Talkeetna

We arrived in Talkeetna in rain showers.  Since the weather has been dry and hundreds of fires are burning, it is good for firefighters and home owners but not so much for our trip.  Setting up in the rain can be a challenge but with all the experience we have doing it, piece of soggy cake.  Talkeetna is a great place for all sorts of outdoor activities.  With water all around, fishing, rafting and boating is a big draw for tourists.  It is also a jumping off place for climbers hoping to conquer McKinley.  We were surprised to learn that it takes 18-22 days to gain the summit, wow!

I have to say that so far, this was the only stop that was disappointing for us.  Now don’t laugh but it is too touristy.  I know, I know we are tourists but it just felt like a big tourist trap.  We braved the rain and went to the village to walk about and have a bite to eat.  It was wall to wall.  In addition, we had dinner at a brew pub that Jim wanted to try.  Not only was the beer disappointing, but the food was as well, AND it was expensive.  Well, tomorrow will be a better day.

Or not.  We woke to heavy rain that continued more or less all day and into the night.  The visit was not a total bust.  We visited a local business that makes Birch Syrup.  Yep, I said Birch.  It is made using the same method as maple syrup.  You tap the trees, collect the sap and boil it down to make syrup.  Unlike maple, birch takes about four times the sap to make a gallon of syrup.  I was skeptical but it is quite good.  It is not as sweet as the maple, but it is good.  It is used in a number of products: jams, candy and all kinds of baked goods.  One of the local distilleries that makes craft vodka even makes a birch vodka.  I like a good vodka and tonic from time to time so we bought a bottle.  Oh man, is it ever good?  You bet!  It is only sold in Alaska and expensive so I won’t be taking any home.

We also visited an interesting local bakery called the Flying Squirrel.  They cook organic, locally grown fruits and vegetables and wonderful pastries.  I had a bowl of soup that was probably among the best ever.  We spent an hour or so eating and watching the locals come in and out.  Alaskans are individualists in every way.  I mean that in a good way because I admire them.  They dress and do what they like on their own terms.  It is a pleasure to have a conversation with someone who seem so easy in their own skin.

While we did not fully appreciate Talkeetna, we came away having enjoyed the spirit of Alaska and the people who love her.

ATV Tour Near Denali Park

After flying in the morning, we struck out for an afternoon adventure.  Years ago, we took an ATV tour in Canada at Banff.  It was great fun as I remembered, so we decided we would take one in the Denali area.  Don’t get me wrong, it was fun but for me, a bit disappointing.  We traveled through the forest and of course, the trees blocked all hopes of seeing anything.  Besides, I was holding on with a death grip!  Jim however was like a kid again.  He loved gunning the engine and plowing through the mud puddles and mud rivers and we bumped and rocked along the trails.  We took a side by side and Jim drove.  We stopped three times to look at the views but they were just ho, hum -- oh dear, have I become jaded?  The weather was threatening rain as we drove along and finally at the last stop, the sky opened and the rain came.  It was cold and windy with lightening and thunder.  Suddenly, the rain turned to hail.  There we stood in the open as the hail pelleted us.  From inside the helmet, it sounded like balls thumping us on the head but on our bodies, well some of it hurt.  We all laughed and hurried back to our vehicles.  Since we were in a side by side, we had a roof and windshield so that protected us to some degree.  While we did not see any wildlife or great views, it was still a fun ride.  I have not seen Jim’s “child” in a long time -- so it was well worth the trip.

We returned to the RV after a full day of flying and driving tired but very glad we had come to this beautiful place.  Vast, powerful and beautiful, the Denali area is not to be missed.

Jim, my driver for the adventure.  He was so much fun to watch as he roared through the mud hole and over the rocks and gullies.  It was worth the trip just to see him laugh with such abandon.

Off we go, single file into the forest.

We are going through that!?!  Indeed we did and much, much more.

 Our chariot for the afternoon.  It was really quite a machine.  Fortunately, it had no problem with the terrain.

Our final stop on the tour was at this formation.  I could not tell you where we were at this point.  I was too busy hanging on for dear life to ask!

Then the rains and the hail started.  Now I love a good time, but standing in hail is not what I consider a good time.  Besides, the lightning bolts were enough to make me wish for a roof over my head.

Okay, it is pretty well maybe not pretty but pretty amazing.

