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.

Early Summer Fun at Chena Lake

May was a glorious month.  It was a warm and sunny month.  The snow melted quickly and we were itching for some summer fun.  I am not much of a beach bum but the girls love to play in the water and sand so we decided to hit Chena Lake.  During the summer, it is a great rec area with a playground, piers for fishing, nice size lake for boating and swimming.  We are at the lake at least 3-4 times a month fishing and beaching bumming.  This year, i think we may try out a boat rental, hit the biking trails (Morgan got a bike for her 5th birthday), and kiting (a gift from her preschool teacher, Ms. Bouschard).  

While the days may have been warm, the water was still quite chilly.  Morgan and Riley enjoyed wading through the water and building sand castles with moats.  I enjoyed reading a book, taking photos, and just watching them have fun.  A couple of the days, we were joined by friends. Below are some of my favorite photos from a few outings to the lake.  Morgan is such a fun and photogenic kid.  I love taking photos of her.

Play dates with friends are even better when it is at the lake.  I loved how Lillie's little hind end was covered in sand.

 Riley sporting her beach body and a smile.

The girls first fishing trip over Memorial Day weekend, which happened to also be my birthday weekend.  Happy 38th Birthday to me.  I wanted to do something fun with the family so we went fishing with the girls.  Wouldn't you know it...once the poles were in the water, it started to rain.  We stayed less than an hour as we did not see a single fish in the water.  No one was catching fish that day.  

The Ice Breakers

Morgan played soccer last year as an arctic kicker.  The age group (U5) was broken up into two four-week sessions.  They were in need of coaches so i volunteered with the stipulation that i would need a co-coach or assistant coach to help out as i did not know anything about soccer.

Morgan and her friend, Caiden, hydrating
between plays.

I had a great first session with 8 wonderful kids and my co-coach Jennifer.  We both had girls on the team and we both knew nothing about soccer.  Funny, we were so worried about it that we watched videos on soccer and met weekly to figure out what we would cover in our weekly practices.  Jennifer and i were a great team which made coaching fun and easy.

And the kids....Logan was the youngest on the team.  He would always make these sour puss faces whenever someone had the ball. It did not matter if it was another team or fellow teammate.  My favorite memory of him was when he stopped in the middle of a game to look at a flower.  It reminded me of the book Ferdinand.  Avalon who was very shy.  Keira, Jennifer's daughter, was a great soccer player with those long legs.  I remember her running up to me and hugging me so very tight like we had known each other forever instead of just a few short weeks.  Anna, with her long, dark pig tails, would look for fellow girl teammates so she could hold their hands and play rather than score goals.  I had to separate her and Morgan many times because all they would do is hold hands and skip.  Levi was probably our best player.  I had him work on his team skills by having him try to pass the ball at least once before scoring a goal.  

The Ice Breakers: Taylor or Tatar Tot, Jett, Caiden, Morgan, Lilly,
Quinton, and Madison.

The second session was not as easy.  The parents were not as helpful and i did not have the same connection to the kids this time around as i did in the first session.  I also missed my co-coach.  Jennifer's daughter decided she did not want to play soccer second session so there was no need for her to coach.  After second session, i was ready to be done with coaching for the season and future seasons.

Riley and Jeff watching the
Ice Breakers.

Summer 2012.  Morgan decided to give soccer another shot.  I also signed her up for soccer camp, in hopes that it would give her a stronger start this season, and that she might fall in love with it.  I was also hoping a parent would step up and coach  the team.  I waited and waited.  I almost relented a few times when i read the FYSA emails about coach shortages and how my daughter's team still did not have a coach.  I was too busy to coach and i did my duty last year.  Surely another parent with more time and, possibly, soccer knowledge would step up.  The day before Morgan's first game, i signed up as coach and picked up gear.  I should have just signed up weeks ago rather than fight it.  Now i was struggling to contact parents, issue gear, find a practice field, come up with a practice schedule, figure out snacks,  and other coach craziness.  

Our first game was Wednesday, May 30th.  This was the first time the kids, coach, and parents had met.  That first game was magical.  The kids ran around that field like they had known each other and played like all-stars.  I don't know if the Refs keep score but i am sure if they had, we would have won the game.  I hope the first game is a sign of good a season ahead for the Ice Breakers and my coaching them.  

