7-30-2010 Denali: Hiking & "Hey Bear"s

I left Fairbanks four days ago on the Yukon Alaska shuttle. The drive was pretty, but I spent most of the time reading and listening to music. It is a surprisingly flat drive upon until you start approaching Denali.

When I arrived I headed to my campsite at Riley Creek Campground. I had a three night reservation, which meant I had two full days to explore Denali. I was pretty disoriented when I got there and didn't know how to get around the park or the major activities to do. I found my campsite, set up the tent, and headed over to the Wilderness Access Center to get information on the park. The people there were helpful and informative without throwing out too much information at you. I always hate going to a new place and looking through the brochure racks because it is always confusing where to start and what to do. I decided I would sign up for a Discovery Hike one day, take a bus through the park another day, and go the the Husky Homestead somewhere in between. It turned out that Discovery hike was full until Thursday, so I would do the bus through the park on Wednesday and I would go to the Husky Homestead that evening.

Andrea had met a woman named Tessa whose parent's own the Husky Homestead. I believe

that Tessa competed in the Iditarod and her father, Jeff King, had won it four times over the last twenty one years. This meant that the huskies there would be the best of the best. The homestead was about ten miles outside of the park, but only took a few turns to get there. From the main road the bus pulled onto a gravel road that snaked itself through spruce trees and up and down hills for a quarter mile. As we pulled up to the house there were about fifty huskies scattered about in their individual houses. They knew people were coming, so they all started barking and howling. This was the wolf inside of

them coming out. The buses parked, people started getting off, and puppies where immediately handed to everyone. The puppies ranged from six weeks old to twelve weeks. None of them looked alike, some had blue eyes and others had grey eyes. Everyone melted as they got to pick them up and hold them for a few minutes. The employees gathered up the puppies and counted to make sure that all of them were accounted for, I guess people have tried to steal them before. The homestead guests were taken down to where the mature dogs were to see their living conditions and what their training is like. The conditioning the dogs go through during the winter is much more intense than the summer because of the heat. In winter the training sessions may be six to eight hours long while in the summer they are only fifteen minutes long. Jeff King is a pioneer in dog mushing and has figured out a way to keep the dogs in better shape throughout the year. He figured out that you can have the dogs harnessed to a marine line and have them pull you around in a paddle boat. They did not do a demonstration of this, but the video show ten dogs swimming inline pulling the boat. I wish that I could have experienced something so unique.

The following day I had to wake up fairly early, so I could explore the park. I knew I wanted to

get a chance to see as much as possible and the most practical way to do this is to take the bus through the park. Hiking alone would limit your exposure so much because the park is at least ninety miles from east to west. I decided to take the bus from the Wilderness Access Center over to Eilson. Eilson is at mile sixty six in the park and would take four hours to get to. The drivers were very personable and would stop whenever we would see animals. Along the way we stopped to see two caribou climbing a ridge line, a bear and her two cubs foraging just twenty meters from the bus, and ten doll sheep up on a rocky slope about four hundred meters away. I was keeping my eyes open to areas in

which I would like to get off the bus on the way back to hike. Polychrome Pass seemed like a great place to hike towards, it is a mountain that has a variety of colors in the rock. The mountain is about a mile away from where the bus goes with flat tundra leading up to the base of the mountain. In this area along the drive it would be hard to get down to the tundra since the bus road is on a steep slope. There was an area ahead that was flat and open, which would be a great place to get off on the way back.

When we finally reached Eilson it was 1:30. There was a marked trail that went to the top of

the mountain near the bus stop. It was obvious many other people decided to hike here, since there were almost thirty people up on the mountain. From the top I could see mountains of various colors and rivers in all directions, but could not see Mt. McKinley because there was clouds covering it. I guess only one in three see the mountain because it is usually overcast. They probably don't advertise this because fewer tourists would come.

