Trip 3, August
Part 2FridayOur resort was located just outside Chugach National Forest, which encompasses the northernmost rainforest on the planet. Today we were off just a few miles down the road, to ATV inside the national forest. Everyone got fitted out for gear and some quick ATVing instruction, and off we went.
Since we were in a rainforest, there wasn't much in the way of views - but there were more than enough ruts, mud, and giant puddles to ensure that we had an epic time:
We came across a black bear, but he moved out of there mighty fast so all I got was his bottomus:
Once back at the hotel and after a good shower, we headed to our restaurant for a massive lunch-slash-toamehu. My chefs had prepared a massive buffet-style spread, and everyone ate themselves silly.
This far north Shabbos does not come in till nearly 10pm, so there was still plenty of time for one more activity - and it was a doozy. One of the quintessential Alaskan activities is dog sledding, but that is typically only possible in the winter. Sure - plenty of companies offer summer "dog sledding", but that's basically a bunch of dogs pulling a wheeled wagon across a forest trail. Not exactly a dog sledding experience...
What if, instead, we went to where there was still snow in August and went dog sledding there? All we would need is a high-altitude glacier, a helicopter to get us there, and we'd be all set!
No sooner said than done...
We were about 25 people, so we took three choppers and did a couple of runs. The first batch preparing to take off:
The flight is beyond stunning. For most of the group it was their first time in a helicopter, which added to the excitement as well. We departed from Girdwood airport right below the resort and headed up the valley:
A few minutes of steady climbing brought us to an entirely different alpine world...
...and into the realm of the glaciers:
Our destination, Punchbowl Glacier:
Landed!
Chopper #2...
And #3:
So what are the dogs doing here on the glacier in the first place? The answer is the Iditarod,
one of the greatest races on earth. The Seavey family holds the record for the most wins (8)
and the fastest win, and this is their summer training ground. You don't win dog sled races if your dogs klutz around all summer long, so the entire operation gets transported to the top of the mountain and the training continues apace. While they're up here, they offer tours to subsidize their expenses.
The overall scene is pretty surreal. You have one of the most ancient means of transport along with one of the most modern, in the middle of a completely unhospitable wilderness. The vibe is just completely bonkers and quite frankly a contender for the most fun I've ever had in Alaska:
We split into a couple of groups, some people riding the dog sleds while the others played with the friendliest dogs ever:
Second batch:
Always up for a snowball fight in August:
Dog sledding sledding is extremely exhilarating. The dogs are completely silent while pulling, and their power is astonishing. You're just gliding smoothly along the glacier, the only sound being the scrap of the runners on the odd patch of ice:
Taking a break:
Group shot:
The plan was for me to be the first one on the glacier, and the last one off. But as the second-to-last chopper was preparing to lift off, the pilot radioed the Seavey hut that they need a quote "big guy" for weight and balance. So off I was hustled to a waiting chopper, rotors spinning and practically hovering an inch off the ice. It literally felt like the last chopper out of Saigon.
The door was shut and we lifted off instantly:
Getting lower:
There's our hotel:
Here's a video of the full flight - I don't know who's having more fun, the pilot or the guys:
As the pilot is preparing to take off for the last pickup, I'm like "hey, what happened to weight and balance"? He burst out laughing and told me to hop in.
Not so fast though... there's a guy running towards the chopper, a couple of pizza pies in his hands. He drops them in my lap and tells me to give it to the "guys up on the ice". So that's how I found myself delivering hot pizza, by helicopter, to a glacier. Not a sentence I expected to make any sense before.
I guess I work Uber Eats now, crazy edition:
Grabbed the final group, flew down to the hotel, and off it was for Shabbos prep.
To be continued...