Alaska with Audrey and Lance, part 1 Thanksgiving and Hatcher's Pass

Well, my sister, Audrey, and Lance came up to visit us over Thanksgiving. I was SOOO excited for her to come to Alaska and to just get to spend time with them.

(By the way, sorry guys for taking SOOO long to blog on your visit.)

One thing I love about these two is, they are "floor people"

After the ~12 hour trip spread over three flights, they arrived the night before Thanksgiving. The airport pick up area was packed, and the pick up event itself was rather uneventful. We inched along in a traffic huggermugger, Audrey and Lance walked to us, we loaded their luggage and jumped back into the truck trying to fight traffic just to leave the airport. It was cold and snowy out. Lance arrived in Alaska wearing shorts.

DAY 1: Thanksgiving

At dog park, missing Nugent right about about now

On Thanksgiving day, Heather had to work the first part of the day, so Lance, Audrey and I took the dogs to our favored dog park. This outing was also a trial run of their cold-outdoor clothing. If I remember right, the temperature this day was somewhere in the low single-digits.

I just love this pic Audrey snapped of our two dogs taking off after a stick

We walked to Conner's Lake, which was completely frozen over, and unless you'd been there before, you probably wouldn't even know it was there. We all walked out over the lake, the dogs romped and Audrey played in the snow flakes!

My sister and her snowy flakes!

T'was this day, we had our first moose sighting. It wasn't a great sighting as we couldn't really make him out, but you can definitely tell he's there.

They don't hide very well in this environment, just look like big dark brown spots

After the dog park, we came home, cooked a bunch of food, Heather got off work and we enjoyed a super Thanksgiving feast along with a few of our friends whom we had invited. Good times were had by all.

DAY 2: Hatcher's Pass

The next day, Black Friday, we got up early and geared up to go snowshoe hiking in Hatcher's Pass. It's about a 1.5 hour drive to this popular hiking location north of Palmer, AK. Almost there, we had a second yet dodgy moose sighting. It was snowing hard and the light was very flat. It was tough to see him, but the camera shows he was there.

Bulwinkle, up the hill from the road

We rented and borrowed 4 sets of snowshoes and polls to trudge around in for the day. Hatcher's Pass is a vast area in the Chugach Mountains with peaks nearly 360 degrees to hike and lots of places to explore. For us, it was completely covered in snow. The surrounding mountains were hidden and the light was so flat we could barely decipher, at times, the terrain in front of us.

An old mining town in Hatcher's Pass

We were so worried about being cold this day we came prepared: lots of snow gear, hand and toe warmers, extra hats and layers stuffed in a book bag, and double socks on our feet. Our formerly Alaskan uncle who's a bit extreme when it comes to 'preparedness' would be proud.

Heather was worried about avalanches all day

After all our preparations for cold weather and keeping warm, turns out hiking in snowshoes is hard work. About 10 minutes into the trekking, we stopped and all started shedding layers. I was sweating like nobody's business within the first 30 minutes, after going it alone up a steep embankment.

See, on a clear day there'd be all manner of beautiful-ness behind them, but not this day

A look-down at our get-up

 We hiked around the mining town for a few hours and then took a trip down the board walk to the mouth of the mine.

At the mouth of the mine, Audrey being silly, me sitting on railing

There were several feet of snow on the ground. It was fun just to fall into it, and it caught you perfectly and gently like an expensive memory foam mattress or something.

Heather decided to beat me whilst I lay on my expensive snowy mattress

I just love capturing this side of my sister on camera 

Were it summer time, that railing he's leaning on would be as high as his shoulders

Another sighting of She-Heather! Watch Out!!

I think, by the end, we hiked about 3 hours. That was enough, because we were definitely tired afterwards. What cracked me up, was the surge of energy that overcame Lance come time to head to the car. The whole day, he took up the caboose, following the other three of us quietly. But once we pointed toward the car - zoom - off he went. The picture below is Lance, at this point way ahead with his sights set on warmth and a place to sit. He eventually got so far ahead he was out of sight. Unfortunately, he didn't have the keys, so once at the car he had to wait a good 10 minutes before we caught up. 

I think Lance is what you would call..."indoorsy"

After having some hot chocolate at a little restaurant thing and almost getting the truck badly stuck in the deep snow on what is probably the worst and stupidest road in the world...we started back home. Finally, then, it began to clear up a bit, and you can start to get an idea for the kind of place we spent our day.

I love the colors the sunset created

That evening we enjoyed Thanksgiving food again and got some needed rest.

To see what Hatcher's Pass looks like during the summer, click here.  Also, here's a picture of the mouth of the same mine we visited but during the summer. Gives some perspective on how much snow was under our feet.

Up next in part 2: More moose viewing, the creation on a Dominion obsession and the coldest Lance has ever been!!