One the way back when we were approaching Polychrome Pass I asked the bus driver to let me off. He found an open area that was the run off for the mountain that would be a good starting area. I started walking down the gravel area unsure of this new environment I was in. I knew

there was wildlife in the area, but the rangers and other hikers told me it was safe to hike. I had little to defend myself, but I had bought a small bear bell to alert bears of my coming. The bell was pathetic, it was similar to the bell we attached to our dog's collar during Christmas time to dress him up as a reindeer. I would have preferred to have a 44 mag. The rangers said that best thing you can do to prevent a bear attack it is yell, "Hey Bear" every couple of minutes. I thought how it was ironic that I was almost as nervous to yell "Hey Bear" as I was to approach a bear. I had to resolve in my mind I would rather have people think I looked goofy yelling "Hey Bear" than I would have a bear attack me.

I guess public speaking can even be a fear when now one is around. I walked down the gravel patch and took a few pictures and practiced how I would pull my knife out if something was to approach me. The four inch Buck knife my dad had bought me from Sam's Club when I was thirteen would do little to a bear or moose. I crossed over the stream at the end of the gravel and entered into the tundra. From the road the tundra looks like a grassy field, when you are on it is low brush on top of a spongy surface. With every step I would sink down about six inches. I walked out about a half mile from the road yelling "Hey Bear" often. There was a moose about a half mile ahead of me trotting across the tundra with the mountains in the background. I decided to go on about another quarter mile until I saw a bear about a half mile ahead of me. I paused and contemplated going on further to get a better look. Luckily I have a logical mind that told me, "Though you feel safe now that does not mean you are safe". I decided that I had gone far enough and turned around back towards to road to get on the bus.

I got back near the campsite and went fishing for a little while. I thought catching a fish in the lake and cooking it on the fire would be a perfect end to my adventures of the day. The lake was very clear and there were beavers everywhere, though I didn't see one. The beaver had chewed the base of thirty trees until they fell, this was in just a small area. I fished for about an hour before giving up and deciding the few nibbles I had would not result in a caught fish. The day was over and it was time to eat a quick snack and prepare for the next day.

The Discovery Hike would start at 8am, so I needed to be there by 7:45am. We got on the bus and headed out to mile sixty three, just three miles from Eilson, where I had hiked the day

before. There were twelve of us including the guide. I ascended 1700' on the hike and was able to see a small amount of Mt. McKinley. I snapped a few photos and had a few taken of me. They all turned out well. I was getting a little impatient on the mountain because we were sitting there four almost an hour waiting for a few people that had went out on their own hike. I could see the bus road from where we were, so I decided to go out on my own and hike back. I crossed through the tundra with a little anxiety and yelling "Hey Bear". The anxiety was from being in bear country not from public speaking. I got back to the road in about an hour and headed back to camp.

I hadn't been in a warm building for about three days, so when Francine sent me a text message saying she was in Denali I asked if she would like to go get pizza. We went over to Prospect's Pizza where we shared dinner and had a few beers together.

I am off to Anchorage where I am going to plan the next week, take a shower for the first time in nine days, and finally do some laundry and change into a clean pair of clothes. My next adventures will include exploring the suburbs of Anchorage, fishing the Kenai, exploring Kodiak Island, and fishing for Halibut.

7-26-2010 Fairbanks:

I have continued hanging out with Francine, since the last post. I guess I have enjoyed having a travel partner. It is always much more enjoyable when you have someone else to travel with. Fairbanks doesn't have a whole lot to do, so we kind of scrounged. I suggested we do a scenic

drive on the outskirts of Fairbanks. The drive started on Chena Ridge road, a road that follows the top of a mountain in the western suburbs. From this view we could see down on the river that goes through Fairbanks and some of the major buildings in the city, like the university. It was amazing to see how big the river was and how it merges from three smaller rivers. The Alaskan pipeline is something the seems to be one of the many things that defines Alaska, so

we headed over there. Probably one of the first things I thought when I looked at it is, "I wonder how many people have tried to shoot this?" The second thought was, "What would happen if someone shot this?" I have no intention of doing anything like that, but I could not help my curiosity. The pipe was somewhere between 36" and 48". Off to the side of the pipeline they had two different pigs. One was older and one was younger, though they were both about the same size. The pigs are basically an oversized pipe cleaner. They would be inserted in the pipeline and would move with the flow of oil. Their purpose was to knock off paraffin that would attach to the wall of the pipe when the temperatures were low.

