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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 10, 2013 - 11:59pm PT
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Been feelin a bit homesick lately. So maybe I'll make this a thread to show what Alaska is.
All you cheechako's listen up..
There’s a land where the mountains are nameless,
And the rivers all run God knows where;
There are lives that are erring and aimless,
And deaths that just hang by a hair;
There are hardships that nobody reckons;
There are valleys unpeopled and still;
There’s a land — oh, it beckons and beckons,
And I want to go back — and I will.
Robert Service
Hey RonA.. bet you will love this.
Quite few folks like this out there still. Not a life for most.. but it sure makes more sense than many.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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MisterE
Social climber
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Feb 11, 2013 - 12:12am PT
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I am all over this forum with my experiences from age 16 to 25. I'll try and sort them out and link.
Love the place, but don't miss it one bit.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 11, 2013 - 12:28am PT
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I lived right here for three years.. just a few miles from where this was made.
There are times when the aurora fills the whole sky and it pulses and flickers in a instant from one horizon to the other.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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enjoimx
Trad climber
Yosemite, ca
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Feb 11, 2013 - 01:28am PT
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That documentary was really good.
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
California
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Feb 11, 2013 - 01:49am PT
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I miss it too. Dipnetting, late nights in July up smoking fish, having more sockeye salmon in my freezer than I know what to do with, suicide runs after work down to the Kenai, great ice, Snow City Cafe, Bear Tooth, alpine climbs on the edge of town that would be 4 star routes in the lower 48, BIG mountains, glaciers, nosehair freezing cold temps, MCA ice fest, skate skiing, halibut kebobs on the grill, ARG core class, UAA hockey games, moose meat, packrafting, Thursday night EPICS, friends left behind, September having Quartz Creek to myself, climbing after work in the summer until midnight, the rare sunny and dry summer day at Hatcher Pass. Probably a few other things too.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 11, 2013 - 02:01am PT
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Love the place, but don't miss it one bit.
There’s the land. (Have you seen it?)
It’s the cussedest land that I know,
From the big, dizzy mountains that screen it
To the deep, deathlike valleys below.
Some say God was tired when He made it;
Some say it’s a fine land to shun;
R. Service
Archangel Valley (Hatchers Pass)
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Feb 11, 2013 - 02:07am PT
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There is a good book about Heimo called The Last Frontiersman. It is pretty good. I wonder what he thinks about all of this attention.
We have some common friends. At least the same bush pilot. I've never stopped that far south. He lives in Fort Yukon during the summers I believe.
So have any of you been to the Brooks Range? I love that place dearly. I doubt I will go back since part of my knee up and died and all of the crap involved with that. Meaning no more 80 lb packs.
Seriously. How many of you Anchorage types have made it up there and then too off to check it out? A guided float of the Hula Hula or the Kongakut doesn't count. Those places got too crowded twenty years ago.
But yep, I loves the Alaska. I'll post my muktuk story for the twentieth time: I hiked across ANWR from Arctic Village to Kaktovik and back one summer. It was really soggy from runoff and it was just after breakup. I ran out of food about two days from Kaktovik. I had an eskimo buddy up there that I had sent a resupply box to before I left. I was a few days late and he had a gallon ziplock bulging with whale muktuk for me right when I walked into town and went to Waldo's for coffee.
I had been starving and ate the whole thing right there without stopping. It must have been two or three pounds. I was the only white guy sitting around the table and finally one of them says, "I ain't never seen a white guy eat that much muktuk." Then they all busted out laughing. In bush Alaska, white people are the minority.
Sorry about my Anchorage attitude, but I have only spent one night there other than sleeping in the airport on my gear, which they are very cool about. It is kind of like Seattle North. Sure, it is pretty and all that, but it isn't really remote. If you want to get remote, you find it and go there. I have gone many weeks up there without seeing a soul.
Life changing experiences, though.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 11, 2013 - 02:13am PT
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I'm kinda a product of the Pipeline days.
No never north of the Circle. But I've skipped rocks on the Yukon. Been on the marge of lake Le'Barge..Lived on the Bering Sea. Seen -72F and +90F degrees in the same place.. Remember being a Gussuk kid and getting pushed off a roof by the Eskimo kids. Blown off my feet and flying like a kite in a Berring Gale. I laughed with glee.. Still have a taste for dried fish and seal oil.. waay back that is. They didn't cancel school unless it was 55 below.. and we had recess every day unless colder than -30.
Toksook Bay
Bethel
Delta Junction
After that I kinda enjoyed living in Anchorage.
But Anchorage ain't really Alaska although it's fairly close to the place, you can almost see it from there on a stormy day.. Alaska is the Bush. And the folks who make it home.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Feb 11, 2013 - 02:18am PT
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Some of my best times were in Alaska. I even have a cabin outside of Seward. The cabin is for sale. I'm kinda with Eric on this one. I'm done up there. The place is full of people that want to get away from the madness, so they can make there own madness. That sunlight/darkness thing can make it even more weird. And the fact remains that I will return again and again just to be blessed by the sheer beauty of the place.
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
California
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Feb 11, 2013 - 02:27am PT
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Base, you'd fit right in in Fairbanks. Half the people live there so they can hate on Anchorage.
I've got a list of probably 4 dozen native villages I went to for work all months of the year. Bringing your own clif bars and ramen on business trips, using honey buckets and sleeping on the office floor ain't that glamorous. I'll take Anchorage.
Certainly saw and experienced many things in the bush, but never 2 lbs of muktuk. wow.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 11, 2013 - 02:29am PT
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HONEY BUCKETS.....
Now that's Alaskan!
Fairbanks? lol that's just Anchorage envy with bad inversion air. A cesspool of freaks who can't hack it in the bush or civilization.... ahh man I can't help myself... not really a fair point... or is it? Hmmmm
I do miss Alaskaland though (A park in Fairbanks that I exlored endlessly when visiting from Delta)
Fairbanks
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
California
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Feb 11, 2013 - 02:43am PT
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It's snowmachine, not snowmobile!!
How about some hooligan? Can't get those inland.
One thing is for sure, it's always shittier in Whittier.
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John M
climber
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Feb 11, 2013 - 03:08am PT
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I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ordinary Wolves. And I loved visiting Alaska. My brother lived up there for 8 years, plus 3 years on Adak. Such an intense place with incredible weather extremes. I got to experience what the locals called a 100 year storm while driving the Alaska highway back to the lower 48. 27 feet of snow in one pass.. then a warm chinook melted the snow and caused major flooding. We crossed one bridge where the river was about to overflow it. Then as we drove out of the valley I happened to look back and saw a major landslide come down and completely bury the highway we had just driven over.
I only had the pleasure of a short visit, But I did get to stay in a friends cabin in Moose Pass. Her grandfather built it when there were only a couple of cabins there. I know its an overused word, but it was an amazing experience. There was just something very deep and primal about the place. I will never forget it. Her Father was in the big quake in Seward Alaska and had some incredible stories to tell.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Feb 11, 2013 - 09:43am PT
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A vast land with endless vistas.......hell, you can see all the way from Wasilla to Russia!
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LilaBiene
Trad climber
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Feb 11, 2013 - 10:03am PT
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Donini, you are starting to give me a case of the willies! ;D
I was born in Anchorage and grew up doing most of my school reports about all things Alaska. (Fronting, as I'd never been there, but have always known that I will someday go...)
My birth mom was living in Wasilla when she passed away last year.
Thanks so much for starting this thread...I can't wait to watch everything when I get home after work. Stuck on a commuter bus heading into Boston for an hour...so far. ")
Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Edit: Loved both videos...beautiful and primal.
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mhay
climber
Reno, NV
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Feb 11, 2013 - 12:00pm PT
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3 years in Fairbanks, 5 years in Anchorage. I miss pulling up to our chosen ski area for the day, and if there's one car there continuing on to another spot because it's too crowded at the first. I miss skate skiing by headlamp at Kincaid after work. I miss midwinter bonfires in Fairbanks. I miss the after work walk/packraft loop on Glacier Creek. I miss having world class ski tours through the Chugach right out the back door.
I also would not move back though. I'm too much of a vitamin D addict. Didn't realize how bad it was until I moved back down to a lower latitude. I am very, very grateful for the time I had there, and will always remember fondly, but I'm moving forward, not back.
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rick sumner
Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
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Feb 11, 2013 - 12:50pm PT
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You don't have to strain your eyes Donini to see Russia from Wasilla as the place is overrun with Russians,Ukranians and other former Soviet block refugees. They are resourceful people who know quite well how to navigate the maze of rules, regulations and government bureaucracy by virtue of having survived the "cental planning" of the nation of their birth.
The claim, by a few here to have experienced the "real Alaska" by stumbling around solo in the saturated muskeg of northern coast, or having a small amphitheater of one of the famous mountain ranges all to themselves,or experienced the real flavor of Alaska in Fairbanks versus Los Anchorage, is all quite laughable.
The place is almost unimaginably vast and the imprint of humanity exceedingly tiny when viewed as a portion of the whole. The state stretches over 1500 miles from the Bering Sea to the tip of the southeast panhandle, well over 2000 miles from the eastern border of Canada to the tip of the Aleutians.The length of the coast line is, i believe, greater than the rest of the lower 48 combined coastline.
A person could spend many, many lifetimes exploring there and still not see it all.Every little bit of it is real. Between my wife and I we have a combined 70 year residency and even though we've been to many sections of the state (her as a geologist doing mineral exploration out of remote camps in northern, western, and eastern parts of the state and me in construction in many a town or village over similarly wide flung sections of the state)we could never lay claim to having seen "the real Alaska".
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mhay
climber
Reno, NV
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Feb 11, 2013 - 01:07pm PT
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mhay
climber
Reno, NV
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Feb 11, 2013 - 01:26pm PT
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Feb 11, 2013 - 02:00pm PT
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an expired bush man
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mhay
climber
Reno, NV
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Feb 11, 2013 - 02:06pm PT
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
California
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Feb 11, 2013 - 02:23pm PT
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Neighbors
Nobody within a hundred miles
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Feb 11, 2013 - 02:40pm PT
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For me Alaska is the epitome of the saying "it's a great place to visit but i wouldn't want to live there."
I've been to Alaska many, many times and to quite a few different areas as a sales rep for Patagonia and as a climber......17 trips to the Alaska Range.
Some of my most memorable climbs were there as well as my MOST memorable wildlife sighting. I skied within 40 feet of a wolverine on a snowy day in the Ruth Gorge. The wolverine stopped, gave me the evil eye for a solid minute and then ambled off towards a crevasse field.
I've done climbs on the Moose's Tooth, Hunter, Thunder Mtn., Wake, Bradley, Foraker, Barrille, the Kichatana Spires and few others....oops missed Denali. Every climb has been memorable, a number almost too much so.
There are some absolutely great, outdoors people up there who choose to live on a frontier.
If you live in Los Anchorage as half of Alaskans do, the joke is...."the good thing about Anchorage is it's only five minutes from Alaska."
587,000 sq. miles of mostly wilderness, that's more than six times the size of Great Britain,
and only 630,000 people. Yep, there is a lot to love about Alaska, but no, i wouldn't want to live there.....i'm too much of a softy.
The cities and towns have a dour, unfinished, frontier feel to them.....Petersburg excepted. The politics are way to right of center for me and the climate is pretty damn harsh, but for me, the show stopper is the incredibly short days and long nights of Winter. Not a surprise that alcoholism and spousal abuse are so common.
I definetly salute people who can stick it out for a full year but i'll continue to time my visits to this beautiful, exciting place for when the flowers are riotous and the days seemingly endless.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Feb 11, 2013 - 02:42pm PT
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A great place to visit, but...
I lived in Anchorage for a year, and spent a few months traveling around. So much wilderness, it's awesome.
My stock answer when people ask me about it is: "Winters aren't too bad for me, I grew up in New England and lived in Truckee, so I'm used to cold and snow. What I couldn't deal with is the lack of summer. You get two months of partial summer. You get a day that's partly cloudy and 72 and people are saying what a beautiful day!"
I really got to get back for some adventures.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Feb 11, 2013 - 03:07pm PT
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Alaska = Incredible
Living there = 30 years
Dark/snow/ice/chinooks etc = enough already
I've spent a majority of my life in Alaska. I've been to every corner of the state including Barrow, Kotzebue. Nome, Bethel, Kodiak, Sitka, Petersburg, Ketchikan, McCarthy, Valdez, etc etc etc.