It had been a long day.  Is it Miller Time yet?

Denali Park, a Bird’s Eye View

We were told by a fellow traveler that the best thing they did bar none was to take a flight to Mt. McKinley.  From the park entrance, it is actually some 80 miles to the mountain (or the “hill” as some of the locals call it).  If you are very lucky and the weather is clear and sunny, you might get to see the mountain from a few vantage points.  We also knew that the only way we could possibly appreciate the enormity of the park would be to fly over it.  So, we agreed a flight tour was absolutely in order.

After signing all the documents absolving the company of any responsibility should we fall out of the sky or crash land or, God forbid get killed, we boarded a van and headed for the airport.  As an aside, two days later a tour plane did fall out of the sky and nine people died including the pilot.  But of course, we never considered it could really happen, could it?

Before we could board, we had to put on glacier boots.  They were actually designed to wear over our shoes.  Basically, they are soles with waterproof fabric attached that covered our shoes and secured with velcro.  Ingenious!  There were two planes to fly this tour.  Each of them held nine passengers including the pilot.  Lucky Jim, he ended up on the co-pilot seat.  He had a grin so wide on his face it was funny.  I ended up in a seat just behind him with no window, ugh!  How was I to take pictures I wondered.  As it turned out, I got to sit in the co-pilot seat on the return leg and was able to get better pictures.  The conditions were not the best as the weather was iffy.  There were clouds that threatened rain but worst of all, smoke from the fires continued to plague the area.  I asked Eric, our pilot about the smoke and he said we would most likely get above it by the time we reached the hill.

We took off and began to make our way toward the mountains.  Between shooting over Jim’s shoulder through his window and the smoke, taking pictures was a problem.  As we passed over the lower mountains of the Alaska Range, the clouds hugged them and I feared we would not see McKinley after all.  We climbed to 10,000 feet and by the time we got to McKinley, we were at 12,400 feet.  There before us, the top of the north face of the mountain rose out of the clouds giving us a breathtaking view.  What a glorious sight to see, it truly took my breath away.  After flying around the north side, we few to Ruth glacier and landed!  It was exhilarating!  This was truly the trip of a lifetime and I will never forget it.

Here we are ready to soar above the mountains in hopes of getting to see Mt. McKinley.  You can see the glacier boots on Jim's feet.  They are really quite neat and easy to don.  This was not our aircraft but the other plane that went up.  All aboard!

During the first leg of the flight, the smoke in the air made seeing things quite difficult.  I was really worried that we would be disappointed in the trip.  Finally, we began to climb above the smoke.  You can see the clouds and then the mountains come into view.  Took my breathe away.  The mountains are granite and the white snow against the black rock made for quite a view.

Here is our first view of one of many, many glaciers here in the mountains.  These glaciers are hundreds of feet thick and the power of the ice is amazing.  They carve out huge chunks of rock as they travel down the mountain side.

Another glacier flowing over the side of this mountain. The ice has a beautiful blue color.  It is shame to think that we may one day not have them any longer.

The tops of some of the peaks slice through the air like knife blades.  The air cleared as we rose above 10,000 climbing higher still so we could view McKinley -- 20,320 feet tall.

At first, the clouds seemed to be playing peek-a-boo with us.  We could see the outline of the top of Mt. McKinley but not clearly.  We were approaching the north side of the mountain.

As we flew, the clouds seemed to part and there it was shining in the sun.  The majesty of the sight is something I cannot describe.  It sparkles with power and might such as I have never seen before.  While the clouds clung to the sides keeping us from seeing it from base to top, it did not matter.  Suddenly, I could understand why some people are driven to want to climb peaks such as this.  It must be like a sirens call for sure.

As we flew around it, the vastness of its size is evident in the changes to the shape.  Next to McKinley is a smaller mountain the Indians refer to as its wife.  I think it is so funny how we name all the rocks and mountains as if they were human.  Sometimes I wonder what folks must be smoking when they see the shapes and animals in what they see!

Below and ahead of us lay Ruth Glacier where we would land.  Oh my gosh, I could not believe we were actually going to land there.  What a thrill!

Here we are with Eric, our pilot on Ruth Glacier. We were not the only planes here either.  Eric told us that there are about five different glaciers that they use depending on weather or the whim of the pilots.  Of course, they have all sorts of names for the different ones but from the air, they pretty much look the same to me.  We are at about 9,000 feet on this one.

