conversation

a discourse between mountains

odyssey.

across the foamy heads of breakers
through alders
along roads ground to gravel
by ice fleeing a late Spring
into the company
of creatures better suited for water than land
and strangers offering parentage and brotherhood
to the wanderer
lost and found
at home in the world

health.

-Emerson

Ho Hey.

Miss singing this on the porch with you.

routine.

this time last week I was catching a ride to Homer. 

now I'm back to the grind. 

working hard but thankful for my sweet time away. 

routine is essential.

Denali

Picture a patagonia-clad chick and a hairy Scotsman in a flannel, being sent to Army basic training on a beautiful day in Heaven, and you'll get pretty close to our trip in Denali.
I could walk you through each spongy step over the tundra, every curve of a canyon wall, and each mangy bear we laid eyes on but you'd probably get bored (and I definitely would). Instead, here are the highlights:
-the smell of primrose and lemon balm on our first hike up mt Margaret
-the wind whipping our tent so that it sounded like an opening kite on a spring day
-being two of the few lucky people that see the mountain clearly.
-losing an iPod and getting over it because birds sing all night in Alaska.
-getting swallowed by tangled brush
-a charging caribou who changed his mind
-crossing a river that Alaskans call a creek and filling up our boots with 45* water.
-coming upon another tent 8 miles into the deep wilderness that has no trails.
- dreaming that the portal to Heaven is right through that clearing
-hearing the man from the other tent scream his head off at midnight
-seeing a white grizzly in the backcountry
-looking for grayling and reading proverbs on a stream bank
-running from a thunder storm with 45 lbs on our backs
-being offered a free ride to anchorage
-having somewhere familiar to stay with new friends when we got there.
Denali was awesome

Seldovia

Dear Seldovia,

I'm still not over ya.

We took the Rainbow Tour to the most amazing little town.

Kisska was the pup on board. We spent two hours petting her while we looked at the sea otters and puffin. 

We walked to the local book shop & grabbed a cup of coffee.

After coffee & cookies we hiked up to the reservoir to go fly-fishing.

Enjoying the town on our way up. Sweet scenery, kids riding their bikes, & adorable men with yellow rain jackets & boots washing their cars. 

It was a perfect day. 

Halibut Cove

A couple of days ago we went to Halibut Cove with Mike (the stud in the plaid) (I just realized we are all wearing plaid....He's the one that's not us).

We took Matt Byrd's boat across Kachemak Bay. (Who is Matt Byrd you ask? Another awesome dude who lives in Homer & lets people use his stuff for free. True to form.)

On the way across the Bay we saw about a hundred otters, some eagles, & a big island/rock where tons of gulls and puffins nest. It smelled crisp.

When we got to Halibut Cove we pulled into what I would basically compare to an ocean cul de sac--cute little houses surrounding a big cove of water, with a boardwalk connecting everything. 

Founded right after WWII, the Cove was homesteaded by three or four families and is now in its third or fourth generation (we actually brushed shoulders with Clem, the patriarch of the town!). 

During the winter, no more than 20 or so people from those families, plus a few hermit artists, live in the Cove, & during Summer the number of residents may only be 120. 

We had food and libations at the Saltry, the only restaurant, and then wandered around talking to locals & taking pictures. 

We hiked up to the top of the cove & sat over looking the town & the water. We were overwhelmed with humility & so thankful.

If you ever get the chance to visit this part of Alaska, Halibut Cove is cuter than anything ever, more unique than Cinque Terra, & only a boat-ride away from Homer.

Homer: The Beach Cottage

 

 

 

Starting from where we left off a couple of days ago…

The moment we snapped the computer shut, this dude that looked exactly like Bear Grylls came into the kitchen at the hostel and started making himself some cereal. We said hello and he responded very warmly in a British accent. If that wasn’t cool enough, we asked him what he had been doing in Alaska and he told us he had summited Denali…extremely cool! Both a little star-struck, we walked to get some sausage biscuits and coffee at a little restaurant down the street, and then walked to the expressway, where we expected to get a ride to Homer. Turns out Homer is 210 miles (or so) from Anchorage and we had been kidding ourselves, so we managed to finagle our way onto a van-shuttle (on which we were entertained by the ex-logger Gary, the homeless cowboy/veteran/pothead Mike, the two Goths Sarah and Kayla, and the British sailor woman who knew, literally, everything).  Our driver stopped to smoke a lot, so we didn’t pull into Homer until 8:30 pm, but Mike (a friend of Bekah’s ) was waiting for us with a big ol’ box of Alaskan Amber. Amazing.

Mike, in his infinite hospitality, had hooked up an awesome connection and we have spent the last two days sleeping at this amazing beach cabin that is only accessible by 4-wheeler. We got to hang out with a family called the Weatherly’s, who were inspiring, a lot of fun (so much so that we’re already matchmaking the two dudes with our friends!), and a huge blessing for our first few days in Alaska. As I type, we are sitting in Mike’s yurt waiting for him to finish getting ready so we can go to church with him. Rumor has it we’re going out on a boat after that. Alaska is “cool.”

Bumper Sticker in Homer:

“We’re here because we’re not all there!”