MAJOR PROBLEM is that for the average guy if you don't have money, plane, boat etc, 99% of the state is out of your grasp.
Still one of the greatest places on Earth, but with an asterisk.....
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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Feb 11, 2013 - 03:34pm PT
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Only one visit to the Pika glacier for some glacier living and rock scrambling. The flight out from there featured a tour of Denali that I will never forget. Absolutely awesome vistas. The sheer size of things is amazing!
As to living off the grid in the harsh climate of Alaska, I enjoyed Richard Leo's book, "Way Out Here"
http://www.amazon.com/Way-Out-Here-Modern-Ice-Age/dp/1570610614
Maybe my friend "Dolomite" can offer some of his current-dweller thoughts?
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dave goodwin
climber
carson city, nv
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Feb 11, 2013 - 04:20pm PT
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Angoon boat harbor.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Feb 11, 2013 - 04:29pm PT
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Hmmm, mention of Angoon. Anybody guess why I carved a mask called Tears Of Angoon, without looking it up?
Similar to this one, but not mine.
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dave goodwin
climber
carson city, nv
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Feb 11, 2013 - 04:36pm PT
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Survival-
That's pretty cool. My uncle lived in Angoon for nearly 30 years, and I spent many summers there. Here is a sunset shot looking above Angoon looking across Chattam Straits towards Baranof Isalnd.
and one of town
curious to know more about the mask?
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Feb 11, 2013 - 05:40pm PT
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I'll be happy to tell you if we don't get a successful guess!
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Feb 11, 2013 - 06:02pm PT
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Little cabin in Tallkeetna
Ferretlegger (Michael) on the porch.
Susan
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dave goodwin
climber
carson city, nv
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Feb 11, 2013 - 06:13pm PT
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remote cabin-
Everything in Alaska is bigger....
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Friedo
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe
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Feb 11, 2013 - 06:40pm PT
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I miss the AK pretty much every day!!!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Feb 11, 2013 - 06:43pm PT
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Talkeetna, where the odds are good but the goods are odder.
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dave goodwin
climber
carson city, nv
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Feb 11, 2013 - 06:44pm PT
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Feb 11, 2013 - 06:46pm PT
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I was hitching around the Kenai a few years ago and got a ride from a girl who waited tables at the West Rib Bar. Crashed at her cabin in Talkeetna for a few days, and damn, they can party there.
Same goes for the denizens of the hippie campground in Homer.
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dave goodwin
climber
carson city, nv
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Feb 11, 2013 - 06:46pm PT
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humpback whales bubble feeding. They were really close, you can see our float line visible in the picture.
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MisterE
Social climber
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Feb 11, 2013 - 07:04pm PT
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All I got is stories from Alaska...and just one picture left. Friends at a potluck at our house in Juneau:
I first went to Alaska at the age if 12 - my parents bought a troller to try their hand. We caught ONE Chinook in 2 weeks, and they sold the boat and we drove down the Alcan Highway (1974, almost all dirt road).
I went back 10 years later for a period of 4 summers - two working on fish-tenders in Southeast, and two as a long-lining deck-hand.
Then some friends from Bend moved to Juneau in the late 90's, and I moved up there with them for another year and a half, working various jobs: Log-home builder, window-installer, bottler on the Alaskan Brewery line and other things.
The best part of Alaska for me is the 5 times I have done the round-trip up and down the Inside Passage - once by ferry and the other 4 on tenders or fishing boats.
Being on land in Alaska is kind of ho-hum to me - I loved being at sea, catching fish, cruising around the amazing marine landscape and exploring remote islands, hot-springs and native places.
I have almost died and/or been in crazy situations in Alaska well over a half-a dozen times. Seen drunks frozen to the ground, partied with Long-liners for 3 days straight, saw people die in bars.
It is a different kind of madness up there in the towns - at least at sea, one has some sense of regulated behavior among the crew, since there was ALWAYS no drinking allowed.
All that being said, I would go back in a heart-beat if I had the chance/time-off/resources for a summer visit with friends.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Feb 11, 2013 - 07:12pm PT
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One of the finer Alaskan traditions is to spend an evening at "The Great Alaskan Bush Company" before you fly into the Alaskan Range, or at least that's what Greg Crouch told me on the plane as we were flying up for his first trip.
Could be something to that....the one time we didn't go was the also the year we didn't summit.
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mhay
climber
Reno, NV
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Feb 11, 2013 - 08:09pm PT
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Feb 11, 2013 - 08:21pm PT
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Funny ethnic moment:
Working with a Brit in Dillingham, and we were out on the town late at night. After they threw us out of the bar we were having a smoke down by the docks with a couple native guys, good times. Of course the natives are speaking with each other in Yupik, with even the occasional Russian phrase thrown in. They are speaking with a pretty thick accent, so is the drunk Brit....
So it goes something like this:
Brit* "Don't you want to get an education?"
Eskimo* "What do you mean?"
Brit* "I mean to give yourself more opportunities in life."
Eskimo* "Hey mutherf*#k, we're the only ones here speaking two languages.."
I just about puked laughing as the Brit shut his mouth!
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Feb 11, 2013 - 08:33pm PT
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Somebody mentioned Fairbanks, and Fairbanks is indeed the center of the Universe for interior Alaska. The population is surprisingly small, and the town is surprisingly messy..which is just a small infection from bush Alaska.
I used to nab a hotel out next to the strip bar on airport road. After being alone for 80 days, and seeing damn few women, this was the spot, right?
So that one year when I hiked across ANWR and back. When I got naked and swam the Chandalar to Arctic Village to nab a local with a boat to take me upriver for my pack, it all started to get noisy as hell with humanity, and Arctic Village is tiny. I then nabbed a flight back to Fairbanks and I was insanely bushy when I hit town. All of the noise and people driving around doing stuff that seemed idiotic was almost too much for me.
So I'm heading to the strip bar. They had just gone full nude, so I took my bifocals for some GYN inspection. I walked through the door, paid my five bucks, and the place was all dark and full of blacklight stuff and wheeling lights. The sound system was blasting so loud that you could feel it hit your chest. My head started spinning and I got out of there before I puked. It was just like motion sickness except it was humanity sickness.
I didn't bump into Buddha out there, but I did get pretty spaced out after a while. Talking to myself to kill time and all that.
The Brooks Range is the Marrow of the World as they say.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Feb 11, 2013 - 08:51pm PT
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So Ray Genet threw an epic party for some Rooskies- half the town was there. About 2100 we hear a plane coming low and fast along the river (Genet's place was south of town on the river). It's Doug Geeting - he's uncharacteristically late for the party. But even he sometimes allows business to intrude into his private life- he had just brought a load down from the mountain. He proceeded to put on one hell of an air show in his 185. I doubt the FAA would have been amused, seeing as how his 'floor' was about 300', but he was only endangering himself and the mud sharks. Needless to say he made it to the party with plenty of time to spare.
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Crackslayer
Trad climber
Eldo
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Feb 11, 2013 - 08:59pm PT
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My second time to Alaska and my first glacier trip. Had some crazy weather that trip. After a few days in skagway with perfect weather climbing rock, we hiked up to a glacier. This photo was taken on our first day and that next day there was a storm and zero visibility. We climbed that headwall in the background and then returned to camp and took some boomers. We had a lot of herb with us which was awesome because the weather got so bad we couldn't leave the tent for a couple more days. All of our stuff got wet and we decided to hike back. One of the most memorable hikes ever as we had to summit a peak and hike back to an established trail all with zero visibility. We never really got lost but we did talk about what we would do if it happened. I can't wait to go back!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Feb 11, 2013 - 11:27pm PT
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Yep, Geeting sure could party....not necessarily what i look for in a Bush Pilot.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Feb 11, 2013 - 11:53pm PT
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Prediction: This thread will have legs.
I am a little embarrased to admit it, but I went to Alaska for a week and the only place I climbed was...... You guessed it. The Seward Highway.
Someday I will come back and do something proper. We did see a bunch of Dahl Sheep while climbing that we never would have seen otherwise so it wasn't all bad.
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SGropp
Mountain climber
Eastsound, Wa
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Feb 12, 2013 - 12:24am PT
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I first went to Alaska in 1979, rowing a 16' Banks dory from Puget Sound to Petersburg. It took 70 days to get there, a lot of it rowing against headwinds.
I was completely blown away by the country and the coastline. Life was never the same afterwards.
The next summer , my new girlfriend of a couple months and I went on our first ''big date'' in the same little boat, rowing around Vancouver Island in 80 days. We had quite the time of it, working our way down the wild West Coast .Coming in through the Straits of Juan De Fuca in mid September gave us a taste of the relentless power of the ocean as well as a sense of how much we could take..
She stuck around and we rowed from the San Juan Islands to Skagway as an extended ''honeymoon cruise'' a year later. This little jaunt took a 100 days, with rain every single day for the first 60.
This was just the beginning of a series of seven long trips in small boats to northern waters. We graduated from the rowing boat to a folding kayak, which although smaller, had the advantage of being able to be broken down into 2 bags so we could go further afield.
In the late 80's I spent 4 seasons as a skiff driver on a purse seiner in Southeast Alaska. We fished mostly on the outer coast at Cape Addington, Noyes Island. Driving a skiff , towing the net just off the rocky shore alternated from utter [ although noisy ] bliss to sheer terror when the wind and waves started to pile up.
And always there was that incredible land and seascape, so wild, so harsh and alive and beautiful.
An incredible adventure could be had climbing one of the countless coastal mountains, traveling there and back in a small human powered boat. No fuss, no sponsorship, no blog,
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MisterE
Social climber
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Feb 12, 2013 - 10:13am PT
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Treez: Too funny you know those people! Ran in to Brian and Deaby in Bellingham a few years back, But haven't seen the Ginters or David and Lisa in 15 years. Say hi to peeps for me if you see them (Yep, that's me 2nd from left). I think B & D are back in Juneau now, yes?
One more pic of Sidra from the B'ham days for your entertainment:
Cheers, Erik Wolfe
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 12, 2013 - 02:47pm PT
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Some great stories here and pictures. So many folks who love the place. Got a pm from an old climbing buddy I hadn't talked to in over a decade. I see that other folks are bumping into old friends too.
That's one of the cool things about Alaska. Huge geographically but such a small community that the degrees of separation between people are tiny. One of the most common conversations that happens when folks from Alaska meet is the question "you lived in XXXX.. did you know so and so?" Oh yeah we used to hang out all the time and did whatever.
Other things that I miss. Knowing that if you had a car problem someone always pulled over and offered a hand. People up there just have more tendency to look out for one another. Sad how surprised or even scared folks often are down here if you do that.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Feb 12, 2013 - 04:57pm PT
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That's one of the cool things about Alaska. Huge geographically but such a small community that the degrees of separation between people are tiny.
NO SH#T!
There was this photographer who spent a couple of years in ANWR shooting pics for a cool coffee table book. He had some big writers like Peter Matthiessen write sections.
So I run into him at Waldo's in Kaktovik every time I was back in "town" for a year. The next year I had just crossed Guilbeau Pass and dropped down into the Hula Hula River headwaters. It started raining, and like all rainy days, I stopped, put up the bivy tent and covered my goods with tough garbage sacks (which are invaluable cheap protection). I snoozed for a couple of hours and then the rain stopped. The sun never set, so I wasn't on a 24 hour clock. I would just hike through the tussocks and thickets all day and stop whenever I felt like it or when the weather turned bad...which was often.
Anyway, I pack everything up and walk about 1/4 of a mile. Shubhanker and his eskimo guide, who I also knew well, popped up. They had been across the river watching me through their spotting scope while taking pics of dall sheep up high.
So I run into him 20 days from anywhere.
Then I run into him in Kaktovik, on the coast, where I picked up a box of goodies. That was the Muktuk fest day.
Then I take off and hike (and swim) over to the Canning and up and over Carter pass and back to Arctic Village. I didn't see a single footprint on that leg.
So I get back to Arctic Village, which is on the S side of ANWR. Any noise would make me flinch and jump I was so bushy. Just being around the town almost drove me back into the woods. I can explain that affliction further if anyone cares.
So I am going to take the first shower in forever, and wash the clothes that I had left. It had gotten hot, so I had to cut off the legs and sleeves of some Capilene near the south end of the hike.
So I am putting my stuff in the village washing machine and see Shubankher outside the window. I run outside to say hello. He was with this really tall old fart, who was Peter Matthiessen, the famous writer. I was introduced but all I wanted to do was talk with Shubanker (he was part of my little world by then).
