Weekend in Alyeska
So the famed Gregory and I went to Alyeska - the largest ski resort in Alaska.
Why ever would we do such a silly thing as go to Alaska in the middle of the winter? Excellent query samantha, excellent query.
We went because I love Alaska, we had free freq. flyer flights, I wanted to see the northern lights - and well, I thought it would be interesting. We saw no northern lights, but did ski two days, and saw Alaska's incomparable scenery.
When we arrived on Friday night, there was snow a'fallin. Very nice to have that wintery Alaskan feel right off the bad. Set the mood right well. We decided that this snowfall would make for excellent skiing, and altered our plans for the next day to accommodate this assumption.
Morningtime came, and we headed out for the resort. It was darkish and foggy. The ski areas there have to open a bit later (10:30 am) due to extended dark hours. It wasn't very busy there so we got out tickets (after waiting in a line that should have had 3x as many persons fo rthe time it took) and got on a lift. At least I assume it was a lift. It was too foggy to really tell. In fact the whole day it was pretty much too foggy to see anything more than 2 feet ahead - which made for difficult sk conditions for your hero, Samantha.
We learned this was not typical from a nice fella on the lift. In fact, everyone we talked to was very nice and very chatty - much easier to meet people and strike up an actual conversation - rather then a super duper quickie fake one - the kind we enjoy in the lower 48. I guess when you don't have many people around, you make the best of what you got.
After skiing, we hit the bar and got wine and the worlds largest piece of carrot cake, and fries. We are classy, and no one in the world can contest that simple factarooney. We met a fella from LA in the bar, who we would run into the following morning and ski with. That was one of the rare times, in all my travels, that I met someone who I would actually hang out with, while on the road.
The next day, the fog lifted, but I was tired, perhaps having something to do with the persitant stomach pains I was experiencing. I skied a half day, byt then bailed to take a nap. Gregg and Jack, our new buddy - continued at met me later at the bar in Girdwood.
Monday was our last day there, and we had planned to drive south to Seward, but the skies were cloudy as we traveled south, and I was feeling really tired and weak. We were able to catch an earlier flight and head home midday.
A fun after story: While I was gone someone was borrowing my car - and I just received a letter in the mail from a stop light camera, telling me I ran a red light at 5:22 am on the monday I was in Alaska. I will contest it on account of being 3000 miles away. And maybe me and the nameless perp will both get off the hook.
Why ever would we do such a silly thing as go to Alaska in the middle of the winter? Excellent query samantha, excellent query.
We went because I love Alaska, we had free freq. flyer flights, I wanted to see the northern lights - and well, I thought it would be interesting. We saw no northern lights, but did ski two days, and saw Alaska's incomparable scenery.
When we arrived on Friday night, there was snow a'fallin. Very nice to have that wintery Alaskan feel right off the bad. Set the mood right well. We decided that this snowfall would make for excellent skiing, and altered our plans for the next day to accommodate this assumption.
Morningtime came, and we headed out for the resort. It was darkish and foggy. The ski areas there have to open a bit later (10:30 am) due to extended dark hours. It wasn't very busy there so we got out tickets (after waiting in a line that should have had 3x as many persons fo rthe time it took) and got on a lift. At least I assume it was a lift. It was too foggy to really tell. In fact the whole day it was pretty much too foggy to see anything more than 2 feet ahead - which made for difficult sk conditions for your hero, Samantha.
We learned this was not typical from a nice fella on the lift. In fact, everyone we talked to was very nice and very chatty - much easier to meet people and strike up an actual conversation - rather then a super duper quickie fake one - the kind we enjoy in the lower 48. I guess when you don't have many people around, you make the best of what you got.
After skiing, we hit the bar and got wine and the worlds largest piece of carrot cake, and fries. We are classy, and no one in the world can contest that simple factarooney. We met a fella from LA in the bar, who we would run into the following morning and ski with. That was one of the rare times, in all my travels, that I met someone who I would actually hang out with, while on the road.
The next day, the fog lifted, but I was tired, perhaps having something to do with the persitant stomach pains I was experiencing. I skied a half day, byt then bailed to take a nap. Gregg and Jack, our new buddy - continued at met me later at the bar in Girdwood.
Monday was our last day there, and we had planned to drive south to Seward, but the skies were cloudy as we traveled south, and I was feeling really tired and weak. We were able to catch an earlier flight and head home midday.
A fun after story: While I was gone someone was borrowing my car - and I just received a letter in the mail from a stop light camera, telling me I ran a red light at 5:22 am on the monday I was in Alaska. I will contest it on account of being 3000 miles away. And maybe me and the nameless perp will both get off the hook.
