Our Anchorage Weekend

Traveling to Anchorage from Fairbanks is always an adventure, you just don't know what you will see or who you will run into. Our main purpose for going was for a ward temple trip, and to swing by the church cannery to get some food storage. It is about 400 miles and I don't like to rush it because there are many things to see along the way. Three hours south of Eielson you reach Denali National Park and Reserve. Most of the attractions are closed because there is at least a foot of snow on the ground, although the park remains open year-round for intrepid hikers who wish to pack it in. We stopped at the parks kennel for sled-dog teams. The dogs had just returned from mushing around the park so they were there for us to say hi to. They had about 20 dogs all in their own little dog houses chained to posts in the yard. They are accustomed to the climate and seemed quite comfortable and welcomed our petting and rubs (see picture). An hour or so more down the road you enter a large plain with mountains on both sides. This is where you will often encounter wildlife such as caribou and elk. We found some licking the salt off the roads and stopped to take their picture.
Shortly thereafter we found a Ford Explorer in distress as he had pulled a little too far off the road and was tilted a little too far into the snow to get himself back out. This was my chance to show Toyota power, but I didn't have a cable, and my truck is so light I was afraid I would just spin my wheels and look silly. A couple minutes later a full-sized Chevy drove by and saw our predicament. He came back and pulled out his steel cables and had the Ford back on the road in about 90 seconds. So I guess the Chevy wins, and I'm not going to be on any Toyota commercials any time soon. Oh well.
On Thursday I wanted to check out the only really legitimate ski resort in the state. Alyeska. It lies a little south of Anchorage past the Turnagain Arm nestled in a small canyon. It was just alright. There were only 3 lifts, the terrain was all quite steep, and the snow crusty. But the views from the top were impressive. It didn't compare to the Rocky Mountains which are still my favorite.
My friend Jeremy flew his 2-seater Cessna down from Fairbanks so on Friday we met him and helped him find his rental car. We did a session in the temple Friday and then in the Evening went on a goose-hunt for the Cannery. It is in Palmer, which translates to the middle of nowhere. Rural Alaska is very dark. There aren't many streetlights, and directions get hazy. To sum up, we drove around for a half hour after arriving in Palmer looking for a place without a proper address and without signs. That made for a frustrating night, but in the end we came away with a couple hundred pounds of goods, so mission accomplished.
Saturday we spent some more time in the temple. Our ward had a surprisingly good turnout. There were many families that made the trek. We drove home yesterday and caravaned with a few folks from our ward. We stopped at the standard Mt McKinley lookout and were very lucky to have a completely clear day where the visibility of the mountain was unhindered. We also stopped for snacks in a little cafe along the roadside. A lot of interesting people and places can be found in the middle of nowhere.
Lucky for me, today is a government holiday, and I don't have to be back at work until tomorrow, allowing me time to unwind. We had a great time and feel lucky to have this time in Alaska.