Ice Climbing and Northern Lights

Monday morning we got up before the sun did and headed to West Glacier trailhead. We met up with a couple guys from our ward to do some ice climbing on the glacier. Once we made it to the glacier the real adventure began as we put on crampons to trek across the glacier and find a good spot to climb. Chris was able to borrow a pair of ice climbing boots in his size with matching crampons, but I was too small to fit any of the men's gear. Instead I borrowed a pair of one-size-fits-all adjustable crampons that worked fairly well. They occasionally fell off my hiking boots, only making me realize how utterly useless my naked boots were against the slick glacier ice.

We both LOVED ice climbing! It was so fun to use the ice axes to get up a wall of ice.  The hardest part of the day was crossing the glacier to find a spot to climb - it's nerve wracking to trek around huge crevasses and bottomless moulins (like glacial storm-drains that flow to the terminus of the glacier) while holding an ice ax to self-arrest if you were to slip and fall (something I'm really good at even when there's not ice). All-in-all it was a fantastic day, and we are so grateful for the Tingey brothers for bringing us along on this adventure.

Tuesday morning was a different type of adventure as we spent the morning babysitting little Liesel - Ben and Camille's perfect baby girl. We had fun talking her on a walk, making her giggle, and just watching how cute she is. However, the best part was probably how Chris willingly volunteered to change her diaper!

On Wednesday there was a high chance of the Northern Lights coming out to dance, so we went on a late night hike up to the John Muir Cabin. Ben let Chris borrow his tripod and nice camera again (thanks Ben) and Lady Aurora did not disappoint. We've seen the northern lights several times now, but the show this evening put everything else to shame. Even though some of these pictures are out of focus, we figured they were all worth sharing just to give you a glimpse at how much the lights changed and danced throughout the night.

It started out pretty quiet....

 Then it grew stronger...

And before we knew it we had a fast-moving, color-changing light show that could rival any rock concert!

As it died down long ribbons of light pulsed across the starry night sky.

And before we knew it the show was over. The warm cabin called our numb toes and freezing noses in for a good night's rest. 

An Alaskan sunrise from the front porch (the only kind Chris will watch, because it's late enough he doesn't have to wake up early). 

All weekend I worked downtown for a conference ACSA (my downtown job) was putting on. Chris took advantage of me being gone on Saturday to have a "man date" with Ben and take more pictures.

Long exposure at Amalga Harbor

Remember to pray and remember to play,

Mr. & Mrs. Andrew

Mendenhall Ice Caves

Dani and I needed our hiking fix this week, so we scrambled out to the glacier via West Glacier Trail on Wednesday. The route was pretty icy but our trekking poles were lifesavers. When we did this trail in May it was considerably warmer and although the ice was beautiful in the sun, the ice caves were smaller and we didn't feel like going too deep because of their unstable condition in the summer heat. The glacier is constantly changing and moving, so new ice structures form all the time. When we went out there this week we discovered that a small stream had burrowed a cavern into the glacier. The ceiling of ice was relatively thin, so the entire tunnel was illuminated by the sunlight above. While it's not wise to lounge around down there for extended periods of time, we were able to dart in and snap some pretty rad pictures.

Opening of the ice cave

Cirque formed by the glacier

Saturday morning my buddy Ben and I went back (we left at 4:30am so I could be back to work by 2). I've been wanting to learn more about photography, and Ben was kind enough to bring his equipment and let me borrow a camera to get some experience with something other than my camera phone. I learned a lot from him and we got some sweet photos! Most of the ones shown here are courtesy of the professional. This time we brought crampons, so before we went down into the cave we trekked around on top of the glacier as the sun rose. It was incredible!

Should I be on the cover of Nat Geo or what???

The blue tunnel seemed to stretch on forever

On Sunday we enjoyed dinner with our friends the Fields. It was great to be with them and spend some quality time with our furry buddy, Fynn. With our plane tickets purchased it's becoming more and more real that we won't live in Alaska forever, and Dani and I agree that the thing we'll miss the most is the friends we've made up here and our fantastic ward family.

Cabin Fever

The National Forest Service is really great here in Alaska. They have cabins located throughout the state that are very cheap to rent for a night, and free to use during the day. We've played at a few of these cabins during the day, but decided that it was time to hike out to one and spend the night. This was probably one of our greatest ideas, and we only wish we would have started taking advantage of these cabins sooner. We hiked a rocky and wet 5 1/2 miles out to Eagle Glacier Cabin on Wednesday and were greeted with the most spectacular view of the glacier, the glacier's river, and looming snow-capped mountains. The cabin's front porch overlooked this natural beauty, and the inside of the cabin was clean and cozy.

