Trips – Page 18 – Kevin's America

Barrow Alaska

Alaska vacation days 11-12

The indigenous name of Barrow is Utqiagvik, which translates to “The place where we hunt snowy owls”. Barrow is the northernmost point in the USA, and the northernmost settlement of its size (5,176 population) in the world. The normal temperature in the winter is -50 degrees, and the summer 40 degrees. The sun sets in November and doesn’t rise again until January.

This city is entirely indigenous Inupiat with a subsistence lifestyle. Whaling is still a major part of life here, both in the spring and fall. When they catch a whale, the city has a huge celebration, and the blanket toss is one of the most exciting activities: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/rural-alaska/2022/07/01/the-spirit-of-the-whale-utqiagvik-celebrates-nalukataq-with-feast-and-dancing/.

When our plane flew below the clouds, we could see how the terrain had changed. We are 300+ miles above the Arctic Circle, and there are no trees and no grass! This is tundra, permafrost (ground that is frozen for at least two years).

Flying over Barrow toward the Arctic Ocean to turn back toward the airport.

Arctic Ocean. You can see two shades of blue-green. The lighter color is closer to shore and is shallow. The darker color indicates the quick deep drop off.

There were some small pieces of ice in the Arctic Ocean.

This airport was unique. One room, not really a terminal. This is baggage claim – not a conveyor belt.

This is the Barrow Will Rogers-Wiley Post Airport. It was snowing when we landed. Alaska Airlines flies one flight in and one flight out daily, except Tuesdays, when there are two flights in and out. The flights are all to and from Anchorage.

The Top of the World Hotel. This is where we stayed.

All the buildings here are on stilts due to the permafrost and the periodic Arctic Ocean swells. There are no paved streets, they are all dirt/mud, so all of the stairs are like this one, to help scrape mud from shoes.

My first look at the Arctic Ocean on the ground. One block from our hotel. Polar bears are often seen here.

Here are three polar bears on the beach just one block from our hotel. But this was a week before we were there. We did not see any live polar bears.

This is Barrow’s famous Whale Bone Arch. It is the jawbone of a Bowhead Whale, and it is planted about 10 feet deep in the ground here.

This is a typical street in Barrow. And typical houses. Arctic Ocean in the background.

This is a restaurant. Notice the spray-painted sign: Fish Head Soup.

The grocery store. Prices were sky high.

Ilisagvik College, Alaska’s Tribal College.

This is the head of a large female bowhead whale, about 15 feet long. This particular whale was caught in 1987, was 51 feet long and weighed about 100,000 pounds.

Bowhead whales spend most of their lives near sea ice, they do not migrate to warmer waters. They have very thick blubber, up to 1-1/2 feet in thickness. These are considered very large whales, up to 60 feet long, and may weigh as much as 120,000 pounds, with a lifespan similar to humans. Bowheads are slow swimmers, swim with their mouths open and strain zooplankton through their baleen plates.

They regularly break through ice up to two feet thick. The bowheads are of great nutritional and cultural significance for native Inupiats for oil, baleen (filter feeding system inside their mouths), meat and muktuk (skin with blubber).

Barrow High School football field. Bright blue artificial turf. Interesting story about this field. When Barrow High School played their first home game, they played on a gravel field. A philanthropist in Florida heard about it, so she donated the money to build this field with turf.

This is a freighter offloading freight to a barge, which will bring the freight to the shore.

At the Arctic Ocean, temperature approximately 35 degrees.

These are shacks on the outside of town that hunters use for goose season.

Across the street from the hospital, these are the barracks/apartments for the doctors and nurses that work at the hospital.

This is a wood frame boat covered in seal skin. Seal hunters and whalers use boats like this one when they are on a hunt.

Monument to Will Rogers and Wiley Post, who were killed near the airport in 1935. Rogers was a “humorist”, actor, author and social commentator and very famous in his day.

This is a model of a Bowhead Whale inside the Inupiat Heritage Center, which documents the lives and traditions of the indigenous Inupiat people, who have lived off the sea for many centuries, fishing, whaling and seal hunting.

Parka made from wolf fur and lambskin lining.

Waterproof parka made from seal intestines.

Whalers use tents like this to sleep and cook in when they are out on the ice whaling. They sleep on caribou skins inside the tent. They cook on and keep warm with a Coleman stove.

