Winter Anchorage

A musher and his dogs take off for the start of Iditarod

Last weekend Brad and I went to Anchorage for a much needed time away from South East Alaska.  That Saturday was also the ceremonial start of the Iditarod dog sled race and we thought that would be a neat event to see.  In addition to Iditarod, we enjoyed a walk on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, some Fur Rondy events, moose sightings, and more.

Tony Knowles Coastal Trail

The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail is a 11-mile stretch of paved trail running from downtown Anchorage South along the coast.  It is a multi-use trail and in the winter, cross-country skiing is very popular.  We saw runners and dog walkers too. We walked about a mile up to Westchester Lagoon, which is a great area for skating in winter. 

Westchester Lagoon is a skater's heaven in winter

Moose Sightings

Seeing moose wasn't exactly on our agenda, but we saw our first while walking along 4th Street in downtown.  Apparently they are fairly common in Anchorage and the surrounds.  We also saw a moose chilling in the snow right next to the coastal trail. 



Iditarod - The Last Great Race (History)

The Iditarod sled dog race was established in 1973 to save the dog sled culture and Alaskan Huskies.  Historically, dog sleds were used widely in transportation around Alaska, particularly in the Native villages. The Iditarod trail is a reconstruction of the freight route to Nome, and the mushers must travel from checkpoint to checkpoint as they did back then.
The race began this year with a ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage on March 3rd.  On the following day there is a restart in Willow.  The mushers and their dogs will travel to Nome, which is about 975 miles from Anchorage. 

There are several other dog sled races in Alaska, but Iditarod is probably the most popular one. Dog sled races are also held outside Alaska, including other countries, but Alaska remains the world mecca for dog sledding.

Iditarod - Ceremonial Start

Dogs waiting by their kennel

We only had a weekend in Anchorage, so we only caught the ceremonial start, which begins at 1000 on 4th and D.  We got to 4th Street right around 9 and realized we were behind the Start line.  We saw a few dogs and their mushers waiting next to their mobile kennels.  It wasn't quite what we expected.  We both thought there would be a frezy of dogs everywhere, but it was a bit more organized than that.  Each team of dogs were spread apart, and each dog in a team were usually separated from each other also.  After walking down the street some we ended up with a spot right behind the Start line along the fence.  We almost thought we had a great place to view the race from, until all of the VIPs who were allowed inside the fence started blocking the view.  We moved on past the Start line on 4th and eventually found a spot along the fence after pushing some kids away (just kidding - they were already leaving).  When the race started, each musher got an intro before taking off.  There were 66 racers total, and a team took off in intervals of two minutes.  This was also unexpected, as we thought all teams would take off at once.  If you think about it thought, that would probably just lead to a tangled mess of dogs and sleds. 

Excited doggies rearing to go

We watched several teams taking off before we started getting cold and deciding we had enough for time being.  Having our hotel nearby at the Westmark was pretty convenient since we could just pop in to warm up and rest when needed.  We went back out again to join the festivities and had a reindeer sausage for lunch (it was yummy). 

Fur Rondy

Fur Rondy is Alaska's annual winter festival that runs the week before Iditarod.  We were in town only for the last couple of days of it, so we didn't see much.  We saw the snow sculptures from the competition (and ice sculptures from a competition back in January).  Unfortunately some time has elapsed since they were first carved so the sculputres had all been weathered down a lot.  Probably the most interesting event we caught was the Running of the Reindeers.  This is Alaska's version of the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona.  Runners here dress up in costumes though, which help make it more interesting.  Btw, our celebrity sighting of the day was Bristol Palin.

The women's heat taking off...

... and the reindeers running after them.

Japanese Restaurant

Aside from checking out the events and walking around town, we also did some dining and shopping.  There's a proper Simon's mall on 5th Street in downtown.  Although I went with a half-empty suitcase, I was a bit disappointed to realize there's really nothing I need from a 'mall'.  The clothes I wear these days aren't fashion items of any sorts.  For food, my favorite place to eat was Kumagoro's Japanese Restaurant on 4th Street.  You can't get decent Japanese food in Juneau, so I was really glad to find this place.  Their sushi was fresh and tasty, and they offered variety of other Japanese dishes.  I also had miso ramen one day and ice cream with red bean for desert.  Their prices aren't cheeap, but is comparable to other restaurants in town.  One sushi place I really disliked was Urban Sushi Spot.  They took 2 hours to deliver to our hotel around the block, and the sushi was tasteless and the rice was hard.