Fall hiking here is the best.

The BIGGEST mushroom we've ever seen.

 The cabin was equipped with a propane heater (fuel included), a wood-burning stove, table, cupboards, bunks, and our favorite part--a loft with a window overlooking the lake and glacier. The deck was spacious and there was a secluded outhouse not far from the cabin.

Our original intentions had been to keep hiking and exploring around once we got to the cabin, but we were so taken aback by the splendor of our new front yard that we opted for a lazy evening and hung our hammock up on the front porch. (For all those of you who wish we lived closer, the truth is we still aren't out of the mushy-gushy, loveyou-loveyoumore newlywed stage. As much as we love hiking, cuddling is sometimes better. You're welcome for moving away so we don't have to subject you to this).

Eagle Glacier and the lake in front of the cabin

Close-up of Eagle Glacier

After dinner we thought it would be fun to play some card games, as we found cards in a cupboard next to the logbook. We lit some candles for light and sat down to play. It didn't take long to realize neither of us could remember a how to play a card game with just two people! Maybe we should stop avoiding invites to "game-nights" as if they were the plague...

The warm cabin would have provided us with a perfect night's rest if it hadn't been for the loud scratching-clawing noise. We were sleeping in the loft and not long after we cuddled up we heard this loud scratching sound. Chris swore it was "just a mouse munching on insulation inside the walls" (cause that is comforting), but I wasn't half convinced it was as small as a tiny innocent mouse. It for sure was a large family of mice that were about to break through the wall and storm us, or a huge rat with rabies that was seconds away from eating through the wall and running into our sleeping bags, or perhaps it was a brain-eating zombie who had been trapped inside and was hungry and ready to get out. Whatever IT was, it was not just a mouse, and you can bet I did not sleep well that night, in between the noise and the nightmares of what was really scratching at the wall. 

However, the morning light was breathtaking, and our hike out was even better than the hike in. The trailhead was pretty far out the road, and without a car we weren't certain how we were going to get back to work in time. Luckily our thumbs and smiles were nice enough that our hitchhiking attempts worked, and a rad guy named Dylan picked us up. He was headed towards the local campus, so he wasn't able to get us all the way home but he got us far enough that we could walk home with plenty of time before work. When we walked past Auke Lake we were greeted with an amazing rainbow in the sky. All in all it was a 99% perfect trip (rabid rats and zombie not included).

Reflections.

On Friday night we saw the northern lights for the first time! The nights are finally getting dark, and it was clear enough for Lady Aurora to shine through. They were too faint to pick up without a fancy camera, so unfortunately we don't have any pictures for you. But we have a full winter ahead to continually search the skies for these majestic lights, and hopefully will one night have colors bright enough that even our amateur cameras can bring some pretty pictures your way.

We loved watching General Conference on Saturday and Sunday. Luckily with the time zone difference we were able to watch all of it live except for the last 15 minutes of Saturday afternoon due to work. We even upheld the Andrew family tradition of hoagie sandwiches, chips, and grapes for lunch! But more important than our full stomachs was being able to hear the testimonies of the three new apostles and have it confirmed through the Spirit that they are indeed called of God. Every General Conference weekend is full of the Spirit, but there was definitely something special this time. I don't think either of us can pick a favorite talk, as there were just too many to love. The speakers were very relevant with all that is going on in the world today, and we thank the Lord for the guidance he is giving us through these troubled times.

Remember to pray and remember to play,

Mr. & Mrs. Andrew

Mendenhall Glacier Kayaking

Our friends, the Wellings, were kind enough to once again let us borrow their kayak on our day off this week. It was a shorter day on the water than the day we went sea kayaking, because we paddled the Mendenhall Lake up to the glacier--and the water was freezing! However, the frozen fingers were worth the views as we were able to get close to the face of the glacier as well as it's many icebergs. Paddling around here is a new experience for us--our inner riverguides are used to being able to set our paddles down and still float downstream on the river. Sadly, that's not how it works on a lake. But the good news is paddling on still water builds character and muscle all while letting you take in views you couldn't see any other way! The deep blue and white shades of the glacier and icebergs are stunning against the gray silty water and the low rain clouds. The trees on the banks of the lake are exploding into fiery reds and yellows indicating that fall is already upon us.

