Summer is winding down here in Alaska - in fact the record-setting rains, early views of the northern lights and snow levels low on the mountains - tell us that autumn is upon us already.
I finished my last tour last night after a brutal stretch of nearly two and a half weeks with road washouts, rain, injury (not mine) and some exceptionally difficult personalities (also not mine). I am glad to be done and now look forward to spending some time with Michiel in Hope and eating the rest of the salmon we caught or were given over the summer.
We are also preparing ourselves for the upcoming Antarctic season. As we've written previously, Michiel will be acting as one of a group of System Administrators and I will be supervising the passenger logisitics department (I will have 4 representatives working under me).
If you also want to get "in the mood" to read more about Antarctica, please check out our friend, Antz Powell's time lapse footage of a year in Antarctica at: http://www.fugufish.org/frog/?p=56
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Ice climbing! (is cool)
Last week we went ice climbing on the Matanuska glacier. Sheri's colleague at Adventure Alaska Tours, Joe, whom I finally got to meet was kind enough to take us and infect us with his enthusiasm. We made use of the camp spot overlooking the glacier to stay the night and thus had ample time for the actual climbing. Donned with warm clothing, boots, crampons, helmet, climbing harness, ropes, screws and ice axes we went on our way.
The access to the glacier is really near to the carpark, so we only had to walk a short while until we had to put on our crampons. After reaching a suitable wall, we got a crash course in tying knots and roping up (and all the lingo that goes with it) and we were on our way to climb the wall. Kicking the points of the crampons in the wall and using the ice axes to hook into the ice; it is amazing how these tiny points of contact can bear your weight. Of course once in a while it doesn't (user error) at which point it is good to know that you are roped to the top of the ice wall and someone is belaying you to stop the fall. The equipment gave me such a confidence that I wasn't bothered by any fear of height and it felt good to go higher and higher. It does require quite some coordination and strength, so we were rather tired when we came back to our camp site. After climbing for a couple more hours the next day we were beginning to feel our muscles protest, but we had a wonderful time.
If the pictures aren't enough, you can watch a short movie at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dkpE2CQ4v0
Tremendous big thanks to Joe for all his patience and willingness to teach us and being a fun companion.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Hurray, we can go back to the ice!
Well, it took a lot of patience, but I recently heard that I have been hired as a System Administrator for the coming (Antarctic) summer. (Sheri was already sure of her job)
After some networking (the social kind and not the computer kind) when we were still on the ice I had high hopes that I would be hired in IT. Then recently I was told that every one in the IT department was returning and there would not be a position for. Fortunately now came the news that someone couldn't make it after all and I will fill his position.
More money than last year, no worries about coming up with plan B and back to some groovy people on the ice and the possibility of running another marathon!
We will be leaving somewhere in the beginning of October.
After some networking (the social kind and not the computer kind) when we were still on the ice I had high hopes that I would be hired in IT. Then recently I was told that every one in the IT department was returning and there would not be a position for. Fortunately now came the news that someone couldn't make it after all and I will fill his position.
More money than last year, no worries about coming up with plan B and back to some groovy people on the ice and the possibility of running another marathon!
We will be leaving somewhere in the beginning of October.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
What's new in Alaska?
What's new, you ask? Well...since we wrote some pretty extensive coverage of our time here in Hope, Alaska last year, we didn't feel the need to cover familiar territory. However, we have been doing some new stuff since we got here in snowy and wintery May.
We've had a very late summer and Michiel's efforts to get an early start on the vegetable garden were thwarted by snow and icy soil. As we approach summer solstice on June 21, things are FINALLY starting to feel like summer and the lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, and sunflowers are starting to do some real growing.
It was great, however, to experience a taste of winter in those first couple of weeks with temperatures in the 30's and 40's during the day with occasional snow flurries and a snow shower and below freezing at night. During the last week of May, I guided my first trip of the season and the state experienced a heat wave, including record-breaking high temps in Hope. When we returned from that great trip (Michiel joined me), all of the trees had leafed-out and winter was certainly over.
Gone Fishin': One of the fun things we did recently was to go out for our very first salmon fishing attempt. Our friend, John, took us out on the Kenai and Russian Rivers for red (sockeye) salmon fishing. He taught us how to tie the fly onto the line and how to cast, etc., but we were all unlucky and/or unskilled and spent the day with our boots in the frigid waters trying to stay warm in the downpour.
Fishing on the Kenai River is never a solitary pursuit
While hiking along the Kenai River to the confluence with the Russian River, we saw a small brown bear doing some fishing of his own.
We DID enjoy it, though, and vowed to try again now that we have our annual fishing licenses. There's something very satisfying about the idea of bringing home your own food. Unfortunately, that night, we had to eat leftovers.
Michiel was the only one of the three of us to get a fish on the line (twice!), but, alas.....no dinner.
Gone Runnin':
Today, we both ran the Anchorage Mayor's Half-Marathon (13.1 miles/21 kilometers) - formerly known as the Midnight Sun Marathon. Michiel was extremely supportive and stuck by me the whole time - even going so far as to carry extra GU (energy gel) and Gatorade. It was incredibly helpful and motivating to have him there with me to help me through the tough moments (like from mile 11 to mile 12). It was surprisingly fun to do and very inspirational to see all of the different body shapes, sizes and ages of people who were out there running. I also managed to beat my time goal of 2.5 hours by finishing in 2 hours and 23 minutes or so (results are still unofficial). UPDATE: Official time was: 2:23:26, which put me at 309th in the women's race and Michiel at 281st in the men's race.
For more info on the marathon and official times, see www.mayorsmarathon.com
I'm not too sore, yet...but it has only been 7 or 8 hours..... UPDATE: Ouch.....