Francine and I both seem to have a common appreciation for tea, beer, and ice cream. We debated on going to three restaurants that were known for one of the above. We ended up deciding on the Silver Gulch a local brewery on the outskirts of town. I had a burger with a cranberry wheat beer, it was all delicious.

Yesterday was much more low key, though it had its highlights. My friend Katie knows a family from Fairbanks who started a church called Radiant Church. The couple is Caleb and Tracy, they have two children. Katie had always spoken highly of them, so I wanted to attend the church. Unfortunately Tracy was in a run that morning, so she was not able to make it. I did get to meet Caleb and was very impressed with his teaching at his church. Everything was taught in a simple practical way and made me leave the service more in love with God. The rest of the day was spent planning for the next few days. I was trying to go to Denali National Park, but was having a hard time coordinating the buses and the hostel. I almost gave up and then decided to stay at the campground within the park. The problem was solved and I will be headed to Denali tomorrow at 9:15.

Today I didn't want to have another day like yesterday where I was on the computer for a long period of time which put me in a bad mood. Within an hour of waking up I was headed to the University of Alaska's museum of Alaskan History. It was quite amazing to see all the

history of the state. The number of events that brought the state to its current point seemed as if they were describing an entire country. The museum covered everything from mammoths to the Russians, salmon to oil, and tourism to gold mining. I may have been most impressed by

"Blue babe" the blue bull that the fictional Paul Bunyan rescued.

The UAF museum is right in front of a series of trails that the university oversees.

I decided this would be a good starting point for me to learn how to hike in the Alaskan

wilderness. I headed towards the lake that was about a mile away. It would be a good

opportunity to use the fishing pole I had bought a few days before. As I approached the lake I notices that the gradient leading towards it was low, this meant that the lake was not very deep. I casted a few times and realized I was right, since every time I pulled up some seaweed. It wasn't a major issue, I was enjoying the trees reflecting off the lake with the mountains in the background.

Just beyond the trails I was hiking was the UAF Large Animal Research Center. Before I entered in I found some cabbage growing, it was the largest I had ever seen. I placed a quarter on it to give a comparison. Here at the center they do research on musk ox, caribou, and reindeer. I can't remember what the difference between reindeer and caribou is, but it is only a slight difference. The musk ox were not as big as I expected. I thought they would be the size of bulls, but hidden under all their fur it seemed they were only the size of ponies. A pair of bull musk ox near the feeder started a small competition between the two of them. The both reared back and butted heads. I know this is how they compete for the females, but I didn't realize they

also do that for food. The caribou were a sight to see and had some very interesting facts to go around. The mature male antlers were almost five feet long and they grow in only three months. Did you know that there are almost twice as many caribou in Alaska than their are people? The western heard has over 450,00o members. I think this fact made me love Alaska even more. There is such bounty here and I could not help but to think of the joy that comes from feeding your family with meat that you hunted.

7-24-2010 Fairbanks: Interesting & Awesome/ Crazy People

The last three days have been a combination of time spent with incredible people and people the I needed to escape. It has been a great experience meeting these people and I hope to stay in contact with many of them.

