Whew, Awesome Weekend

I have had an epic and rejuvenating last day. Last night was my first ever boulder competition-- which went pretty well, all things considered and leaves me feeling excited to keep climbing and improving. And today was the opening race for the Anchorage Cup, and the sprint relay was very fun as usual, particularly the win in the coed bracket with Erik.

The boulder competition was set up allowing all climbers 2.5 hours to climb as many problems as they wanted, with scores calculated by tallying the top five point value climbs completed. This type of format means that strategy is a large component in garnering a high score. Additionally, on-site completion (climbing a problem bottom to top on the first try) was used as a tie-breaker. I am sure I made some mistakes, not warming up adequately, burning out on some big problems that I never actually completed, etc. Next time I try a competition, I will certainly plot a better path to high points. But I suppose most of figuring things out is by actually doing competitions.

I ended up third in the women's division, which was good, although it was a very distant third. Both of the women above me in the standings climb really, really hard, so next time I will have to try to bridge that gap a little bit. Climbs completed were roughly: v6, v4/5, v4, v4 & v3/4, not bad for my first try. The competition also provided a fun social event, talking to lots of other climbers, and particularly seeing guest climber Chris Lindner climb some incredibly difficult problems-- and making it look easy.

This morning I reluctantly rolled out of bed and headed over to Kincaid for the sprint relay, always a fun day of racing. The first race of the day was the women's relay, which I skied with Judy from work. Judy is one fit lady, she is old enough to be my mom and she still gets after it on a regular basis. We started strong, but faded out and finished in sixth. My lungs were burning and my arms felt limp and dead after the first race. I was starting to question my sanity deciding to race twice. I tried to regain my composure while the coed race started. Erik went first and tagged off to me in a strong position. I maintained our slot and Erik came around to tag for the final leg a few seconds out of the lead in a solid second place. Somehow my lungs seemed to have recovered by the last leg, and I was able to make an attack on the climb over the tunnel. As I came down the final hill, I slingshotted around Kristy (who was leading) and kicked it in to the finish. Not too shabby-- but still time to do a little more training. Now I have the racing hack and I am feeling sore, but stoked for the winter!


Crusing on the first lap of the women's relay


Tag after the first leg of the coed relay

It's that Time of the Year Again...

The holidays are here. I have particularly mixed feelings about the season this year. I suppose it is a good thing to have a few days off of work, to see my brother and his wife-- those are the things I am looking forward to. The rest of it, the gifts, the craziness, the stress, the particular loneliness the holidays bring-- well those are all things I could do without. To make matters worse it is the cold and more crucially, dark season up here. Cold I can tolerate, but the darkness, that gets old fast.



I have been getting out in the limited light, however, I have not been bring my camera and thus have zero pictures to post. Today I tromped up to Bear Point out in Chugiak. It was a wonderful view, the clouds even cleared so I could see the bigger peaks up the Peter's Creek Valley, but it was getting dark as we hustled down the mountain at 4:00pm. Less than a month until things start to get lighter, not darker. One more week of school as well. This is good in that I will be happy to not have to go to my evening class-- but it will also mean a little cramming in anticipation of the final exam. Something I should probably be doing right now.

Life of Laura

It has been quite awhile since I posted. I am back to work, taking a class at UAA and just generally in a fairly mundane daily routine. Today I have a few minutes to write-- as it is my day off, and I am sick. Fortunately not too sick though, I think I should be feeling pretty well again after a day or two.

We are having a bizarre fall so far. September was chilly and we saw lots of snow in the mountains quite early. Then the last few days have been warm and all of that snow melted! Lots of folks are getting antsy about skiing, but it is still early. Although I have to say I do not care much for the darkness coming without snow to brighten things up. Likely more to follow as winter adventures start to occur.

New Dog!

Yesterday, my parents and I headed out to the valley to look for a new dog at the Mat-Su Animal Shelter. We walked a few labs, and settled on the final dog, a small girl, half yellow lab and half golden retriever. Her name is Takona, however, Mom and Dad plan to change her name. We are in the discussion stage, and hopefully will agree on something before too much longer. She seems to be a nice and friendly dog, but with limited experience being out and about. Here are a few pictures of the new loving little girl:


Dad has a new friend


Relaxing in her new home


A close-up

Fourth Weekend 2009

Upon my return to Alaska, early on July 3rd, I repacked and dashed off to celebrate Barry's 70th birthday party at the Johnson cabin on the penninsula. We hiked up Gilpatrick's Mountain and had the pleasure of sharing drinks at Birthday Point with four other British 70 year olds. Who knew there were so many in the area! The fellows are all scout masters in the same area where Barry was once a scout, and came over from the UK to celebrate their 70th birthdays with the trip of a lifetime. The weather was glorious, and we ended our hike with an extremely chilly dip in the creek along the highway.


