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SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner SponsorAug 24, 2006

Boohoo . . . our vacation is over, but I do miss my pets!  Our last day was spent with a trip to Portage to visit another glacier.  I'll say it again - those things really fascinate me.  We were greeted at the Portage Lake visitor's center by no less than an almost life-sized Smokey the Bear.  Next shows our tour boat which was a lot bigger than our first tour boat.  As you can tell, it was another cool, cloudy, misty, and WINDY day.  We were on the lake going to the glacier when I took the next photo.  The waterfall is a result of ice melting at the top of the mountain.  The next photos show the awesome Portage Glacier.  Some trivia about the glaciers . . . they are retreating at a rate of about 3 to 4 feet A DAY because of global warming.  Big chunks of ice fall off the front of the ice mass - a process called "calving" (why, I don't know).  These chunks form ice bergs in front of the glacier (see the last photo).  As you all know, only 10% of the ice berg shows above the water . . . the rest is a huge mass below.  All the glaciers have a beautiful blue color caused by reflected light of compacted snowflakes (what the glacier is composed of) - a river of ice.  Note the large crevasses.  Our hosts told us that not too long ago, a tourist was walking on Portage . . . yep, in nicer weather, people are allowed to walk on it . . . when a crevasse opened up suddenly right below him and he was literally swallowed.  How awful!  For a change of pace - on to the animals!  Read the next two posts, as I didn't start a new thread.  Thanks.

SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner SponsorAug 24, 2006

On our way back to Anchorage, we stopped at the Alaska Wildlife Preservation Center.  Oh joy . . . what fun that was!  In order of appearance:  bison, black tailed deer, carabou, coyote (with magpie friends), adorable black and brown bear cubs, black bears, and my favorites . . . brown (grizzley) bears.  I also got photos of foxes, an eagle, porcupine, elk, and moose but these aren't as good because the fence wire shows.

SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner SponsorAug 24, 2006

Alaska afterthoughts.  On one day we went to the Anchorage Museum of Arts where I didn't get any photos.  But, we took a fascinating tour showing the history of Alaska from when the Russians first discovered it to the present.  The exhibits were life-sized, three dimensional vignettes and showed an accurate portrayal of life and events during this whole span of time.  Our entire trip will be a never-forgotten experience and I recommend Alaska be added to the top of your list of places to visit, if at all possible.  Thanks for taking time to look at my photos and read my ramblings.  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Tami E Aug 24, 2006

Thanks for taking the time to share the beautiful photos and "ramblings"! What a wonderful experience! Now I really want to go!

shantell Aug 24, 2006

Oh SueAnn I'm so glad you shared your vacation with us homebodies.  Your photos are wonderful and it's almost like being there with you...almost!!!   

doodlebears Celebration AmbassadorAug 24, 2006

Wow what great pictures Sue Ann. The report was so interesting. I doubt that I will ever get to experience a holiday like this so thank you so much for sharing yours with us. I love the animal pictures and as for the big grizzly , he is awesome, I wonder what he was thinking!
Thanks again Sue Ann, I bet this was one holiday you will never forget.

Hugs Jane.           

fredbear Aug 24, 2006

A place I have always wanted to visit and will still do so. Thank you for sharing all you wonderfull experiences.

Lynette

patsylakebears Aug 24, 2006

Sue Anne thank you I have lived the holiday through your eyes. The photo's are fantastic and you made it all so intresting to read.. Once again thank you.

Eileen Aug 24, 2006

Sue Ann, your photos are breathtaking--thanks so much for sharing with us! :hug:

:crackup: Calving? Named by someone who had never given birth, I'd say. :crackup:

Now I'm going to have to read up on glacier lore to find out if whoever coined that term was also a dairy farmer!

Those bears are wonderful--you didn't manage to smuggle out just one little cub, did you?

Jodi Falk Aug 24, 2006

Thanks for taking the time to share your vacation with me.... well Us !!! Tee Hee !!! :crackup:  Some times I forget I am not the only one looking :crackup:  But OH HOW WONDERFUL it all looked. Have a safe trip home.

                                                                 Jodi Falk

rufnut Aug 24, 2006

Thanks for sharing your trip with us Sue Ann, glad you had a great time,  it is definitely on my holiday list of destinations now, huhhhhh maybe one day.  :hug:

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorAug 24, 2006

It looks to have been just a gorgeous, peaceful vacation, Sue Ann.  Thank you SO MUCH for the great picture posts and your informative and funny write ups.

bearlysane Aug 24, 2006

Hi Sue Ann,

Haven't had time to read everyone's posts, but enjoyed your photos and commentary immensely...some of your  :photo: are so beautiful, they could have been taken by a professional photographer. Love the one of the wolf.