The Visitors Centers



There are two official visitors centers in downtown Anchorage, both right across from each other on 4th Street.  One is in a small log cabin (above) and only has a few brochures.  The other is in the Federal Building and requires going through security to get in, but well worth the visit.  They have much more information there and have a small exhibit on Alaska wildlife and culture.  They also show short films that give you some history of Alaska.  I saw one on Alaska's wildlife, the 1964 earthquake, the Klondike gold rush, and Denali. 

Looking forward to another visit...

This was just a short trip to get a taste of Anchorage in winter.  They received a near record-breaking amount of snow so it was pretty.  It was also interesting to walk around neighborhoods with a wall of snow about 3-4 feet high on either side of the sidewalks.  A lot of the main attractions surrounding Anchorage are best visited in the summer months though.  While there's not a whole lot else I'd care to see in Anchorage (perhaps except the Anchorage Museum), I do want to visit the towns, parks, and glaciers surrounding it.  I'm hoping to take a week out this summer to do a combined Anchorage/Denali/Fairbanks trip.  If anyone wants to join, let me know!

Haines, AK

My dad wanted to ride the ferry while he was here, so I decided to take him to Haines.  I had never been there, and it was one of the shorter rides at 4.5 hours.  (Sitka is 4.5 hours too, but I had already been there.)  It was a morning ride, and the weather wasn't that great so the views were only ho-hum.  They also left the lounge lights off, so I couldn't do any reading unless I went to the cafeteria.  (Remind me to bring a head-lamp on my next ferry ride.)

Although the ferry ride was uneventful, Dad seemed to enjoy Haines a lot.  I had no idea what we would do there in the winter, but since we got lucky with the sunny weather, we drove up and down Alaska Highway every day.  We did it initially for the scenery (jagged snow-capped mountains all around) and eagles (it goes right through an eagle preserve), but we saw a moose on our first day so we just kept going back looking for more.  On our second day I blurted out that I wanted to see one crossing the road, and I wanted to see a bull moose (we saw a cow on the first day).  Probably not even 5 minutes later, we came up on a bull moose and a cow crossing the road!  I didn't bring my good camera so I didn't get great shots, but we were pretty stoked to see them.  We watched them for a bit and moved on.  On the last day, we though we had exhausted our luck with the moose, but on the way back we saw a cow and her calf crossing a river!  We again watched them for a bit before moving on.

Canadian border on Alaska Highway 7

One thing I did not realize was how close Haines was to the Canadian border (~44 miles).  Next time I'll have to bring a passport and health certificate for Millie so I can cross over.  I would like to do the Skagway-Whitehorse-Haines loop sometime.

Aside from the drive around, we did very little else.  The town itself was buried in about 3 feet of snow so we couldn't really find a good place to do much walking.  On the last day we did find a trail that supposedly goes to Chilkoot lake, but by then we had to go catch the ferry so we didn't go too far.  Probably better for poor Millie though, who now has a fractured elbow and is on forced rest. The view of the river along the trail is very nice though.  If I go back, I would like to see what is at the end of that trail.

The population of Haines is 1800 according to the 2000 census, but I wonder how many of them actually stick around for the winter.  There wasn't a whole lot going on.  We found only 3 restaurants in the whole town (one was near the Canadian border) and no stop lights.  While we got lucky with sunny weather, this could have easily turned into a disaster.  We could've been stuck hanging out in our motel for 3 days if weather was bad.  Definitely would recommend visiting in the summer for those who are coming from far away.

Winter Activities

Mendenhall Recreation Area Trails

Before coming to Juneau, I knew they had a ski resort .  What I didn't know was there's plenty of snowshoeing and cross-country skiing opportunities here too.  I was doing a bit of research on trails and found the following sites to be very helpful:

Eagle Crest - Downhill and cross-country ski trails

List of Cross-country Ski Trails

Equipment Rentals at Foggy Mountain Shop

Juneau Nordic Ski Club - Information on trails, gears, etc.

