Into The Last Frontier

The thing about being in Alaska when 19+ hours of a given day are daylight means there is almost no limit to how much you can get done or accomplished in one day.  This can be good and bad.  Despite all of this extra “time” to be productive I still haven’t managed to find the time to update The O’Malley blog, which has not gone unnoticed by certain people who will remain unnamed (You know who you are!).  Due to the nearly one month hiatus that has included all sorts of excitement it’s now time to do some MAJOR catch up…

1.       We made it to Alaska!

From Washington to Canada to Alaska…a mere 3,300+ mile journey that makes one wonder how Alaska became part of the United States.  It is its own world, removed from the lower 48.  It is a massive land with lots of nature and not that many people.  It is the western and eastern most state due to the Aleutian Islands that enter the Eastern Hemisphere. 

 We were in awe of the wildlife and scenery that we passed driving through British Columbia, but things continued to become more and more impressive as we entered the Yukon Territory and then Alaska.  We viewed black bears, glaciers, remnants of abandoned mining communities, caribou, moose, various bird varieties, ice fields, emerald colored rivers, frozen or mostly frozen lakes, and numerous snow-capped mountain ranges.  It was a long drive, but one that did not disappoint.

North you say?  North we will go!

 

 

 

Yep, that's a glacier - Bear Glacier.
No big deal to see one along the road.  Just make sure you aren't in the
 way of an avalance, they move a lot faster.

Hey Bear!

We made it!
Good to be back in the good ol' U.S. of A.

 

2.       Casa de Spitler

Having a destination and home base upon on our arrival to Alaska was huge, both mentally and physically.  Seven days of sitting in a car filled to the brim, eating primarily snack and restaurant food, and sleeping in random hotels should make anyone appreciate the comforts of “home”. 

However, as we still did not have any real leads on a job or final destination it was 100x more refreshing to be greeted by good friends in a foreign place.  Clayt and Laura are Ephrata friends who moved to Alaska almost 2 years ago.  They've set up shop here to raise their family in Soldotna, AK.  Soldotna is a small community on the Kenai Peninsula, which is home to some of Alaska’s world class fishing.  Nearly every outdoor activity you can think of is doable on the Kenai – hiking/camping, hunting/fishing, kayaking/canoeing, white water rafting, snow shoeing, skiing, snow machine and ATV riding, berry picking, so on and so forth.  To give you a sense of its location, Soldotna is about 2 ½ to 3 hours south of Anchorage (check it out on google maps).

 Clayt and Laura were kind enough to host us until we found a job and a place to live.  We were definitely spoiled during the 2 weeks we stayed with them.  They offered a real bed to sleep in, daily moose viewing from the comfort of their home, daily tour guide services (i.e. local scenery and hotspots, hiking, camping and fishing), home cooked meals, a temporary spot on their church softball team, and most importantly good company :-)

Well hello Minnie the Moose!
(creatively named by Laura Spitler)

 

Brooke and Charlie hit it off.
Charlie won Brooke's heart with lots of Play-doh jewelry.

 

3.       It’s a Small World

A noteworthy bit of information that some of you will find amusing is that during the first two weeks we were in Alaska we’ve had the pleasure of spending time with not just two fellow Lancaster County folk, but five!!!  That’s right.  There are currently (at least) six Ephrata graduates in the greater Anchorage area.  It certainly is a small world! 
Stay tuned for pictures...we forgot our camera.

 

4.       Lakes, Rivers, and Bears, oh my!

As I mentioned above many of the lakes were mostly frozen when we arrived, but we were told everything was in “thaw out”, which seems to be the period just before summer activities are able to kick into gear.  Luckily after a late spring dusting of snow the weather took a turn for the warmer and brought abnormally balmy weather for us to enjoy!

 

We hit the ground running with the expertise of our AK friends.  Activities included, but were not limited to the following: a short hike off of Skilak Lake Road where we spotted gigantic bear tracks and had a great view of the Kenai River; fishing in a canoe on a semi-frozen Watson Lake where the fish weren’t biting but the loons and various waterfowl were abundant; strolling the rocky beaches of Captain Cook State Park where we enjoyed a picnic lunch; cruising through the Kenai Fjords National Park for 6 hours on a catamaran that rewarded us with magnificent views of Holgate glacier, pods of orca, humpback whales, Dall’s porpoises, sea lions, harbor seals, and thousands of birds with the most noteworthy (in my opinion) being puffins. 

Clayt working it.  The fish aren't having it.

Look carefully.
You do NOT want to mess with that bear.
We made a lot of noise, Clayt was armed, Charlie had bear spray.

 
Charlie and Clayt tried their hand at some early season bear hunting in the area of the Kenai Wildlife Preserve.  They saw some signs of bear, but had no sightings despite bushwhacking through thick alders and trudging through snow and mud. At least they got some exercise.

Wait for it...
Clayt scanning the area.

To make up for the absence of bears Clayt took Charlie and I to Johnson Lake for an evening of fishing where he helped us catch our first Alaskan fish – rainbow trout!  It felt good to get a lot of nibbles, but we didn’t keep any this time.

