The Last Frontier

Saturday on the return to Anchorage I hiked a trail called Bird Ridge and got part way up before I had to head back to town. Background is Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet.
This is a sample of the scenery on the drive from Soldotna back to Anchorage.
These little guys are orphans that were rescued and being nursed back to health at the Alaska Sealife Center in Seward. Just one of the many businesses we insure in Alaska.
This is another sight at the Alaska Sealife Center.
Kachemak Bay and the Homer Spit in the distant left. This photo was shot as I was leaving town Saturday morning about 9:30 am

FALL CAMPOREE

Here we are all framed in by the railing of the Cub Country Tree House, hey who is that intruder?
Cole Shirley fanning the flames!! We had lots of fire starting practice.

FALL CAMPOREE

Here we are in the Cub Country Tree house after the Trebuchet competition. Senior Patrol Leader; Adam Culley and Assistant Scout Master; Jake Scott.
Kent Morris (moose) in the tree house.

FALL CAMPOREE

Protege of Lord Baden Powell and song leader, Zac McMaster.
Stand clear, heads up, ya never know about these homemade (WMPS) weapons of mass pumpkin destruction.
The one on the right was built by Troop 430 from a valley ward. Lance Simon is their scout master and coincidentally grew up in the First Ward. ala Dick and Terry Simon. The first couple launches almost took out the spectators as the pumkin went straight up and fell back behind the Trebuchet.
MEGA TREBUCHET-This one had diesel truck engine flywheels for the weights. We met the scout that designed it, he is 15 and will be a world class engineer one day.

FALL CAMPOREE

Check out the tans of the Polar Bear Club; Jake Scott and Chris Howell, all ready for an early (7am) swim in Dimond Lake, come on boys, next time you're going with us. We had to reel Jake in, he was going to do laps on the lake, (8 time triathaloner).
Pioneer Kent Morris showing us the tripod lash, followed by the square lash, followed by the diagonal lash.... well maybe.
JOTA-Jamoboree On the Air. We tried to hook up with someone in South America and later the people on the International Space Station as it went over us.
Brother Howell's first attempt at edible dessert; Memphis Molly-Cherries, blue berries, pineapple and walnuts. I'd say it was edible, we didn't have to bury any.

The Cabinets and Lakes.

For fun here are some scenic pics of my trip this weekend.

Hello winter, good bye fall.....Dome Mtn or Die.

This past weekend, I took a short excursion into the Cabinet Wilderness of Western MT with Howard Ashby, my faithful four season backpacking pal. We left Thursday from Spokane and got to the trailhead on Cedar Creek about 5pm. We made it about 3 miles up the trail which starts at 2880 and goes to 7560 on Dome Peak. We hadn't hiked long before we started to get some snow. The wind kicked up and the daylight was virtually gone from the beginning, given we were hiking up a narrow canyon that runs north-south. We had hoped, hikers always hope for more than they can get, but we had hoped to spend the first night at the Lower and maybe the Upper Cedar Lake. The going was tougher and we were later than we wished. We chose to camp along the trail, abeit steep, rocky and heavily timbered everywhere we did find a small flat spot to pitch the tent and build a little fire for something hot before we crawled into our tent. Day two we were on the trail at 8 am and made the lower lake at 10:30. We set up a campsite and headed off to bag Dome Peak. It was breathtaking and the higher we got the more intense the wind and the lower the temps. I had 21 degrees at about 2:30 on top with gusts up to 20mph. The wind chill was dangerously low. We got off the mountain about 4:30 and made a hot dinner of speghetti, read some scripture and fell fast asleep. Sat was another early up and on the trail by 9:30. We had a great adventure and managed to get home in one piece and enjoy the comforts of central heat and indoor plumbing once again.

My take aways:

God's creations are immense and wonderful.
The commandments are my friends.
Enjoy the journey.
Converse with the scriptures.
Pray like a patriach.
Hope ya know we had a (good) hard time.

It's Autumn time, it's Autumn time, the leaves are....

It's official, we fired up the furnace last night, we pulled in the lawn furniture, we cut back the flox, we transplanted a tree, we've tried again to seal out winter with caulk and weather strip, but alas it's coming, but it's been ever so gentle thus far.....dang, I am going to miss all the day light and warm sun.

MY WORK....

HER GLORY......

RUTS, GUTS AND SORE BUTTS

Last week Donn and I drove to McCall Idaho. I went to ride motorcycles in the woods with old and new friends, Donna went to perform a selfless act of service; paint the dinning, living and kitchen areas of David and Michele's Cabin. Here is my story and some pictures.

What a wonderful three days....

Day one, Box Lake and Twenty Mile. 38 miles. The most strenous thing I have done all year was get up and out of Box Lake. Hot Pizza

Day two-Seven Devils Area-Indian Springs Trail, Rapid River, Smith Look Out. The veiws the challenge finding the trail back, the broken bridge, mud bogs, the slippery boardwalks, Black Lake, Zims, ah hot springs, dinner out. 54 miles

Day Three-Lick Creek Summit, the views, Seesch River, South Fork of the Salmon,East Fork of the South Fork, false start, refuel, Krassel Ranger Station, how many switchbacks?,Lunch on Indian Ridge, Phoebe Meadows, The injury, the blessing, the ride down and back. 25 miles

I woke early this morning and decided I had to find the poem quoted by Allen on Indian Ridge.It's written by a man named Doug Mallock and called, Good Timber, but I found the it quoted by Vaughn Featherstone, who spoke at my mother's funeral in 1990. Coincidentally he quotes it relating to an experience he had while on the South Fork of the Salmon near where we were. He also quotes one about touching shoulders and drawing strength that epotomizes some of the benefits of our rendevous this past week.

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=024644f8f206c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=d55e82178cb9b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

It was just perfect, beautiful weather, good food, friends and times.

Chris