Tag Archives: Alaska

Alaska Backcountry Ski Trek

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Last March my brother Jon and five other men skied 100 miles down Lake Clark Pass onto Lake Clark and home to Port Alsworth.  This adventure inspired me to challenge myself to a winter adventure and do a similar trip.

After mulling over the idea for a year, I found two other women who are going to take on the challenge with me! We are planning next weekend to be dropped by a plane on nearby Tuxedni Glaceir, ski down the valley, follow the river through the woods, head down 15-mile long Kontrashibuna Lake and connect with the trail that leads home to Port Alsworth.  We are planning for three days two nights and praying for wisdom, safety and good weather!

In preparation for the trip, we’ve been gaining wisdom from the skiers who have accomplished such a trek along with a few other things…

1. I typically ski 5-6 days a week and headed up to Lake Kontrashibuna last weekend for some uphill, downhill and lake skiing.  It was -5 degrees outside, but clear and sunny which made it glorious.  The round trip was about 5-6 miles and gave me a good idea of what we’ll face breaking new trails and skiing up off the lake on our last miles homeward. Challenging but doable and very rewarding!

2.  I purchased Rossignal BC70 Backcountry skis (found them on clearance in the attic section at REI. Score!).  These skis are different than regular cross-country skis as they have a wider base, are shorter than a typical ski, have metal edges and more scales on the bottom of the ski that will help with uphill terrain. I’m very happy with my purchase and how they’ve performed thus far.

3.  We will pull our supplies behind us on sleds (approx 40lbs), so I have begun skiing with a sled to get used to the weight.  My first weight was Warren, who is much cuter than the log I had to replace him with when he got too cold. I decided the two logs weren’t enough weight, so I put in 16 lbs. more and headed off to practice some “hills.” Which were more like sloping terrain. I struggled. Sled in tree well. Skis off. Sweat. Skis in tree well. More sweat. Ugh. Determination. Repeat. And finally I managed to end that brutal trip. I took the sled to weigh it and found I had been lugging around 86 lbs… no wonder! Glad to dump half that load for my next ski!

4.  We flew the route last weekend to get a glimpse of what the terrain will look like, scope out any weak ice spots (thankfully very few), and look at the challenging part of coming down off the glacier.  Risk vs. reward.  We have yet to finally decide on the route and weather will impact our ability to land on the glacier. The picture below is the far end of Lake Kontrashibuna.  We will be coming down the valley on the left into those woods and onto the lake.

Please pray for wisdom, health, safety, good weather and that we’d have a blast!  Stay tuned for updates about the trip!

XtraTufs with a Beaver Fur Cuff

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XtraTufs are to Alaskans as Uggs are to college girls.

I’m not sure how I made it through my first mud season and rainy summer without them! They are now a staple in my wardrobe, just like my black patent leather pumps used to be.  And when I wear this lovely brown boot so much, I can’t help but want them to be a little cuter.  I could have sacrificed quality for some polk-a-dot Hunter boots, but there’s nothing like sweet waterproof neoprene to protect my precious feet.

I was inspired by another creative soul who created a beaver fur cuff adding a stylish flair to the boots.  Apparently it’s quite the rage on the University of Alaska Fairbanks college campus. Uggs are out. I took one look at the picture and knew I had to recreate it!  My design ended up being a bit different, but some of the same design basics.

The cuff is removable for when I’m actually using the boots for slogging through water, fishing for salmon, gallivanting in the mud and full contact origami.

I love the splash of color the fabric cuff adds.  A better accent than the fish slime and mud that decorated them for several months straight last summer.  Don’t you think?

Stylish and practical. Something I’m always hoping to accomplish in my Alaskan bush village life.

Fur Rody Fun

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The Iditarod.  A 1,000 mile race across Alaska’s unforgiving terrain gripped by winter’s clutches. Sixty-seven teams set out yesterday from Willow, Alaska to endure a challenge only an elite few will finish, each one dreaming of the warm steam bath at the end.  Wait, maybe that would just be me.  Do their snow pants and “foot condos” have central heating?  Do they have enough bacon treats for each pooch? There is a humanitarian award for the musher who treats their dogs the best.  I’d bring along my friend Alison, aka the dog whisperer, she’d ride shot-gun, take care of the dogs and make us lates along the way.