Avalanche Safety

Avalanche Advisory

I don't have my snowshoes yet, so I took my Dad to Mendenhall Glacier Recreational Area today. (I usually park at the Forest Service off of Back Loop Rd.)  He really enjoyed it.  It was really beautiful there today with all of the snowfall we've been getting.  We had to walk on ski tracks, but snowshoe would have helped us stay off the tracks. 

As soon as I get snowshoes, I'd like to try to head up Spaulding Meadows or Auke Nu trail.  I don't think my dad is quite fit enough to make it to the top (I may struggle as well since I'm not used to snowshoeing), so I'll have to break him in little by little. 

The Basin Road is also a nice place to walk or ski in the winter.  It is convenient to folks who are downtown and do not want to drive anywhere.  We went there yesterday and enjoyed it, but when we went today, they had closed off the bridge to the road.  There were many construction equipment lying around, so I think they are planning to do something.  I hope it is not going to be closed all winter.

I also would like to get up on Eagle Crest.  I really miss snowboarding.  Kinda tough to get out there these days though because Millie can't go snowboarding with me.  If I'm out there all day she can't get a walk.

Dog Friendly Winter Walks

As of the moment, my free time consists of getting settled in and trying to get Millie the exercise she needs.  During the week, this means taking her to the nearby Cope Park after work and let her run off-leash.  If I am lucky, there will also be another dog there and she will get a good romp around.  Occasionally, we're on our own and Millie just goes scavanging for food.  I did have a frisbee, but she wasn't very good at bringing it back.  I should try a tennis ball sometime. 

On the weekends, whether rain, snow, or shine, Millie must get a good long walk in.  There are many hiking trails all around Juneau, but all are snow or ice covered.  In just a few weeks time though, I found some nice places to take her for a good exercise.  They are not necessarily long walks, but since you can let her off-leash, she is able to run around and probably do at least 5x the length I am walking. 

Airport Dike Trail

This 1.2 (one-way) walk starts at the water treatment plant near the airport.  It's a well-groomed, flat walk along the water and through some trees.  The trail is actually part of the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge.  Probably a good place for bird watching in the summer. 

East Glacier Loop Trail

This trail will take you from the visitors center at the Mendenhall Glacier to a waterfall near the glacier.  Unfortunately it's not groomed so you only have the trails left behind by previous users.  Alternatively, you could ski or snowshoe it.  Dogs love romping around in the powder though.  It is also a short walk, perhaps .75 mile each way, but because of the deep snow, it takes a bit longer than expected to do.  At the end, you come to a clearing where you get a good view of the glacier and falls.  In the winter though, the falls seem to be only a trickle.  Perhaps most of it is frozen over. 

Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area

This is my favorite so far.  There are several trail heads off of back loop (back part of Mendenhall Loop Rd.) but I typically use the one at the Forest Service.  These trails are well groomed so you can walk on it easily.  Many people ski across them too.  What makes this trail unique is that it loops around various lakes in the area.  You can make your walk as short or as long as you like.  The terrain also varies a bit too.  In some areas you are on a narrow trail in the forest.  In other cases you are walking over a lake.  You can also get views of the surrounding mountains and glacier at different places.  These trails connect to the Mendenhall Glacier parking lots, so you could try different parts of the trails from different trailheads.  Although we had the trails mostly to ourselves, you do occasionally run into other doggies for a meet & greet party.

Sandy Beach

 This one probably wins the "most scenic" award.  It's really just a walk along the beach, but the view of the mountains on a sunny day is absolutely gorgeous.  Many owners bring their dogs here for a romp around, too.  So lots of tail-wagging and playing.  Us humans just have to walk a bit.  Walking from parking lot to the end is a nice length walk.  The only downside of being on the beach is your dog will get dirty so you have to give him/her a bath when you get back. 

Yellowstone in the Winter

After 6 days of driving I had a week in West Yellowstone to relax and use as a base for exploring the park.  Most people probably wouldn't think to visit in the winter, but I thought it would be a beautiful time to visit.  The town of West Yellowstone is fairly dead this time of year though, and most places were closed for the season.  The people that are here seems to be on the elderly side, which I found surprising given the harshness of the temperatures here.  On many mornings I stepped outside to temperatures below zero Fahrenheit.  I think on the coldest night, temperature dropped to -20F.  Speaking to one of the locals, the coldest temperatures he experienced here was -65F.  Crazy.