When I finally arrived in Fairbanks the Yukon Alaska shuttle dropped me off at the Glacier hostel. A friendly man greeted me at the entrance and showed me to where I could stay and helped me put the sheets on my bed. This was more of a house hostel than a regular hostel. A couple lived on the first floor and the hostel was in the basement. It wasn't well kept and made me frustrated that I was paying money to stay there. The bathroom was a mess and very out of date; the carpet in the the entire place was very stained and worn thin. I would have know to avoid this hostel had they been posted on hostel world and I could look at the ratings. Once I was a little settled and had my bags unpacked I was able to talk to the guy a little bit. I could tell he was a very intense person and not in a good place in his life. He had been living in a hostel for at least two months, usually did not leave the place, and had no job. I was able to share my perspective on things and thought it might help him. I continued to talk and at times he talked about suicide. It is uncomfortable to be staying in a hostel with people that you know are not healthy and are unstable. I decided to leave the next morning and try to get away from him, while he was running errands. He didn't seem to be leaving the hostel at all that day, so I decided that I would just pack my bags and head out. I had a feeling he knew that I was leaving because of him and that I was not the first person to leave the hostel because of him.

I had an 12:00 appointment with another engineering and architecture company. I had been in contact with them before through a guy named Jared who was from Kalamazoo, MI. We had spoken about LEED certification and how an engineer would fit into their organization. Jared took me over to the mechanical engineering department to talk to the department heads. The two gentlemen I met were very friendly and walked me though all the mechanical engineering projects they were working on. I think both of them were LEED-AP BC+D (Building Construction & Design) certified. We went out to lunch at a BBQ place just a few block away from the office. The conversation stayed on the topic of architecture and engineering and then if moved onto how everyone had gotten up to Alaska and what the lifestyle was here. I was impressed to know that they were both from the lower 48, Oklahoma and Michigan. They both had gotten married and moved up here, it seemed like a good situation they both had.

As soon as lunch was over I got on the bus and started heading to the campsite that I would be spending the night at. On the bus I met a very nice couple, Auryn and Rowan. Auryn was from New Orleans and Rowan was from Seattle, but had settled down in New Orleans. Rowan had started to do a bike tour from Providence, RI to Austin, TX; she only made it to New Orleans. She never made it to Austin, but stopped in New Orleans and met Auryn. They have been dating, since then. Both of them were very smart and had great perspective on social issues and

seemed to be able to find a lot of happiness in life. They lived simply, enjoyed good food, good books, had great friends, and were able to travel frequently. At the time I me them they were hitchhiking across Alaska! We decided to get off at the same stop where I was going to camp and share a campsite. Both of them were very interested in organic farming and sustainable living. Rowan knew the different types of mushrooms to pick that could be eaten. She frequently picked these up as we collected the firewood to cook dinner on. We decided that we weren't hungary at the time, so we went over to the local baseball game between the Fairbank Goldpanners and a team from southeast Alaska. It was the first time there was nice weather since I had gotten to Alaska. The game was great, Fairbanks won, and my two new friends kept me entertained. When we got back we started the fire and Rowan cooked the mushrooms, they were delicious.

I started the next day early and didn't get to talk to Rowan or Auryn before I headed out. I had a 11:00 appointment with a company that does a lot of work with green buildings and sustainable design. I have a passion for well designed cities and buildings, so I was excited to meet with them and see all the work that they performed. I had applied to an internship with them about a month ago, but had not been offered a position. They did offer for me to meet with their lead mechanical engineer, Chris. He was a burly friendly man with red hair. He was from the midwest just like Jared and me; he came from Milwaukee. I got to share with him why I was in Alaska and why I was drawn to his company. It seemed to be the same reason he was there. He wanted to offer me a position, but told me he would need to get back to me and let me know. I don't think they had a lot going one right now, but he saw the value I could add to the company. CB&I had built my resume well.

I headed back to the camp ground and picked up a fishing pole on the way back. I wanted to see if I could catch a trout for dinner. I tried for a while, but didn't have much luck. I don't think I was in a very good area. There was a lot of weeds and it seemed to be pretty shallow, I guess all fishing in Alaska is not amazing. Rowan and Auryn called me as I was fishing and asked if I wanted to go have a burger and beer with them. I walked across the street and met up with them. Not the best burger, but good company.

