Holidays in Nome, AK

Getting the dogs ready

Bianca and Jannelle

Rolland

Deb, Jannelle, Rolland, Sierra, Bianca and Trace.

This year for the holidays I once again find myself in Nome, AK.  Being from Michigan I know cold, every once in awhile getting down to maybe 0 degrees.  But man I am taken by surprise each time I come here how -30 degrees F is ridiculously cold.  I might have wrote this exact type of blog entry the last time I was here in the winter about the process just to go out side.  There is a sequence of questions that come before getting the appropriate number of layers on.  What mode of transportation are we taking, how long will we be out and how cold actually is it?  If its just a car ride, probably 3 layers, boots but no need for toe warmers.  If we are taking snowmobile to the destination that will be indoors, then add a ski mask, another hat and scarf so that no micro spots of skin is showing.  If we are going snowmobiling to the dogs to actually go mushing or do more snowmobiling, add another coat and bring one along just in case,  add another two pairs of socks, slip in another pair of long underwear, an additional scarf to cover up that one spot near the neck that always somehow gets missed with the first one, and by this time I hope that you didn't forget to tape the toe warmers on.  Then once you get one glove on, you might have to ask someone to get the other one on so that there are no open spots.  And hopefully you have everything else already in a bag that you want extra or else you will over heat getting that together.   Oh ya, don't forget to go to the bathroom before all this.

I learned the hard way about adding layers later after I got cold - just put every layer you own, or the most layers you can handle and still move.  Even with bunny boots, all these layers, seal skin gloves and hats...I still get cold.  I might be a bit of a wimp to begin with regarding the cold, (I complain when the temp is below 55F in LA) but I am happy if I can be out there for 1 hr and get back with only cold feet.  

My first time Mushing

I am excited to share that for the first time I took part in "mushing the dogs."  Mushing refers to journeying cross country with a sled and sled dogs.  Often I hear from the Trowbridge family when I call, we have to feed the dogs, or we are mushing tonight, Misha this or Shack didn't run with us this time.   I finally know what this entails and what dog is what.  These dogs are pretty amazing and love pulling this sled.   The landscape so white and the sun so beautiful.  Just you and the dogs.

White

Joshua Tree National Park

Split Rock

Found her...hmmmm

Skull Rock

Sun Rise

Snowing

Jennifer under "The Arch"

Wind Farm outside the park
(Photo taken by Jennifer)

This past week my college friend Jennifer came for a visit.  We made the drive to Joshua Tree National Park.  This place is so beautiful.  I may end up coming again sometime.  We ran into some snow...been a little while for me and snow, it was strange having to drive careful because the road was icy.
I am repeatedly reminded how lucky we are to have National Parks to visit where things are left uninhabited.        It was good to have Jennifer, my fellow explorer and adventurer, here to enjoy this place with.

Out with a Bang

A stop at Golden Gate

We had just enough time on the way back to the airport to stop at the Golden Gate Bridge and drive through the city a bit.

Heading back home from the Redwoods.

Confusion hill Gravity House

Drive through Tree

Creative shot taken by Cynthia

Me and Cynthia

So we stopped at Confusion Hill (confusing by the way) and also at the Chandelier drive Through tree on our long drive back to San Fran.  It was nice to stretch our legs to break up the driving.  Pretty Cool.

Day 2-Hiking through the redwoods.

Cynthia enjoying the view at Patrick's Point.

Redwood trees

Lots of mossy looking stuff

Lots of Clovers

Me at "The Big Tree" in Prairie Creek

So amazing 1500yrs old

Cynthia and me

A branch off the big tree which is like the size of another whole tree.

So the second day was a day of hiking.  We first stopped of a Patrick's point for a nice view. We then headed up a little farther and hiked about 10 or 11 miles through the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.  This park supposedly is uncut and the real deal.  We hiked to Fern Canyon which was pretty neat with a bunch of ferns growing along a canyon wall.  The last part of our day was visiting "The Big Tree Wayside."  Pretty amazing to see a tree so large.  You have to have pictures with people to understand the size of these things.  I loved this place and highly recommend going sometime in your life.

A trip to the Redwood forest-day 1

Golden Gate Bridge on the way up.

The first viewing a Redwood.  Sort of a drive by while the driving in the car shot.

Of course I had to stop for a geocache in the Cemetery.

Stopped at glass beach on the way up.

Glass beach Sunset.

Last weekend a friend from work and I went to take a super short trip to see the redwood trees.  The first day was basically travel.  We flew into San Fran, and drove up the rest of the way from there with a few stops along the way.  The redwoods were on the bucket list and was glad to cross off the Golden Gate too.

The Grand Canyon

The second day of our trip was to the west rim of the Grand Canyon.  This was for sure what I came for and was not disappointed.   

A couple of us decided to pay the big bucks for a helicopter and boat ride.  We were picked up at the top, we rode down to the bottom, rode up the Colorado River for a while then got back in the helicopter to ride back.  It was pretty cool!  It is really hard to put into perspective how big this place is with nothing around for scale.

From the Helicopter

Boat Ride

Eagle Rock

Sky Walk- has a glass bottom to see below you.

Hoover Dam

118 degrees F.  Hot day.