It might be warm, but it's still cold

Temperatures were 85 when were were in Denali and Fairbanks this time last month.
Sure felt hot, but not as hot as San Antonio's > 100 temps.

Of course, even in Alaska those temps make people go to the water.
In Kodiak it has been over 70 several times this year (we still access the Kodiak Mirror Newspaper, on line).
That is hotter than it ever was when we were there for 6 years.

And those warm temperature have brought two tragedies to Kodiak this week.
Not because it is too hot, but because the water is still too cold, we think.

Water Temperature Table of the Alaska Coast (Google Maps-based Web page)
Last Updated: Fri Jul 26, 15:01:29 UTC 2013

Location	Recent Temperatures	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV
Adak Island AK	43.2 (07/26/2013 14:48 UTC)	40	41	43	45	46	46	45	44
Anchorage AK	59.0 (07/26/2013 14:48 UTC)	34	44	54	58	57	53	44	34
Juneau AK	50.0 (07/26/2013 14:48 UTC)	40	46	51	52	51	49	44	40
Ketchikan AK	55.6 (07/26/2013 14:48 UTC)	44	48	54	56	57	54	50	46
Kodiak AK	51.4 (07/26/2013 14:48 UTC)	37	41	44	52	53	51	48	44

It's sea water temperature is not even 52.

The sad news concerns a group of 3 high school friends who swam out on Ft. Abercrombie State Park's  Gertrude lake, taking a log to the middle of the lake. While swimming back, one had trouble and did not make it.

The other tragedy this week involves 3 fishermen at the other end of the island. One went swimming off their skiff and didn't come back. Unfortunately alcohol was involved in this case, and that makes your ability to control your body temperature even worse.

Personally, I remember shaking vigorously for almost one hour when I fell into the Rio Grande in the spring in Colorado while on a kayak trip.

Yes, no matter how "hot" the weather might seem, remember that the water might be too cold for most of us humans.

More on the melting permafrost

Here are some pictures of the effect of melting permafrost.

No, that's not a telephone pole blown down by a hurricane. 

It's just leaning 'cause the ground underneath it getting mushy.

And this is something else you see and feel from that same problem:

The road undulates. It's like a  kid's roller coaster.
And you better go slow or your shocks won't last half way down the Al-Can.

It's particularly bad just south of the Alaska-Canadian border. On this part of the trip plan on 45 MPH as your top speed!
Originally I had thought that the Canadian government didn't want to spend money on a road that preferentially took Americans to Alaska.
But they tell me it's the shifting ground form the permafrost. They just can't even it out because it is constantly shifting!

So, if the permafrost is so likely to melt, you might ask, "How come the Alaskan oil pipeline has not ruptured from the moving ground?"

Well, here is the answer:

See those outer-space like devices on top of the support poles?
They are some sort of passive condenser that takes the winter's cold weather down into the ground.
That way months and months of temperature in the negative 40's to negative 70's can keep the permafrost frozen, even when the short summer's temperature gets to a positive 85 degrees.

Don't ask me how come they don't carry the summer's heat into the ground. I don't know if they have a relay in there that transmits cold temperatures only in one direction.
Or maybe it does, but the cold days far outnumber the host ones here.

Anyway, the design has been working for 40+ years.
Pretty cool, eh?.
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Melting permafrost

Since we lived 6 years in Alaska, stories of global warming interest us.
They say warming is most evident closer to the poles.

So a story like this one today in Yahoo News caught our eye:

In what has now become an annual occurrence, the North Pole's ice has melted, turning the Earth's most northern point into a lake. Call it Lake North Pole. To be clear, the water surrounding the pole is not seawater seeping up from the ocean but melted icewater resting on top of a thinning layer of ice below the surface. "It’s a shallow lake. It’s a cold lake. But it is, actually, a lake," 

This picture (from that article) shows more than a 1,000 words could tell:

Yes, that's melted ice water on the North Pole!

We've also heard much about the melting permafrost and how that could release lots and lots of carbon dioxide/methane into the atmosphere.
We never knew how that could be till we took our driving trip up to the Arctic Circle this June 21st, the longest day of the year.

We sure looked happy and relaxed, showing off our local newspaper.

But we actually got to see, touch, and feel the permafrost.
Some places it is so close to the surface that we could dig right down to a sheet of frozen ground with a stick we found by the side of the road!

There was the permafrost: 9 inches into the ground. So cold that it would freeze you finger if you kept them there. And too hard to pick through with a stick.