Peter Matthiessen and him had just finished floating the Kongakut River, which is packed (for ANWR) with floaters. It is a famous float that Edward Abbey did right before he died. The guides whipe your ass and stand guard with pepper spray while the clients are all scared of the dark pussies. Meaning him. So PM started yacking on and on and was very authoritative and such. Then he looked down at my shotgun and made a snide remark about how those aren't needed and blah blah blah.
Well, he had been on a guided party of probably 10 or 15. Bears rarely attack more than 2 people. Rarely more than 1, really. I have lots of experience with bears. The locals won't go 500 yards out of town without a gun around there. Both eskimos and Indians both think that only a dumbass white guy would go in there without a gun. So everyone takes guns except for the guided groups, who are so big. Matthiessen would have been OK if he had kept his trap shut, but he had spent maybe 12 days up there with ten people around him, and thought he was an authority. He even started bragging about hanging out with Doug Peacock at the Grizzly Hilton in Montana. Screw that. You have to go to bush Alaska to experience real bears.
He was so rude and puffed up about himself that I came THIS close to shoving his old ass to the ground and kicking the living sh#t out of him. Seriously. I was that detached from the world. He was a prick to me, I had hit town only 2 hours earlier, and you can sort of understand the frame of mind I was in.
So I almost beat the sh#t out of Peter Matthiessen. It sounds weird, but it was logical at the time. Then they were gonna go yack with one of the elders, who I would visit and toke up with. I split and I never say PM again.
I get a flight on a Cessna Carravan back to Fairbanks a few days later. This would have been in my puking at the strip club time frame. I'm walking down Airport Road and I run right in to Shubanker and a photographer friend of his right there in Fairbanks.
I have other stories of meeting people in different places in different years up there as well.
Sorry to ramble. I hadn't thought about running into Shubankher over and over in quite a while.
Anyway, if you are out of a town, whites are the minority. Nobody has a car, because there might be three miles of road. The town usually has a pickup and a front end loader to handle stuff that get's flown in.
The eskimos along the Beaufort Sea coast all have CB radios in their houses, and in the small towns it is like cable TV. This channel for emergencies, that channel for gossip, etc. Sometimes somebody will get drunk and just babble sh#t for hours, which is funny but terribly sad.
Don Young bought a drug dog for the whopping town of Ft. Yukon just to keep weed from getting to Venetie or Arctic Village. They are against ANWR drilling and that makes them hated in Alaska..if you live in the North Slope Borough. Yep. The only congressman in the state got pork money to get a drug dog to keep weed from Arctic Village.
Arctic Village is very different from other remote bush villages. The Qwich'n Indians didn't want any money from the native claims settlement act. They just wanted their land. I would always send the mayor 25 bucks just for the privelige of crossing a mile from the airport to the refuge boundary. They are very traditional. They are trying so hard to maintain that language and culture that they put a lot of time into the kids and maintaining the language, which is still spoken. Alcohol ravages most bush villages. We all know of the problems with natives and alcohol. It can be terrible up there, leading to all sorts of abuse and stuff.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Village,_Alaska
Weed, on the other hand, is perfect for their no-alcohol society. I didn't know this until one evening when I was sitting around yacking with one of the big elders and he toked one up and handed it to me.
So..Indians don't like ANWR drilling. Indians are attacked by Ted Stevens and Don Young in the New York Times.
The best way to screw Arctic Village is to get a drug dog in Ft. Yukon. The plane to Arctic Village makes a few stops and it stops at Ft. Yukon, the last "white" village before the next landings in the Venetie Reservation. Understand? He was trying to turn them into a drunk village. Even Arctic Village, population 152. They would intercept the weed on the plane, the only way in without chartering your own. Even then you wouldn't be able to stop for fuel in Ft. Yukon without getting your plane sniffed.
I don't smoke much herb. Only as a courtesy to certain friends. Given the choice of alcohol and then paint sniffing and mouthwash drinking and brewing sugar "beer" in a bucket....that just destroys whole families and villages. There is one village that is now on my permanent red X list. It is dry, like all villages, but only ten miles away there is a bootlegger doing his deal, just like the liquor stores ten feet outside of the Navajo or Pine Ridge, or whatever reservation.
Wow. What a stupid ramble...
Alaska is cool, though.
Here is a self photo of my tailored capilene. I had to cut the arms and legs off to keep from melting in the sun. It get's damn hot on the south side of the Brooks Range in August...
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Feb 12, 2013 - 05:17pm PT
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Best rainbow fishing in the world
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Feb 12, 2013 - 06:11pm PT
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I have a secret fishing river. You pay a local who has a jet on the end of his outboard. He will take you about 70 miles upstream and you just float back to town on the coast.
We had one rod..going lite. The rule was that you had three casts and then you had to hand it back. I can't remember any of us ever having to hand the rod over. A fish every one or two casts. Then you have to fight them for five or ten minutes. Your back will get sore and you just quit for a few hours. Then repeat over and over for 10 days.
If you put a smaller hook on, you will usually catch a grayling. They are ravenous and sometimes even get their little mouths around a really big fly.
They were up in the 22" range, which for a graying, means over ten years old. Grayling are beautiful fish, but you try NOT to catch a grayling to get at the salmon, which are goooood.
Since we never dared to have fish around camp, because the river is infested with grizzly bears, the only fish I kept (my bud was a vegan), was a daily pink. Pinks are the smallest salmon at 3-5 pounds or so, and easy to catch. They jump out of the water, so you know it when you are over a pod of pinks. So we would pull out on a sandbar, get a fire going from willow or alder branches, and when it was all ready, toss a line in and bring in a small pink. Skewer it on willow sticks and eat it kind of half cooked. SUPER good. Then clean everything up so the bears wouldn't come hassle us wherever we camped, always a few miles from where I gutted and cooked the fish.
I have some great fish pictures on another computer. I will give out secret beta on which river it is if you can answer three secret questions.
No lie. The river is way over on the W coast. There are a bunch of famous rivers about a hundred miles away that are the world famous 7 grand per week guided gigs. We did this for the cost of our own boat and 500 bucks for the ferry upstream. You will have the upper 30 miles to yourself, and lower down you will see some folks. Imagine if the Goodnews river was all to yourself. Incredible fishing, crystal clear water, lots of bears that never bother anyone, according to the locals.
It is funny. I saw some friends and acquaintances on "Flying Wild Alaska" on the discovery channel. I would holler to my wife and she would just say, "Yeah, yeah..."
Alaska rules, but only if you get your ass way out there away from some gourmet cooked guided trip. You can do it for free, other than hunting, which I think requires a mandatory guide if you are from out of state.
If I wanted to shoot anything, I know spots for everything. Alaska rules.
Just get thine ass off of the road system and out in the boonies on your own.
Here are some shots of when I soloed the Canning River in ANWR once:
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Feb 12, 2013 - 06:19pm PT
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GO#@@MN!!! Nice fish, Kelly!
Like many, I lived up there for some years (Fairbanks). Loved it at times, hated it at times. Very happy to have spent time there, but also wouldn't move back (actually, I would for the right salary...as long as it was south of the AK range...no good moving-water rainbow fishing in the interior).
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Feb 12, 2013 - 06:26pm PT
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Nice stuff Base! Very enjoyable adventures!
Susan
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Feb 12, 2013 - 06:55pm PT
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How do the locals in the bush afford flights to get around? Aren't bush flights prohibitively expensive? Aren't most bush locals relatively poor (financially)?
Serious question.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Feb 12, 2013 - 07:06pm PT
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Based on observing some of the locals who belly up to the bar in the Fairview Inn in Talkeetna, they appear to be selling their teeth for cash. Would see the same folks on the same barstool every year and they always had fewer teeth.
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
California
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Mar 11, 2013 - 02:32pm PT
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bump for a good thread.
Talkeetna's not the bush.
Flying is prohibitively expensive. I used to fly a lot into small villages and it's not unusual for someone you ask you to watch their baby, basically hold the baby on the 20 minute flight to the next village so grandma can watch them for a couple days. Flights from a hub community like Bethel to Sleetmute would be something like $400, add on the $400 for the RT trip from Anchorage to Bethel and it gets expensive really quick. Sleetmute might have been connected to through Aniak, can't remember. Regardless, it is expensive to travel about anywhere using petrol.
I think Anchorage to Kotzebue to Kobuk was like $1000 and that's a jet to Kotz then a small Cessna three villages in.
I had a very pleasant experience in Arctic Village too. Neat town and very nice people.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 11, 2013 - 04:05pm PT
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Good time's I remember playing these towns back in squirts. Some great childhood memories brought back. Although this looks much warmer than I remember it. Real hockey is Outdoors under lights at -30deg. The jersies have not changed a bit in 30 years. Too cool.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 18, 2013 - 01:56am PT
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Is it weird if I am missing devil's club?
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Oct 18, 2013 - 09:27am PT
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I love Alaska. I have been there many, many times for both climbing and work. I love the wildness of the place and the hardiness of (some) ot the people but i could never, never live there full time......the darkness of winter would drive me around the bend. The maritime climate of all of the major populaion centers, save Fsirbanks, is also not to my liking nor are the politics..
All in all, Alaska, for me, is the paradigm example of the saying....."Great place to visit but you wouldn't want to live there."
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 18, 2013 - 09:59am PT
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Can agree with that Donini. I'm glad I grew up there. But I don't see living there again. Love where I'm at. Lots of great stuff to do right here and I can drive almost anywhere in the western US in a day.
But often enough I miss some things about Alaska. Really enjoy the stories folks have shared here.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 18, 2013 - 11:41am PT
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For me living up there was getting to meet the Real Alaskans like Bob Reeves, Lowell Thomas Jr., Cliff Hudson, Cougar Bill (don't remember his last name), Clem Tillion (''Mayor' of Halibut Cove) and,
of course, the many wonderful Native Alaskans who would give you their last scrap of seal
meat if you needed it. But I would really have to need it, that stuff is the proverbial 'acquired taste'.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Oct 18, 2013 - 11:48am PT
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Emon
Trad climber
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Oct 18, 2013 - 04:33pm PT
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Great thread! I am missing Alaska, too, and so excited to head home to have my baby there when the semester ends.
To chime in on the love-hate ambivalence about AK. I love love love the winter there. Cozy inside, skiing outside, sunnier than (I think) it gets credit for. For me, it's the cold summers that get me down. I remember the August chill coming one year and realizing I had not worn a t-shirt outside all summer.
Our house pretty much abutts the Chugach, so sadly--or not--I don't roam too far beyond "my backyard" there, but I hope to get to Ruth gorge and do more exploring someday. Here's a story I'll share to that feeds into Fairbanks/Los Anchorage lore. One year, I'm skiing along in the Sonot Kazoot race. I pull up alongside a local, inwardly griping about how my skis just aren't moving well over this cold snow (my wax was good). At that very moment, this local says happily to me, 'See there. It warms up a bit and the skis really glide!' I'm thinking: 'Note to self. Never live in Fairbanks.'
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
California
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Oct 18, 2013 - 04:53pm PT
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I recently remembered a rather gnarly "only in Alaska" story I had heard one day after we closed down the slopes at Alpenglow (small ski resort near Anchorage) and were sharing stories. (caution is this gross)
This one hearty guy was talking about winter life in the cabins near Fairbanks. In case you don't know, outside this relatively modern city, there live a significant number of folks who choose to live in rustic cabins with maybe only electricity and certainly no indoor plumbing.
Well this dude tells us about the couple times a winter task of having to use an ax or a heavy shovel to knock over the frozen "$hit stalagmite" in the outhouse that eventually grows to a height that it must be dealt with. It makes for a rather strong visual and one I'm happy to not have had to deal with personally.
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AKDOG
Mountain climber
Anchorage, AK
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Oct 18, 2013 - 05:44pm PT
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The weather may suck and nobody has a full set of teeth, but the place kind of grows on ya, been trying to leave for 25 yrs.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 18, 2013 - 05:59pm PT
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Nice place, that Alaska. But man, those are some of the crankiest people on the planet.
Come to LA and we'll take a drive my friend.
The people I knew up there only got cranky when the tent got buried.
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Oct 18, 2013 - 10:54pm PT
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klister
climber
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Oct 19, 2013 - 12:10am PT
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 19, 2013 - 12:14am PT
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It's a tough commute...
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cyndiebransford
climber
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
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Oct 19, 2013 - 12:36am PT
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Took a drive today from Soldotna to Homer. It was about 50 degrees, some rain. I love living in Alaska.
