May the uphill slog of 2023 be a downhill sled ride in 2024.
Tag Archives: travel
New schedule, New route
It’s possible, some readers may have noticed, that I have not been much of a contributor to wordpress lately. Life has strange detours, and in the past year I have taken on a new project that seems to devour time like a humpback whale gulping down krill. This reroute of my world has been fairly drastic, and I have not found a way to include blogging in my time management plan.
The flip side of the same coin, is that I have not found a creative way to bring the new project onto these pages. Maybe I will find a path between the two, but so far that is a trail I have not traveled yet.
This blog originally started out as a travel alert when I drove the old Land Rover down to the Yucatan from Alaska’s North Slope. It eventually morphed into a window to Alaska’s cabin life. I’m not sure where it will go from here, but it seems like it will have to morph once again if it is to continue in some fashion.
Some readers have been dropping in to see what the heck is going on between These Circles from the very first mile, and some have been lured in due to the Fat Bear content. Whichever the case may be, I sincerely appreciate the interest, comments and, in general, simply the interaction. After 13-14 years of posts, I felt a proper explanation was warranted. Time will tell where things go from here. I do have one or two ideas to proceed, but I still need to create the time and find something I want to say.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers
P.S. The image came from one of the Alaska Railroad’s social media sites. I included it here because it is one fine image, and because there is no caboose.
Alaska Day
On this date in 1867, the then territory of Alaska was transferred to the United States from the Russian Empire.
The Alaska Territorial Legislature made it a state holiday in 1917.
The official celebration in the state takes place in Sitka, which was the capital of the territory during Russian occupation. Sitka was the location of the official transfer, and Fort Sitka was the site of the flag lowering and raising ceremony.
There is an 11 hour time difference between Sitka, Alaska and St Petersburg, Russia.
Grazer in peak form
Bear 128, also known as Grazer, has won the Fattest Bear crown in Katmai National Park’s annual online contest.
Grazer beat out a very large Chunk in the title round.
Grazer made her first appearance at Brooks Falls as a cub in 2005, and has since grown into a force that even the large male bears will attempt to avoid. Grazer has developed a reputation as a fierce mother, and will launch a preemptive attack against even large males to protect her cubs. A fan favorite on the Bear Cam, Grazer is easily identified by her very blonde, round ears. Grazer has successfully raised two litters of cubs, but this year she was an empty-nester and having to only fend for herself led to a hefty weight gain. Comparing the image from July to that in September, makes you wonder just how many salmon that bear ate.
This is the first Fat Bear Title for Grazer. A record number of votes, 1,382,783 were tallied in this year’s Fat Bear Week.
Fat Bear Week is Back
Fat Bear Week returns to Katmai and Brooks Falls. The bears have all done their part to get as round as possible before hibernation. Snow fell in Fairbanks on Tuesday, so winter is just around the corner.
Voting starts today. Just jump on the link below to portal over to explore.org. There you can vote for your favorite chubby bruin, if you are so inclined.
Chilly Monday
A cold front has moved into Interior Alaska, bringing a full day of rain on Sunday and cool temps on Monday. The soggy Sunday even drove me to light a fire in the wood stove. At 41F degrees, Fairbanks won’t even hit half of where San Antonio will be.
I’m not complaining, but I’m also not ready for that four letter word that starts with an ‘s’.
Juneau Jökulhlaup
Since 2011, outburst floods from the glacial-dammed lake at Suicide Basin have been released into Mendenhall Lake and subsequently the Mendenhall River. The record setting flood of 2016 was at 11.99 feet. Flood stage is at 9′.
That record was broken this weekend, when the flood waters burst from Suicide Basin. The water level crested at 14.97 feet. Several homes along the river had the bank cut out from under them, with at least one collapsing into the rushing current.
It was estimated that water was flowing at 20,900 cubic feet per second down the Mendenhall River.
Otis Returns
Otis returned to Brooks Falls in Katmai on Wednesday. It was the first time he had been seen since last autumn. Otis, the Bear Cam favorite, is believed to be 27 years old. A winner of 4 Fat Bear titles, Otis last won two seasons ago.
Otis is arguably the most skilled fisher-bear in Katmai. His technique is effortless, and he wastes no energy as the old bruin fattens up for another hibernation.
Welcome back Otis. Your fan club has been waiting for you.
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