Sitting in Homer, Alaska, with my two god-kids and their families, sun is shining, clouds resting
on the peaks and glaciers on the Cook Inlet. This is our view from their friends' home, who are
commercial fisher-people and gone until Monday, so they have generously offered land for "M"
to rest on, and their house and yurt for everyone else. Mark and I arrived in Anchorage on the
7th, to Lyra and Rob's home, staying two nights and caravanning to Homer yesterday, with
Lyra's brother Lael, too, to spend birthdays with their mom, Vicky, who is a sister to me.
Some catching-up on previous days: Denali's 4th of July was spent relaxing, recuperating from
daily biking and hiking adventures. It was a social time, visiting with a gal from Homer, Gail, and
our other neighbors Dan and Garry, from Michigan (he's a part-time estate attorney and she a
retired special ed. teacher). Gail needed to leave camp early, and be by the water in Ketchikan
area, since she broke her wrist and was in a cast, feeling trapped here. Dan and Garry shared
this was the most relaxed five days they have ever had, with boon-docking for their first time, in
their newer version of Mark's View motorhome. Mark inspired them to stay longer than three
days, since Denali has to be savored for longer, if possible. He taught them how to use their
generator, solar panel, water and propane to lessen their dependency upon RV hook-ups. It
was empowering for them to be self-sufficient, walk the river-bed and ride their bikes from
"home."
On the 5th, we decided it was the clearest day for a shot of Denali, so we took the shuttle to
Eielson for the honor. We hiked the Alpine Trail, a thousand feet up to a wonderful ridge for our
lunch, and on our ascent, got to hook-up with our favorite ranger, Jakara, who led a hike and
talk. A slightly older male ranger came almost sprinting up the mountain, stayed at the edge of
the group, so Mark and I assumed he was her boss evaluating his underling. After greeting him,
we told him we happened upon our favorite ranger, and he said she was also HIS favorite
ranger. Again, I assumed he must say that about all his staff. Later, when meeting Jakara on
the eastbound shuttle, she said the guy is her boyfriend, who told her of our interaction. Her
mother and brother were also on the guided hike, from Baltimore; hence, the enthusiastic
boyfriend's visit.
Mark had never walked from the Stoney tour bus stop, to Eielson, so instead of riding up
Polychrome Pass for a killer last day, July 6, in Denali, we opted for what we expected to be a mellower hike. Off the shuttle, we lunched on the railroad ties at the stop, and were visited by an orange road maintenance dump truck, with a female driver, swooping in, who had a Santa-like face.
She gifted us with two popsicles, since she didn't think they'd make it with her in the heat. That
was such a fun surprise, being in the wilderness, with a Good Humor truck appearing out of
nowhere!
After a mile, we took a detour of over a mile walk through the tundra and a ravine, along a
shallow creek-bed, into higher willow shrubs. Walking back with his tripod and camera over his
shoulder, Mark's boot caught on a branch, and down he went on his tummy. Scared me, and I
held my breath, not knowing if he would have the air knocked out of him or what. Yay, he got up
fairly quickly and unhurt, so that makes two of us with falls during Denali outings. I hate falling
as an adult---so humiliating and unkind to these crotchety older bods.
We walked a total of just over 5 miles to the center, where we snacked, hydrated, and chatted
with the greatest father-daughter team from CA and Illinois. They were backpacking for 10 days,
and had just started a couple days, stopping to have their camp-stove corn chowder in their
aluminum camp dishes. The dad was a shoulder lengthed, blonde-grey haired slender hippie
dude, still livin' the dream and life-style, after retiring from being a lab tech several years ago.
He could have been a buddy from Humboldt days, and one whom you feel enamored with
immediately, like a golden retriever puppy-dog. After we told him of our Idaho home, he then
asked me where I was from before then. When I said Honolulu, he lit up, listing his University of
Hawaii stint, north shore abode and work, as a young guy. His young adult daughter was a
powerful, articulate, dark-haired woman, living in Davis, going for a MFA, a sculptress in ice and
oil, with a Ph.D. in plant biology. She's on a quest for her perfect iceberg, and will be going on
an Arctic expedition soon, with other scientists and artists. Her mother must be a pretty
grounded parent like her, and what a fun guy her papa is.
We were pooped that night, as well as all the other hiking and/or biking days, walking so slowly
into camp, that others noticed. Good-byes were shared with the neighbors and the camp hosts,
Beth and Dan, the latter giving us their email address to visit them in Borrego, CA, sometime
this winter.
Leaving Denali on the 7th, was a sad thing to do for me. The peace, beauties, wildlife, solitude
and expansive wilderness were imprinted, and I don't know if I will ever return. I am so grateful
to Mark for sharing this gift, and understand why he would want to do so, for the emotional/
spiritual solace and thrill, simultaneously embraced.
Before hitting the Parks Hwy. to Anchorage and the Bocheneks', we closed Denali with brunch
at The Perch, where we started out. Both of us had the special eggs benedict, that watered my
mout, the last visit. Yum...hash brown baskets topped with sautéed spinach, cheese and onion,
with poached egg and hollandaise sauce. Magnificent! We had fun laughing and talking
gibberish with the waiter/chef---a great way to hit the road.
In Wassila, we nurtured "M" with a wash, and she cleaned up real good. The only association I
have with this town is Sarah Palin, and I still don't understand why she said she could see
Russia from her home there. But then, who can grasp why she was placed in that vicepresidential
nomination race, in the first place, and thank God she didn't have to continue
making faux pas like the multitudes we were put in stitches about----thank you Tina Fey!
Two days in Anchorage with the adult and younger god-kids, Greta and Amelia, meeting Lael's
sweetie Marah, then chatting around his magnificent table-top he made for Rob and Lyra's
Axiom business, (I liken to a Davinci balancing act of outrageous and lyrical beauty) was all
quite fun. On the 8th, we ran errands, did laundry, marketed at Costco and Fred Meyers for restocking of "M." Dined in the city, and fell to sleep exhausted.
On the road for Homer on the 9th, with another delicioso stop at the Bocheneks' favorite ritual
cafe, in Girdwood, The Bakery Shop, for grilled cheese specialties, and they were! It was a
rainy day for car-rides, and dear Mark suggested taking each girl, Greta and Amelia, for a ride in
"M", which they loved, of course. He is a natural toy for them, and they each sang, marched in
their seats to John Phillips Sousa, and other silly songs in his repertoire. The last leg at Mark's
anticipated The Moose Is Loose donut shop, in Soldotna, was pretty cute, since Lyra was raised
with a very strict nutritional life-style, and donuts are not in HER repertoire. Her hubby Rob, a
mid-western boy raised on casseroles and donuts, got to savor his first glazed donut witnessed
by his mate, and took an apple fritter to go, to-boot.
Got to Homer, to Vicky's for dinner: to go pizza and beer, with Vick's home-grown salad fixings,
eaten in her dense and lovely backyard and gardens. We were all ready to bed down, left at a
good early evening hour, to our place at Jane and Bill's, where one leaves emotional loads
behind to gaze at this idyllic scape of a family park sloping down to the water and awesome
peaks.
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