The Kenai Peninsula.

So, the next part of our Alaskan adventure involved a day on a bus driving from Denali to Moose Pass.  Yes, I did smirk a bit when I first heard it too.  Thought it sounded like something from an old movie but, needless to say, it was named for obvious reasons and it's a great place to stay.  It took about eight hours in a very comfortable coach to make the journey so there was plenty of time to sleep, read, listen to Radio National podcasts I had downloaded before we left Portland and revisit some of the places we had seen on the way up (like Wasilla!!  Oh do forgive me Sarah.)  We did stop at one place to stretch our legs which was a memorial to local Inuit soldiers who had died in war.  I was really taken with the sculpture.

More snow capped mountains!

Our lunch stop was a really cold, bleak affair.  Hey, where's that Alaskan sunshine?  We had been told that the Kenai Peninsula would be colder than Denali but how is that possible, it's a long way south?  Eight hours worth. The Kenai Peninsula is lush and of course it has many snow capped mountains.  They're either very high or the clouds were low, maybe both, because we couldn't see the tops of many.  We also discovered that Alaska has three million lakes.  Is that possible?

We finally got to Moose Pass and our hotel.  It crept up on me.  We're in Moose Pass?  I didn't see it coming.  That's because it's a tiny community sprinkled along the highway but what a great place to stay.  I'm sure we stayed there because it's only 30 minutes from Seward, the capital of Alaska, and it's a way to keep costs down but it was wonderful to spend some time in a small Alaskan community and to hear from the locals about their lives in that part of the world.

Trail Lake Lodge and surrounds.

Nestled in the surrounds of the Trail Lake Motel at Moose Pass was the Community Hall, the Post Office, the volunteer Fire Brigade, the one teacher school, a couple of houses and the General Store.  The town contained more than that but that was the heart of it.  In many ways, it reminded me of some places I've visited in Australia.  However, one difference is these people get snowed in during the winter (instead of flooded in in the summer) and have to wait for the snow ploughs to clear the roads so they can get into Seward for supplies and medical needs (instead of waiting for supplies to be dropped from hercules planes etc).

The motel bus.

The Pavilion and Ben in the foreground.

That evening, in fact every morning and evening, we met in the amazing Pavilion of the motel.  It is made from an abundant local timber, spruce, but instead of sleek, perfect timber, they had used trees with huge imperfections in them and it was stunning.  I'd love a house incorporating such timber.  If you click on the photo, you can see one such log in the top right.   Our mother hen/responsible adult/organiser for this part of our adventure was Ben.  He lived just across the road and was married to a local lady and so almost qualified as a local.  (You know how it goes.)
Did you know that moose racks (horns) can weigh 40 pounds or more?  Fancy carrying that around on your head!  I'd be a bit cranky too.  I lifted one horn with some effort and that was 22 pounds.  They have two of them to carry around.

The next morning when I headed over to the Pavilion for breakfast, I discovered why the motel was so named.  It is on the edge of a beautiful lake.  Wow, my new Tai Chi studio!  My room at home is going to seem very wanting after all these beautiful places over here.  On the positive side, I will have my two little companions to step over every morning.  I hope they remember how to do it after all this time!  The lake has many moods: a bit brooding like this, absolutely glorious when the sun is out and the mountains are reflected in it but always very peaceful.  In winter, I'm told, it freezes over.  I'd love to experience that.

We went to see a native archeological site, K'Beq.  While there wasn't an enormous amount to see, the entertainment was spectacular. The woman who was in charge of the place was a fountain of information about the way of life of the indigenous people, how they lived, their family life, what they ate, their language and their dances.  The site is beside a river which was full of salmon at the time and set among a forest of trees.    This lady's enthusiasm carried that day and we had an enormous amount of fun learning some of the songs and dances.

That afternoon, we went on rafts down the river and it wasn't half as scary as I expected.   We saw how the salmon season was in full swing with some fishing spots numbered and defined to avoid arguments about territory.  There were families out with their children and their dogs all trying to hook a salmon or two.  There were people in dingies drifting down the river with the flow which was quite strong.  There were lots of bird life.  And the sun came out and it was quite hot in all our gear.

After disrobing, quite an undertaking with all our gear, it was back to Moose Pass for dinner and then a chat/ scientific discussion about the geology of the area by one of those young, enthusiastic and very knowledgeable young rangers.  Believe me, I didn't need any rocking to get to sleep on this trip.

The next morning at breakfast I heard a very good suggestion from one of our group.  There are some of us who are just not rise and shiners, so why not allocate a table for us.  We can sit there in silence and scowl to our hearts' content and not offend anyone.  That got my vote.

After breakfast, we went to Seward for an interesting morning at the Alaska Sea Life Centre.  It was establised about 20 years ago with some of the money from Exon Valdeez settlement.  We heard about their work there, the research they do, their animal rescue program and plenty more.  One young worker told us about her job as a trainer.  it was her job to rain the animals to perform task that would make it possible for the vets to monitor them such as getting on and staying on scales or keeping their mouth open for dental checks.  I want her job (but the place does smell a lot like fish!)  Then we were free to wander around and see the displays.  Of course, I wanted to see the otters.  Aw, none on display.  However, I did discover that these cute little creatures have the thickest fur of any mammal.  They have no blubber and have to eat constantly to keep their temperature and energy up.  At a later stage I felt some otter fur and it is beautiful and thick and soft.  The display of sea birds was fantastic.  You could view them form the surface and then go downstairs and watch them diving for food.  For sheer overwhelming size and impressiveness,  meet Woody, the big male sea lion.  At the time he was a bit light on at 1800 pounds but would build up to his mating weight of about 2300 pounds over the summer.  I hope he cooperates with his trainers, a cranky 2300 pound sea lion would be a bit intimidating.  Photos compliments of Suzanne Graham.

Flexible too!

Big is beautiful baby!

Hello Dolly!

Exit Glacier

That afternoon, we went to Exit Glacier.  It involved a short walk up to the side of this glacier.  It was amazing to be standing next to a glacier and feel quite warm.  From where we stood about half way up the glacier, we could many aspects of its formation and how it drags huge boulders with it as it carves out the land.  We could see many of the things the ranger had talked about the night before.  Exit Glacier is part of the Kenai Fiords National Park.  You won't be surprised to hear that the glaciers are melting faster than they are built up and so are receding.  More on fiords and glaciers later.

Bear claw marks on a tree along the path to Exit Glacier.  Gulp!

A boulder left behind about 12 years ago.

After dinner, our speaker was Ben's wife, Rosella.  She has lived in Alaska for many years and had more than her share of ups and downs.  I guess her story was about taking your chances when they come and how Alaska shapes people's lives.    She was very gracious and generous to share her story with us.  She is also very creative and her various art works are stunning.

Next installment:  "  I think I need to get out!"