Sounds like you had a great time...and yes, Alaska is already on my list of places to visit!

Glad you're back safe and sound.

Big Hugs,

kassiebears Aug 25, 2006

Hi Sue Ann, 

I have read and followed your wonderful trip. I have to confess I was unable to post on any of them, because I was touched to tears. The reason for this is because I was so very very home sick I could not stop getting teary eyed. I hope you don’t mind if I share an little about were I come from.

Alaska is very close to my home were all my family lives. I have visited Alaska many times. The Yukon Canada - North West Territories is the neighbor Territory of Alaska and that is were my family is. Alaska and the Yukon are like twin sisters in the beauty and fastness of the country. When I would go to Alaska I never felt like I left the Yukon at all it felt just like home. In it’s beauty and the wonderful people that lived there. In Alaska, I met many friends and we would call each other neighbors. I have many of those friends still today.

I lived just outside Whitehorse Yukon, about 45 miles in a place called Marshlake for over 15 years. I love it there and miss everything about it. Even thro I keep in touch with my family almost everyday. I long to go home.

I miss them very much, but I really long to go, fishing, spending days in the woods camping and riding my horse. I miss the magnificent wildlife and the many encounters I had, with bears, moose, beaver, eagles, lynx’s and so on. And the fishing!!! Oh my. I truly miss my Yukon pike in the morning over a camp fire with fresh coffee. That is the best tasting fish I have ever had, and I have had many kinds of fish. It is the best tasting white flaky fish – really ladies. It just melts in your month. I better stop talking about that or we will be on a plane right now. I keep telling my husband he has to take this ¼ breed Indian home. LOL

I have had so many advantages there.  The many hours I spend in the wilderness allowed me to experience things and had many animal encounters that people that know me, tell to write and share with others. So that is what I have done write down some of my adventures. I will share one with you all.

Short version of - The Den of Cubs – story I am writing.

I would go into the bush (wilderness) looking for a  animal that I wanted to photograph. This one time it was bears I was looking for.  I found a bear den and just had to investigate. The den hole went down  into the ground at about a 45 degree angle. It was not very big like a cave entrance, but big enough for a good size bear to get threw. I had some rope with me, so being a smart bush woman, I tired my one foot and tired the other end to a near by tree. I then – with camera in hand started down the hole head first.

I did have a little pocket light with me – never go in the bush without one. Anyway, after some crawling and wiggling I manage to get down far enough to get a good look. It was steep in some places so I had to be care. I heard sounds like babies crying. So, I stopped moving to listen, sure enough I could hear the cubs. They do sound like babies, so cute.
So a little further and further. I finally came to the opening at the bottom of the den and there was two baby cubs. The opening was like someone dig it out with a very big spoon and the cubs were save in this spoon shaped den, from being able to climb out. It was too far of a drop to the bottom floor for me to get down without jumping down in this spoon shaped den, but it was also not a good idea if I was unable to get back out. Even with my rope, I did not feel it would be a good idea. These were grizzle cubs and that explained the deep drop. She must be a big girl. I am only 4’ 11” and the drop was about 8 to 9 feet from the tunnel I was sitting in and the floor below, so you can just imagine why it was a long drop for me. It was almost a hole another me in height and then some to get down in there.

So, I talked to the bear cubs for a few seconds and then took my camera from around my neck and started taking pictures. They started crying more at this point and that was not a good thing if Momma was close by. So, a few more quick photos and prepared for the climb out. I put the camera away and turned around in the tunnel to climb back out. It was steep so I used the rope to pull myself up the steep tunnel. Oh, just to let you know, it was not so nice smelling in there, dusty, damp, and  no fresh air.  So, I was glad to be going back up. The climb up went much faster than coming down because I knew what to expect and just went on up.

Now, back up on top I decided to move fast and get my horse and get out of there. I could smell bear very strongly. I leant from many years in the bush what bears smelled like and was very good at smelling bears, just like them if you get them down wind you’ll know it. So, me and my horse Destiny went home.

When I got back home I was so excited to get the picture developed. You must understand that these cubs have never been in the outside world as yet. The sow bear would not take them up the den yet because they were too little. So, you can just imagine how small they were. I would say about the size a month ½ old lab pup if that. Adorable just does not describe how I felt looking at these beautiful cubs.

So, I can not tell you how disappointed I was when my son and I took the photos in to get them developed. They were so black that you could not even make out the cubs at all. I was so disappointed. I wanted to go back and try again, but my husband at that time was very worried and decided he would ask me very nicely not to do this one again. He was a very understanding man and knew the kind of woman I was and did not ask very often.
So, I agreed. My son asked many times if I was going to try again. I had to laugh, even my son knew me better. LOL But, I never did go back to the den of cubs.