What would you think this structure could possibly be here on top of a mountain?  Believe it our not, it is an outhouse!  Yep, a bush pilot came up here and build a cabin with an outhouse up here before this area became part of Denali.  Since he and his family had used it for a number of years, they were allowed to keep it.  Can you imagine coming up here for a stay?  Bet it would be a cold shock to the system to have to use this thing!  Burrrrrr!  The cabin itself is tuck over the ridge, we could see the very top but not clearly.  Only in Alaska.

On the return trip, the light was much better.  In the distance, you can see McKinley rising above the other peaks.

This peak just looked surreal to me.  I love the play of light against the darkness of the rock.

As you can see, as we descended the smoke quickly made visibility dropped to nearly nothing.  Below us, the park road winds into the heart of Denali.  I will never forget this day.  Today we truly soared on the wings of the wind.

Denali Park, Part Two

After enjoying a day on our own, we took a bus tour called the Tundra Wilderness Tour run by the park service.  This nine hour tour took us 66 miles deep into the park to a place called Polychrome about two-thirds of the way to the end of the park road.  There just are no words to adequately describe the vastness and beauty of this place.  At times we stood on the top of an overlook feeling so small and insignificant before it.  The colors and textures of the land changed the deeper we went, and  I wanted to take lots of pictures so we would remember.  Alas, the day was overcast and smoke from wildfires had drifted into the area making photos difficult.  But I tried, here are a few for you to enjoy.

Early in the park, the landscape is what is called wet tundra.  Here there is lots of water and the grasses sort of float on the water.  As you can imagine, mosquitoes breed here very easily and if you do not wear protection, well let's just say a mother mosquito would be highly attracted to you!  I see to be a magnet for them!

This is what is termed as a braided river.  The river has so much silt in it from glacial run off and silt from rain run off that the main street splits and meanders and flows back together to split once again.  Sort of like braiding hair, it crosses and recrosses itself.  It is generally shallow but when the rain comes, it can be very powerful.

Yes, we really were together.  Most of the time I am behind the camera.  Here we were at an overlook enjoying the views of the river and surrounding areas.  It was quite cool for me while Jim seemed to be immune to the cooler temperatures.

Wild flowers abound here as it is late spring.  I took lots of pictures of them.  The colors were so vibrant and the flowers so delicate.

Here, you can see that the tundra has given way to forest.  In the background, granite mountains are coming into view.

In the foreground, you can see the dark colors of the granite mountains.  Their surfaces are bare of trees or grasses.  The lighter colored mountains in the background are comprised more of another type of rock (I cannot for the life of me remember what it was) that is lighter in color.  The variation of color was especially interesting to me.  I wish the air had been clear so I could have captured the colors.

As we climbed upward, you could look down into the tundra, not a wet tundra but a dry one.  There is little water here and the grasses and vegetation is quite different.  Foreboding but beautiful at the same time.  Oh to be young again, I would so love to be able to backpack this country.  Well, maybe ....

Sitting on the cliff in the distance from where we were walking sat a Gyrfalcon.  It is the largest falcon in the world.  Our guide shared that in days gone by, only the kings were allowed to hunt with these falcons.  It was majestic.  I was amazed that when we were on the return leg of the trip, the falcon was still there after all that time.  We stopped for another look and he took flight  Wow, he was something to see.

This small fellow is a Willow Ptarmigan.  His coloring makes him very difficult to see and we were lucky to spot him.  In the winter, he turns mostly white giving him a perfect camouflage against predators.  This bird is the state bird of Alaska.

We spotted this Caribou walking in a ravine.  He blended so well with the surrounding, I almost missed him entirely.

It was not until the return leg of our tour that we finally spotted a Grizzly Bear.  Here in the park, the Grizzlies are not the typical brown color, rather they are blond with dark leg or sometimes totally blond.  This fella was laying in the grass have a good scratch when we spotted him.  He rolled about and then finally got up and started ambling about.  He was quite a distance away.  I have a pretty good zoom lens but wished it was better.  In the tour buses, they have great cameras and project the images on monitors through the bus.  We got a really good look at this handsome fellow.

Shortly after spotting the bear, this fox appeared on the side of the road.  It has a Ptarmigan in its mouth.  The guide said that this fox has a den nearby so she was taking food home to her kits.  She walked along the road side for a bit and then moved into the center of the roadway and ambled along.  It was such a treat to get a good look at her.

