Anchorage Alaska - June 2005

 

In June of 2005 I ventured to Anchorage Alaska to participate in The Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon with Team in Training.   The marathon, incidentally, is not run at night, despite the title.  Bummer.

After the marathon I took some time off to explore Anchorage and the surrounding areas.  What a beautiful place.  Everywhere you looked it was a postcard!  Enjoy the photos and occasional commentary.

   
The view from the hotel, the Captain Cook.


This is one of a series of stylized Salmon that have been decorated and displayed in and around Anchorage.  You'll see at least a couple more of these.


The train ride from Anchorage to the middle of nowhere...

   
 
       

           

           


This was a cruise ship in the port of Whittier preparing to leave on a cruise.

       

       

   

   
These trees were killed when the surrounding land fell 10-12 feet during the great 1964 earthquake.  When the land fell, the salt water killed them, yet preserved them.  The area is now a huge marsh.



    

   
These are icebergs that have broken away from a glacier and are now floating downstream.

   

           

           

   

    The proverbial end of the line.
Actually, it should read "If you can read this, you're screwed."

   
Alaskan bear hunting rifle.  Actually it’s for controlling avalanches.  They also have a 155mm recoilless rifle.

           Wild Moose.

   

Back in town...




       

   

   
The photo on the left above was taken at 1:30am.  The photo on the right was taken at 3:30am.

   
The bear was at the zoo.  The sheep however, were wild.

The cruise to the glaciers...

           

   
Wild bald eagle.  This was a young one who doesn't have the white head feathers just yet.
There were dozens of them in this particular cove.  Unbelievable.

        That's a bear if you can't tell.

    And that's a sea otter just hanging out.

       

   
The blue color is caused by the ice being so densely packed that only high energy light from the blue part of the spectrum can escape!
The photo on the right is the tail end of the glacier calving, or part of it breaking away.  It takes patience and luck to capture it.

          

   



The Anchorage Airport.  As you can see on the clock, the time is 11:35.  That's pm folks.  And of course you can see the sun setting in the background.  A fitting end to a wonderful trip.