I was tired when I got back to my tent, since I had walked over 9 miles that day. I went to sleep pretty early and incase I needed my knife I placed it in the tent pocket next to my sleeping bag. I didn't expect to need it, but I like being prepared. At 2am I heard someone yelling right next to my tent, "Is this Bryan? You are in the wrong campsite". I said something, but I didn't remember. The voice was deep, but it still sounded like a female. She kept asking questions, so I decided I would open my tent and see what was going on. Before I opened up the door I unbuttoned the knife's sheath, but did not pull out the knife. I knew my knife was razor sharp, since I had just bought a ceramic sharpening rod in Branson, MO. I opened the door and no one was there, but then on my left side there was a quick movement towards me just two feet away. I drew the knife and prepared to stab. I looked over and there was a brown colored face with two foot long black hair covering it. I thought, "What the f#$% is this?". I realized it was a native Alaskan woman about 5'-8", well built, and probably on drugs. She had no reaction to having a knife in her face and me being prepared to defend myself against her. This is a big contrast to my post a few days ago where I shared the gospel with the Eryn at the hostel. Maybe this is how the verse "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." plays out. I would not enjoy hurting someone, but I believe I have the right to do what is required. Luckily she was not a major threat to me and she went away and bothered other people.

Today has been a great improvement. I went to the coffee shop down the street to do some planning and update my blog. When I got there I met a nice lady, Francine, whom was around my mother's age. She was from North Carolina and drove all the way up here. We talked a little bit and found we both had an interest in the farmers market down the street. We had a great time there, it was probably the best farmers market I have ever been to. The was a diversified product group: meat, produce, pottery, artwork, jewelry, and clothes. I ended up buying a bunch of postcards and cards that had paintings of Alaskan wilderness scenes on them. I also ended up buying Andrea a gift. Francine is very generous person. As we walked around she bought a lot of fruits including strawberries, blueberries, carrots, etc. She shared it all with me. We decided to have lunch there. We had a halibut burger, fries, and cranberry tea. It was her treat, which I am very thankful for.

That takes me up to the current time. Right now I am in a coffee shop at a small table typing and Francine is at the black leather couches behind me planning the next stages of her trip. I have ran into a lot of interesting people. Some of the people I have had to defend myself against, but the majority have been incredible. Rowan and Auryn are heading back to New Orleans in a week or so and I hope that I will be able to come visit them. They are planning on starting an organic garden at the home they hope to get there. I think Francine and I are going to go drive around for a while and see if there is more to Fairbanks!

7-21-2010 Fairbanks: Moose or Meese?

Even though I have been in Alaska for three days now I still don't feel like I have experienced any of it. Since I have gotten here it has been overcast and raining. All the locals say that it is an odd summer. I was expecting crystal clear skies with mountains in the background of the cityscape. Another issue that has led me to not feeling like I have experienced the real Alaska is that I have been trapped in the cities. It has been hard to get outside the city without having a car. This isn't necessarily a bad thing because my plan was to really spend a lot of time in downtown Anchorage and Fairbanks.

I have a few ideas of how to start escaping the cityscape and start experiencing what I want to. I think I need to visit some smaller towns that require you to be a little farther out in to the wild. If I buy a can of bear spray I will feel much more comfortable with going on hikes and seeing all that nature has to offer without fearing for my life, though I wish that I had a 44mag on me instead.

I woke up very early this morning, 4am, almost two hours earlier than I needed to. My initial plan was to get up at 6am, so I could get on the bus for Fairbanks at 7:15am. I got on the computer and wrote the previous two blog posts and then chatted with a friend from Kansas as I drank coffee.

When the bus finally arrived I realized it was going to be a tight fit especially for a trip that was 360 miles and 9 hours long. There were twelve people in a thirteen passenger van. Luckily all of our baggage was being towed behind in a trailer. Because Anchorage is surrounded with mountains I thought the entire trip would be over steep drop offs and deep gorges. There was some of that, but mostly it was tundra.

Along the trip we passed numerous rivers, all which looked like they were from the movie A River Runs Through It. At one point we passed over a bridge and the drop off must have been 300 feet; I could not get a picture since we were going seventy mph. I could tell there was much more beauty to this land that could be seen from the bus. The beauty was also limited due to the low laying clouds that hid the peaks of the mountains.