A final look as we started out of the park.  It was such an interesting day.  I so wished we had been able to spot a wolf.  There are three wolf packs in Denali.  They are well documented and have been studies for many years.  The alphas of each pack have been tagged so they can monitor there locations and see where the packs go.  Usually a pack will use the same den for a number of years and this gives great opportunities to study their habits.  One pack moved off the park for a few years but later returned to an old den and have been there now for three years.  So many folks believe the wolves are harmful to the ecosystem but in reality, they help keep things in balance.  On the one hand, it is sad to hear how i out of 10 moose calves are taken by bears and wolves, but on the other hand if they did not, the moose would out grow the environment.  They can produce two or three calves a year for their lifetime and given the numbers in the park, it would be too many.  The same is true of all the animals.  It reminded me of the song from the Lion King about the circle of life.  We are all just one small piece of the world.  The Alaskan Indians have a good outlook on things.  The see themselves, the humans as just another animal in the world, a part of not above other animals.  Not a bad way to view things.

Denali National Park, Part One

Like many other tourists, we came to Denali National Park to experience the wilderness, see the animals and of course, see Mt. McKinley.  Since Denali at six million acres is the third largest park in the entire national park system, we knew that it would take several days for us to get a glimpse of a true wilderness where human impact is kept to a minimum.  If you are a hiker, you can go and camp anywhere you like.  The trick however is that you are limited in how you move about.  Basically, you must travel by foot or bicycle.  Oh, there are buses that will drop you but only as far as 93 miles into the park.  Given its vastness, that is only a drop in the bucket.

We decided that our first day in Denali would be spent visiting the Wilderness Center and the Visitor Center and perhaps hiking one of the trails in the visitor complex.  Both of these facilities provide all sorts of educational information from films to exhibits that tell the history of humans in this wilderness and how they survived.  Of course, the exhibits also tell about the flora and fauna and how the park actually became a park.  It was all quite interesting and educational too, but after several hours of learning, we decided to was time to see some of it for ourselves.  The park has only one road that takes visitors to a small portion of the park.  From mile 15 forward, only park supported shuttles and tour buses are allowed.  This keeps human impact on the wilderness at a minimum, good thinking I’d say.

We took off in hopes of seeing a moose or a bear and to get a taste of the park.  I was immediately struck by the beauty.  Before we had gone even five miles, we passed a number of bicyclist.  One was a family of three.  The mother was pulling a small bike trailer filled with camping gear.  The father was pulling a young boy in a baby trailer.  Dear me, they must certainly be a hardy pair as the terrain is hilly to say the least.  The second was a young man alone with his bike loaded with all his camping gear.  We passed him and waved in greeting as we did.  Further along, we stopped to take some pictures and he passed us by, again waving in greeting.  We resumed our drive and, yes passed him yet again and waved again.  At our next stop, he arrived and stopped next to us.  We shared a short conversation and he bid us farewell and peddled away.  We continued to leap frog for a couple of miles smiling and waving each time.  I do hope he made it to his destination.

Jim and I shared the overwhelming feeling of smallness.  Here surrounded by this vast wilderness, we can better understand why Alaska is called the last frontier.  The forest is so thick one would have to hack a trail in order to pass.  And yet, it is fragile.  The nature of the permafrost causes the trees to be small in diameter and in may places they lean as if a slight wind could cause them to topple.  We have learned this is called slumping, and is a common sight in the boreal forest land.  In the distance, the Alaskan Range rises once again showing the power of nature.

In the first section of the park road, we got an up close look at the land.  Here, we were in boreal forest with the mountains in the distance standing guard over all.  The small camper in the picture is a common sight all along the way.  Lots of tourists fly into Alaska and then rent these class C motor coaches.  It certainly saves time traveling the Alaska Highway but boy, they certainly miss a great deal of beautiful country.

The further in we drove, the more lush and green the land became.  It is more or less late spring/early summer here.  Wild flowers abound and the tundra is covered in lush, new growth.  The bears and caribou and other animals are busy feeding on all these young, tasty shoots.

Further still, the forest thins and there are more and more ponds and streams.  Water is everywhere and so are the mosquitoes!