I participated in the next big hike that led Charlie, Clayt, and I to one of the many rustic, public use cabins found throughout Alaska that are maintained by the National Forest Service. We hiked 9.5 miles on the flat to hilly Russian Lakes Trail spotting a variety of old and fresh bear and moose scat.  We hiked through wooded areas with spruce and cottonwood trees, passed by Lower Russian Lake, and continued through remains of a forest fire allowing excellent mountain views.  Here Clayt spotted life high up on a cliff, which we weren’t able to differentiate as mountain goat or Dall sheep.  We ended among scattered trees along the Russian River and arrived at Aspen Flats cabin where we’d spend the night before hiking the 9.5 miles again the next day.  Luckily no run-ins with unfriendly wildlife!

Best picture ever!
Clayt starring as John Cusak and Charlie as the Pirate.

Aspen Flats Cabin...where magic happens.

 

Memorial Day was a family day spent relaxing at Scout Lake.  The girls relaxed on the beach and did some fishing from the shore; the boys took the kayaks across the lake and hit a jackpot of spawning rainbow trout.  With some larger fish caught we decided to keep a few. 

Laura and Brooke.
Enjoying the 70 degree weather!

Clayt and Charlie.
Enjoying the fishing!

So after a busy 10 days in AK we did a ton of playing with a little work here and there, but we still had no word on possible jobs from any of the three travel companies that were looking for us.

5.       Coincidence…I think not.

There is an artsy town just south of Soldotna that sits on the Kachemak Bay where fisherman are plentiful with halibut catches of 300+ pounds.  The vistas are unforgettable and unavoidable as the city is surrounded by glaciers and snowcapped mountains.  Due to the appeal of this town and the various things to do here both Clayt and Melissa (another Ephrata friend who has been in AK for 8 years now) took us on separate trips to Homer, AK.  We spent most of our time with Clayt on the Homer Spit, which is a bar of land primarily composed of sand that extends into Kachemak Bay.  On the Spit, we attempted to fish from the beach.  Unfortunately we did not succeed despite everyone around us catching small cod!  Boo.  We did, however spot a sea otter lounging in the waves and the Time Bandit (from the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch) heading out to sea.  After getting hosed we checked out a few shops and then had a drink at the infamous Salty Dawg Saloon.  Here we noticed the presence of Elliot Neese, captain of the Saga, also seen on Deadliest Catch. 



Not a bad backdrop, eh?
Welcome to Homer!

Our second trip to Homer was more focused on the eclectic downtown which offers great shopping, galleries, coffee, restaurants, a winery and local brewery. We enjoyed a full day here with Melissa and owe her big time for not only introducing us to Homer’s delicious tastes, but for driving us past a Physical Therapy office that caught our eye and ultimately provided us a place of employment!

 

6.       Home in Homer, AK

To make a long story short Charlie and I took the matter of finding a job into our own hands when the travel companies had nothing to offer us in AK.  We contacted Homer Physical Therapy, spoke with the owner, sent her our resumes, scheduled an interview, and are now employees of Homer PT for the next five months!  We are very excited for this opportunity for a variety of reasons. First, with this being a privately owned PT clinic, it will lend us a lot of flexibility.  Also, the location is a bonus with unlimited things to do here and only having a short drive north to spend time with our friends in Soldotna. 

It was a bit tricky finding a place to call home in Homer.  The issue at hand being that property owners require a one year lease to avoid vacancy during the harsh winter months. After making a ton of calls we were lucky to end up with two possibilities.  We decided on a log home duplex in Homer with amazing views of the surrounding glaciers, mountains, and Kachemak Bay.  We are sharing this duplex with another PT at Homer PT who was nice enough to offer us this option.  You’ll be glad to hear that it is a furnished home therefore we will not be dealing with air mattress issues until at least November 2013!  What a relief!

Not a bad place to call home!

View from the living room window.

 

7.       But before we begin…

Our start date is set for Wednesday, June 12.  With a bit more time off before getting back into a work/life routine we’ve decided to take a few road trips that would be difficult in a two or three day weekend.  We spent this past weekend exploring Anchorage.  We indulged in delicious pizza at the Moose’s Tooth Pub and Pizzeria, purchased a piece of unique Alaskan artwork at the Anchorage Market and Festival, and learned more about Alaska at the Anchorage Museum.  We had just enough time to head off the beaten path for a night of live music and camping in the tiny village of Hope.  This allowed another amazing opportunity for views of water and mountains.  It makes you wonder if we’ll become conditioned to these amazing views or if they will be just as awe inspiring to us after spending 5-6 months here.  Only time will tell.

Camping in Hope.
Overcast, but delightful!

Now that we are unpacked and settling into our new place the last leg of our pre-work road trip begins.  Tomorrow morning we are headed 10 hours (579 miles) north to the “Interior” of Alaska.  We will spend 2 nights at a B&B in Fairbanks and then the following 3 nights camping at Denali National Park. 

Sorry for the lengthy post!  Luckily Charlie is next in line, so check back soon for more regular updates on our Alaskan adventure.