Week 3: Alaska July 17-24

Sometimes an adventure is not one of pushing the boundaries, but instead pushing my boundaries back towards the middle.

Not that I am some sort of extremo crazy guy living on the fringes. I have, rather successfully, found a place where i can feel sufficiently apart from the day to day humdrum but also take part in mainstream life.

However at times I can recognize that there are things I miss about the middle and strangely enough my recent trip to Alaska showed me some of these.

While a trip to Alaska may seem like a strange time to find some normalcy, what I really did was take a cruise to Alaska. What better opportunity to be average than when as a captive audience aboard and all you can eat relaxing extravaganza.

Appreciating the origins of a global monopoly (and some tasty coffee)

Mountains (appreciated from afar) would be a staple of this trip. Though most arent terribly tall (4000 feet or so) they sure do get to that elevation in a hurry. It would be hard to live in Seattle and not want to climb this monster (Rainer at 14410)

Formal Nights with the Fam. Having dinner everynite at the same table with the same people was oddly soothing.

Lounging on the Deck

Cultural Awareness.. a visit to the now deposed Governor of Alaska. There was even a clock counting down how many days left she had to make a difference. It said 505 days.... how about 1!!!

Sightseeing at the Mindenhall Glacier

Hanging out with the family, playing some cut-throat monopoly.

Local Fishing Culture.

Long Walks on a Pier in Canada

Of course it wasn't all eating and enjoying the on-ship entertainment. As I am wont to do... i managed to find a few things to do outside in the extraordinarily beautiful landscape of SE Alaska.

Hiking up 4000 foot Mt Gatineau from Downtown Juneau. In the rain, at 1500 feet elevation gain per mile.

Eliza and I enjoying some sea-kayaking

It rains 250 days a year here and this summer was no different.

Glacier Bay in Hypercolor. An hdr taken from the back of the ship.

The tidewater Margerie glacier runs 15 miles back to Mt Fairweather at 15000 feet.
It rises a greater distance in a smaller amount of linear mountains than the Himalayas.

Hiking above Ketchican. Where we met a a sage of a man. In perfect shape, flying gloat planes in the summer and running aid organizations in South America in the winter.

All in all a great trip. Nice to experience some wonderful things usually outside of my day to day, and also try and work the system and make the most of our limited times in an amazing environment.