 As you can tell by the smile on Jim's face, he is not having a good time.  LOL

At the end of public vehicle access, there is a lovely turnout that hugs the river.  There is a bridge that spans the river and a walking loop that goes downstream, across and back up the river.  The mountains are getting closer and these smaller hills loom overhead.  Out of frame, is a large rock outcrop that can be climbed.

Our first animal sighting within the part was a Ground Squirrel.  This fella was running around in the vegetation near the river.  He had two entrances to his burrow there and was quite a character.  In this pic, he stopped to preen so I could take a picture.  Well, I can imagine can't I?

We started to walk the loop trail.  Downstream, the view into a valley was so pretty.  I wondered how we would cross the water since my shoes were definitely not waterproof!

A short distance down the loop trail, we heard someone from the rock call out, Caribou coming down the river.  We hurried back (no need to worry about my shoes any longer) and in the distance could see two Caribou walking down the river.  One of them, veered into the water and crossed to the embankment under the bridge.  He emerged at the top and walked into the center of the roadway.  We could see him walking in the middle of the road, stopping the buses as he ambled along totally unconcerned about the traffic.  The second animal, seen here, continued along the river and walked directly in front of us.  What a thrill to get a close-up look at one of the creatures.  The antlers are covered in a soft velvet and are quite large.  He can do a good deal of damage with them if he wants too.  We watched him walk along and finally cross the river and disappear into the distance.  As if Mother Nature was saying, that is all, the rain began to fall.  Time to back track and ponder the beauty we have seen today.  Tomorrow, we fly!

Return to Denali

I had a high school friend who frequently said “big things often come in small packages.”  Of course, he was referring to himself since he was short in stature.  As we have traveled, many of the small places have been the most enjoyable.  We are staying in a tiny village that is a fine example of that saying, Nenana.  Nenana is a thriving village of 553 people, small in population but not in history or hospitality.

Our first drive through the town made me think of a study in contrasts.  Mixed among the charming businesses are homes and businesses that are abandoned or for sale.  The welcome sign advertises a number of places one should visit but many are no longer operating.  I wondered if we had made a mistake in deciding to stay here a few nights; but then I have learned that you have to scratch the surface sometimes to reveal the treasure.

Our first stop was a local cafe, Rough Woods Inn that advertises in-house, home-brewed beer.  Hmmm, who would have thought we would find such a place here.  The owners are a couple who never intended to stay here more than a few years but as it often happens, they have stayed.  We have hear similar stories from many of the folks here.  Larry is a jack of all trades and a pretty good artist too.  The outside of the building is adorned with his carvings.  He uses logs that have “burls” to create his interesting characters.  As you see in the picture, burls look like large growths on the trunk; indeed they are just that.  The burls form in reaction to arsenic -- yep arsenic -- that is commonly found in the water, yikes!  If the water has a high enough concentration of arsenic, the trees will form these growths.  (Higher concentration of arsenic is found especially in areas where there is gold mining.  In Fairbanks for example, arsenic is so high it is not safe to drink.)  They make interesting art, we have seen them used in furniture and all sorts of things.  Inside, the decor was homey and eclectic.  Of course, we ordered a pint with our lunch of homemade chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.  The beer was especially good and the food excellent.  Best of all, we sat next to a table of locals who were instantly friendly and engaged us in conversation.  The talk of the town, indeed of all Alaskans is the wildfires burning all over the state.  Over 300 are burning and the nearest is close enough that acrid smoke burns my eyes and assaults my nose.  We left the cafe with full bellies and the certainty that we would be back.

Nenana has a rich history and in its heyday was quite large.  Its railroad depot, now a museum, is on the National Registry of Historical Places, what!?!  Nenana is the site where President Harding drove in the golden spike that completed the railroad linking the lower 48 with Alaska.  Railroads are vital to Alaska now as well as in the past. While the depot no longer hosts a regular train schedule, one can “flag” a train as needed.  Museum hosts are volunteers and I enjoyed chatting with a lady who told me more of the town’s history and shared how she came to live in Alaska.  Her story was similar to many we have heard, they came for a visit and returned to live here.  Even though the winters are harsh, no other place holds any allure for them.  During the school year, she works at the Living Center.  I learned later the significance of that.  You see in Alaska there are only two boarding high schools.  One of them is located in Nenana.  At the beginning of term, some of their students are flown into Nenana and housed at the Living Center until school is over.  Oh, I see now she and her husband are house parents at the dorm.  Not bad for a tiny little town.