An iceberg window

Other than that it was a pretty slow week filled with lots of work (both of us), schoolwork (Chris), and playing in the kitchen (me). We've felt the need to temporarily eliminate sugar from our diet (for REAL this time - ending with a permanent and significant decrease of sugar intake for the future), and eat more whole foods as opposed to processed foods that are so conveniently sold in a price range that targets broke college kids like us. It's hard to believe how much sugar is in so many things until you read the ingredients on the labels (for clarification, we know there is natural sugars in fruit, and we are still eating fruit). As part of the change we've had to become creative with our food, because heck, it's not a doughnut so we need more than some gross kiefer to keep us satisfied!

Remember to pray and remember to play (and eat),

Mr. & Mrs. Andrew

Observation Peak

It's a good thing Chris is normally focused on school, because when he isn't we almost get too ambitious with our adventures. This week was full of trails, mountains, and sore legs.

Monday morning we had the chance to bike out to Herbert Glacier. This was a beautiful wooded trail and was just hilly enough to make biking fun. We enjoyed getting splattered by some mud, and loved seeing the glacier at the end of the trail. (Chris's edit: we wanted to see some wildlife, but Dani screamed so loud down the hills we only saw a porcupine. Haha!) (Dani's edit on Chris's edit: everybody knows things are more fun when you scream - this is taught in Roller Coasters 101 and applies to many other facets of life as well.)

Herbert Glacier

On Tuesday we went to Glacier Gardens - the local botanical gardens. We were taken on a short golf cart ride through the woods, and saw some really beautiful flowers. The owners put a lot of work into the planting and care of their plants, and we couldn't help but think how much Grandma and Grandpa Andrew would love to see this place. Their specialty is finding fallen hemlock trees and putting them upside-down in the earth with their roots splayed out in the air, so they can plant flowers on top. Pretty neat.

Wednesday was our big adventure of the week. It was forecasted to be a perfectly sunny day, so we planned a big loop on some mountain ridges near Juneau. We started with the Blackerby Ridge, summited Cairn Peak, descended and summited Observation Peak, descended again and traversed the Salmon Ridge, and then joined the Granite Creek Basin trail at the top of the Mount Juneau Ridge and hiked into town. We fell in love with hiking ridgelines on this trail -- it was awesome to hike in the rainforest, ascend through the alpine, scramble to the top of two peaks, and be able to see endless mountains and glaciers in every direction. We couldn't have asked for better weather either. These are the same mountains that most times we can't see the tops of through the clouds for days on end. It was 16 miles, over 9,000 feet of elevation gain and loss, and coming down Observation Peak was the scariest descent I've ever experienced in my life. This trail was beautiful but it was not for the faint of heart.

Started at the north trailhead, up Blackerby ridge, west up Cairn and Observation, south across the Salmon ridge,
zig-zagged on the Mt. Juneau ridge, and then dropped down into Granite Creek Basin.

Hiking into the alpine

Cairn Peak is on the far left, and Observation is just to it's right.

Cairn Peak overlooking Douglas Island, the channel, and beyond.

Lemon Creek Glacier between Cairn and Observation Peak.

At the top of the world! Elevation 4610 ft

Mountains as far as the eye can see.

The descent from Observation - this facial expression says it all, this was NOT our favorite part

Granite Creek Basin

Huckleberries

Thursday and Friday we stayed home and cuddled, not because Blackerby Ridge took it out of us (this is a half truth), but because the harsh rains and winds definitely necessitated such activities.

On Saturday Chris had the opportunity to go fishing with the rescheduled Elder's Quorum trip. The bishop's boat was leaving early enough in the morning that Chris would get back in time for work. He had a great time on the water, and though he didn't get lucky enough to catch a halibut he did catch some Coho salmon.

Sunday evening we had our friends Ben and Camille over for dinner. We cooked up the fish that Chris had caught the day prior and it was great just talking to them! They are surely friends cut from the same mold as us, and we love getting together with them because of all we have in common.

Since it was the fifth Sunday this month we had the opportunity to go to a combined adult class instead of sitting with our nine year olds during Sharing Time this week. The counselors in the bishopric gave an amazing lesson on the importance of marriage and family, and highlighted the relationship that a husband and wife have. I am so grateful to have a husband who loves our Heavenly Father and me completely. The sealing powers of the temple are real. But so is the adversity of life. I know that when we stay rooted in the Gospel of Christ that we can overcome all challenges. We can love deeper and we can be the light that we all want to see in the world. I know that when a family prioritizes church attendance, personal and family scripture study and prayer, and Family Home Evening they will be blessed.

Remember to pray and remember to play,

Mr. & Mrs. Andrew