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| Night sky around 11pm-- check out the city lights turning the mountains red. |
So, right after posting my last blog the other day I believe I had just finished saying how tired I was. Scott had already said he was ready to head off to bed and we were shutting down the house for the night. But then we got a call—“Hey guys! It’s a clear night. Let’s go hiking!”—Man, we’re only in Alaska once (as far as we know) and you can’t pass up opportunities like full moon, clear night hiking. It was worth ever second!
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| Night sky at the estuary |
We went down to hike the muskeg… wait, what on earth is a muskeg? Well, do you remember in Lord of the Rings… I think The Return of the King… when they were in the Dead Marshes? Yeah, that’s a muskeg. A highly acidic bog found in the arctic regions. Here they have an awesome board walk built over it so you can stroll safely. Acidic soil doesn’t make for lush forests but it’s perfect for a clear view of the sky away from the city lights.
We took full advantage of the night. It was amazing—freezing beyond all belief—but amazing. We ended up hiking the muskeg then connecting over to an estuary. I got to take some fun night time pictures but, with much chagrin, didn’t bring a tripod on the hike. Sad day. So, the pictures aren’t 100% clear but I like em’.
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| An old pic of Gavan I snapped a while back |
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| Night sky again... |
Wednesday we went up Gavan Hill in the afternoon. Oh did I mention Gavan Hill is two miles of stair climbing? Alaskan’s don’t really believe in switch backs that make hiking a little long but much easier. They would much rather cut to the chase and walk two miles straight up. My rear was not in gear for this. Ugh! We passed some of our friends heading back down past us, which was strange since they should have been going down the other side of the mountain. They said the wind was wicked and there were some avalanches so it wasn’t stable enough to summit. Scott didn’t see much of a problem… I did. I’m ok saying it, I’m a total weenie. I draw the line at avalanche.
Unfortunately, the pictures I took were all on the camera’s internal memory instead of the card, for which I don’t have the cord to retrieve. I’ll try and figure out a way around it otherwise it might be a while before anyone else can enjoy them.
We have the car this weekend so we’re excited for more exploring. I know Whale Park is on the to-do list for sure. This time I won’t forget the memory card!
Miss you guys and love you all,
S/A
Did you see any dead warriors in the muskeg? Did you find the way through? Orcs don't use it. Orcs don't know it. Um... we miss you.
ReplyDelete"You cannot reach them. We tried once, yes, precious. I tried once;
ReplyDeletebut you cannot reach them. Only shapes to see, perhaps, not to touch.
No precious! All dead"
Um.. Miss you guys too. Oh, and love you.