What have i learned so far this season.....We have met Caiden previously at swimming and he will be attending school with Morgan at Barnett in the fall.  Yeah!!  He is super lovable and gives the best hugs.  Unlike the rest of the kids that played last year on U5, this is Taylor's first year playing soccer.  You would never know it with the way she handles the soccer ball and scores.  Jett is our all star who is dying to head butt the soccer ball during the game.  He asks to do this at least once a game.  I think he feels i am holding him back from this...he is right.  Lilly is a sweetheart and great helper.  Quinton is great dancer and easily distracted but watch out when he gets that ball, he can run it the length of the field and score.  Madi is another sweetheart and also a top scorer on the team.  As for my sweet Morgan, she runs after the ball but does not always connect with it.  She also has great hair as she is always adjusting that headband of hers.  I also have a co-coach and one that knows how to play soccer.  It is Madi's Aunt Britney.

Coaching is hard and very time consuming.  I am also thinking it just might be worth it.

North Star Ballet Camp 2012

I took Morgan to the North Star Ballet 2011 Spring Gala of Snow White.  Morgan loved the performance so much that i signed her up for their 2011 ballet camp on Snow White.  At 4, this was Morgan's first formal dance lesson and her first camp.  The camp was only three hours a day for five days.  She loved learning her new ballet steps and the choreography, creating her costumes, and playing with other young girls her age.  At the end of the week, the campers put on a small play for their family and friends.

Morgan as, one of many, Snow White.

Morgan, donning the hat she decorated, with one of the ballet instructors.

The following fall, i enrolled Morgan in the North Star Ballet School's Creative Movements Class for 4-5 year old kids.  Morgan has been taking ballet for a year now.  I, once again, took her to the North Star Ballet Spring Gala and signed her up for their camp.  This years gala was on Alice in Wonderland, a phenomenal performance considering it was just a local production.  Due to the dark story line of Alice in Wonderland, they decided to go with Sleeping Beauty for the ballet camp theme this year.

Morgan, as Sleeping Beauty, on the cover of their souvenir book.

Morgan and fellow campers are fairies at the christening of Sleeping Beauty.

Morgan as Sleeping Beauty after she awakens from her deep sleep.

Morgan as a blue bird partying it up at the wedding of the prince and princess.

The best year yet.  Each of the girls got to be play multiple characters in the story of Sleeping Beauty from the fairies that bless the princess with special gifts, to the princess, to the animals that dance through the story.  Luckily, the week Morgan attend three boys also attended.  The boys played the role of prince battling the evil fairy and, eventually, awakening and marrying the princess.  It was decided that a kiss was unnecessary as the battle itself was enough to awaken the princess.  Love it!

5x7 Folded Card

White Border 5x7 folded card

Put your photos on your Christmas cards this holiday.

View the entire collection of cards.

Photography - Motion

Photography class is just a memory these days but i am still going to post my pictures from the class....eventually and definitely not in order.  I am putting a rush on this as my friend Sarah is taking the same class this semester.  Her assignment this week is Motion.  While i don't think these will be of much help to you, it gave me the kick in the pants i needed to finish some of my posts that are sitting in limbo.

Motion -

We had turn in a total of six pictures, two each:  Blur, Stop Motion, and Pan.

1. Blur is when the motion is blurred and the background is static.  These pictures are best achieved with shutter speeds 1/30th or slower.  You will need low light conditions for these types of photos and a camera stand.  
2. Stop Motion is pretty self explanatory.  Your shutter speed has to be fast enough for the action you are trying to stop in a image, at least 1/60th.  You will need good lighting and obvious motion.
3. Pan is a bit of a bugger.  In a proper pan, your subject (for the most part) will be in focus while the background will be blurred.  To do this, you want to move your camera parallel to the motion and at the same relative speed as the action, a very difficult task to be sure.  Your shutter speed should be between 1/10th and 1/30th of a second.  Again, best in dimly lit environments.

Thank goodness for rainy days which by the way we had a lot of this summer.  My little play group and i decided to hit the Glow Putt Alaska for the day and lucky me i had my camera on me as any good photographer would, right.  I had never taken photos like this before.  I had so much fun, i surpassed the cap my instructor put on the number photos we were allowed to take for this assignment. :)

My first three photos are for blur.  I used a chair as a stand for my camera.  The exposures were at least 1.8 or longer.  Notice how the background of each pictures is clear and sharp while the animation is blurred.  In some the pictures, the exposure was long enough that the movement almost appeared ghost like.

For stop motion, i photographed my daughters tball team during their practice and a random photo of water from my gutter filling a rain barrel.

A fellow tballer playing catch with a teammate.

As i said, pan can be very difficult.  I got lucky with the shots below.  In the first photo, I was at a strange angle so the ball and bat were not exactly parallel with my movement.  In the last two photos, Morgan was not moving too fast for me to keep up with my camera.  If you look close, you can see that the background is slightly out of focus while my subject is in focus while running.

Morgan at batting practice.

Morgan running to home plate during a game.

Morgan running to home plate during a game.
She reminds me of Dark Helmet  (Rick Moranis) in Spaceballs.