Our pups would definitely have hot pink rocket booties like these. I’m sure they’d have some additional sparkly flare, maybe a sequined butterfly shirt? I don’t know where I get these ideas… And soon this doggy bling would be all the fashion rage sweeping Seattle, where there are more dogs than children.

The teams as they were lined up waiting to go would be straining to run, throwing themselves into the harnesses, ready to RUN.  I was most surprised by the type of dogs.  It’s become an “Iditarod breed,” intermixed to pull out the best qualities to endure a 1,000 mile winter race.

Speaking of sequined butterfly tops… weird. I own three.  Not that I’m collecting, but if you find one, you’d better mail it! Anna Burrows – General Delivery, Port Alsworth, AK 99653.  Anyway, a group of hoodlums that I call my friends decided to talk me into RUNNING WITH THE REINDEER! They were like, “Hey Anna do you want… ”  YES, I’m in. What are we doing?

We get to DRESS UP? YES. YES. YES.

Any chance I get to dress up is a no brainer. AND run with reindeer. Check that off my bucket list… #5756, done!

So, we joined 2,400 of Alaska’s (and beyond) finest citizens who also think that dressing up and running 3 blocks with reindeer is a fantastic idea.  A few of my friends decided to entice those hungry reindeer by dressing as hay bails. Brilliant, I know. That’s why they are my friends.

The little reindeer were so cute.  Small. Like pocket size! But those antlers are a bit awkward to stuff into my satchel… so I just decided not to bring one home this time. And I kind of felt bad that they were released among a dashing crowd of maniacs. I had contemplated grabbing the antlers and swinging onto their backs as they ran by, but I did touch one as it ran by!

The variety of fur fashions were alone worth the flight into Anchorage.  The people watching was almost as good as going to the DMV!  Many people sported full fur coats and the ever popular fox, wolf or lynx hat with head, feet and tail included.

Becoming an Alaskan Resident

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I have been in the great state of Alaska for 445 days (ugh math!). Glorious days of not carrying a purse around, not driving, not being asked for my ID … questionable if that’s good… but I have wanted to get my driver’s license changed from Washington to Alaska for a while now.  BUT in that 445 days, I have only been in Anchorage 6 times, none of which lent me the opportunity to stand in a line with amazing people watching at the DMV, while loosing your identity and being called by a number.

A perk of living in Alaska is that after a full calendar year, I can apply for the Permanent Fund Dividend…the PFD… not to be confused with a PDF or a Personal Flotation Device. PFD = cash money. The average per year is $1,500 with the highest payout year being 2008 with $2,069. No…they don’t bribe us to live in this state… the Alaska Permanent Fund sets aside a certain share of oil revenues to continue benefiting current and all future generations of Alaskans. A person has to be eligible for it and apply each year.  So next spring, I’ll be cashing in on those oil revenues and thanking those who work the North Slope for their two weeks on and two weeks off.

But first I had to secure a driver’s license. Easier said than done.  While I was in Anchorage on my way back from my super sweet vacation in the Puget Sound, I stayed an extra day to do the “Big Shop” and visit the lovely DMV.  While I was visiting Seward with Sherry, I charged into the City Hall and snatched a Alaska Driving Manual from the rack, trying not to get distracted from the wall of small town flyers announcing great things like “open gym night” and “Norma’s knitting club,” or the local Elks club annual pancake feed. I read the whole thing cover to cover while we enjoyed some java at the Resurrection Bay Coffee.

I was set. It has been 13 years since I took the test as nervous 16-year-old in Idaho.  Now in Alaska, I needed to brush up on things like how to properly look high and low in the sky for airplanes landing before crossing the runway, how to hand signaling on a snow machine during a snow storm, and how to safely carry 6 people on a four-wheeler.

