a hike to flattop peak

Flattop peak is the most climbed peak in this area. it is a short 3 miles, but a good incline and a bit challenging in the snow. but there were many people out yesterday as the weather was sunny and warm (for us anyway) at around 55 degrees. It soon became apparent as we started to climb that this was going to be more of a slide festival than actual hiking, but a really fun time anyway. skiing on shoes is always exciting. this is our documenting shot, Lisa getting ready to go...or to kiss a 1950's movie star, either way.
a shot from the bottom looking back into the valley
down the hill toward Anchorage. it was really hazy, which is too bad because we would have had a perfect shot of Denali, but instead you see Mount Susitna in the background. that one is not bad either, i guess...
..maybe we should have brought snow shoes... 

flattop continued...

view down the valley before you turn uphill toward the peak.
still a lot of snow for the middle of may! This is further up the mountain, on the second saddle of the hike.
i constantly find myself surrounded by interesting people i would consider "true alaskans". this guy climbed up to the very top peak and did a partial ice climb descent. Then he stopped to chat with some skiiers on their way up and they chatted about how great the snow is this year, but how he had put away his skis for the year after a final hiking descent last week and now has his mountain bike all tuned to go...in case you can't tell by the image, this man is at least 65, probably more like 70. a true testament to staying active, staying healthy.
lisa and me at the top...well, mostly the top. we just plain forgot our ice axes! Good hike, good day. even got a little sun! 

the art of light and puppies...second study

 

Random pictures...

Had some pictures in the camera from random events. Here is our first official game of horse shoes in Alaska. Pretty difficult considering we were playing on the grass, but fun, nonetheless.
Ben hit his thumb with a hammer pounding in the stake...he wanted me to take a picture of it
Ben and Lisa trying out for the amazing race...everyone cross your fingers! 

the great canoe trip...

As the spring arrives in this frozen northern tundra, the sleepy isolated people awaken and wander outside. This day marks the first "water" day we have had in Alaska. Our friends Andy and Lisa decided to purchase a kayak and so after much preperation (buy the boat, putting on the roof rack, loading the boat, having lunch, driving around a few lakes trying to figure out how to get in, tromping through mud soaked marsh to enter the water at a crude launch and praying no one fell in as we launched) we calmly entered the glassy surface of Sand Lake around 2:45. The air was warm, but brisk, perfect for a day on the lake. Sun shining, we took the new Brown kayak for its maiden voyage.
We had the great fortune to watch a float plane take off during our time on the water. Here Andy and Lisa are pictured as the plane flies overhead.
Thr girls...
Group shot of the fearless boaters... 

canoe trip continued...

This is one of my favorite shots of the day. We all paddled to the far south of the lake to follow an eagle flying in and around the undergrowth. We trailed slowly behind Andy and Lisa, taking in the day and searching for the illusive magestic creature.
A shot of the Chugach from Sand Lake. Though warm down in Anchorage, the tall looming peaks are still blanketed in snow.
paddle drops in the water...
i am pretty sure i am singing in this image, Lisa took it 

the art of light and puppies...

playing with light and puppies. frame one: kaena looking pensive...
frame two: inquisitive, i think...
frame three: cubby is, in fact, greatly intrigued...
frame four: I call this one "the leaving"... 

Easter 2006

I was able to travel home for easter this year, which was great because it is my favorite holiday! I spent part of the week in the Black Hills with my mom and part on the east side with my dad.
Here is mom, releasing an easter bunny parachute man...naturally. This is just the sort of thing i have come to expect at this little cabin in the woods
This, of course, is one of my favorite easter traditions...Honey bunnies.
Mom delicately forming said easter bunnies...actually they all blew up out of proportion and lost their eyes, many becoming bloated cyclops bunnies, but they still tasted wonderful! 

easter continued...

Well, some of you might not know this about me, but in my life i really have a secret desire to be a professional egg shaker. My mom made that dream come true on Easter morning. This is my first career shot, accompanied by my stepdad, Jon. Wow, dreams do come true!
Everyone at the Easter morning service.
Next on my trip of South Dakota, i went to the east side of the state to see my dad. Looking debonair as ever, i would say...
Aw, father and daughter shot...All in all, it was a great trip home and i had a wonderful time with my family. 

More and more birthdays...

These are more pics from the hockey game, which is explained in the next post, but somehow this got out of sequence, sorry. Anyway, I think this picture is pretty self-explainitory, but for all you at home I'll let you know anyway. This is my friend Andy and for his lovely wife Lisa's birthday, he came out of the closet. No, that is a lie. She actually was not comfortable wearing the fuzzy pink birthday crown at the hockey game. So Andy, being a devoted husband, took one for the team. Don't worry Andy, this won't come back to haunt you..hehehe
Ben and Lisa, enjoying the game, the crown and the $6 beers.
The lovely birthday girl: Lisa with a very heterosexual Andy. I gotta quit you....
The group! Most of these people are from Lisa's work. Yes, that is right folks, this party sponsered by the National Weather Service. 

Another birthday? Oh yes...

For Lisa Brown's birthday, which falls one day after mine on the 11th, we went to an Aces Hockey game. It was a lot of fun, my first hockey game. However, no one told me you could take cowbells and I was without. I definitely needed more cowbell. These are the teams, lining up to start!
At half time they played a game where everyone threw a puck at the center of the ice and if you got right in the middle, you won a lot of money. Pretty entertaining to watch.
Lisa got TWO birthday cakes. Hence the misplaced "Y". Happy Happy!
Our mantle, lit in the splendor of the celebration.