Two weekends ago.
Dipnetting on the Kenai in July.
At midnight on the Summer Solstice.
Hiking on a frozen lake to the face of a glacier.
I don't regret leaving California for the Kenai Peninsula.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Oct 19, 2013 - 12:49am PT
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All the bears in Alasks seem to have a full set of teeth....what's up with the humans?
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Oct 19, 2013 - 12:59am PT
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Where else can you catch rainbows like this?
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Oct 19, 2013 - 01:27am PT
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The wife is up in Seward right now, winterizing our cabin. Does anyone wanna buy a cabin in Seward?
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Oct 19, 2013 - 02:02am PT
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Hey Darwin,
Where were your pictures taken? Is it South of Chena Hot Spring?
Larry
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Oct 19, 2013 - 02:44am PT
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Speaking of toothless Alaskans:
Back in January 1980, I drove my 73 Gremlin while moving from San Diego to Anchorage with everything in it that I owned.
On one of the travel legs, I took the ferry from Prince Rupert to Haines. It was an overnight journey and you could sleep on a seat in the observation room for free without renting a room because of winter off season policy.
Just before I turned in, I became somewhat uncomfortable as this scruffy young guy kept staring at me. He finally approached and asked if I wanted to buy a pair of Levi's for $2. They went for maybe $12 in those days. I eyed him and asked to see the Levi's. They were my exact size and nearly new. He took my $2 and went into the bar for last call.
Best deal I ever had on a good pair of Levi's.
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fivesix
Trad climber
hope, alaska
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Oct 20, 2013 - 09:09pm PT
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I don't actually live in hope. Not sure why I put it there. I guess I thought it was funny at the time, considering this is a climbing forum. Hope is beautiful though. Many times a summer I'll climb along the seward highway, stop by girdwood for some grub, then head to hope for live music and beer. If you don't love winter as much as summer, you probably won't love Alaska. I love my home. My heart aches for the mountains that I'm married to when ever I leave. I can't wait to get home for the snow. Heres some random vids from over the years.
http://vimeo.com/32023247 Back country solo
http://vimeo.com/32133265 Back country with friends
http://vimeo.com/69364506 High lining with friends
http://vimeo.com/68491892 Beautiful Alaskan summer
http://vimeo.com/50585384 First snow of last year
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Oct 20, 2013 - 09:13pm PT
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Sounds idyllic EXCEPT for the climbing along the Seward Highway.
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fivesix
Trad climber
hope, alaska
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Oct 20, 2013 - 09:43pm PT
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I save the climbs near the road for rope soloing with good music and headphones. Theres a lot of nice stuff that is up and away from the road.
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briham89
Big Wall climber
san jose, ca
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Oct 20, 2013 - 10:00pm PT
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Alpinista55
Mountain climber
Portland, OR
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Oct 20, 2013 - 10:27pm PT
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I think my favorite thing about Alaska was always the view from the front door. Couldn't see Russia from here though, Hunter and Foraker were in the way.
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Oct 20, 2013 - 11:35pm PT
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Yeah Jim it's not really the place for a rock climber but the alpine climbing is amazing. Far, far better then anything in the lower 48 could ever dream of being
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 21, 2013 - 12:37am PT
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Yes, the fishing is great up there...
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Oct 21, 2013 - 10:56am PT
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While in Anchorage treat yourself to halibut fish and chips at Mamma O's just across from AMH.
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fivesix
Trad climber
hope, alaska
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Oct 21, 2013 - 04:37pm PT
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How are those tors? I planned to climb them, but the rest of the group I was with preferred to sit around an RV and not do anything. Are they worth the drive from anchorage? I've been considering going back.
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Dolomite
climber
Anchorage
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Oct 21, 2013 - 06:59pm PT
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Ten days on the Harding Icefield: 1,000 square miles of ice & snow, zero people, no guidebook. I love living here!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 21, 2013 - 09:32pm PT
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Nice shot Dolomite! But you onow there's no dolomite in AK, don't you?
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 21, 2013 - 09:53pm PT
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Such a great place to grow up!
Why am I barefoot? Cause I hate shoes...I can't hike up mountains barefoot anymore though.. sigh
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Oct 21, 2013 - 10:17pm PT
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Thanks for the info Darwin, I guess it was the Tors that I flew over with a friend in his Helio-Courier. We didn't know about them, circled over several times and plan to return.
Your trip report to the Prindles is great. That is some good looking granite. Alaska has so many awesome area's away from the road system. Unfortunately, Alaska has a short window of weather, the price of not being over run by people.
On the subject of hiking, a short time back, I went to a slideshow in Anchorage given by Dick Griffith to promote his new book.
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/new-book-gives-wilderness-legend-dick-griffith-attention-he-deserves
I don't personally know Dick, he must be up in his 80's and is famous in Alaska for hiking virtually everywhere in the state. Friends of mine have hiked several times with Dick in the Brooks Range, Chugach, Wrangells etc. I have seen his name in NPS cabin logbooks and summit registers all over Alaska. He has been everywhere in Alaska by foot. His son Barney, an acquaintance, is a world class mountain runner who places high in the open division of local mountain races. Barney must be up into his 50's now. Great people.
First time I've tried a link, but doesn't seem to cooperate. If it doesn't work, Google 'Dick Griffith', the first link is Craig Medred's article in the Alaska Dispatch. It will inspire you.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 21, 2013 - 10:23pm PT
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Ole Blackass has a new book? Cool..(hope he put that story in there it's an amazing one..one of many)
He's a deserved Alaskan Legend!
Did a 20+ mile day hike with the guy once..I was a bit worn out at the end.. I was 20+ he was 60+ and seemed ready for another 20+ miles that day.
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Oct 21, 2013 - 10:54pm PT
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Hey Climbski2,
I camped atop Mt Marathon about 4 or 5 years back, the night before the July 4th race. Dick and (I assume)his wife hiked up that morning to watch their son Barney at the turnaround at the top. He was moving slow to escort his wife, but in his shorts you could see his legs were those of a young and fit man. Such a down to Earth guy and delightfully old school.
In the article on Dick that I linked, I noticed the author Medred was getting in swipes about McCandless. I guess he and Krakauer have a difference of opinion over that, heh. They're both smarter, better writers and more opinionated than me, so I am just entertained.
Griffith is such an inspiration, and in his own unique way he was funny as Hell at that slide show.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 21, 2013 - 08:33pm PT
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Never read the Krakauer book. Kinda got turned off by his account of the Everest tragedy.
Last I heard they figured McCandless died of lethargy and psychosis brought about by eating way too much of a normally generally harmless but mildly toxic wild plant. ( I forgot which one)The toxicity built up over time.
BTW If you think that snowing means it's cold outside in winter you did not grow up in Alaska.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Nov 21, 2013 - 08:40pm PT
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BTW If you think that snowing means it's cold outside in winter you did not grow up in Alaska.
True dat! Spent a winter on the North Slope. Boy, going home to the
Mat-Su was like going to Hawaii. Of course the North Slope was Hawaii
if you were coming from Bearflanks.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 21, 2013 - 09:06pm PT
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Alaska has so much that i love....physical beauty, vast wilderness, superb mountains and extraordinary wildlife. Unfortunately....as the "last wilderness" and the "end of the road" it has attracted many who are not the best representatives of the human race....exploiters and those with nowhere else to go.
Some great people live there attracted by the "quality of life" Alaska offers, but they are most definetly in the minority.
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Nov 22, 2013 - 07:04am PT
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climbski2 wrote:
BTW If you think that snowing means it's cold outside in winter you did not grow up in Alaska.
LOL, ain't that the truth. It has to get warm enough to snow.
I remember working in Barrow a few years ago in the winter. One day the temperature shot up to -20 F. All of the young kids were outside playing. My buddy and I imagined the mothers of town telling their kids. "It's a beautiful day, you kids go outside, get some fresh air and play".
It's called child abuse anywhere else.
Donini wrote:
Some great people live there attracted by the "quality of life" Alaska offers, but they are most definetly in the minority.
You are right about that. There are some great outdoor adventurers, but they are outnumbered. As you know, AMH is the place to meet them.
Canadian friends have told me that if you didn't have to pass through border customs you would still know when you were in Alaska. In Alaska, their junkyards are in their frontyards. A "By golly no one will tell me what to do here", attitude.
But there is good rock climbing (just not along the Seward Highway). A couple of shots from climbing near Arch Angel Valley with Steve Garvey several years ago in the Talkeetna's. RIP my dear friend.
I like the crescent wrench on Garv's rack.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 22, 2013 - 08:34am PT
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Thanks for the Garvey pics. One of the most infectuously stoked guys a person could have ever tied in with. There is a guy who deserves his own thread and more.
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Sad news: Rocky Reifenstuhl passes away.
http://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/fairbanks-cycling-legend-reifenstuhl-dies-at/article_d4b257e0-8daf-11e3-b10a-001a4bcf6878.html
I never met him but we had many mutual friends when I lived Fairbanks in 91 and 92. He was an inspiration for me and other bicyclists who rode the trails around Fairbanks throughout the winter. Before you scoff at it, think remote, beautiful mountain biking with no mud and no dust.
He was a champion and perennial contender in what began as the Iditabike and evolved into the Iditasport and what is today the Iditarod Trail Invitational, a 350-mile winter bike, ski and foot race on the Iditarod Trail from Knik to McGrath.
I don't know if I have this right, but I remember him as a possible contender for a spot on the US Olympic cross country ski racing team, too. Maybe it just seemed that he could have been.
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Today's downtown ice venue
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 8, 2014 - 08:54am PT
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Getting stoked! On Tuesday I hop on a plane back home for the first time in 15 years. 15 days to visit my Dad and old friends and places. My last visit was just for a couple days in 99 to sadly attend the funeral of a friend, Steve Garvey (pictured above)
It's crazy how time flies. I'll post some pics while I'm there!
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John M
climber
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Awesome.. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Alaska.. I saw some incredible stuff.
I hope that you have a great trip.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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I still have a cabin for sale near Seward. Anyone interested?
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Cordova images by Joel Carney.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 11, 2014 - 07:31pm PT
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What an amazing first day back home. Went down the Seward Highway to Turnagain, Portage and Whittier. No climbing till tomorrow maybe.
Mt St Elias? Flying in
Arctic Tern at Potters Marsh
Dad channeling John Muir in Whittier
Devils Club
Byron Peak
Bald Eagle Turnagain
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 13, 2014 - 04:02pm PT
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Some good times messing around a little bit on the old stomping grounds. Looking forward to doing a little bigger stuff on a better weather day. It is still quite a trip seeing my old favorite places after all this time
though.
Little boulder problem I used to enjoy.. Tripped me out how I still remember all the holds.
Then my buddy Matt and I headed Back up on Byron a bit. been a while since I was on any glacier.
A new sign..hmmm.I seem to recall some training from waaay back..guess we probably will be ok.
My old friend just chilling in a great place
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Jun 13, 2014 - 06:02pm PT
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I think that the Arctic Tern is the most beautiful bird that I've seen.
Alaska is just cool. Plenty of room to still go have an adventure. For those who haven't gone, get thine ass up there.
As for Donini's description of the people, I know little about that. I spent almost all of my time out in the boonies. Anchorage is just too big of a city. It has tons of ROADS for example. A place like Kotzebue is even pretty crowded. Kotzebue is certainly loud as hell.
Smoking a J with a 85 year old Gwich'n who didn't speak English was kind of cool. It is interesting to be a minority as well. Some places aren't exactly happy with white folk. I understand.
I always went to church if I could. Now, I never go to church, but I found out that it was one of the coolest ways to get to know the old folks. I've sung many a hymn in Inupiat. I have no idea what I was saying.
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wbw
Trad climber
'cross the great divide
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Jun 13, 2014 - 07:59pm PT
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Really like your stories, Base.
The one time I went to Alaska, I felt like I was fulfilling destiny. As a kid, I always knew I would go.
Went in July, which is probably not the best time for climbing, even on rock in the Ruth. The place was like the Ice Age-The Meltdown, with the glacier opening up each day, and the constant noise of rocks detaching themselves from Mt. Dickey. The scale of the place, and the heads up nature of just cruising around the glacier, at times in 6 inches of ice water, was awe-inspiring, even though we didn't climb anything, as everything seemed to be melting apart.