Nenana sits on the banks of both the Tanana and the Nenana Rivers.  Not only do these rivers provide fishing but they are working rivers with brisk barge traffic moving goods to some of the more remote parts if Alaska where neither railroad nor roads are possible.  These same rivers also support fishing for the locals.  Fishwheels like the ones we saw on a river tour are used here as well.  We took a stroll to see several of them in hopes that they would be in action.  We had read that if you are lucky, you can buy a fish.  Too bad for us that none of them were in action, bah humbug!

All around us we can see the spirit of the people who have come to this wilderness to make a home.  They are part rebel, part adventurer and fiercely individual.  At the same time, they have a strong sense of community/family and help each other in times of crisis such as the fires.  We heard a number of stories on the news of how neighbors have extended a helping hand to neighbors who have lost everything in the fires.  As we stroll the neighborhoods, we can see their independent nature.  I have to laugh at times as the houses are in all states of completion and often the yards host all sorts of  “treasures.”  One house has a collection of rocking horses in the yard with one even on the roof.  Cars and trucks that no longer work are side by side with old snow mobiles and tractors that are rusting away.  It seems that nothing is ever discarded; you never know what may have a use later.  When we leave here in a couple of days, I know that we will have truly seen the Alaskan spirit.

Rough Woods Inn and Cafe - the sign post is a great example of burls that naturally occur in the trees.  Notice the face that Larry carved into the larger burl.  Inside the cafe, there were a number of logs used that had smaller burls and all of them were carved into interesting characters.  We had the best beer there so far in the state!  It is so strange that such a tiny place would brew such wonderful beer.  Just proves, cannot judge a book by the cover, right!?!

This is a good example of a business gone bust.  This charming building is in the best shape of any of the structures and yet it sits empty.  It calls out for someone to come and bring it back to life.

This little place is one of two such businesses.  The main part of the building is a bar/liquor store and bank of sorts.  The smaller entrance on the side is a tiny cafe.  For a town of 553, they have two such businesses.  Hmmm, one would think they enjoy a good drink and a smoke.  Yep smoke.  Smoking is not illegal in restaurants and bars here.  We visited one of them and I had to hang our clothes out to air when we got home!

I actually have these pictures in reverse order but no matter.  One of the locals left Nenana after high school and went to University of Alaska to study art.  Later, after becoming a successful artist, she returned and painted this mural on the front of the local grocery/hardware/mercantile store.

We visited the store to pick up some coffee.  In the entrance to the store, a sort of yard sale was underway.  Locals had donated all the sale items and the proceeds would be given to someone who lost their home to one of the fires.  Just one example of how Alaskans help and support each other in times of crisis.

The store had all sorts of things in it from traps to nails to grocery items.  The smallest section in the store was actually the grocery portion.  There was no fresh produce and no meat or fish.  You could purchase eggs and limited dairy products.  All vegetables and fruits are in cans and not much of a selection.  Wow, am I spoiled!

This contraption is the fishwheel.  We have seen one in operation and it is quite clever.  The three arms rotate driven by the water current.  When it is in operation, there is a chute in place where the captured fish are dropped and transferred to a holding box.  The owner then comes daily to gather the catch.  Since the fish remain alive and healthy, you always have really fresh, good fish.  Ingenious!

This is the welcome/information center.  Here is another example of a roof that has sod and vegetation growing on the top.  I could not call this grass as it looked like a collection of weeds to me but nevertheless, it does the job of insulating the cabin.  Lawn mower anyone?

Gap in Posting

Hello All -- It has been a while since I posted, not because I have nothing to say but because we have no had access to wifi.  Even though we have a MiFi, in some of the more remote locations it is not strong enough to connect to the internet.  Have no fear however, I have been taking pictures and writing about our experiences.  So if I go dark, I hope you will check back in a few days as I will be posting again soon.

We have left Denali last week and drove back northward to Nenana so we would be closer to Fairbanks.  I needed to go back into Fairbanks for a follow-up appointment for an eye problem.  That was accomplished Monday and we hit the road Tuesday bright and early.  We are now in Talkeetna which is located south of Denali.  I will share more later.

To all of you, I hope everyone is enjoying the summer.  I know we certainly are!