While driving we had to come to sudden stop. It wasn't caused by road construction, but two moose that were in the road. I think they were two females, since I didn't see any antlers growing. The bus driver pulled up close enough that I could snap off a few pictures, but unfortunately my zoom could not capture a close up of the moose. A few days from now when I am in Denali National Park I am sure I'll have another opportunity to see more moose.

7-21-2010 Anchorage: Being Used Already

My plan for yesterday was to get an idea of what the next week would look like for me in the morning and then head out to take the bus around Anchorage to see the city. I went to get my morning coffee, but there wasn't any ground coffee left to make a fresh batch. It wasn't a big deal, coffee is just something to do in the morning while you are still waking up.

When I research what I am going to do I usually try to setup shop at a place where I can spread out with my computer, maps, and brochures. There is a great place at the hostel I am staying at to do this. Before I got to far into my research I wanted to do some reading. I started going through Joshua and read chapters 7-9. Joshua's army, following the will of God, killed all the men of Ai, an enemy of God. His army even burned the entire city down. Though I believe that God no longer calls us to conquer people, this was incredible to read because in so many churches men are emasculated while in the Bible the men of God are never weak.

I got back to my research after a little while and was almost overwhelmed by the number of options of things to do in Alaska. There are countless cities and activities to do. I wanted to go fishing, hiking, and get an idea of what it is like to live in Alaska. You can do any of these things anywhere you want here. I received a phone call that gave a lot of clarity to the direction I would head for the next week. Jared from a company called me. Jared is an architect for in Fairbanks, about 380 miles north of Anchorage. I had contacted Jared with a question a few weeks ago about green building and sustainable design in Alaska. His call was just returning the voicemail I had left him the week before. He said that he would be interested in meeting with me and telling me more about the green building industry in Alaska. In order to meet with him I would need to go up to Fairbanks.

Across the table from me was a woman named Eryn from Oklahoma who was about to go on a four week NOLS course in the Alaskan wilderness. To my side was a woman about the same age as me from Germany. They were both friendly and seemed to be looking for adventure just as I was. I heard Eryn say to the German woman, "I'm Unitarian". I really am unfamiliar with the denomination, but I could tell from what she said it was not Biblical Christianity. I enjoyed talking to her about the word of God and the character of Christ. I told her that there would be a lot more believers if people lived like Jesus. Jesus was the smartest man that ever lived, he was the most gentle while also sticking to the law of God perfectly, and he is passionate about His children. Eryn was drawn to the fresh perspective of Jesus I was able to describe to her. She was able to see how many of the insecurities women face go way when you know you are a daughter of the most high king. Eryn allowed me to buy a few books for her, I wanted her to learn more about the character of Jesus. I ended up getting her an NIV Bible, a Beth Moore book, and The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard. I hope that she is able to find the true life and joy comes from a perfect and loving God.

7-21-2010 Anchorage: You Can't Hide Auburn

I was walking down 6th Avenue one the main streets that heads out of downtown Anchorage to take some pictures that included the city's skyline with the mountains in the background. The weather wasn't very good, in the mid 50s with slight rain, and I didn't have my rain jacket on, so I was getting pretty wet. I passed a furniture store that looked pretty interesting; I noticed they had a lot of dark wood pieces, interesting scenic artwork, and unique rugged decorations.

I stopped in and started looking at price tags, the prices were outrageous $3,000 for a small dresser and $510 for a blanket. A friendly lady who worked there came up to me. I assume she was a manager or an owner, she looked very sophisticated and educated, not the type that works in Walmart's furniture department. As we were talking she asked where I was from and I told her Chicago. She then told me she was from Alabama. Being a major Auburn fan I had to ask, "Which side are you one?". She didn't know what I was talking about at first, so I asked "Who is your team?" I should have known the answer since my first impression was she was classy, she was an Auburn fan and alumni! I quickly said war eagle and then she introduced me to her brother that was also an Auburn graduate.