The Pika was better for conditions, abut after experiencing 10 days of stormy weather on the Ruth, we arrived just in time to wait out an 11 day storm. Thank god I brought a huge stack of books. I will never forget topping out on a mediocre and wet climb and looking over the ridge in awe at the Infinite Spur in the distance, sparkling in the sun on an absolutely perfect day.
So Base, what would you recommend for a 3 week summer adventure in AK for one person that doesn't have a whole lot of money to spend?
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Jun 13, 2014 - 10:16pm PT
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Climbski2,
Is that a picture of Matt? He has been everywhere in Alaska!
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 13, 2014 - 10:49pm PT
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Yep it is. We've been friends and climbing partners since High School. He stayed up here in Alaska and sure has been all over the place. If you click my trip reports you'll see a some more stuff with Matt in it.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 15, 2014 - 10:28pm PT
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Another beautiful day back home. Jewel Pass
Wolverine Tracks!
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Jun 20, 2014 - 11:03am PT
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Good Anchorage Daily News story on the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group.
http://www.adn.com/2014/06/17/3521817/for-alaska-mountain-rescue-group.html
edited for good URL
Although I am not a member, I have several friends in the group, have done some training with them and been on a few call outs. Great group of selfless individuals.
Climbski2: Aren't you a former member of the group?
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2014 - 12:33pm PT
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Cool thanks for the article. Lotta good folks in the AMRG. Sounds like they have kept improving standards as time has marched on. I was glad to have been part of it for a few years.
Here are a few more pics to share as my trip winds down.
Archangel Valley
Independence Mine
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feralfae
Boulder climber
in the midst of a metaphysical mystery
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Jun 24, 2014 - 03:13pm PT
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Climb2Ski,
Thank you for all the beautiful photos.
Much Appreciated down here on the Divide in Montana.
Will be up that way later this year.
Thank you.
feralfae
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jun 24, 2014 - 03:27pm PT
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Wow, Independence Mine has really deteriorated in the last 20 years, but
so have a lot of us.
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feralfae
Boulder climber
in the midst of a metaphysical mystery
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Jun 25, 2014 - 05:03pm PT
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Jun 24, 2014 - 03:27pm PT
Wow, Independence Mine has really deteriorated in the last 20 years, but
so have a lot of us.
LOL, Really! Twenty years ago, I was still arrogant and willing to (try to) climb anything that was rock. Now it is more about being a bit safer and not having any more falls. :)
But we are still mocking, adventuring. I am going down on the Montana/Idaho border this weekend to check out some fly fishing places, birds, and future rock scramble places. So, although we are not doing as much, here we are, still functioning, and I'm not so sure about Independence Mine.
Great photos here.
feralfae
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jonnyrig
climber
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Jun 25, 2014 - 07:51pm PT
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Sure looks like you,re having a good time. Great photos!
Are you back on the rock?
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Trusty Rusty
climber
Tahoe Area
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Jun 25, 2014 - 09:29pm PT
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Great thread Climbski2 et alia. Between 1981 and 1991 I spent most my 20's way off grid in a small log cabin on the Tanana R just below Goodpasture with a couple years between Valdez and Kodiak. Would post a library of pics but they're still in slide form. Spent a lot of time solo in the stickers, unafraid of what I didn't know until I did, then rode my thumb back in uber terror. Not far from McCandless in maturity or map, I sympathize with his heartbreaking story. If not for ravenous wedging on maggot infested meat, I may have joined him on sax with Cannonball and Getz. Sorry, but most cities over 5k suck. The outback is great to live in if you're an escapist and don't mind such company, otherwise you'll likely appreciate the state most if you travel on through via round trip itinerary.
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Sunset in the Anchorage area last night about 11:45 PM. I took some photos on the iPhone, so quality isn't great. Last shot of the sunset was at 12:30 AM July 4th. The sky was still brilliant red, but I just went to bed.
The morning sun peaking through the edges of the blackout curtains woke me at 5:30 AM. What to do? All of my adventure friends in Anchorage were out of town, so I took a solo hike up to O'Malley Peak. Here's some spring flowers on the way up this morning.
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cyndiebransford
climber
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
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Saw these two today between Kenai and Soldotna. They caused a traffic jam.
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ms55401
Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
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Nice rack!!!
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neverwas
Mountain climber
ak
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Sep 14, 2014 - 11:44pm PT
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Happened to fly by some peaks in the western Brooks range...
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Sep 15, 2014 - 06:00am PT
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I have seen Igikpak. Floated the Noatak with a friend. I have seen the Brooks Range from one end to the other, but it would take at least a lifetime to see every secluded valley.
I had my greatest adventure up there. I will post pics when I get home. I'm in D. C. Right now.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 15, 2014 - 11:06pm PT
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Please more Alaska stories and pics Base!
Memories of a Ski Descent long ago
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, climbski2...
always, alaska is a good read... :)
happy good morning folks...
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Thanks for the great pics, everyone
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Bump ahead of the Dubai spambots.
neverwas,
Great shots of the Brooks Range. TFPU
BASE104,
Yeah we want more photos, and you've got some great stories also.
climbski2,
More great shots. Matt in the Talkeetnas?
Yeah, the Great Land gets in your blood...wild and beautiful.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 30, 2014 - 10:17pm PT
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A new generation is exploring overlooked posibilities..Bouldering around Byron glacier.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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neverwas
Mountain climber
ak
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Feb 14, 2015 - 12:55am PT
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N slope critters...
Spring and Fall caribou...
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neverwas
Mountain climber
ak
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Feb 14, 2015 - 01:04am PT
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neverwas
Mountain climber
ak
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Feb 14, 2015 - 01:36am PT
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Jun 10, 2015 - 01:01pm PT
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Here's a couple of news clips on the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group.
http://www.ktva.com/from-rescued-to-rescuer-alaska-search-and-rescue-volunteers-give-back-891/
http://www.ktva.com/at-risk-alaska-search-and-rescue-choppers-could-get-grounded-336/
Brian, the young fella interviewed, is a good friend and the son of one of my best friends. Tom died in a wilderness accident back in 1997 while hiking with Brian, then 16 and his brother Sven, 14.
A few years later Brian was a college intern from Germany working at Palomar airport, North County San Diego. I took Brian and his friend on their first outdoor rock climbs at Mission Gorge and Joshua Tree.
Brian later took me climbing to the Italian Dolomites while I was visiting in Germany.
Brian is now an engineer at a telecommunications company in Anchorage, maybe the most active member in the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group, a private pilot, and building his own house on the Anchorage hillside. Pretty good outcome for a fine young man who overcame some tough times.
PS: The young gal interviewing Brian is the daughter of a friend. There is hope for the future with these fine young folks.
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Not sure how these old photos will turn out, but here goes.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 5, 2015 - 07:20pm PT
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Thanks Larry! Interesting story..ha!
Trip seeing the Garveys.
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Prezwoodz
climber
Anchorage
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We are a land of few people but beautiful scenery. I think that our rock climbing here is underrated. There is some good climbing here and the scenery is amazing, often you'll be alone at the crag with any route you want.
So here's to you beautiful Alaska. Its where I was born and where i've grown. I can visit anywhere but I'll always call Alaska home.
The start of Ptarmigeddon, a Zach Schlosar line on Ptarmigan Peak behind Anchorage. This is also an area of many mixed lines.
Dan Linnell on a V7 along Powerline Pass.
No approach ice with Marin.
The Sunshine Ridge crux with Cuauhtemoc on the Seward Highway.
Kim on Boy Scout Rock.
Lang on his new route at Resolution Bluff.
We watched this for a while as the clouds played like giant fluffy gods.
Resolution Crack...5.10a? Yeah right.
My mom at the Bird Creek Boulders.
Dave Arnett on Redgate.
And on Vanilla Ice on Spring Fling. I'm on the other side of the road taking this.
Alison on Goats Head Soup. This area is slated for demolition in 2016.
Some fun hand cracks high on Rainbow Peak.
Dane K. topping out on those cracks.
My dad on the last climb he ever did, Goats Head Soup. I miss him every day.
Another snowy climbing day on the highway as a new climber learns to lead trad on 5.5 crack at Bermuda Triangle.
Heading up Dreams of Brown Moose in Portage.
The view from Sea Cave and the start of Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk a 5.10.
Playing around on this hidden boulder near Kenai.
Climbing on the Spencer Glacier Walls.
DWS into glacier water near Spencer Glacier, icebergs in the background.
Rachel and Mikes first day climbing on Nugget Boulder in Hatcher Pass.
John B. bouldering on the Monolith.
Climbing rock at Purinton Creek in February.
The start of Linear Accelerator on Troublemint Peak in Hatcher Pass.
Kyle climbing at Wiener Lake.
Its got a great view.
John Borland on the FA of Rise in Hatcher Pass.
Dane wearing the wrong colors on the Monkeys Face, Hatcher Pass.
Climbing Pitch 2 of Zigzag with Dane Ketner at Ravine Lake. This picture was the cover of the first edition rock climbing guide.
A pretty fun crack pitch on Toto and John deciding to avoid it to do some runout slab to the broken stuff. Hatcher Pass.
Finding some wide. This pitch is called Bestiality, apparently Garvey said "it's like humping the dog."
That day I took a huge fall but Dane and I topped out the Pinnacle anyway.
Pat Harris a the Valdez Ice Fest.
Campground Wall in Valdez.
Climbing on the Sunnyside Crag at Worthington Glacier, Valdez.
Cudo on the steep, climbing the Dark Side at Worthington Glacier.
Tee Harbor boulders in Juneau.
Olcay on Hustlin', it fell down...
Juneau Sea Cliffs area.
Climbing at Grapefruit rocks in Fairbanks. Did someone say there's no dolomite here? Because there is!
Ill end this big post with the Arrigetch Peaks, Brooks Range.
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L
climber
California dreamin' on the farside of the world..
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Incredible photos, Kelsey.
Thanks for sharing them.
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F
climber
away from the ground
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 6, 2015 - 10:06am PT
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Some beautiful pics Kelsey! Yeah I do like to bag on the rock in South Central AK but as you know there are some good climbs. Plenty more crappy ones too..but the views are generally spectacular regardless. TOTO..yeah that's a special and great Garvey route.
Pretty cool to see that Rainbow rock..looks like a much bigger vein of that rare decent stuff we have around Boyscout boulder and upwards or sunshine butress.
I did get your e-mail and I have a handful of mediocre/poor highway pics around somewhere..May be a while but I won't forget your request. If you want stories I'd talk with Grant Walker and few of the more prolific FAers. I have a handfull of not particulary worthy stories about loose rock, bumping into Mugs once, and having 3 bolts in a row unclip while Grant belayed me...he got quiet cause he didnt want to tell me I was free soloing 5.10..heh..good call.
Thanks again for the share!
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Hey climbski2,
Here's some old photos of Garvey putting up a route on Dino Head.
I know you were wondering the name of the formation off the highway on another thread. Anything up off the highway we always called the 2nd tier, and it was great to get away from the damn traffic.
I think the name of the route is Dino's Stubble Trouble, a 5.10+.
The name came from the gritty texture of the rock. If you climbed on it much, it would sand away your fingerprints. Very steep, but good friction.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 6, 2015 - 01:16pm PT
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Hmm..I remember that drill...looks like that is before he made the big battery pack. Yeah that's the area I was talking about...that's a different route I think..the one I fell on was further along the trail..mebbe..past that railing in your picture.
Very cool to see these pics..We had to have met back in the day Larry..too bad I'm terrible with names. Bet I'd recognize you though.
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cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
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I inherited that drill after his death. What a man that dude was. Love the beer cooler in the pics of northwest passage!
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Cave Monkey,
Dude, you need to go climb something, even if it's galvanized steel, hee, hee.
Anyhow, by now, you've probably drilled as many bolts on that drill as old Garv did. He knows his drilled ended up in good hands.
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Ok, this is turning into a Garvey thread, and it's only fitting for a legend. He had the biggest balls and the biggest heart of em all.
I forgot I had these photos, haven't seen em since his funeral.
It's out at Purinton Creek, but I don't remember the name of the climb...maybe a 5.10a.
We climbed an already established route nearby on the last couple of photos.
Cave Monkey...you'll see your drill in action here, doing it proud.
You can almost see your cabin in Chickaloon from a couple of the shots.
I always loved the scenery at Purinton, with the highest part of the Chugach to the South.
So there ya go Alaska bro's, your treat for the day.
