Denali National Park

Sept 6 Day 38
Well guess what??  Rain rain rain for 3 days.  We did get some shopping and also some research for doing a flight sight over Mt. Denali.  Dom won't go so it's up to me to take the most awesome photos, of the summit of Denali with my iPhone.  We then traveled to Denali National Park and what greeted us but a beautiful rainbow, it was so nice to see this after all that rain. A visit to the Denali Dog sled compound and what than, more rain.  We are in our camper at the end of the day snug as a bug in the rug at the Riley Campground.  Because we are seniors, free admission to the park and half price camping, so 11 dollars a night.  Dry camping but the price is right and we are near all the action.  A bus will take us on the Wonder Lake tour of Denali because you cannot drive into the park.  This park is totally free of vehicles traveling around anywhere, only designated buses and they only go to certain areas.   6 million acres of untouched wilderness and the tallest mountain in North America, Mt Denali.  The reason the dog sleds are so important is to keep the park free of noise and commercial vehicles.  The dogs haul equipment and everything needed in different areas,  every day they put out an email asking what needs to be done by the dogs.

On the road to Denali this guy had a caribou in the back of his truck, Dom wanted to buy the antlers but it is against the law to sell them

On our way to Denali we pulled off the road and spent the night at a scenic view stop.  Was worried the rangers might tell us to leave but no rangers, this is almost the same view from our camper evening and morning, remember no sun.   RAIN

Dom putting cheese on his pasta, he loves cooking and cleaning, so the nice person that I am I let him do it all.

Fall is here in Denali and we are worried about it going done tonight, weather is saying 34degrees.

Heard it was 91 in Hoffman Est.  We did pick a good year to come here but the rain is a downer.

The rainbow and sign that greeted us

Harnesses and names of dogs.  These dogs are different from the Iditarod dogs because they haul stuff so they are bigger and stronger. ?The Iditarod dogs are fast and smaller, they run 100 miles a day, these dogs haul stuff about 20 miles a day, they need more weight.

Also the husky is not recognized by the AKC as a breed because they come in so many different sizes and colors so the club will not accept them.  They call these dogs husky but they do not all look like husky.  One more thing, they tried to mate them with a wolf but it didn't work because a wolf is an alpha animal and these dogs have to work as a team.

puppies

Northern Lights at Hatcher Pass, Independence Gold Mine

Sept 3 Day 35
We did dry camping and for 5 dollars the rangers let you stay and wait for the lights alllll night. Well we finally saw the northern lights, Hatcher Pass was where the photographers go to see the lights. What was surprising is--- it's not only the beautiful lights it's the movement of the colors.  Regretfully Dom has the photos in his camera and we can't download, so my iPhone was a sad second.  Will have to wait on those photos but you will see them.  We had to wait until 3AM for the show to begin.
We were beat. but the next day we went to the Independence gold mine and didn't realize there are 2 ways to mine for gold, the one everyone knows with the pan and water and then this one where they dig into a mountain and crush rock to get the gold out. This mountain has 25 miles of tunnels in it and it produced 150,000 ounces of gold.  Figure that one out guys.  Framing houses were very important back then, they make the framing wood that holds up the tunnel they dig. They allow you to pan for gold today, all you need is a pan and shovel.  This lady Lui we met said she found 1700 dollars in gold.  This mine closed after WWII because the price of gold was fixed, expensive to get materials they needed, and wage litigation.

waiting for the lights

to the gold mine

neat way to roll a barrel

old gold crusher

tunnel entering the mine, 20 degrees cooler in there

how they got the rock out of the tunnel

Lui with our fake gold piece

It does sparkle

in front of the mining town

inside the mine

Hatcher Pass, Wasilla and the Iditarod, Musk Ox in Palmer

Sept 2 Day 34
We did several things today, from visiting the Musk Ox farm in Palmer, which is the only farm in the world that domesticates musk ox.  We visited the headquarters for the Iditarod dog race that goes from Seward to Nome Alaska.  We visited Wasilla, where Sarah Palin lives.  This is also where we are waiting for the northern lights to appear.  Apparently National Geographic comes to this Hatcher Pass to photograph the lights.  Tomorrow night you may see some photos, we hope.  As we wait we met a nice lady that is publishing a book of photos of Alaska, hope some day to get a copy.

