Good Times

Earlier this year, we decided to move our '89 RV from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to Fairbanks, Alaska.  When we originally purchased the RV from Jeff's parents, we planned to use it to tour the lower 48 states (yup, that's how we Alaskans refer to the rest of the states, excluding our wintering grounds, Hawaii).  Two kids later and half the household income, we decided it would be better used up here traveling Alaska.

My mom and dad with their grand kids.

Jeff, the girls, and i were going to take a family vacation and drive the RV up.  As usual, our plans changed as i decided to get a part-time job at the end of March.  My new job meant i could no longer take extended vacations whenever i wanted.  Just as well.  Morgan starts kindergarten this year which would have also put the kibosh on long visits outside Alaska.  Thankfully, my brother, Gene, and dad were able to make the trip with Jeff.

Grandpa with Morgan and Riley.

The guys made it here in record time.  I had expected them to take approximately 7 days to drive the length of the  Alcan.  They left Idaho mid-day on a Monday, swung by Bothell, Washington to pickup my brother and were on the road to Canada the same day.  They were in Fairbanks late Thursday night.  Jeff kept a quick pace and drove most of the way.  Hmm, i wonder if it was because he was stuck with my family.  :)

Dad and Gene were not scheduled to leave for a whole week.  It was great having them both here.  Gene visited us twice since 2008 but only for a couple days at a time.  My dad had never visited before and i worry this may be his only trip so we packed as much touristy activities as we could into the week: Alyeska Pipeline, Santa Claus House, Denali National Park, Salmon Bake (good but sooo not worth the money), Chena Lake, Visitors' Center (highly recommend), shopping downtown, Pioneer Park, UAF museum, and Chena Hot Springs.

Chena Hot Springs Ice Hotel

 My favorite places to visit when we have out of town guests are the Visitors' Center, Santa Claus House, and Chena Hot Springs.  We went shopping downtown looking for souvenirs, visited the Yukon Quest Store, walked along the Chena, checked out the WWII Memorial, and ended at the Visitors' Center.  The Visitors' Center is free and they have done an excellent job of capturing life in Fairbanks.  I love going to the Santa Claus House because the Santa there has known my daughter Morgan since she was 18 months old.  Whenever we go to Santa Claus House, Santa always picks her out of a crowd and says her name.  The hots springs is a great stop anytime of the year.  When heading out to the hot springs, it is nice to stop at Angel Rocks for a quick 3.5 mile hike and then head to the springs to check out the ice hotel and go for a dip.  I personally don't care to take dip during the summer as it is too hot.  Winter visits are the best.

I am thankful my family was able to come up for a visit in so many ways.  My dad had the opportunity to see the life we have carved out for ourselves here in Alaska.  I got to have both my parents together for the first time in over 15 years.  My best memory though will be seeing the both of my parents side by side with my girls, their grandchildren.  I will cherish that moment.  Thanks mom and dad.

Oh and if you are reading this Gene....uh, i cherish you, too.  :)

Pre Chilkoot Trail Ramblings

My day started at 4am with only two to two and half hours of sleep.  I showered as it may be my last shower for the next week and packed my hotel pack for the trip. The bulk of my gear is with the other Chilkoot Chicks who left Thursday.  My mom and Morgan were going to drive me to the airport. I went to wake up Morgan who had stayed awake most of the night waiting for me to return from work.  She did not wake up on my first attempt. I thought about letting her sleep but I knew she would be very upset if she did not see me off. I have to admit, I wanted to hold my beautiful tantrum proned little girl one more time. She awoke on my second attempt but so did Riley. I pulled my two year old into my arms and she snuggled close. My heart felt like it was breaking. A few tears escape, I did not want to say good-bye to my girls.  I drive us to the airport. Morgan is wide-eyed and Riley is snuggling her blanket with her thumb in her mouth. She is fast asleep. Everyone stays in the van but me as I have my first flight to catch.  I hug Morgan close and make her promise to be good for dad and grandma. My voice cracks and another tear escapes. Morgan is near tears so i muster a smile and tell her I love her. I promise to send her a post card and Skype her before I hit the trail.  Riley wakes so I close Morgan's door and head over to Riley's to say bye.    Riley cries and I cry. I also tell her I love her and will be home soon. I tuck her blanket around her. It soothes her.  I ask my mom to take good care of my girls and with a quick last goodbye I shut the door and head into the airport. I don't dare look back.  My eyes are filled with unshed tears. 