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cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
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That helmet in the tree in the last photo.....I got that too! Garvey gave it to me after shattering mine on a grande whip putting up "the twilight flight"
Brings back alot of memories of hanging it out there with garv
thanks for the pics g force
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 6, 2015 - 02:55pm PT
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Turning into a Garvey thread? That's fine with me. There is a whole era of Alaskan climbing in which Garvey rightfully belongs front and center. Fact was he was ahead of his time along with Jeff Lowe and very few others regarding mixed climbing in that era worldwide. One of the best in the world in that time... period.
Those pics are a real treasure Larry.
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Fossil climber
Trad climber
Atlin, B. C.
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Great country. Parts are truly awesome.
• Spent the summer of 58 mapping glaciers all over AK with Dick Long.
• Lived in Denali 4 years in the 60s.
• Kayaked the Tikchik Lakes.
• Cruised across Prince William Sound in an 18’ square-stern canoe,
Valdez to Whittier and back, with family.Fishermen though we were insane.
•Skied across Brooks Range in 72 with Ned Gillette, Jack Miller,Jed
Williamson, out for a month.
•And we still drive up there at the end of August just to catch the incredible tundra colors.
But...Yukon and northern BC are equally wild and beautiful, and there aren’t rumbling herds of quads on every major trail in hunting season.
If you want a great road trip, come up through BC on the Stewart-Cassiar highway, take a 60 mile side trip to Atlin, continue up the AK highway to the Yukon and Dawson, take the Top of the World Highway across into Alaska, especially early September. And take the Denali Highway across to the Park. Seeing that land you’ll understand where Robert Service got his imagery. And incidentally, he was writing about Canada’s Yukon.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 6, 2015 - 03:06pm PT
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Wayne.. Give us a story! Please..That's some solid history there.. Ned Gillete..Brooks Range!? sounds interesting, and cold.. and dark. Or perhaps hot wet and sloppy..depending on the month.
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Fossil,
Wow, Ned Gillete and Brooks Range?
My cousin (Ketchum ski patrol for years) used to ski a lot with his wife Susie.
Yeah, we want stories.
Skinny,
Didn't know that story with the helmut. We've never really compared notes on our Garvey adventures.
And incidentally, he was writing about Canada’s Yukon.
Ha ha, got a little extra in there. Interesting that a high school in Anchorage is named after a Canadian, eh?
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Highdesertman
Trad climber
jtree ca
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Larry those are great pictures of garvey. I first met steve and lynn up at hatcher pass. I was by myself and steve invited me to climb with them. We did a few routes and they took off for home leaving garveys rack behind on some rocks in the parking lot.
Luckily he had given me his # before they left cause I didn't have one at the time while living down in homer.
We had made plans to meet on the hwy.i cant remember which pullout.It was a crappy day wind blowing hard and its cold.
I was bouldering on a traverse when I saw garvey pull in the parking lot. While steve was getting out I saw a van pull in and these people got out and started talking to steve.so he calls me over and it turns out these folks were from good morning America on one of there Alaska shows and want to film us rock climbing.
Of course steves all for it so I agree though as it turned out he designated me to lead some effed up route that he choose and that I had never even been on before.
Did I mention it was very windy and cold? The camera crew set up It was run out to the bolt so I went up and down a couple times finally clipped the bolt and started traversing left. I made it about ten ft And went whipping of onto the bolt freezing cold and getting late.
The good morning America crew immediately packed up and left without a goodby.
We still made about 45 sec on the show with me whipping and steve smiling for the camera. Wish I had that recording now. Dino
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Dino Banco?? I remember you. As I remember it, your the guy that Dino Head is named after!!
I remember you were from Homer and being out climbing along the highway a few times with you in the group.
I also remember Garvey and Sweeney talking about what a bad ass climber you were...don't know if you ever heard it from those guys directly...as you know it would have been out of character, LOL
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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OK, here's some more Dino Head photos. Man, I'm tearing the house apart and finding some photos I forgot about.
Jim Sweeney, his girlfriend (don't remember her name), Garv and Lynn with the boys, Kyle and Denzel and Mary Pedrojetti.
Lynn was a good climber in her own right, as anyone who followed Steve had to be. I have some photos of Steve climbing with Kyle and I'll dig those up later.
Mary was climbing a lot with Steve and Lynn at that time. She was a natural athlete, a good climber and climbed with Steve on some FA's
Well, I gotta say these photos are not the best quality. The damn phone I have now takes way better shots than whatever I was using BITD.
But this was Dino Head in it's heyday. I loved being on the 2nd tier off the highway, great views, wind surfers galore, snow capped peaks, warm sun. Best thing about the highway is the sun it always captures.
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Fossil climber
Trad climber
Atlin, B. C.
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Stories? I’ll give you a brief one.
I hired Ned to be Chief Instructor for Yosemite’s first x-c ski school. We wanted to do a good sort of expedition, ostensibly to promote YMS, but really for fun. Originally wanted to ski across Greenland, but they wanted major rescue bonds so we decided on Brooks Range first ski traverse. Ned was new to big trips, but powerful and fun. This was 1972.
The team was Jack Miller, Jed Williamson, Ned Gillette and me. Couldn’t ask for a greater bunch of people.
North Face made our gear to order in return for photos for the catalog. Bonna wood touring skis, rat trap bindings, French boots with felt liners, oversize pack frames, oversize confidence.
Flew to Bettles, donned 80 lb. packs, skied through knee deep depth hoar for days, alternating trail breaking without packs 100 yards at a time. This was April. Down to -30ºF once in a while. I took a little .22 revolver and we supplemented the freeze-dries with snowshoe hares occasionally. And incidentally, grizzlies do come out in late April. We followed fresh tracks on the river one whole day. Thought I heard one crunching along outside the tent that night and alerted the gang, but it was just my pulse rubbing whiskers against the nylon sleeping bag. Didn’t hear the last of that.
After a couple weeks got to the arctic divide where there was a little outfitter’s cabin. Ned ate a whole jar of peanut butter and didn’t feel so well. Here we could see that the last 100 miles was going to be flat with deteriorating snow, so we took a vote - either thrash out to Prudhoe Bay or get to Galbraith Lake oil exploration camp, turn back into the range and climb in some of those gorgeous, unnamed peaks. Ned, always goal-oriented, wanted to go to the ocean. Voted down. He hardly spoke to us for a couple days - just broke trail - a little figure way out ahead.
We were treated like celebrities at Galbraith Lake oil exploration camp - I’ve never seen such food! Then we went back up Atigun canyon and up a side canyon and climbed for a week, nothing very technical, just fun. Saved the biggest peak for last. On top it was windless, perfect. Ned stood on the top rock alone for a long time, looking north at a hundred miles of flats and back into hundreds of beautiful peaks, came down and said, “You guys were right - can’t beat this.”
Skied back to Galbraith Lake and flew out. It was early May, snow going fast.
Ned & I did some slide shows around CA afterward to promote the x-c ski school. After I moved to Atlin he went to be Chief Instructor at Trapp Family Lodge.
Ned decided he wanted to run his own expeditions, and you probably know the incredible things he did after that. Ned was a great guy, a great friend and a powerhouse. I was in denial for months after he was murdered in Pakistan. Always felt sorry I didn’t get in touch with Susie who, I understand, is still carrying some shotgun pellets from the incident.
The trip is ancient history, but nice memories. The north is pretty wonderful - Alaska, Yukon, NWT, northern BC. Try it - you'll like it.
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Prezwoodz
climber
Anchorage
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This thread is pretty awesome.
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Fossil,
What a great story!
Whiskers against the sleeping bag...LMAO!
A whole jar of peanut butter, ha ha, I guess we've all been foolish, especially the way that cold can drive your appetite.
I have always wanted to explore the Yukon. Even more remote than Alaska.
Highdesertman,
Hey Dino, I remember when Good Morning America was in Anchorage. It was a big deal and I think it was Joan London? who was the host then. Garv told me about that morning but never said a thing about the bait and switch he pulled on you, ha ha. What a great story.
I remember climbing around Sunshine ridge one day with Steve and Lynn. This vehicle stops and backs up on the highway and this lady walks over to me. She explained that she was a PR person for something or other and she wanted some photos of a "Patagonia" type with climbing gear. I explained that she really should take some photos of the couple I was with and told her who Steve was. So I just took a couple of shots of the PR lady getting her pictures. Never did hear anything more about it.
climbski2,
I have some photos somewhere of Garvey and Sweeney climbing Roadside Attraction on a snowed in day with virtually no traffic on the highway. I will look for those to post up.
I talked to Matt about a month ago and he told me he lurks on here. Being the soft spoken guy he is, I don't know if he really chimes in like I do. (I'm mostly talk anymore, ha). But both you and Matt probably have a ton of Garvey stories as well.
Cavemonkey,
You have to have some Garv stories as good as any.
Here's a shot showing Garv's personality away from the rock...actually his personality was the same where ever he was.
OK, I am between work projects and on a roll, so I will dig for more old photos to scan.
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Highdesertman
Trad climber
jtree ca
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It took me forever to finally talk garvey to go check out Dinos head.I had found it a few months before while exploring around and knew it was good but I had no drill, lived in homer and garvey was the route master and would know what to do with this crag. I originally suggested to steve to call it goate's head cause I had seen some up there but garvey twisted that name around to Dinos head.
I put the first three bolts in with garvey belaying and using the garvey drill. My first time on hooks as well, then I had to go back to work in homer. I told garvey he could put up any other route there but made him promise to save the one I had started for me to finish when I got back. By the time I made it back it was a done deal including my route! Those are awesome photos larry brings garvey back in so many good ways. Rock climbing season here in jtree is just starting its sunny and warm and the rock is calling.
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Dino,
Never heard the story of how Dino Head got it's name, but Garv was a master of twisting, shaping and making up words, ha. 'Dino Head is one of my favorites along the highway. Up away from traffic, great views. Just doesn't seem that long ago and nobody had done it. I never understood the development right next to the highway. For me, climbing was an excuse to get out to a beautiful area, and Dino Head is great. Thanks for your discovery.
Garv and his family used to come down to San Diego also and stay with my wife and I. We did trips to Joshua Tree 4 or 5 times, as well as climbing at Mission Gorge in San Diego. I've got pictures of all that somewhere. Here is a shot of Garv with Kyle at Ryan campground, mid 90's. (drifting away from Alaska)
Edit: Kyle is now in his mid 20's and a US army veteran of Iraq. As of 2 years ago, he's living in Maine. He calls me every few years and I think he touches base with Sweeney also.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 7, 2015 - 04:16pm PT
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Great share Wayne..Really appreciate it considering he was a friend you lost.
I find myself regularly amazed how many Yosemite folks ended up in AK at various times doing really cool stuff.
Thanks for more pics Larry. That last pic of Garvey..that jacket looks mighty familiar to me.. Used to be Matts...Here is a pic from before it got so faded.
When Matt skied from the summit of Denali
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Climbski2,
What a great story about Matt's jacket.
EDIT: Matt has as many great adventures as anyone, but he is so soft spoken about it, ya gotta pry it out of him. His ski descents, his climbs, his flying over the Chugach looking for great skiing. A prince of a man and a good friend.
Garv was a master of taking old gear and resurrecting it. Don't know if you ever saw him on his sewing machine. He made all his own adjustable daisy chains, ice axe straps, etc. He'd sew old clothes, packs etc back together and they would last forever. I guess having 3 kids and climbing as much as he did, resourcefulness was a necessity. You can see that helmet he wears is just an old football helmet, ha, ha.
Here's some shots from climbing down by Portage lake. We crossed the river and climbed some ice high on the hill. Garv was a prolific and bold rock climber, but ice climbing is where he was world class. We ran into Paul Terecki while down there. Terecki was soloing on ice all over the place back then. When we finished our climb, Terecki had left a safety line across the river for us. These photos are before and after our climbing.
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neverwas
Mountain climber
ak
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Yesterday from near the Hayes range...
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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neverwas,
Wow, I just love your photos. That part of the Alaska Range is so wild and remote. There's a thread on ST somewhere talking about climbing Mt Hayes BITD, the long vicious approach, the total commitment, etc.
So next for Garvey fans, and with winter approaching, I found more photos. One local ice climb on the Seward Highway is "Roadside Attraction", about 100' of vertical ice. The down side to the climb is, as the name implies, being right on the road...60mph traffic right next to your belayer.
Anyhow, went down the highway early one Sunday after a major snow dump. Garv led Roadside Attraction and of course made it look easy. He set up a top rope and first Sweeney then myself went up. A young fella, one of dozens who Garv took in to climb with, came by and he took a turn also.(That wasn't you was it Skinny?).
