8 and Counting

Scored some bling at dinner tonight---a new jacket with the 8 countries we have a presence in embroidered into the back.

Springtime in the Andes

View from the base camp

Original Coca-Cola

What miners drink the evening before ascending to 4500 meters! No vino tonight :(

Pimping my Ride for Tonight

The ground support team is readying my ride to the Southern Hemisphere for my friend John and I

Dog Days of August

Somewhere under the clouds lies Little Rock, Arkansas as seen from 34,000 feet. Growing up in the Southeast these storms were an almost daily occurrence during the summers.

Doing a little redefining of the term "deep south" as I go to visit my friends in Chile in the upcoming week!

Move-in Day for UTM Mom!

Dropped of her "little" boy at college today!

Felix Pedro-the Man behind the Gold Rush

Literally just a small rest area well off the beaten path outside of Fairbanks is the monument for the man who got the gold rush going in the Fairbanks area just over 100 years ago.  There also seems to be a larger than normal ratio of pizza restaurants-to-population in the Fairbanks area :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Pedro

Hometown Wood Carvings

Just in case someone didn't realize where they were, a few of the locals---a bear and two eagles, will help out.

McKinley and some friends

First clear day of the week was a good one!

Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude...

Heading back to the Lower 48 today....

Bastion of the Right Wing Commercialization

Anyone wondering where I've been lately would have little trouble guessing from the reading materials on the shelf of a local retailer :)

Now all we need is a Flying Squirrel

Never saw a moose but there is a lot of wilderness to hide in---especially with hunting season opening up in a couple weeks!

Year Round Transportation Style

While the main mode of non-auto transportation appears to be mostly bicycles, an occasional sidewalk skier slides by. I'm assuming that once the snow hits that actual cross-country style skis replace the wheeled versions.

I knew I was close....

Guess I'll stop in to see the big guy and place an order for a couple of presents for Christmas. Any other requests? :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Pole,_Alaska

Sharing the catch with friends

After you dip you can share the catch with friends :)

Dipping Net

One of the summer outdoor activities here in Alaska is dipping for salmon.....which you need a BIG dip net for!

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

To the man who taught me that real men can wear flower necklaces and not look silly :)  Have a great day!!!

Mini Moose

One of my first impressions of our 49th state is that small cars are something of a novelty......

Extended Twilight

While not quite the midnight sun of a few weeks back, there pretty much is no night in Fairbanks right now.

Twin Cities Characters

Changing planes in the Twin Cities on my way to see my friends in Fairbanks, AK. As with most modern airports, plenty of shopping, restaurants and selected art that represents something in the nearby communities.