The story goes: As the air temp gets warmer, the ice'll melt. And then the gasses trapped under it will percolate up to the atmosphere.

You might ask, "If it's 85 degrees in the summer, why isn't it already melted?"
Well, the - 40 to -70 winter weather has made it such hard ice, that summer temps have not made it melt till now, when summer is hotter and lasting more than years ago.

Anyway, you can also get an idea of just how close to the surface it is by seeing the vegetation above ground.
Where the permafrost is close to the surface, only lichen and grasses grow.
Where it is a few feet deeper, roots form Black Spruce can go deep enough to let those trees grow.
So as you drive in Alaska, you can see which fields have deep and which have shallow permafrost. Cool!

Take a look at this pic.
Where we were digging, there are no trees.
Further in the background you see spruce. That's where the permafrost is deeper.

But look a little closer at the taller vegetation between the foreground grasses/flowers, and the spruce pines in the background.

See that row of different vegetation?
That is where the exploratory trucks that were planning for theAlaska Pipeline drove while figuring it's course in the early 1970's.

Just the temperature form those tires driving over it was enough to melt the permafrost, let blown seeds take a hold there....
and lead to  stripes of taller vegetation that mark the route, 40 years after the permafrost was disturbed!

Fragile stuff it is!

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How long to stay at Denali?

I think we've finally decided how long is the optimal time to stay at Denali National Park.
It's a big place: 6 million acres and over 9,419 square miles in size.
So, of course, it depends on what you are planning on doing.

Check it out at:
http://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm

If you are a little sedentary, stay at the Riley campsite. We think 3 days is just about right.
That'll give you a chance to get there one day, check out the visitor center, make reservations for your bus trip into the park (if you haven't made it on-line), and see the 7 PM education ranger show.
Next day you can take your 8 or more hours trip. We suggest you take an early (pre 9 AM departure) so you can get off the bus at the far end, hike a little and take a later bus back.
Next day, enjoy the solitude of a 2 mile or so round trip  from the RV park to the mushing dog center, and leave at the end of that day.

If you like a little more solitude, make reservations to camp at Savage River, 13 miles into the camp.You'll really be away form civilization: No campground in Denali has electrical or water hookups for RVs. Savage does have potable water, but no shower or laundry facilities, no stores, and very limited use of generators. You'll be just below "tree-line" at 3,000 foot elevation. You'll be able to drive in for your scheduled reservation and then out 4 days later. No other driving allowed; in the meantime, you'll have to take a bus, ride your bike, or walk everywhere. It's $ 40 per night, if I remember right.

If you are ready to give up the comfort of your RV, there are several tent campsites you reach by bus/hiking.

On the other hand, there are a lot of programs you can enjoy:
http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=516359
so you might want to stay longer. Lots of ranger programs!

But, what I wish I had made is arrangements for are the Alaska Geographic seminars and summer camps. Sure, they'll cost; I think it was $ 4-500 for about 4 days. They only take 10 people, and every week is a different topic. I think they run in June and part of July only. Make reservations very early. Personally, I think it might be worth driving up in a few more summers to do these things!
http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/field-seminars.htm

Bring your insect repellent, head nets and even net pants if you have some, 'cause it was hot an the mosquito's are here just like about everywhere in Alaska during our early-mid June visit.

You could see the flowers wilt between 9 and 11 AM,

with temps climbing to 85 degrees during this day in June!

(PS The first 2 pictures of people in today's blog are not ours. They are off the Denali Nat Park  website.)

Lucky sightings

Some people come to Alaska and never see a wild animal.
We have to say, that this last trip showed us more than we have ever seen.
Was it 7 or 9 moose on the Kenai Peninsula that we saw?
And at Denali Park, lots and lots.

And over a half dozen"brown" bears (who were actually white, because of their vegetarian diet, unlike Kodiak's salmon loving real brown ones).

These guys have no concern about humans here.
You see them far away, and towards you they come

till they are right beside you, and just munch as you watch them.

Others just do their business, without an iota of concern.

And one we found taking a nap

He must have sensed our presence; raised his head

but went right back to sleep away.

There was only one gal, right by the park entrance, who at first seemed OK with viewers,

till these guys got a little too close

and then she verbalized what was on her mind.
Wisely they got back in their car.

PS there were lots and lots moe animals, but probably more than you'd be interested in seeing, unless it was in real life.
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Climbing The Mountain

We're planning our next trip out.

