Happy Alaska Wild Salmon Day! Alaskans couldn't be prouder of their fish, especially Alaska wild salmon. And what's not to love? It's decadently delicious, superbly succulent, and downright in demand!
Here's a throwback photo to my first time doing field work for Fish and Game. This was a chum salmon tagging project at Douglas Island's Fish Creek. I had never in my life been so up close and personal with a fish!
As the old adage goes, do one thing every day that scares you. And that's pretty much how it began.
What started as a “let’s stay close to shore” excursion quickly turned into my first, long distance, open water, channel crossing of North America’s longest and deepest fjord.
Juneau has been blessed with spectacular weather this month, so I jumped at the chance to join my friend and internationally acclaimed, award-winning nature photographer, Daniel Buck, on a kayaking trip north of Alaska’s capital city.
Initially, I just wanted to get a seal’s eye view of the spot I had camped at a few weeks earlier. But as we paddled along the foreboding granite cliffs high above our 14 foot kayaks, the surge of adrenalin was unmistakable. My mind encouraged me to “just go for it.” And so it began. Baby steps transformed into leaps of faith which led to an unforgettable adventure of a lifetime.
We found ourselves leaving the protected cove and venturing out into open water. Little did I know at the time, but our kayaks were cruising above the historic shipwreck site of the SS Princess Kathleen, a steamship that met her dark watery grave just 63 years prior.
Unfazed, we scanned the horizon for the jubilant exhale of humpback whales, occasionally spotting playful harbor porpoises close by. With this remarkable encounter alone, my trepidation and fear of the unknown subsided.
As the waves catapulted us closer and closer to our wilderness destination, at one point with my rookie hand I felt the tide taking my kayak in one direction, the wind pulling me in another. Powering through, we arrived at the shores of Shelter Island after an ambitious and arm-clinching paddle. Completely worth it.
Securing the boats above the tide-line, we scrambled along the rugged and rocky shore to gain a higher vantage point on the ocean landscape we had just traversed. The first half of the journey was now complete, though it felt like a journey just beginning.
After some time exploring the island's unprotected eastern shores and doing a bit of beach-combing, we paddled back to the mainland, surrounded by God’s wonderland stretching as far as the eye can see.
As the sun set behind the majestic snow-capped peaks, the waters we had just conquered were bathed in the warm glow of the golden hour. During a particularly Zen-like moment, I paused in the middle of the waterway, letting the silence of the world engulf me, comforted only by the presence of nature and the sound of the cerulean waves gently lapping the boat.
There, at sunset, as the small kayak gently rode the ocean swells, I had a revelation. Growing up in Alabama, I lived an unexceptional life. Now in Alaska, I am living a life without exception - a life where each day I do one thing that scares me, strengthens me, and fulfills me. Where each day is nothing less than an epic adventure, all in America’s Last Frontier.
Here's a big THANK YOU to Daniel for taking many of the photos above and sharing them with me so I can share them with you.
Check out Daniel's other awe-inspiring photographs at Wilderness Peaks Gallery, Alaska's premiere fine art photography gallery.
A week ago, I went on a spontaneous camping trip "out the road" here in Juneau. Our tents were set up near a rocky cliff high above the water, and after midnight, we watched orcas in the moonlight as they swam through Favorite Channel. The next morning, I awoke to this million dollar view.
I think I need to go camping more often.
Over 500 loads of snow were trucked in to downtown Anchorage to prepare for the Ceremonial Start of the 2015 Iditarod and the Running of the Reindeer – two long-awaited and eagerly anticipated events of Fur Rendezvous, the largest winter festival in North America. It's uncommon for Anchorage to have a drought of snow in the winter months, but these past few months have proven especially difficult for dog mushers and other winter athletes who usually revel in the winter climate this time of year. Regardless, from February 27 to March 8, thousands of Alaskans and visitors from around the world converged on downtown Anchorage for a sight to behold: eager and energetic sled dogs, Alaskan celebrity sightings, and more fur hats than you can count.
I spontaneously flew on a mileage ticket to Anchorage for this year's festivities. March 7 was an unseasonably warm March day with no snow despite earlier weather reports of 6+ inches of new snow accumulation. Bright and warm sun rays came out during the Iditarod Ceremonial Start, and the scent of reindeer sausage wafted all around. Super friendly folks and loud laughter was around every corner, and there was a real spirit in the air - the spirit of the best of Alaska.
I registered for the infamous Running of the Reindeer, which is sort of a play on Spain’s Running of the Bulls, but less intense or fatal. Then I donned the same St. Pauli's Girl dress I wore to welcome my friend, James Volek, across Nome's Iditarod finish line in 2013. This year's running event brought back bittersweet memories. The last time I ran with reindeer in 2012, I was about 60 pounds heavier and had zero cardiovascular endurance. This year? I literally ran with reindeer and was toward the front of the pack in the "Gals Herd." Once finished, I then got such a runner's high (first time ever, by the way) that I snuck into the "Groups Herd" and ran a second time! Addictive, I tell ya.
Mucho thanks to my friends, Cyndi and Michael, for rolling out the red carpet and being such terrific hosts. You know it’s been an epic weekend when friends in Bama say they've spotted you on the local FOX News channel.
"Running of the Reindeer" photos below courtesy of Michael Oliver. Thanks for capturing the moment, Michael!