Her company sells a lot of products in Anchorage and she told me there is an Auburn football and jewelry box in the Captain Cook hotel, one of the nicest hotels in the city. I decided to go search for it because it would be a perfect addition the blog. The hotel store clerk knew exactly what I was talking about when I asked. She quickly guided me over to them. This was exactly what I needed after the first two days of being in Anchorage and seeing two people with Alabama shirts on and no one with Auburn apparel.

7-20-2010: Anchorage-Aeronautical Company

My work over the last couple of weeks has paid off. I was able to meet with Jason from an aerospace company to talk about possible internships and other job opportunities. The company designs and manufactures components and conversion packages for Cessna airplanes. I had spoken to Jason a few times over the last six months while trying to find internship opportunities in the Anchorage area. The first time I spoke to him in February he already had his summer internship position filled up, so I was not able to fill the role. He told me I could possibly have the fall internship. I figured I would never be interested in that since it would be seven months until then. Last week I had contacted Jason again and we set up a time to meet, July 19th midmorning, after I arrived in Anchorage.

The company's office is at Merrell Field, a light aircraft airport about 5 miles from where I am staying. This would be the first destination in Alaska that I would travel to. Though it sounds like a rather mundane place to visit, it was not. I rented a bike from the hostel for $20, had the hostel parent give me the best directions she could and I was off into the 50 degree damp Alaskan morning. I was slightly nervous as I rode; there could be bears, I could possibly have to ride on a very congested road, or get lost. I didn't want to be another Chris McCandles from Into the Wild. Luckily the worst that happened was my freshly starched and pressed pants got damp due to the missing rear fender on the mountain bike with flat tires I was riding.

I didn't know what to expect when I arrived at the company. Jason was always quiet and did not use many words when we had spoke before. I thought he might be coarse and lack friendliness. When I finally met him he looked as if he was a very tough and stern man; he had a thick beard and a barrel chest. He reminded me of some of the people I became friends with at Auburn. He took me through the office and showed me the engineering design group, the manufacturing, and the aircraft hanger. I was drawn to the mom and pop shop style of this company. We sat down with his boss, who had a surprising statement to make. He said that Jason, the man that looked like a stereotypical Alaskan mountain man, got his masters degree from MIT! Jason must of stood out at MIT where the majority is Asian.

I was offered the internship, though the pay was a little low for what I would want. I have not made a decision to accept the internship, once I know if I know where I am suppose to be I will be able to make the choice. The company seems like a great place to work, Alaska a great place to live, but I have some priorities elsewhere that I might need to take care of first.

7-19-2010: Anchorage- Scenes of the Frontier

7-19-2010: Anchorage-The Midnight Sun

At 3:00 pm CST I got on my plane to start the first leg of my journey to Alaska from Kansas City to Minneapolis. It was a short flight only about 58 minutes. The next leg was not so convenient, about 3,000 miles away or 6 hours. We were suppose to head out at around 5:20pm, but ultimately did not get off the ground until 6:55. It felt like the flight went on and on. I read a few chapters in my book Looking for Alaska, journaled about things I wanted to do and think about, and watched a few TV episodes. By the time I landed my watch said it was 1:30am, but the plane's said 10:30 pm. The sky looked like it was the evening, but I knew it was much later. It was obvious immediately I would need to get adjusted to going to sleep when it was still light even if it was 1am.

After I had gotten my bags from baggage claim I called a taxi and was off to the Spenard Hostel just mile or two away. Even though at this time it was almost 12:00am it was still light out, I felt I was in a twilight zone. On the drive I could see the mountains all around, pines, and the great expanse of this land. At the hostel I quickly got settled, I think it was easy because I have stayed in over 40 hostels from my travels in Europe. It seemed like a normal hostel you would find in Europe except all the people I saw walking around were in North Face, Patagonia, or other outdoor apparel. I could tell I was approaching a great adventure from the rugged style of the people I was around.

Heigh Ho Anchorage!!!