But, we've had a chance to see some of our pics form our AK trip down to TX.
Hope you don't mind if we put some in form our stop at Denali, "The Mountain",  as the Alaskan Natives call it.

But they just can't change it's name from Mt. McKinley.
Seems the Ohio congressional delegation just won't let the name of their favorite President be changed on that mountain, even if he never even went to see it.

Anyway, it's about 4/5th the distance form Anchorage to Fairbanks. "only" 240 miles.
Don't plan on taking 5 hours.
They say 6 1/2, depending on Summer road construction.

But, it's worth the trip.

When we got there, some young lady was complaining about the cost.
She expected the $ 10 per person admission, but not the additional $ 40 - 70 per person to ride the busses into the park (and that is the only way to see it's interior).
If you bring a few kids, that can eat up your budget for sure.

Well, you can get a free shuttle for the first 15 miles, but we didn't see much wildlife when we took that years ago (only one caribou on that trip).
So we paid the big bucks for an 8 hour roundtrip ride to Eielson Visitor Center.

We could have gone to Wonder Lake on an additional 3 1/2 hour ride and seen just how high the climb would have been form 4,000 to 20,000 feet up Mt McKinley, but settled for the shorter ride.

And see the mountain we did. Over and over again.

And that is a rare event.
In fact, only 30% of visitors EVER see the Mt. because it is often covered with clouds.
So we are finally in the "30% Club".
(Incidentally, we also hope to be in the political "47% club" perhaps some day soon).

We even tried to pose, with the sun behind us.

But if you look carefully at our picture from early June below, we think you'll see why the time to climb the mountain is about over for this year.

The snow has started to melt and a sheet of wet ice is not what you want to step on.

This is actually the highest mountain the the world that you can climb.
Yes, we know that Everest is a lot taller. But here you can start from 3,000 or 4,000 feet if you want, and climb up to 20+K.

In the last few years lots have climbed it and we even know one who did.
Started training in the Fall and did the climb around Easter.

But lots have died in the last few years. Seems like that record is being broken yearly.
And it's not the weak or the undertrained that seem to falter. Some have repeatedly climbed Mt Hood or
even higher ones and lost their life here within the last few years.

Personally, I think people are on a schedule, and no one wants to say, "The weather's not good, let's try another time".
That's my opinion as I sat on a bench, drink form my water bottle at the Eielson Visitor Center and say, "No, that's not for me".

PS The vertical climb up Denali is up to 18,000 feet.
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Trickery along state lines

I look at the view in Montana

then I look at the view in Wyoming,

just about 40 miles from the 1^st picture…

 and I ask myself,

“Was there trickery involved in drawing those state lines?”

You get the same feeling when you cross from New Mexico into Texas.

You go from brown to productive fields  that are irrigated in Texas.

And then I remember a National Geographic article about the aquifers from Kansas that extend down south. 

They follow a perfectly straight line east of the Texas  panhandle-NM border.

Someone had a heck of a lot more knowledge about underground water 

when they drew those lines than the negotiators in the adjacent state!

Glaciers in Alaska

As we rode the bus in Denali National Park, a group of Germans were on board. These guys have had some experience, I think, since they drove up from the lower 48 in motorcycles. But what did they enjoy the most? Flying into and landing on a glacier!

They claim this was the most fun they have had in their entire life.

Being cheap, we never did that during our 6 years in AK. But we did hike up to a few and rode a boat to a few of them! And in fact, what I think would have been the most fun, would be to kayak along the broken-off icebergs from some of those glaciers!

There are over 100,000 glaciers in Alaska. And only about 675 are named. So if you want to get your name on something really special, just climb one of the unnamed glaciers, take a picture proving you were there, and go the record office and have it name in your honor.

Here are at least 3 glaciers on this one picture, as we flew from Anchorage to Kodiak earlier this summer on ERA airlines,

from 10,000 feet above.

I guess for some it is fun to land on one of these.

But, for us more simple people, just get in your RV and go to the Kenai Peninsula.
Go just across the road form the Wildlife Conservation Center, and visit Portage Glacier.

Take a boat from the National park, and get real close.

Or take a hike along one of the trails,



till you get a little closer

so you can climb and hike along the blue ice!

Along the way, keep an eye for interesting scenes.

Some will remind you of a Thomas Kincaid painting.





Meanwhile, the local hikers, are so interested on their own path,

that they seem oblivious to tourist, as they pass right in front of you.

We're sure you'll have fun,  whatever method you chose!

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