Forgive any grammar or spelling errors. This is typed on my iPhone. It looks like I won't be able to post photos till I return home. Look for them to be added at a later date.

Chilkoot Trail - Pre Hike Post

Early last year an idea was bounced around a little moms group about a backpacking trip...possibly the Chilkoot Trail a thirty some odd hike from Skagway, Alaska to somewhere over in Canada.  At least that is what i remember when a couple of the moms asked if i was interested in going on the trip.  Having never hiked more than 5 miles (excluding Military) in one day, let alone hiking daily over the course of a week, and not having any backpacking experience or gear, i immediately said, "Yes, count me in".

Wickersham Dome with Sadie and Sarah, Sept 2011.

Scenic Wickersham Dome, Sept 2011.

Mud Boardwalk Wickersham, Sept 2011

Wickersham Dome with Bobbi
(fellow Chilkoot Chick), June 2012.

Once i made the decision, i started hiking as often as i could during the summer of 2011.  I did not have a backpack yet but it did not stop me from using my little day pack and adding approximately 20lbs of weight.  I hiked Wickersham Dome, Angel Rock to Chena Hot Springs, and my usual Thursday night fun hikes with the local hiking club.  I planned on maintaining my training throughout the winter by purchasing snow shoes (outings with the hiking club) and skis (outings with my biking club, Ladies of Leisure).  The snow shoes did not get used but i did go skiing and even took Morgan out a few times. I also played hockey and went on a very strict diet to drop my post pregnancy weight.  I figured i would rather carry the weight in my pack and not on my body.  I am very proud to say i dropped 40lbs and have kept it off for almost 4 months. Only time will tell if i can maintain it, especially once the big hike is behind me.

Angel Rock/Chena Hot Springs Hike, Sept 2011.

Scenic Angel Rock/Chena Hot Springs Hike, Sept 2011.

Once the weather warmed and the snow melted, myself, Bobbi, and Amanda, three of the four Chilkoot Chicks, started a rigurous hiking schedule.  We hiked twice a week, usually Thursday evening for a couple hours (mostly with the hiking club on their Thursday fun hikes) and Saturdays for longer excursions.  For the most part, we hiked together (with the exception of our fourth person, Blythe (Bobbi's sister), who lived in Anchorage, six hours away.  Blythe did make a trip to Fairbanks.  We did have a small hike, minus Amanda,  on the Angle Rock Loop.  A nice hike but we did get caught in a freak rain storm which freaked out the two little ones (Bobbi's boys, ages 1 and 4).  Luckily, it did not last long and we continued on our hike.

My last hike before i leave on my trip was Angel Rock and the trail to Chena Hot Springs.  I had planned to stop hiking about a week before my Chilkoot trip but the local hiking group was doing this hike and i really wanted to join it.  Why...last year, we lost the trail and it took a fellow hiker ~20min to find it again.  I really enjoyed the hike but because of this issue, i wanted to wait to hike it with someone that new the trails.  It was a great day with the hiking club.  I had no problems following the trail.  8.5 miles later, i was sitting at the hot springs enjoying a cold draft of Alaskan Amber followed by a very hot dip in the springs.  A great final hike before the big trip.

Chilkoot Chicks (Amanda, Bobbi, and Loda)
somewhere in the woods, June 2012

Today is Thursday, July 5th.  I picked Blythe up at the airport and took her to Bobbi's house to rendezvous with our hiking group.  We are doing a final check of gear, divvying up the community gear (tents, stoves, first aid, bear spray, and the like), and swapping snacks.  We each bought a box of trail bars or the like for the trip split with the group.  It makes me feel like i am in grade school again.  We load Amanda's Subaru with our four backpacks, post hike packs (which we will leave at the post hike hotel), and their miscellaneous gear they will need for the drive down.  We take a couple of fun photos and say our goodbyes to Bobbi's family and each other.  Or rather, "see you soons", as i we will  rendezvous  again in Skagway this Saturday.