Sweeney did some soloing to keep warm.
What was great about the day is that after 4 people climbing that 100 feet of ice, I don't remember one car coming by. Just before we left, the train came up the tracks clearing it with a snowplow for a classic photo op.
As usual, my photography skills were weak, but at least the camera was cheap. But this does show Garv in his prime, doing what he did better than near anyone alive.
Here's where Sweeney took his turn, with Garvey belaying
Some shots of Sweeney staying warm
And then there is the other "Roadside Attraction".
Right after I took a turn climbing, Garvey yells, "The Train, the train!".
I ran across the road and barely got this shot of the train clearing the snow after the major dump of the night before.
On a side note while thinking of the Alaska Railroad, these were the days when Gorilla Rock was still there, before the Alaska RR blew it up with dynamite to keep climbers off the tracks...a few miles East from this spot.
I have a couple more days left to dig out old photos for Prezwoodz historical documentation. Stay tuned Alaskans and others.
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feralfae
Boulder climber
in the midst of a metaphysical mystery
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Wonderful, wonderful photos!
Thank you for posting them!
feralfae
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Arch Angel Valley,
It was sometime in the mid 90's, Talkeetna Mountains, Hatcher Pass, late summer, somewhat long days, drizzle and rain. Garv and I drove up to Arch Angel Valley and we parked near the old climber's cabins, hiking up the left side of the formation to what I think is the White Spot area.
Garv wanted to put up a new route that started left of the toe, up to a roof, traversing right under the roof, up over the right end of the roof and straight up to a nice belay stance.
The sequence is in the following photos. Stoppers and cams were used until above the roof where Garv drills some bolts up to the belay stance.
It drizzled off and on and we got back to my car about 10:00pm.
Garv packs for the hiking and climbing.
Arch Angel main wall before the earthquake of 2003 or 2004 changed the old guidebook.
Prepping
Housecleaning
Traverse
Bolts
More bolts
Belay stance, organize...Hey Skinny, you can see your famous Bosch drill bottom of photos.
Rapping off. I went first and took these as Garv rapped. You get a good overview of the climb. Garv's wearing the wrong colors for this dark rock (granite?)
Back to my car, with overviews of the area climbed, and historic shots of both old cabins
Well, Garv was on a roll, he didn't want to go all the way back to Anchorage and he had a very understanding angel of a wife.
He knew an old friend of Lynn's from New Hampshire, who lived off the Hatcher Pass road just as you got back down into the Valley, so it was pretty close.
He had one of the early "brick" cellphones and we barely had coverage, so he made a call to Bev.
Bev was older than us, may have been in her late 50's, early 60's back then, with grown sons and she lived alone.
I could hear the conversation and she told Garv, "No you can't come and stay here, I am already in bed and I need to get up early".
Garv had an uncanny and charming persistence that could change the mind of anyone.
Bev finally gave in and said, "I'll be in bed, here's where I hide the key, and above all, don't make any noise!!!!".
We arrived near 11:30 or so. It was late summer so it was just getting dark.
Trying to find the key, Garv was tripping over rakes, knocking down flower pots and creating all kinds of commotion while I was just cringing at the spectacle.
Finally Bev opens the door and sighs "Come on in".
She says "you guys can sleep on the living room floor".
She points to the kitchen and says "help yourself to anything in the fridge".
Bev also had a greenhouse where she grew her own "Matanuska Thunderf##k.
She brought in a tray of her home grown and said "help yourselves".
Next morning she made us coffee, we visited for awhile and soon we were heading back up to Arch Angel Valley to head for the Lost Wall area.
Stay tuned
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Lost wall area
Sunday morning, after coffee, breakfast and a visit, we left Bev's house for Arch Angel valley. We parked in the same spot and hiked up toward the Lost Wall area.
Maybe it's called Aurora slab, not sure, but there are a series of slabs that Garvey and Sweeney developed over the years.
I don't remember the name of the slab we climbed on that day.
We climbed one pitch to "the pillbox", a nice ledge tucked in under the wall overhanging us and keeping us dry from the drizzle.
We had some sandwiches that Bev made for us and we took our time, enjoying the view, the really cool "pillbox", and the solitude. Around the corner, Garv took his famous Bosch drill and began working the new route. I bravely belayed from the comfort of the dry pillbox. I didn't take a lot of pictures because of the drizzle. The day went by too fast and we descended as it grew dark, slipping and sliding downhill over the wet grass.
To start,we hiked up past the White spot wall and came across this old mining compressor. Lots of gold mining in the Talkeetnas.
We climbed one pitch of easy to moderate and came into "the pillbox". Great views of the surrounding mountains and some great views of the other slabs. As we regrouped, paused for a refreshment and ate sandwiches that Bev made for us, Garv told me tales of putting up routes on the slabs with Sweeney.
Garv then went around the corner while I belayed. He began developing the 2nd pitch. The drizzle was non-stop and Garv wasn't getting much purchase with sticky rubber. I was belaying and trying to figure out what to take pictures of where I could stay dry.
I soon followed in the wet and drizzle. It wasn't much fun and we rappelled back down to the pillbox. We paused for more refreshments, then packed up everything except gear for the last rappel.
I have told this story before on the Sweeney thread, but I will cut and paste it here. A classic story that illustrates the status that Garvey and Sweeney had on other climbers in those days:
Back in the 90's, Sweeney and Garvey were like the Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid of Alaskan climbing. Sweeney and Garvey, Garvey and Sweeney. You couldn't hear one name without the other in the same sentence. They would rag each other constantly like a married couple and it was hilarious. I am just a gumby climber so I felt privileged to hang with them.
One summer weekend I climbed with Garvey up in Arch Angel Valley in the Talkeetnas. We came down from the backside of the mountain to the old climbers cabin across the creek. It must have been late cause it was getting dark and you could see lights in the cabin and a blue tarp shelter outside the door in the slow drizzling rain. We poked our heads inside to see about a dozen young college climbers with an instructor who was maybe 25 years old.
The instructor started asking us questions and to impress his students he puffed his chest and asked "So, while you guys were up by the Lost Wall, did you see Garvey?"
We just glance at each other, grinned and Garv humbly says "Well, my name's Garvey".
The instructor got uncomfortable and said "No, I mean the Garvey that climbs with Sweeney".
Garv once again humbly says "Well, I climb with Sweeney".
Now with his ruse unraveling he stutters, "No, I mean the Garvey that works at Alaska Mountaineering Hardware".
Garv, gracious as ever says "Oh, I don't work there, must be the other Garvey".
By this time I have retreated outside laughing. The kids now began to enthusiastically hammer Garv with all kinds of questions. The instructor soon meekly retreated outside under the tarp. I felt badly for him and while Garv was conducting an impromptu clinic inside, I made small talk with the hapless instructor. Soon his confidence returned and he finally puffed his chest and asked: "So, while you guys were up by the Lost Wall, did you see Sweeney?"
It was all I could do to hold my tongue, my laugh and NOT say "Well, my name's Sweeney".
Here are some shots showing the Lost Wall Area where we climbed (I don't even know what the Lost Wall is, I only use because that's what the young climbing instructor was referring to).
One more shot of Garv next to the relic.
It was a great weekend with some memorable moments that only Garvey could have produced. I know many here who have climbed with him know exactly what I am talking about.
Looking for some photos of Middle Glacier Canyon. Stay tuned
Edit: Prezwoodz, feel free to use any of these photos for your documentation. I'm just happy to dig these out and share them after all these years. Garvey and Alaska is a part of all of us.
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F
climber
away from the ground
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Prezwoodz
climber
Anchorage
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Thanks a lot Larry! These are some seriously awesome treasures! Please keep digging, this thread just keeps getting better and better.
I've seen that Pillbox area you're talking about! I'm almost positive I know exactly where that is. I had heard that he went up there but nobody seemed to know who with. Thats awesome.
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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These next series of Garvey photos bring back some great memories and some sadness as well. He was the most gracious and generous man I ever knew, the most fun to hang with and always a great wit with a unique perspective. We're all similar peas in a pod compared to the unique character of Garv.
Garv's beautiful young daughter Lindsey was spending the weekend at her mother's house so I stayed overnight in her bedroom for an early start. Suddenly Garvey woke me up with a big smile on his face, a cup of java in his hand and said, "you ready to roll buddy?" It was 3:00AM.
It was mid summer with a clear sky and it never really got dark. We drove down the highway toward Portage, sharing java, other 'treats' and watching a brilliant sunrise. There were no other cars on the road and we drove without talking.
Suddenly Garv says "They're missing it."
I said "What?"
He said "They're missing it." and his eyes twinkled mischievously.
I understood.
We continued on without words, lost in our own thoughts and enjoying the splendor of the scenery and the rare solitude of the Seward highway.
Rounding a bend we had to suddenly slow down as two drunk teenagers were walking and staggering in the middle of the highway right toward us. They looked at us, we looked at them, we waved and drove on. Without saying a word, we began to laugh hysterically for several minutes. No punchlines were necessary.
It's about a 40 minute approach to the climbing and the normally chilly and windy glacier canyon felt eerily calm and warm. It turned out to be a great day of hard climbing.
These photos show the second pitch of Hard Man in the Middle Glacier Canyon area where Garvey died 3 or 4 years later.
This was the hardest climbing I ever did.
Garv had earlier stuffed the thin razor sharp crack that starts the 2nd pitch with stoppers and left them there for aiding this section.
Normally this type of section would be a moderate layback, or finger jam, but the rock was sharp as a knife and at that time we hadn't figured out how to free it. I think he must have come back later and freed that section. Here's the pictures.
Garv preps his gear for extending to the 2nd pitch of Hard Man, one of his classic projects.
Starting up the 1st pitch.
Moving to 1st pitch belay.
Prepping for the 2nd pitch, damn fat finger.
It was a beautiful Sunday. The RR tracks through the first Portage tunnel are over and behind Garv's head.
Here's the aid section with the razor sharp splitter crack.
Past the aid section and moving to place a bolt.
Damn fat finger.
An early selfie, trying to get a shot up canyon to the glacier. Nice water reflection. Did we all have porn mustaches back then?
Garv placing a bolt.
Garv placing another bolt.
Garv working it some more.
Some time later, rappelling back down. I stopped taking photos once I started climbing. This stuff kicked my butt.
Continue rappel.
Garv gears down.
Packed up and heading back, with one last look at the days work, shadows growing long and feeling the bite of the light breeze.
The hike back down and out of the canyon.
The walk alone is worth it. The climbing makes it super special.
I think this section is now so overgrown, I don't recognize it anymore.
Looking back up the canyon. I think Hard Man is on the middle buttress.
Garv, probably not far from where his ashes were spread.
God I hate that Middle Glacier razor sharp rock now. RIP dear friend. Rarely does a person's departure leave such a hole in the hearts of so many. For Lynn, the kids, the parents, the family, it was devastating and changed many lives forever.
I remember talking to the Garvey family over several days after the funeral. Not one of them had any idea of his climbing exploits, no clue at all. They thought he just did his thing like everyone else and were shocked at the headline on the front page of the Anchorage Daily News.
Garv climbed for the purist of reasons and never sought fame. He loved people no matter if they were climbers, sedentary types or nerds. He just didn't suffer fools.
Aside from his climbing exploits, which were prodigious, he will be remembered for the unique, creative, generous, witty, funny, and kind personality he was.
That may be most of my photos of climbing with Garv in Alaska. I've run out of time for now, but it was great having the momentum to post these.
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Prezwoodz
climber
Anchorage
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Oct 11, 2015 - 10:34am PT
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Larry thank you so much for finding as many as you have. We'll happily gobble up what you have left if you find anymore!
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F
climber
away from the ground
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Oct 11, 2015 - 07:29pm PT
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Garvey was the real deal. I met him the first time in the Eklutna parking lot when I was 17 or so. Headed out to solo in the canyon on a cold day. He and partner shared some shnapps and advice with me that day, and kept me from soloing by inviting me to join them for the day. He was a true technician of the vertical.
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cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
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Oct 11, 2015 - 07:43pm PT
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Thanks uncle larry
Good reminder to try and live up to the garv
So easily forgotten
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LilaBiene
Trad climber
Technically...the spawning grounds of Yosemite
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Oct 11, 2015 - 07:50pm PT
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Have I mentioned how much I love this thread? ")
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cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
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Oct 11, 2015 - 07:58pm PT
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5 pitch clip up with narly river crossings and brutal hike!
