bula. (Hello, welcome aboard, welcome.)   

It has been 5 weeks since I returned from Fiji, still I remember it vividly.  It is a very different place tropical and wild.  The temperatures felt about 95, even when raining it felt 95 (it only rained a few times)  The ocean water stayed pretty constant at what I could only guess somewhere in the 80′s.  It was quite pleasant.  

  While on Fiji’s mainland I stayed at the Nadi Bay Resort.  Nice place, friendly people, restaurant was fine too.  I stayed my first night here before boarding a boat called the Yasawa Flyer, which will take me out to various Islands in the Yasawa Chain for the next 12 days.  So over the course of 12 days I visited 5 islands staying in dormitory style bunk-rooms (with fans thank goodness and mosquito netting too)  Actually the bugs weren’t too bad.  

  Meals were provided 3 times a day with some resorts offering a 4 o’clock tea time.  Meals were fairly simple, consisting of toast and fruit in the morning, occasionally eggs and at one location it was full on omelette bar.  Fruit was fresh and from the island; bananas, papaya, pineapple.  Lunches tended to be  salads, a vegetable dish with rice or noodles.  Dinners tended to be filling with meats, veggies, and starches.  

  So in between feeding times I could be found swimming, snorkeling, juggling, reading (Lord of the Rings Trilogy), lounging in a hammock and/or hiking.  It was quite a relaxing lifestyle.  I spent time with the fijian locals, visited a few villages and learned a surprising amount of fijian words.  

  Some of the highlights of the trip were: swimming with sharks, the coral reefs, colorful fish, fresh fruits, people, not wearing a T-shirt for 2 weeks straight.  

  I did some adventuring on the mainland as well.  I spent 2 days in Nadi (the biggest city on the west coast)and took a bus over to Suva and spent the day in Fiji’s Capital (biggest city on east coast and country, I believe).  Both very busy cities with many shops, people cars and con artists.  One has to be careful who he speaks to or the value of what he’s being sold otherwise he could get taken for a ride.

  I had a great time in Fiji. 

 dua-1,  rua-2 ,  tolu-3,   va-4,  lima-5,  ono-6,  vatu-7,  walu-8,  thema-9,  teenee-10

 Vanaka vaka levu -Thank You very much

 Totoka na singa, nicua -  It’s a beautiful day, today.

Just one of many amazing sunsets 

a young Fijian boy 

Mesmerizing qualities of clouds and color in the skies

Koravau Resort, long sandy beaches, nice friendly people, good food 

Crab  

Capital City  Suva, Fiji 

View from an island summit, Coral View Resort

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It’s April 13th and well over a month since I left New Zealand or updated this blog.  I apologize for the lack in follow up.  My post-New Zealand Holiday has stolen all my focus and rightly so.  My last 2 weeks have been spent with a beautiful young lady from Portland named Jodie whom I met shortly before going on my New Zealand trip.  Our time together has been quite adventuresome and memorable we have done all this and more-

 Oregon Coast agate hunting, Cape Lookout;

 Midnight Frisbee Toss at your local corner;

 Disc Golf in Morisson Park, Boise, Idaho;

 Skiing in Whistler BC for 3 days; 

 Biking in Forest Park, Portland; 

 Bowling at Grand Central Lanes, P-town.   

It was pleasure to spend time with her family during the holiday.  And an equal pleasure to meet  and spend time with her friends, co-workers and house mates.  I am thankful for the time spent with her.   She has made an impression enough to warrant a plug on my blog.  Howdy Sass!   Miss ya.  

So that’s not where I was going.  As I was saying it has been a while since leaving New Zealand, I never said my official Farewell to the land of the Kiwi People.  And I’d like to do that now.  I wish to extend a Sweet As Cheers for the hospitality.  And to extend a “Good on Ya’ ” to those of you whom directly influenced my trip and thus my journey. …. I would like to say that all Kiwi’s are created equal north island   =   south island.  Each Island possess it’s own unique qualities.  Even Stewart Island, way down there.  

 And I think I’d like to leave with my Top Ten List of New Zealand      

(In no order since they are all amazing, fond memories)

- Happy Cows

- Friendliest of People

- Fergburger, Queenstown -  Southern Swine with Crispy Bacon add Blue Cheese

- Skydiving the Remarkables

- Lake Wanaka

- Tongoriro National Park

- the Birds, beautiful birds

- A beautiful day and night @ Mueller Hut, Mt Akoroa National Park

- Hiking the Northwest Circuit Track on Stewart Island

- Whittaker’s Chocolate – Tim Tams – Tui’s – Hell Pizza - Sweet As - 

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February 25th Ween In Auckland,  My first WEEN show, in a small quaint venue of 1-2K fans.  Loud and rockin!!  Great show!!  I have to admit I was a newbie and had only listened to a few albums over a few months.  I had some treasures down and that proved positive when those songs blared from the stage.  With my own bare hands, Zoloft, Transdermal, Fiesta, Other,.  I was able to keep up.  I didn’t feel to much like a schmoe on the floor.  No offense to schmoe.  Anyhow my ears were ringin’ for days and I have since added  more Ween songs to my Library.  

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