Alaska Part 3

The last of the Alaska pictures that I will put up:

On our day off - not paddling - we hiked about a mile in to a gold dredge.  There was a self-guided tour that took us all over the boat.  It was cool to see how things were done.  Many of the tools for the operation were left on the boat when mining stopped.
The above picture is the pilot house of the dredge.  Each of these levers did something.  One was for forward another back.  The pilot would stand behind these levers and watch the buckets dig the dirt and mud - and hopefully gold - and carry it to the back part of the dredge where everything was sorted and the gold kept while the rest was deposited out the back.
After our walk to the dredge - and short naps - we took another short walk, this time down the river.  I don't know what this thing is on the bank, but it's not important.
When I was living with Kristen and Sam, my favorite reading material was the book "Outhouses of Alaska."  This was the one at Slavens Roadhouse.  It didn't make it into the book but I think the birches in the foreground make it look picturesque.

That's it of the good Alaska pictures.  I have been pretty busy with the new house and haven't gotten to take many pictures lately.  However, I am hoping to have pictures of the new place soon to add to the blog.

Fall in Alaska

Fall in Alaska.  It comes early there - the end of August.  It was great to see the birches and spruces change from green to yellow on our trip.  These are four pictures from our time spent at Slavens Roadhouse and on our hike to the gold dredge.

At least one more set of pictures to come.  Stay tuned.

Yukon River

The Yukon River in Alaska.  It reminded me of a long lake more than a river.  We floated for about 160 miles from Eagle to Circle - about 5 days on the river with an extra spent at a road house.  Here are some of the pictures.  Don't let them fool you, it was a little chilly and rained a lot.

At the end of the second day, it was rainy, cold, and windy.  As soon as we landed and got the raft unloaded the rain stopped and it started to clear up.  This (below) was the view for dinner that night.  It was a great place to see moose and other wildlife.  Unfortunately, all we saw was a beaver.  Not exactly the big mammal that we were looking for.
The last night was spent on a sandy beach.  Plenty of firewood and marshmallows made the long-lasting sunset fantastic.  The morning was foggy - at least around the campsite.  We delayed our departure hoping that the fog would lift.  When it did not, we set off.  The sky cleared no more than 200 yards down river.
I hope you enjoyed these.  There will be more pictures coming soon.

South Manitou

After a little hiatus, I am back to posting on my blog here are some pictures from a trip to South Manitou that Jenny and I took with Holly and Mike right after camp this summer.  The day started off cloudy and somewhat cold.  However, we hiked to a shipwreck, had lunch, and then came back to climb the lighthouse.  These are two pictures from the top, both looking northeast-ish.

As you can see, the water was a very pretty blue color and the clouds were retreating.  This was my first time to the top of the lighthouse - despite several previous trips to the island.  The structure itself is nothing spectacular, but the view is one of the top two from a lighthouse that I have climbed.
In case you want to see what the lighthouse looks like, here you go.  It doesn't look very imposing from the ground, but the railing doesn't inspire too much confidence when you are up there.
The ferry ride back to the mainland was very pleasant.  Naps were taken in the sunshine.  We had great views of the Crib to and from the island.  It is an impressive lighthouse in its own right - the cormorants love it.
South Manitou Island is one place that everyone who visits northern Michigan should go to at least once.  Camping just one night allows you to explore all of the island.  The National Park Service has done a good job making the area around the dock very welcoming and comfortable.

Summer

I don't think that I will have anytime to post this summer - perhaps when I get some time off.  Please head over to Camp Leelanau/Kohahna website to see what I am up to.