The view from the trail up Gilpatrick's Mountain


Sam, Sally and Ryan starting down from the summit


All five 70 year old "Badgers"

That evening, Dad and I drove to Seward, where we enjoyed the fireworks at midnight prior to turning in for the evening. The next morning I hiked to the halfway point for the women's race with Tamra, Ryan and Sally. As the racers whizzed by on their way down a real race was developing between Holly and Cedar. We had to piece together the drama unfolding below us through a series of radio reports and phone calls to determine that Cedar had cruised to victory, and Holly had to make a pit stop in the ER-- conveniently located at the base of the mountain.


4th of July fireworks in Seward


Holly and Cedar blazing up Mt. Marathon


Kristy hot-footing it down

We carried on to the top, where the sun was shining and it felt so wonderful to relax in the grass and enjoy the sweeping views of Resurrection Bay below us. After resting a bit, we scrambled down to the base of the cliff and whipped through a few of Ryan's GRE vocabulary words, while waiting for the men's race to begin. Again, we were in the dark regarding the conclusion of the men's race, as from the top of the cliff Brent held a seemingly insurmountable lead. Even those who saw Brent fly by at the bottom of the cliff had no idea that he would only moments later collapse into unconsciousness for four hours. I have to say I am simultaneously impressed and appalled at Brent's amazing ability to push his body to near death in less than 45 minutes!


Ryan and Sally atop Mt. Marathon


An intense Brent makes his way up the mountain

After the races wrapped up, Jenna, Kristy, Tamra, Dad and I set sail. We enjoyed a light sail upwind towards Thumb Cove. We ravenously consumed pizza and beer on our trip, and were amazingly treated to a delicious dessert of rhubarb crust and ice cream-- always a treat to have the DeYong's on board. After anchoring up, we went ashore and played with fireworks, that Tamra had imported (presumably illegally) from France.


Enjoying tasty treats on our sail out to Thumb Cove


Sparklers!

The morning brought a very stiff breeze and a lively sail back into Seward. We cleaned up, ate burritos and drove back in to Anchorage. What a weekend!

Quick Trip South

The sailing adventure was cut short for a quick trip south to Vancouver, Washington, to be with my ailing grandfather. His recovery was nothing short of miraculous and I enjoyed my time visiting with many family members.


With Grandpa, right before he was released from the hospital.


Checking out cousin Ryan's volunteer firefighter gig


Mom, Aunt Lynnie and cousin Dave, fresh out of Walter Reed

The Big Sailboat Adventure, Abbreviated

I just unexpectedly returned from the wild. But while I was out there, it was wonderful. We arrived in Seward on June 12th, and prepared the boat for our departure the following morning. Massive quantities of food and gear were squirreled away aboard Raven, along with Barry and Joyce Johnson, and we were ready to head out. The first day we made it all the way around to Fox Farm Anchorage at the western edge of Prince William Sound. The weather was beautiful and I even made a little fire on the outer beach facing towards the Gulf.


My fire on Elrington Island


Tlingit, humpback watching


Annie, wonder-dog


The abandoned city of Latouche, in need of some clean-up

The next several days found us traveling in tandem with the Bakers aboard Tlingit and enjoying glorious weather. There was even a bikini spotted! We stayed at Knight Island, Montague Island and crossed Hinchinbrook Entrance under sail to reach the eastern sound. Across the entrance we encountered a fair amount of excitement, as two cruise ships and a tanker were transiting the shipping lane as we ventured across.


Tlingit, in front of Knight Island


Big Pink


Sunset over Port Chalmers

We explored the inner lagoon at Constantine Harbor, keeping an alert eye for bears, as the woods were full of them (or so we had heard). The harbor is an interesting area; it is a huge lagoon that was used by the Russian fur traders as the first protected anchorage upon reaching the Sound. The village of Nuchek lies at the seaward edge of the harbor, along a spit that connects the isthmus to the main bulk of the island. After the 1964 earthquake, the uplift in this area was so severe that the harbor has been rendered inaccessible to larger vessels, as the draft in the entry channel was reduced to only a few feet.


Joyce paddles with a gaggle of sea lions

After our beach walk we made for Garden Cove, named for a garden supposedly started on the small island there by one of Captain Cook’s crewmen. We were at a loss to see where on the island a garden could have been planted.

The Lethcoe guide warned of massive brown bear activity on the beach, as had Nuchek Nick-- the one remaining resident of Nuchek, whom we had previously met. We were not disappointed, as quick binocular scans at various times revealed six different bears grazing on the beach.


Paddling at Double Bay


Barry has his halibut, at long last

The weather began to turn to slightly less glorious, with some rain, but still holding calm. We arrived in Cordova on Friday morning, and tied up among the fishing boats. After taking care of a few items of boat business, we set off to hike the ski hill, with our unexpected guide, Jill Fredston.

As it turned out, Jill, and her boat Compañera were our neighbors at the dock. She was a swift hiking companion, and this assured that I would quickly knock the rust off, as we gained altitude up to the top of the ski lift overlooking Cordova. I did this climb two more times; including an early morning jaunt to the top of the 2,356 foot Mt. Eyak with Megan, Erin, and Annie the dog.