Anchorage Alaska

Alaska vacation day 11

To conclude our Princess cruise-land tour, we stayed at the Hotel Captain Cook in downtown Anchorage. The rest of our vacation we were on our own plans!

The view of downtown Anchorage from our room.

Sculptures honoring Captain James Cook’s explorations.

5th Avenue, Anchorage’s main street for shops and restaurants.

Balto sculpture. A 700-mile dog sled relay was set up to deliver serum to Nome after an outbreak of diptheria in 1925. Balto led the final leg of the relay into Nome, so he became a hero, and the subject of several movies. The first leg of the relay was led by Togo, the subject of another movie. This relay was the inspiration for the Iditarod race, which is held yearly.

Alaska became our 49th state in 1959, signed into law by President Dwight Eisenhower.

Statue of Captain Cook looking out over Cook Inlet.

Captain James Cook statue. Captain Cook was a British explorer who led three voyages to the Pacific Ocean, from Antarctica to Alaska, to Hawaii and Australia and New Zealand.

Mt. Denali!

Alaska vacation day 10

Mt. Denali (Mt. McKinley prior to 2016). This is the tallest point in North America – 23,320 feet above sea level! There are three high peaks here. Denali translates to “The Tall One”, Mt. Foraker (native name: Menlale translates to “Denali’s wife”) at 17,400 feet , and Mt. Hunter (native name: Begguya translates to “Denali’s child”) at 14,573 feet.

Behind these clouds in the distance is Mt. Denali.

Also, behind these clouds in the distance is Mt. Denali.

September 4, 2023: “The Mountain” came out in full view for us! This is a spectacular view, as seen from the deck of our lodge! This came out later in the day of our glacier landing flight. We thank God for giving us this sight and the glacier landing flight in one day.

Mt. Denali is in the center, and to the left (outside of the picture) is Mt. Foraker, the third highest peak in the USA at 17,400 feet above sea level, and the tallest point in the picture to the left of Mt. Denali is Mt. Hunter, at 14,573 feet.

Highest peak here is Mt. Silverthrone, 13,220 feet.

Denali Glacier Landing

Alaska vacation day 10

This was by far the highlight of our entire vacation! After fretting all morning about weather conditions, God cleared away the clouds and rain just in time for us to take a small plane flight to land on a glacier in the shadow of Mt. Denali!

As we took off, we flew over the Susitna River.

Our copilot…me! The pilot asked if anyone wanted to sit in the copilot’s seat and I volunteered! This was a very wise decision! The views up front were spectacular! Oh, and I was very careful not to touch anything, even though the yoke was right in front of me! Mt. Denali is right in front of me here! This was an incredible experience!

Mt. Denali appeared as we climbed above the clouds.

Flying over these mountains was an incredible experience. Several of these mountains are between 10,000 and 14,000 feet high. They are snow covered year-round. One of many glaciers is seen on the left of this picture.

It was amazing to look down on this mountain scene.

Base camp glacier. It is from this location where climbers t start their climb to the top of Mt. Denali.

We have landed on Ruth Glacier! About a foot of new (overnight) snow, on top of about 4,000 feet of ice. It was about 35 degrees here, so the snow was great for…

MJ in front of our plane on Ruby Glacier.

This is quite a story here. What you see is a luxury “unique” hotel, situated on a ridge above Ruby Glacier overlooking the Sheldon Amphitheater. This is the Sheldon Chalet. If you look closely, you see a helicopter, which is the only access to this hotel.

There is more. Accommodation is for up to 10 guests, and the all-inclusive stay includes an inbound and outbound helicopter flightseeing (not optional) tour from Talkeetna or Anchorage, Alaska. Gourmet delicacies are prepared by their world-class chef. As of 2023, the price is $75,000 per couple (or up to four people) for a 3-night minimum.

For more details, go here: https://www.uniqhotels.com/sheldon-chalet

Looking down our runway on Ruth Glacier, joining with two other glaciers!

Another view of Mt. Denali just above the clouds.

Another glacier winding its way around mountains.

McKinley Princess Lodge

Alaska vacation day 10

After two nights at the Denali Princess Lodge, we took a bus for a 2 hour trip to the McKinley Princess Lodge, for one night. It poured rain the entire trip, and it was looking doubtful for any Mt. Denali sighting. Both lodges are part of the Princess Cruise Lines family.