The DMV is pretty much the best place in a town for quality people watching.  It even gives Walmart a run for its money.

I planned ahead with my 79 forms of identification I needed, filled out my paperwork and followed the instructions of the lady who wore blue press on nails and turquoise eyeshadow and marched over to computer #8.  20 questions and I can get 4 wrong, which ever comes first. I confidently clicked through the questions, flinching as I got some silly ones wrong and all of a sudden I was at 3 wrong! Flash backs of the SAT’s, Iowa tests and college exams were frying my brain capacity, making me sweaty and nervous.  Question 19, “What is the minimum insurance an Alaskan driver needs to carry?”  Uuuuhhhh….  C!

YOU HAVE FAILED, with a big red X appears on the screen.

My brain instantly turned to pink cotton candy.

I was stunned.

I looked to the right at the Nigerian who just moved here (I eves dropped) and he passed his test! I think he did a little touch-down dance. I rolled my eyes, picked up my jaw and walked over to the lady with blue press on nails and turquoise eye shadow.  ”Well…how’d you do?” she asks.  I FAILED. *insert nervous laughter* AAAHHHGGRRRRGGG. 

Now I had to wait a full day to take the test again.  And since I can not EVEN. DRIVE. To the place I live (see the irony), I am now thrown off by two days until I can catch the next flight to Port Alsworth.  Fail on my attempt to get home in a reasonable time. Blahhh… I leave the DMV, feeling like a blonde who can’t even boil water, totally thrown off my the fact I’ll be in Anchorage for another two days.

Needless to say, I was able to put my brain back together and pour over the materials again.  I showed up at 8:30 am to see my new friend, the lady with the blue nails and this time she had hot pink eye shadow on…mixing it up! She said coyly… “Back again?”  Genius. Computer #1 please. I marched over and said a prayer. Clicked my way through 20 questions with solid confidence…and I didn’t even have to dye my hair.

And those three lovely words any girl likes to see appeared on the screen.  Congratulations.  You Passed!!!! (emphasis added).  I snuck my camera up and probably broke a law taking this picture, but it was totally worth it.

And then I got carded four times in two days.  It almost made the failing worth it.  (Don’t worry mom, it wasn’t for alcohol every time). I now proudly hold an Alaskan State Drivers Licence! But it will sit in my purse, in my closet for another 3 months till I make it back to the land with paved roads and fancy stop lights.

Seward in the Fall

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I just returned to Alaska after a few weeks in the lower 48 and before my frenzied shopping days, my partner in crime, Sherry, talked me into going to Seward for the day.  Coming back from 70-80 degree weather in Seattle was a bit of a shock to my system, but I love the crisp fall air.  The trees are wearing their finest golden coats, as if headed out to some big party. I just can’t get enough of the colors and the contrast with the green.  Some termination dust (the first snows of the year) are blanketing the Chugiak range that flanks Anchorage.

Seward is about 2.5 hours south of Anchorage and with some snacks in our playmate, we headed to the fishing village.  Living in Port Alsworth does not afford me road trips as the furthest I could drive is no more than a mile.  So for the past few weeks in Seattle and Tacoma I relished being behind the wheel.  Cruising co-pilot on our road trip to Seward was a dream.

We walked and ate our way through town…what we do best…browsing through book stores and chintzy tourist stores.

Resurrection Bay reminded me of the Puget Sound when the clouds are low and rain is sputtering. Still it was beautiful and peaceful.  All the tourists have all dried up…it almost felt a bit like a ghost town.

There were murals covering building sides on almost every block.  More than once I threw my head out the window trying to snap a picture.  These were two of my favorites.

I was studying for my driver’s license test as we sipped coffee at this quirky coffee art shop inside an old church.

Then on our way home, we passed this bridge that was just calling us to stop and have a photo shoot.  I had spotted it on our way south..and after a quarter-mile passed it, I blurted out to turn back! Sherry whipped a U-Turn and we rumbled down a gravel road to a trash strewn turnout.  We struck a few poses and called it good.  I love breaking the rules.