I want to thank you Sue Ann for your report it filled my heart and filled my eyes with tears in the wonderful manner of remembering my home and all that I love.  :hug:  :hug:

Thank you for allowing me to share a little of the life I have lived and love.

Hugs Kassie

SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner SponsorAug 25, 2006

Oh my goodness, Kassie . . . I certainly didn't want to make you cry, my friend, but if my vacation tour reminded you of good times, then it can't be a bad thing.  Wow, you DID have an adventure!  I would have been totally afraid that mommy bear would show up as I was trying to get back out!  What a bummer that the pics didn't turn out . . . not enough light, I guess.  Can you not visit your home/family sometime soon?  I would certainly be homesick, too, if I hadn't been back to my roots in a long time.   :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:   

Thanks to all of you who have posted responses to the Alaska trip . . . I hope it was serious eye candy for you.  The scenery was just breathtaking.  There is so much to do up there, that we didn't scratch the surface, but what we did was seriously wonderful.  Mt. McKinley (the highest point in North America) would've been wonderful to visit, but it's a long trip from Anchorage and we probably wouldn't have been able to see much of the mountain due to the weather we had.  Alaska is a very special place and I know you believe that, Kassie!

Terrie Aug 25, 2006

Thankyou so much SueAnn. I have thourally enjoyed your trip and the awesome pictures that you have taken.
Kassie that is an amazing story, it is too bad that the pictures didn't turn out but you will never forget how they should have looked.
We went to the Yukon the first year that we were married (28 years ago) and just loved it! We spend most of our time around Dawson City and were fascinated with the gold rush history as well as the scenery. We do plan on going back someday.

kassiebears Aug 25, 2006

Oh no Sue Ann dear friend, you did not make me cry. Your vacation tour reminded of goods times and that is a very good thing.  The teary eyes were just part of wonderful feelings of remembering.
I believe in balance - laughing and tears in life are a very good thing.

:hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Alaska is a very special place and I know you believe that, Kassie!

Yes I do Sue Ann. 
and any of you have to change to go - do go you will fall in love.

Hi Terrie,

thank you it was nice to able to share it with everyone. I have many many more. I was very lucky to be able to do some of things I did in my life. My kids when they got older call me crazy and my partner at the time usually looked the other way. 
that a is wonderful you got to go. Wow, 28 years ago would have be a pretty wild time up there. they were still drinking on the street then. Well, really when I got there they were too. LOL Dawson City is a wonderful place. Did you have your toe?  :crackup: I never had mine, just could not do it. Very gross! Did you get to go to Yellowknife or Whitehorse? I even made it to the North Pole. It was wonderful and very different way of life up there. Very cold. They do not have any plastic on there trucks etc. when you start getting further north. The reason is because the temperatures get so low the plastic just breaks into little pieces.
I saw my first polar bear and that was amazing to see them walk the ice. I learnt some Inuit and learnt how to make moccasins. It was wonderful.
You should go again. It would be really nice if we ended going up at the same time. We could go fishing together. Way cool!   :hug:

hugs kassie

Bonnie Aug 25, 2006

Thanks so much Sue Ann for taking the time to share your vacation with us. (Awesome photos! You are a great photographer.) It has truly been a treat.  I have an Aunt and Uncle who live in Homer Alaska. They and my parents homesteaded there over 50 years ago. I think there was very little there at the time. Just the wildlife and Inuits. Although my parents only stayed a few years my Aunt and Uncle have made their life there. I would love to go sometime. It's an incredible place and I've enjoyed the virtual visit!

Kassie, my heart goes out to you. I know what it is like to long for a place far a way. I hope you get to go back soon.
For goodness sake stay out of grizzly dens though!! Yikes! I knew it you got out okay (since you lived to tell the story) but still, my heart was in my throat while reading about it!! Whew!

hugs,

Carolyn Green Aug 25, 2006

Thanks so much SueAnn, for sharing your wonderful photos and holiday trip with us all.
You must have had a wonderful time and how lucky you were to see all the wonderful animals at the Wildlife Park.
The brown grizzly bear was so cute.

Also the Portage Glacier is amazing -aren't they neat.
We went to the Fox Glacier and the Franz Joseph Glacier ( they are down the South Island) when I was young and I
still remember that colour of a  beautiful bluey green of the ice caves, We walked around on it on a tour and it was great.

Hugs
Carolyn

Dilu Aug 25, 2006

Wonderful live reporting Sue Ann,

I so appreciate it.  It was the one last place I really really wanted to go but know I shalln't now, however, your reporting made me almost feel like I was there....except that its 100 degrees here today... :crackup:

You did a really gret job!  Thank you!

gollyhugs

dilu