Packing for the Great Adventure, July 5, 2012.

The three ladies are driving to Haines and then taking the fast ferry to Skagway.  I will be flying out early Saturday morning to Juneau and then hopping another flight to Skagway.  I should arrive a couple hours before the ladies, meeting them at the fairy to grab my gear and carry our post trip packs.  Once the hike has concluded, Blythe will head off into the sunset with her man, Dustin.  I will be joining Amanda and Bobbi on the drive back home.  I am hoping to do the drive in one day as Jeff leaves the next day for Idaho to pick up our RV.  The RV is another future post....or many future posts with my dad and brother, Gene, joining Jeff on his adventure.  Not to mention, we will still have a whole month left of summer to take the RV out for a spin.

See you in Skagway Ladies, July 5, 2012.

Happy 4th of July - 2012

The Fourth of July is one of the few holidays where both Jeff and i are off at the same time.  It also happens to fall on a Wednesday so we get a mid-week break from our busy work schedule to enjoy family time.  We did not have a whole lot planned for the day.  I just wanted to stay close to home, enjoy some great food, and create some new and wonderful memories.

The day started off pretty great.  We all slept in till almost 8am.  That is a true feat in our house. I am the early riser, up for work anywhere between 4:45 and 6 am.  Yikes, i know.  Jeff usually has to get the kids off to daycare or my work so he is usually up around 6:30 with the kids following close behind.  Luckily, Grandma is visiting until September so the kids can sleep in most days.  Of course, Riley still has daycare once a week so she has to be up early on that one day.

But, I digress.  The day started off pretty great with sleeping in and then feasting on thick slices of smoked bacon and raspberry cream cheese stuffed french toast with a smidgen of lemon curd and real maple syrup.  Yum.  Somebody must love their family very much or have severe cravings to make such splendid dishes.  I admit, it was a little bit of both.  The kids were not overly fond of the french toast but could eat an entire plate of bacon if we let them.  Jeff must have liked it as he had seconds.  This is very rare, indeed.  Its not that i am bad cook, far from it.  Jeff is just particular and he happened to LOVE (dare i say) my dish this day.  It was not grandma's favorite but she polished off her food.  I will say i LOVED my breakfast, too.  I had two helpings of french toast drenched in real maple syrup and three helpings of bacon.  Hey, its Independence Day and i will soon be on the Chilkoot Trail without such grand fare (but that's a whole different post) so why not be a little glutinous.

Unfortunately, the day soured fast.  I guess Morgan did not wake up on the right side of bed so she was banished to our room for a mid-morning nap.  She slept for quite a few hours and was in a much better mood when she awoke.  Riley headed to North Pole with her dad to check out the North Pole parade and pick up propane for the grill.  The parade is quite small but Santa does make an appearance every year which is always a treat.  I was busy packing my backpack for the Chilkoot Trail, i have mentioned it yet (ah, that's another post entirely).  I leave Saturday.  Can't wait. Woo hoo.

Once Jeff returned home, he busied himself with making our 4th of July dinner:

BBQ Pork Ribs, Marinated Beef Ribs, Potato Salad, Baked Beans, Whipped Lemon Cheesecake, Corn on the cob, and Deviled Eggs
Okay, dinner is a little misleading.  It was yet another feast in the Griffeth household.  Everything was tasty...well, except the beans as Jeff put too much brown sugar in them.  Jeff made deviled eggs out of 4 eggs which would be eight deviled eggs.  By the time the family sat down for dinner, there was only one on the plate after each person except myself at the table took one and placed it on their plate.  That means three were missing.  I thought for sure Jeff had been nibbling prior to dinner but oh no, it was not him.  Riley polished off 5 deviled eggs, three before dinner began and two more while we sat at the table.  Crazy.

After dinner, i finished packing the rest of my stuff while grandma cleaned the kitchen. Jeff took the girls outside to finish off the fireworks we had been storing since New Years Eve. Grandma and i eventually headed outside to watch the fun. The girls enjoyed the mini show and the sparklers afterwards. A nice end to a wonderful day.




Happy Fourth of July everyone.