That's what my friend Kelly calls it when she's getting tired of the blistering cold, depressing dark Alaskan winters...she says "I'm having one of those Alaskan days". I couldn't really relate until this week. I think it's because we were in the upper 30s/lower 40s last week and it resembled the break-up (The "Break-up" is what Alaskans call our version of spring; since there's a LOT of snow and ice to melt, it's usually disgusting, wet, and dirty for a couple months before everything dries out in May and the city cleans up for tourists to enjoy our beautiful summer) but now we have reverted back to cold cold cold 20s. I thought the break-up was coming early this year, meaning an early summer, etc. but it doesn't look like I'm that lucky.
In any case, today I was especially bitter at how long our winter lasts and how I was SO ready to be camping, 4-wheeling, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, whale watching, and anything else I can't do right now.
Well, I was driving up on the eastside moutains in subdivisions taking comparable photos for one of Jake's appraisals and I was driving on a road that was above the trees, and saw the above view. I immediately pulled over and had to take a picture; which is something I rarely do.
However, it's not everyday that you can see every peak of Mt. McKinley. It doesn't show up as brightly on my picture as it did in real life and everything around it looks brown and nasty, but McKinley was breathtaking.
In any case, it made me realize how lucky I am to live somewhere that may have its drawbacks with six months long of snow and three months where the sun hardly shines, but dangit every now and again even in the gross months I get to see a glimpse of the prettiest mountain ranges I've ever seen. And to think it's three hundred miles north!!!
It at least was enough to hold me over for another month before I start complaining about our long winter again.
4 comments:
I'm tired of winter too!! Especially the dirt and ice everywhere; oh well.
I just finished reading Into Thin Air, the book about Everest, and they made mention of Mt. McKinley several times in it. I found myself quickly becoming fascinated; and here's my real life pic! =) I can't believe that it's 300 miles away....do you think you'll ever climb it?
haha---NO. I love me my short day hikes...but McKinley? That's a little to "Bear Grills" (aka Man Vs. Wild) for my taste. :)
that's why you live in alaska and not me. oh gosh i'd go crazy. great picture though!
Bonnie, ran into you via Lindsay's blog, thought I'd say hi. Check us out at web.mac.com/aksmeds
Good to see you :)
Lisa
Post a Comment