Their fur is combed to get the undercoat to make yarn and it is 8 times warmer then wool called Qiviut.  This yard cost $100 an oz.  A small scarf si way out of my price range.

Picture this cabbage as 24 inches across they grow them big up here, lots of cole slaw

stairway to the museum and old post office of Wasilla

Balto a statue honoring this famous dog.

These puppies are 8 weeks old, very strong and loving.

notice the different harnesses

all the dogs where shoes during the race

Joe Redington the founder of the Iditarod

Joe's son still keeps the memory alive.  These cages take the dogs from the visitor center back to the kennels.

State fair Palmer Alaska

Sept 1 Day 33
Stayed at the fairground last night and went to the fair today.

record pumpkin 1469 lbs

Caveman from ice age exhibit

prehistoric animal from ice age

these women are spinning wool into yarn

great violinist and his homemade violin

woodworker

flower competition 

the winner

winning turkey

old singing couple

cute goat, reminded me of Elroy

goat wearing a hat, I think it has to do with his horns

how they move the pigs around to judge them

the cute little eagle he danced and posed for us

Dom loves those Zucchinis 

this scary ride called The Ejector threw you up in the air like a sling shot.

pretty Kale

Fun at the fair

Last day in Anchorage

Aug 31 day 32
After 5 nights at the Creekwood Inn and RV park in Anchorage we are on our way to Palmer for the State Fair, we will spend the night at the fair campground. $15 a night, one night free because we came in late.
*********Went to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. If your not interested in a history lesson just go on to the photos and call it a day.
One more thing, on a clear day you can see the Denai peak from 100 miles away, that is one tall mountain.
These Alaskans are very helpful, especially when it comes to the elderly, like us. When we need help they all come to assist and they all gather around and argue about who is going to help and they say things like, "don't listen to him I know about this" it's funny, but I think it's because we're old????  They have a great respect for old people.
Alaska is divided into 5 different areas, each area has clans that hang together and they all get along with each other, not a surprise they are a very friendly people.  If they want to marry they can merry anyone they like in any clan but the man has to go and live with the girls family for a year and be a servant. They all understand each language but the dialect is different.
Everyone takes care of the old, they get the warmest part of the house and they get fed first, they are considered wise and the young should listen to them.  When they hunt the best parts go to the elderly, they never have to worry about being cared for.
There are no igloos in Alaska those are in the north of Canada in the Arctic.  Housing in native Alaska consist of log huts or cave like dwellings in the ground.  Food is kept in a log house up high away from animals.
The person giving this talk was from St Lawrence Island way up north near the arctic, his clan lives on hunting, fishing and gathering.  His area is very close to Russia Siberia, and the clans in Russia are all similar to his.  They get along and visit, up in that region the land is close, even the north of Norway, the Inuit people, are close in area so they speak the same language, different dialect.  The people in northern Norway taught the Alaskans how to heard reindeer.  The Alaskans needed another food source because of weather changes and outside influences.  Also the gov. passed laws that allow the natives to continue their traditional hunting to sustain themselves.  They put limits but the limits are high, so they are not effected.  As far as gathering, it is blueberry time up here and you see people everywhere picking berries, at the side of the road, near the mountains, anywhere and everywhere.
Medicine: The people of the Aleutian Islands have been known to perform brain surgery, their knowledge of anatomy is considered extensive and they are homeopathic in their skills.  The guy that gave the talk has never been to a doctor, they go to their medicine people and they use herbs and potions.
The darkness for half the year does cause these people to become depressed but they solve it by socializing in a main building used for gathering in the winter and the clans eats together and dances, to keep from getting depressed, they also have herbs to help this.  When you watch them dance they move their arms but not their bodies, and the reason being they are so tight in the building that they can't move a lot.
Almost done, 2 more things:
Totem poles are built to honor people and things.  The clans symbol is on the top and the thing honored in on the bottom.
Whale hunting: They hunt with a poison spear, the poison paralyzes the whale's tail and it can only float so the people in their kayaks push the whale to the beach and then spear the blowhole to kill it instantly, they want a fast death no pain.  Oh yes the games kids play involve tossing thing for accuracy, this skill will help them in hunting.  Everything these people do has a purpose.

entrance to the heritage center

dancing, notice the 5 regions, one is behind the men sitting

housing

notice medicine in the jars in back

Kayak 

entrance to center

gathering hall

totem poles

Dom BarBQing  notice the mountains in the back

our campground at the State fair