We got to the Shrine of St. Terese at about eleven at night and promptly collapsed after a quick inspection of the cabin we'd call home for the next few days. It was fairly small, and looked like a log cabin that Abraham Lincoln would have been born in. There was a cozy propane fireplace, not very eco-friendly, that would soon become my best friend.
Come morning as I creaked down the staircase Denny threw open the window shades and I am absolutely floored by what I see. Not more than a hundred feet from the front steps is the ocean. The carpet of slick, unbroken snow stopped as if someone had dragged a razor across the shoreline, exposing the black rocks under the high-tide mark. There was a small walkway, more of a raised road, that led to a small, spruce-covered island about two to three-hundred feet off the shore.
After I bundled up in far too many layers, I set off on a quick exploration. Natually, I headed towards the surf first, in search of tide pools and anything salty. What astonished me most was not the pools themselves, but the rocks. Never have I seen rocks such a rich, deep shade of green!
It was like walking on the surface of the ocean.
The rocks had ripples of light green, small bubbles of a emerald so dark they were almost black. A red stain of rust ripped through the serenity and looked for all the world like a devlopment site in the middle of a lush forest- another beautiful creation of man-kind.
The next several days got colder and colder, causing us to stay in and play cards-seeking a shelter from the wind and snow. After visits to the wetlands, NOAA, and Juneau city, the group would all get as close to the fire as possible and play a never-ending game of musical chairs. On the third day of being cooped up, and the (hopefully) last game of go-fish several of us decided to brave the outdoors.
First it was three of us, then five, ten, and soon the entire group was running up and down stairs, suiting up and wrapping faces in scarves. We all fell out of the door, huddling around as the wind drove snow sideways into our faces. All it took was one snowball to let the cabin fever out. Once people were running around, the snow was hardly a bother at all. Snow angels came to life, snowballs flew in artillery fire on anyone in range, and several people were tackled into drifts.
We set out to the Island at leaned on the railing over the cliff, our lights off and nothing but the ocean and the moon in front of us. A spontaneous and horrendous rendition of "Swing low" broke out among the group as we swaggered back towards the cabin. Our crazy was channeled into a group effort to build a life size snowman of none-other than Dennis Taylor. We failed miserably, but he did have no hair and a smile, though the resemblance ends there. Finally chilled and tired, we filed into the cabin again and I smiled as the door closed because just one week in Alaska had done what three years in Maine could never have:
Made me love winter.
Glerbenargle, AK
-Andrew
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Don't let the door hit you on the way...ouch...
"Sir, you're flying out of San Jose, not San Fransisco."
With about an hour left before my flight left the tarmac, it was NOT what I wanted to hear. Through some stroke of wild chance and several prayers to whatever deity was listening, I managed to check in and get to the terminal on time-though they could not put my luggage all the way through to Juneau. This meant that in the hour and a half layover in chicago, i would have to go to baggage claim, check my bags to Juneau, and re-enter security...and an hour and a half was if my san jose flight took off in time.
it didn't.
Once we touched down I had about fifty minutes before my flight left chicago, so I dumped my bags on the nearest chair to speed up my going through security. I made it to the carousel and, again by some stroke of luck, my bag was the first one out. After I disentangled myself from a chatty airport assistant at the check-in counter I got through security in about ten minutes and had about twenty before my flight. deep breath and relax, twenty mintues was more than enough.
Of course, that's assuming the TSA hadn't found your unattended bags and called the cops. the police spent about ten minutes telling me how dumb I was, then let me go with enough time to get to my gate, meet up with the group and board...and also have a Digestive cookie, though I can't reccomend that to anyone.
The night was far from over though. Once the group arrived in seattle, we de-boarded the plane and waited for our flight to Juneau through Katchican. The lovely attendents at the desk also informed us that no flights had been able to land in Juneau for two days, and our chances didn't look good. after a short thirty minute hop to Katchican we sat on the tarmac for another twenty crossing our fingers so hard our knuckles were white.
ten minutes after we were supposed to leave, the intercom sparks to life and we hear: "We just finished re-fuling and we're going to try to make it in, please buckle up and take your seats, we're out of here." There was a rousing cheer and we strapped down. After two passes at the runway and several nerve-wracking bouts of turbulance, we broke the cloud cover and touched down- the first flight to land in two days. Applause broke out in the cabin and we all exited giving the captain and co-pilot hi-fives. we picked up our luggage and walked out into the balmy and beautiful Juneau air, it was all downhill from here.
seventeen people and thier luggage in a fifteen person van?
easy.
With about an hour left before my flight left the tarmac, it was NOT what I wanted to hear. Through some stroke of wild chance and several prayers to whatever deity was listening, I managed to check in and get to the terminal on time-though they could not put my luggage all the way through to Juneau. This meant that in the hour and a half layover in chicago, i would have to go to baggage claim, check my bags to Juneau, and re-enter security...and an hour and a half was if my san jose flight took off in time.
it didn't.
Once we touched down I had about fifty minutes before my flight left chicago, so I dumped my bags on the nearest chair to speed up my going through security. I made it to the carousel and, again by some stroke of luck, my bag was the first one out. After I disentangled myself from a chatty airport assistant at the check-in counter I got through security in about ten minutes and had about twenty before my flight. deep breath and relax, twenty mintues was more than enough.
Of course, that's assuming the TSA hadn't found your unattended bags and called the cops. the police spent about ten minutes telling me how dumb I was, then let me go with enough time to get to my gate, meet up with the group and board...and also have a Digestive cookie, though I can't reccomend that to anyone.
The night was far from over though. Once the group arrived in seattle, we de-boarded the plane and waited for our flight to Juneau through Katchican. The lovely attendents at the desk also informed us that no flights had been able to land in Juneau for two days, and our chances didn't look good. after a short thirty minute hop to Katchican we sat on the tarmac for another twenty crossing our fingers so hard our knuckles were white.
ten minutes after we were supposed to leave, the intercom sparks to life and we hear: "We just finished re-fuling and we're going to try to make it in, please buckle up and take your seats, we're out of here." There was a rousing cheer and we strapped down. After two passes at the runway and several nerve-wracking bouts of turbulance, we broke the cloud cover and touched down- the first flight to land in two days. Applause broke out in the cabin and we all exited giving the captain and co-pilot hi-fives. we picked up our luggage and walked out into the balmy and beautiful Juneau air, it was all downhill from here.
seventeen people and thier luggage in a fifteen person van?
easy.
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