Cordova proved to be a cute lively little town. We did a little shopping, and took much-needed showers. The Johnsons departed on the fast ferry Chenega and Jerry arrived along with Dana and friend Diane. The six of us took a car tour across the immense Copper River delta to watch the Child’s Glacier calve into the river. The drive was a bit long, but in the end well worth every minute, as the glacier is a spectacular site.


The view across the Copper River Delta


Enjoying hot dogs in front of the Child's Glacier




Calving action

Dana and Diane returned by ferry to Anchorage via Whittier, and the weather turned nasty, as predicted. We hunkered in for the day, listening to the wind howl and the rain crash down on the roof of the boat. We enjoyed a fresh Copper River red fillet and killed time playing dominoes into the wee hours of the night.


Delicious Copper River Red and Father's Day cake

On Monday, after a restless day stuck on the boat in the Cordova Harbor, we headed out towards Port Gravina and Beartrap Bay. The rain was still constant, but the winds were beginning to settle down. As we approached the entrance to the Port Gravina the fetch began to build, until we were surfing a six foot following sea.

We spent the night in scenic Beartrap Bay. The rain continued through the night and finally let up—as we took a morning kayak into the inner lagoon. Here, while I floated listening to the eagles squawk, I saw a brown bear sow and her two cubs emerge from the woods. What a peaceful and secluded place to witness the beauty of the natural world.


The three bears at Beartrap Bay


Mom paddling in the lagoon at Beartrap Bay


Whale's tale

That afternoon we received a call from the coast guard informing us of a family emergency. We soon discovered that my grandfather was terribly ill, having a bleeding ulcer and then suffering what the doctor’s suspected was a massive heart attack. We changed course, heading straight to Naked Island, and quiet Cabin Bay for the night. The following day was absolutely gorgeous, and we motored directly in to Whittier, then on to Anchorage, where Mom and I caught the red eye south.


Approaching Naked Island and Liljegren Passage


Porpoise party


Cockpit farkel


The fast ferry racing away from Whittier

I suffered a fairly blunt reintroduction to the hustle and bustle of urban life on my redeye plane flight to Portland Wednesday night-- it was packed and noisy. We arrived to see Grandpa and help to nurse him through his “miraculous recovery” (words of his doctor). Grandpa will likely be released from the hospital in the next couple of days. I am heading north again in the next couple of days for the Fourth of July.

Classic Crack

I have now, officially been a part of a trad climb. Although I did not physically do anything the traditional way, I seconded the two pitches (or I guess I thirded them). I have also, been on my first multi-pitch climb-- Classic Crack is two pitches. On Saturday, after a long and tiring day of work, Clint, Lee, Zach and I headed out to the Good Vibes Wall to climb Classic Crack.

We climbed as a group, with all four of us ascending to the mid-way belay station and then continuing on to the top, bringing two ropes with us. This style of climb provided Clint with an opportunity to practice gear management-- as he put it: Zach and I were like haul bags on our trip up the wall. Once all four of us were at the top of the climb, it was rather crowded on the tiny ledge, so we quickly began our double-rope rappel back to the start of the climb. I was pleased with the climbing; both pitches were fun and not too challenging, allowing for relatively smooth climbing. The second pitch was definitely more fun to climb, although some huge loose rocks near the top provided reminders that the wall is like most things along the highway-- ever changing. The exposure at the top felt quite daunting to me, although I am beginning to acclimate to the feel of climbing outside on real rock.

Below are a few pictures of the first pitch, and the rappel. I did not take my camera up, so there are no pictures after Lee (the final climber) left the ground.



Clint leads up Classic Crack.


Clint leading, Zach belaying, and Lee observing.


Zach getting after it.


Getting through the toughest section of the climb.


Clint rappelling down from the top of Classic Crack.

May Adventures

The month of May was filled with lots of hours at the store working, but also a few good spring adventures. I made it out hiking several times, and down to the highway to try some sport routes as well. I even brought my camera along for a couple of these outings. Here are a few pictures of a hike along the ridge behind flattop with Adele and Mason:


Mason in the ash-covered snow behind Peak 2


Beautiful mountain flowers growing pretty much straight out of the rock


Enjoying a drink and a snack along the ridge with Mason


Adele and Mason looking down over their domain


On Sunday, the last day of May, Clint, his friend Lee and I did a couple of sport climbs on Northwest Passage along the highway. The wind was funneling up the gully and it was incredibly chilly while belaying. The first climb, Northwest Passage, was a 5.10b, or a 5.9 with tree (which I climbed). The second, which Clint and Lee tackled was a 5.10b called U-Reek-A. I will have to try the 5.9s, Organic Oasis and Klondike the next time I head to this area.


Clint leading up Northwest Passage


Surveying my options on Northwest Passage


Lee makes it look easy, without the tree


Clint demonstrates the most attractive way to climb the crux at the base of U-Reek-A


Clint cruising on U-Reek-A