Fortunately, when you dress properly and the sun is out, it is not so bad being outdoors even when it's cold out.  If you are active, you can stay even warmer.  Here are some of the things you can do in the winter from West Yellowstone:

Cross-Country Skiing

View from Riverside Upper Loop Trail

There are three trail areas accessible from W. Yellowstone: Rendezvous, Riverside, and Boundary.  Rendezvous has the most # of trails, and boundary allows pets.  Since I was new to x-country skiing and didn't have Millie with me, I chose for the Riverside trail, which was probably also the most scenic. 

Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center

While there are abundant wildlife viewing opportunities in Yellowstone NP, most wild bears are hibernating in winter, and wolves are very elusive.  So I cheated and went to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in town.  It's a great place to not only view these animals, but also to learn about them.

Eat the Best Pizza Ever

I'm no pizza connoisseur, but I had the best pizza ever here from the Wild West Pizzeria and Saloon. 

Snowcoach Tour to Old Faithful

Old Faithful

In the winter, Yellowstone NP closes the roads to wheeled vehicles.  The only way to get in and out of the park is on a guided tour, either in a snowcoach or a snowmobile.  I opted for the snowcoach, which was probably warmer.  The highlights of the tour are wildlife viewing - we saw many elks and bisons, as well as couple of coyotes, swans, and an eagle.  Yellowstone is also famous for its geothermal features.  Apparently it is sitting on the world's largest active volcano crater.  I took the option that allows you to ski past many of these geothermal features - hot springs, mud pools, and geysers.  Luckily, I arrived at the Old Faithful just few minutes before it did it's thing. 

Bisons creating a traffic jam

IMAX Films

Most of the popular National Parks seems to always have an IMAX movie on it (at least Niagara Falls did).  Yellowstone also had one, which was just as cheesy as the Niagara one.  Lucky for me the other two films, one on Amazing Caves, and one on Everest, were more interesting.  It's a good way to relax on a cold afternoon.

Snowmobiling

This was probably one of those must-do's that I skipped out on.  I could've taken a snowmobiling tour into the park, but I thought I would be more comfortable in the snowcoach.  I could've also taken a self-guided tour through the Gallatin National Forest, but I decided I needed couple of days to just chill out and do nothing.  I was feeling pretty exhausted on my "free" days.  I may regret this though, since this area is supposed to have some of the best snowmobiling terrain around.  Everyone is doing it... but me.

Snowcoach Tour to the Canyons

View of a waterfall while on the Yellowstone NP Canyon tour

If you want to get away from the crowds in the park, a tour of the Canyons will do the trick.  The focus of this tour are waterfalls and wildlife, with some viewing of geothermal features.

For both snowcoach tours, I went with the Alpen Guides.  I thought both tours and guides were great, so I highly recommend them.  Also, they have a limit of 10 on their tours, allowing for a more intimate experience.

Dog Sled Ride

The area isn't exactly known for dog sledding, but there are couple of places where you can experience it.  The place closest to West Yellowstone was Klondike Dreams.  It's not a big commericial outfitter, but rather, the operator is a one-woman show.  Charlotte owns, races, and takes care of her dogs purely out of hobby.  Her business giving rides to tourists merely help pay for the dog food.  She works a normal job during the peak summer season, and spends her winter pretty much playing with her dogs.  She also told me about how she lived in a teepee for 9 years.  Now she lives in a shack with electricity (but no water).  She seems pretty happy with her life though.  Her occasional assistant, Noah, also has a unique lifestyle of working until saving up enough to take off on a backpacking trip through the wilderness.

The dog sled ride itself was pretty fun.  The dogs also seem to enjoy the exercise.  The ones who weren't chosen to run today seemed disappointed and I felt sorry for them.  They'll get their run another time though.  Charlotte also let me drive the sled, which was also fun.  I did take a spill on one turn though.  Since Alaska seems to be big into dog sledding (the Iditarod races are coming up soon) I may have to try it again there.