Fishin' for World Cup Soccer: Our (especially Michiel's) biggest sadness at the moment is that we can't find reliable internet coverage of the World Cup soccer games. In case you haven't been following, the US even has a small chance to advance to the second round. Of course, we are most interested in seeing how Holland does and after watching the European Cup two years ago while living in Amsterdam, I developed an appreciation of the game that everyone else in the world seems to care about.... GO HOLLAND!
We've had a very late summer and Michiel's efforts to get an early start on the vegetable garden were thwarted by snow and icy soil. As we approach summer solstice on June 21, things are FINALLY starting to feel like summer and the lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, and sunflowers are starting to do some real growing.
It was great, however, to experience a taste of winter in those first couple of weeks with temperatures in the 30's and 40's during the day with occasional snow flurries and a snow shower and below freezing at night. During the last week of May, I guided my first trip of the season and the state experienced a heat wave, including record-breaking high temps in Hope. When we returned from that great trip (Michiel joined me), all of the trees had leafed-out and winter was certainly over.
Gone Fishin': One of the fun things we did recently was to go out for our very first salmon fishing attempt. Our friend, John, took us out on the Kenai and Russian Rivers for red (sockeye) salmon fishing. He taught us how to tie the fly onto the line and how to cast, etc., but we were all unlucky and/or unskilled and spent the day with our boots in the frigid waters trying to stay warm in the downpour.
Fishing on the Kenai River is never a solitary pursuit
While hiking along the Kenai River to the confluence with the Russian River, we saw a small brown bear doing some fishing of his own.
We DID enjoy it, though, and vowed to try again now that we have our annual fishing licenses. There's something very satisfying about the idea of bringing home your own food. Unfortunately, that night, we had to eat leftovers.
Michiel was the only one of the three of us to get a fish on the line (twice!), but, alas.....no dinner.
Gone Runnin':
Today, we both ran the Anchorage Mayor's Half-Marathon (13.1 miles/21 kilometers) - formerly known as the Midnight Sun Marathon. Michiel was extremely supportive and stuck by me the whole time - even going so far as to carry extra GU (energy gel) and Gatorade. It was incredibly helpful and motivating to have him there with me to help me through the tough moments (like from mile 11 to mile 12). It was surprisingly fun to do and very inspirational to see all of the different body shapes, sizes and ages of people who were out there running. I also managed to beat my time goal of 2.5 hours by finishing in 2 hours and 23 minutes or so (results are still unofficial). UPDATE: Official time was: 2:23:26, which put me at 309th in the women's race and Michiel at 281st in the men's race.For more info on the marathon and official times, see www.mayorsmarathon.com
I'm not too sore, yet...but it has only been 7 or 8 hours..... UPDATE: Ouch.....
Fishin' for World Cup Soccer: Our (especially Michiel's) biggest sadness at the moment is that we can't find reliable internet coverage of the World Cup soccer games. In case you haven't been following, the US even has a small chance to advance to the second round. Of course, we are most interested in seeing how Holland does and after watching the European Cup two years ago while living in Amsterdam, I developed an appreciation of the game that everyone else in the world seems to care about.... GO HOLLAND!
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Back to Holland / Terug naar Nederland
After a short visit with family in Los Angeles and San Diego, we got on another set of airplanes for a long trip to the Netherlands. The purpose of this trip was to visit family and friends and to sort out our affairs there, which is to say - to move out of our apartment and officially emigrate from Holland to the US.
We had surprisingly sunny weather during the month of April and it was a real treat to get back on the bicycles and enjoy the canals of Amsterdam. We spent lots of time in various parts of the country visiting with family members and particularly enjoyed being out in the countryside at a time of year when all the trees and flowers were blossoming.
Bedankt lieve familie en vrienden voor jullie gastvrijheid! Wij missen jullie!
The following photos were taken in Rijnsaterwoude, the small town where Michiel grew up and where his father still resides.
At the end of our stay, I finally did what is required to be called a REAL Amsterdammer - I participated in moving our furniture from our 3rd storey apartment to the sidewalk using a block and tackle. Almost all traditional Amsterdam apartments are narrow-fronted with steep, narrow staircases. In most situations, it is nearly impossible to move things like couches down the stairs...so most of these buildings have a big hook on the gable (just below the roof) on which to hang a pulley.
Here is Michiel's brother, Wilbert, and I managing the ropes from the sidewalk on our first practice run with a light load in the net. Michiel is in the apartment loading the furniture into the net and pushing it out the window of the living room. Well, actually, he's the one who took this photo. Heel erg bedankt voor je hulp, Wilbert!
We had surprisingly sunny weather during the month of April and it was a real treat to get back on the bicycles and enjoy the canals of Amsterdam. We spent lots of time in various parts of the country visiting with family members and particularly enjoyed being out in the countryside at a time of year when all the trees and flowers were blossoming.
Bedankt lieve familie en vrienden voor jullie gastvrijheid! Wij missen jullie!
The following photos were taken in Rijnsaterwoude, the small town where Michiel grew up and where his father still resides.
At the end of our stay, I finally did what is required to be called a REAL Amsterdammer - I participated in moving our furniture from our 3rd storey apartment to the sidewalk using a block and tackle. Almost all traditional Amsterdam apartments are narrow-fronted with steep, narrow staircases. In most situations, it is nearly impossible to move things like couches down the stairs...so most of these buildings have a big hook on the gable (just below the roof) on which to hang a pulley.
Here is Michiel's brother, Wilbert, and I managing the ropes from the sidewalk on our first practice run with a light load in the net. Michiel is in the apartment loading the furniture into the net and pushing it out the window of the living room. Well, actually, he's the one who took this photo. Heel erg bedankt voor je hulp, Wilbert!
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