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cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
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Oct 11, 2015 - 07:58pm PT
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100 holes!
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cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
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Oct 11, 2015 - 08:00pm PT
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Unrepeated 5.10+
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cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
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Oct 11, 2015 - 08:03pm PT
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cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
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Oct 11, 2015 - 08:10pm PT
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If u make it to pitch 1 ur a stud!
If u make it to pitch 4
"Kryptonite" should be no prob
10d if ur bachar
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cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
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Oct 11, 2015 - 08:17pm PT
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Seems like right up ur alley ffffffg
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F
climber
away from the ground
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Oct 11, 2015 - 08:20pm PT
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Been wanting to check out the King Mtn action... Headed to Red rocks tonight.... It'll have to wait til spring. I'll pay you in beer for a guided tour in the spring.
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cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
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Oct 11, 2015 - 08:21pm PT
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Oct 12, 2015 - 12:01am PT
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CaveMonkey
I thought that was King Mountain and F confirmed for me.
I know you've told me about it before but I never saw pictures.
Dude, you da man. Garv is smiling down and that famous Bosch drill is gonna outlive us all.
PS:
Thanks for those pictures, this thread is turning into a great climbing thread.
Post up some of your great ice climbs...that secret place out of Valdez...without giving up to much of course...Heh
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cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
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Oct 12, 2015 - 03:58am PT
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Oct 12, 2015 - 06:44am PT
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LMAO Skine,
You still keep the batteries in the old blue Lowe Alpine pack side pockets?
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Prezwoodz
climber
Anchorage
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Oct 13, 2015 - 10:00am PT
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Larry did you guys spend much time up at Resolution Bluff? I know theres at least one Garvey route up there.
Heres Chris putting in a new route at Resolution.
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Prezwoodz
climber
Anchorage
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Oct 13, 2015 - 10:03am PT
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Oh and its cool to see some pics of that King Mt stuff Skine. I've heard about it for a while now. Looks pretty cool up there.
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Chossboss
Trad climber
The GNAR
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Oct 13, 2015 - 01:44pm PT
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Some goodies from Hatcher.
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cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
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Oct 13, 2015 - 02:10pm PT
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Nice lycra on golden granite chossy!
Nice an sunny lil wall there
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Oct 13, 2015 - 03:31pm PT
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Meanwhile in modern Alaska...
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Oct 13, 2015 - 03:34pm PT
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 13, 2015 - 03:39pm PT
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LIKE!
What happened to the sun?
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Scylax
Trad climber
Idaho
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Oct 13, 2015 - 03:41pm PT
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Never been to Alaska. These photos are great!
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Oct 13, 2015 - 03:48pm PT
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Oct 13, 2015 - 04:05pm PT
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Taku Range
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Prezwoodz
climber
Anchorage
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Oct 13, 2015 - 08:59pm PT
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Mat Glacier
Troublemint!
Independence Wall
Juneau
Cracks from Boats in Juneau
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 13, 2015 - 09:09pm PT
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John and Kelsey...
Beautiful pictures! Thanks.
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cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
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Oct 13, 2015 - 09:26pm PT
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cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
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Oct 13, 2015 - 11:07pm PT
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cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
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Oct 18, 2015 - 02:18am PT
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allapah
climber
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Oct 18, 2015 - 01:34pm PT
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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Oct 18, 2015 - 01:58pm PT
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i knew that i had to go crazy
to find my voice.
i resigned myself,
almost excitedly to the downward
and inward journey due
upon my immature soul.
i embarked upon a risky
path, with one foot
left in eternity,
the other astray
upon chaos.
i had aspirations to
maintain my worldly
position;
as a father, and a husband.
as a designer.
as a man.
i found my arenas:
climbing;
alcoholism;
hazard treeisms;
the muddy banks
of the transient culture;
and college.
none of these endeavors
did i approach with
a static mind.
i wanted crazy.
lots of it.
i got it.
but i knew that
i could not go too far;
for in doing so i'd
lose my opportunity
to realize the fruits
of my psychotic pursuits.
so i'd run to the very
edge of reason nearly
crossing irreversible
thresholds; only stopping
just in time to reel
the dream back.
i liked the verge.
it drew me to it.
it held me.
i hated leaving it.
i usually would stay awhile.
sometimes too long,
and my sanity would
go missing.
but alas, i've done it, now.
my antics have haunted
every living creature within
a heartbeat away from
my love.
no apology can suffice;
no hug can de-ice
the hearts that i've destroyed.
so look out alaska.
make room for one more.
i'll be there in nine-years,
arriving slowly, by bike.
with pent-up verve
and absolute enthusiasm.
we'll get on well.
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Oct 25, 2015 - 10:46pm PT
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My old friends Steve Garvey and Tim Doyle climbing Bridalveil falls in Keystone Canyon near Valdez. WI 5, 600 feet.
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Mike Friedrichs
Sport climber
City of Salt
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Feb 10, 2016 - 11:00am PT
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I've never been to Alaska and have an opportunity to go to Anchorage for a conference in June. I could extend my trip for a few days. If so, other than eating salmon what are things I shouldn't miss. I don't expect to go climbing but would love to see a small part of what makes Alaska so special.
Oh, and being from Wyoming that doesn't need to include mosquitoes and grizzly bears. Been there, done that.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Feb 10, 2016 - 01:29pm PT
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Do you like to fish?
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christoph benells
Trad climber
Tahoma, Ca
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Feb 10, 2016 - 07:31pm PT
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Mike,
scenic flight over denali,,,
or glacier landing in the ruth/kahiltna
of course thats fairly touristy, but dang for the price and the views you cant beat it!
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christoph benells
Trad climber
Tahoma, Ca
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Feb 10, 2016 - 07:51pm PT
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to the OP
"There’s a land where the mountains are nameless,
And the rivers all run God knows where;
There are lives that are erring and aimless,
And deaths that just hang by a hair;
There are hardships that nobody reckons;
There are valleys unpeopled and still;
There’s a land — oh, it beckons and beckons,
And I want to go back — and I will.
Robert Service"
on top of the mountain named after robert service, Mt. Service, AKA border peak 100 (or is it 101)?
and atop adjacent peak mt. jack london
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 10, 2016 - 07:53pm PT
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Whoa! Great Pics C.B.!
Here is a short list of really excellent things to do from Anchorage.
Weather Dependent as always. If the weather is really clear up North go to Talkeetna do the flight seeing trip.
Drive to Whittier and then hike to Byron glacier on the way back by Portage. Or take one of the day cruises out of Whittier.
Halibut Fishing out of Homer or Seward.
Hiking, Powerline pass/Flattop in Anchorage or much better would be Crow Pass near Girdwood.
There are of course more serious climbing venues in the area if interested.
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Feb 10, 2016 - 08:00pm PT
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Desperate times...desperate measures, in SE Alaska...
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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Feb 10, 2016 - 08:27pm PT
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Extend your trip. The tough thing is to suggest what to do in a few days. I'd say must do/see would be a drive South to Whittier or Seward. If you don't enjoy fishing, take a glacier tour out of either port. If you enjoy fishing, you'll pretty much see the same scenery and get in some great fishing.
On the evenings of the conference I'd highly recommend getting in some hikes. On a clear day flattop should not be missed as the panoramic view from the top is incredible. (hazy day so you can't see Denali)
On less clear days, head down the Seward hwy. Past potters marsh there is a trail head every few miles and plenty of great evening hikes that skirt the hwy on an old access trail used to build the railroad.
You could plan to head North to get a closeup view of Denali, but the mountain is only visible ~30% of the time.
Despite Alaska's bountiful seafood, you'd be hard pressed to find a truly world class seafood restaurant in Anchorage. But a good selection of local breweries.
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Mike Friedrichs
Sport climber
City of Salt
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Feb 10, 2016 - 08:37pm PT
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Thanks everyone. Great suggestions. Already getting psyched. I do like fishing, and beer drinking. Trail running sounds really good too.
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Mike Friedrichs
Sport climber
City of Salt
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Mar 10, 2016 - 09:15am PT
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Looks like I am going to Alaska. I have about a week after the conference in Anchorage. Going to spend a couple days in Kenai. Looks like ample cheap camping possibilities around there.
Then heading to Talkeetna and Denali National Park. It's all pretty expensive. If I choose to do a fixed-wing flight out of Talkeetna, who do you recommend? Any ideas on less expensive places to stay in or near Talkeetna? Also, is there camping on public (national forest) land near Denali National Park?
I'm trying to camp as much as possible, or get cheap lodging. Even Airbnb places are $150 a night. Alaska is expensive. I'm a civil servant.
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cyndiebransford
climber
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
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Mar 10, 2016 - 09:38am PT
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Mike, there is camping at Denali State Park. Very nice campgrounds, some are near lakes and have nice hiking. Denali State Park is one of the best viewpoints of the big mountain.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Mar 10, 2016 - 12:22pm PT
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Anyone knows if there is a link to the monthly average precip amounts for Gates of the Arctic NP (Arrigetch)? Trying to understand if it is better to go earlier July/Aug or later to like late Aug. Likely not much difference, but maybe colder but less precip later in the summer?
Anyone from the forum been there aside from Kelsey? Seen his report, which is pretty cool!
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Mar 10, 2016 - 03:51pm PT
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Cool beans, thank you. haha Basically it is wet and maybe you can get lucky once in a while.
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climbingcoastie
Ice climber
Sacramento, CA
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Mar 10, 2016 - 06:57pm PT
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Mike,
If you fly TAT you can stay at their bunkhouse for free. I don't think they'd want you staying a week, but a couple days probably wouldn't be a problem.
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crusher
climber
Santa Monica, CA
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Great thread, I need to read through it.
We are going to fly into Anchorage at the end of next July - will have about 4 days to "do stuff" before getting on a cruise that goes south to Vancouver (this is with my 80 year old Mom who is active but probably not going on long hikes with us).
We have to choose - go up to Denali (which seems like a lot of train/car/bus travel for just a couple of days, but ??) or spend a day or so in Anchorage then head down to Gridwood area, then Seward (I'd like to do a boat tour of the Kenai Fjords). If we do that we'd rent a car. Suggestions welcome!
Can you see the Northern Lights at all this time of the year?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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If you go to Talkeetna you could take Mum on a flight to Denali, weather
provided.* A boat trip out of Seward is also excellent and not so weather
dependent. If your ship stops in Ketchikan there are great flights out of
there. If you stop in Juneau the top dollar E ticket ride is a chopper ride
up to Juneau Icefields. It's pricey but worth it especially when they shoot
you through the notch between the Mendenhall towers!
*Be sure to do a head count before TO if you land on the glacier! :-)
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christoph benells
Trad climber
Tahoma, Ca
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I spent March 2016 in Valdez/Thompson Pass, camped out in a snowed-over, broken down airstream in the woods. It was great.
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crusher
climber
Santa Monica, CA
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Jun 10, 2017 - 11:55am PT
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If anyone has restaurant recommendations - lunch and/or dinner - in Anchorage I'd be much obliged. Also anything not to miss in town for an afternoon. Cool museum, sights? Won't have a car but can walk, uber or taxi. Thanks!
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F
climber
away from the ground
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Jun 10, 2017 - 12:53pm PT
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Pangea in downtown Skankorage has great food and decent prices. The Bush Company is always a scream too. King Salmon are in Ship creek now too. I think the derby is happening? Not sure if it's open to non-residents. 20k prize I think.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jun 10, 2017 - 03:37pm PT
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Get a t-shirt from the Bush Company....they're usually hilarious.
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L
climber
Just Livin' the Dream...
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Jun 10, 2017 - 04:38pm PT
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If anyone has restaurant recommendations - lunch and/or dinner - in Anchorage I'd be much obliged.
Simon & Seafort's at 420 L Street.
Can be a bit touristy, but you're guaranteed an excellent meal, and the view of the Inlet and The Sleeping Lady is killer.
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jun 10, 2017 - 04:46pm PT
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Alaska Native Heritage Center
http://www.alaskanative.net/
My two companions and I loved it.
I think there are shuttles from downtown, although we drove our own car.
Anchorage breweries seemed to offer more varied beers than the over hopped effluvia typical of many NW breweries. You could tell some of beers were actually made with malted barley. (think I'm over reacting to IPA mania?)
^^Jim, you naughty boy!
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cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
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Aug 23, 2017 - 01:55am PT
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How proud
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Prezwoodz
climber
Anchorage
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Jul 23, 2018 - 01:38am PT
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I have to admit cavemonkey, you made a good route!
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