Showing posts with label Kenai Mtns.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kenai Mtns.. Show all posts

23 October 2014

May 2013: A Drive in the Kenai Mountains

Here are just a few photos from a May 2013 drive to the south. (Click for the ooh, ahh factor.)



Heading south out of Anchorage, along the Turnagain Arm.






Halfway to Girdwood, near Bird Point.











Nearing Girdwood, with Alaska's ubiquitous "rear of the RV" view.











High in the Kenai Mountains.










Looking north (on the way back) near Turnagain Pass.

13 September 2014

A Late Spring Drive, in Pictures

From May, 2010:

Here are just a few photos from yesterday's drive to the south. (Click for the ooh, ahh factor.)



Heading east/southeast out of Anchorage, along the Turnagain Arm.






Halfway to Girdwood, near Bird Point.











Nearing Girdwood.










High in the Kenai Mountains.








Another view on the northbound trip.












 Looking north on the way back near Turnagain Pass.

12 June 2011

A Long Way to Go

for lunch, that is.

After driving a few miles north to the UAA campus, where I'll be depositing Younger Daughter each morning this week for a culinary "boot camp", we turned around and drove 90 miles south, to the Summit Lake Lodge.

Highway 1 heading south from Anchorage is much improved from the first time we drove that way, and even that was an improvement over some two decades ago when it was a two-lane blacktop providing the only access to the Kenai Peninsula. It's still the only highway, but these day it's wider and has long passing lanes climbing into the mountains. That's a very good thing, as the numbers of motorhomes, RVs, and trucks pulling large boats continues to increase.

Summit Lake Lodge predates statehood, but that's not hard with a state that's only 51 years old. Built in 1952, it's a log building, with cabins and other amenities along the shore of Summit Lake.


I've posted pictures before, so I won't bore you with the same old same old again. But the food and service are good, and the setting is pretty nice, too.

Heading back to Anchorage, there was a LOT of traffic (I told you it's the only highway), mostly the aforementioned boats and RVs. But the scenery remains among the most spectacular in Alaska, and the drive is over before you know it.


One nice thing that happened: it was low tide along the Turnagain Arm as we drove south. As we came back, we saw the bore tide which presages the incoming tide by about 45 minutes, and the mouth of the Arm was nearly at high tide. We've never seen all three stages in one trip before.

There were several surfers riding the bore tide as it swept east toward Girdwood, but the traffic was too heavy to permit slowing down or stopping to take pics. Sorry 'bout that.

24 July 2010

Another Weekend

The day dawned cloudy & dark; at 7 a.m. it was as gloomy as last night at 11. Since the sun had been up for 90 minutes at that hour, it didn't bode well for our outing. Now at 11 a.m., the clouds are showing thin spots, and small patches of blue show up on occasion. Sad to say that that's an improvement, but 'tis so.

This afternoon, we'll depart for Seward, about 120 miles to the south, along the east coast of the Kenai Peninsula. At 5 p.m., our smallish cruise ship sets out for Fox Island, where we'll be wined & dined before making the return trip.

The drive is along the Turnagain Arm and through the Kenai Mountains down to Seward & Resurrection Bay. Beautiful scenery the entire way; it's tough to take, boys & girls, but we suffer it so you don't have to.

I've published pics of all these places before, but will put up anything that catches my eye, this time 'round.

Y'all stay as cool as you can; it's still only 53 degrees here, and is predicted to go no higher than 59 today.

24 May 2010

An Afternoon's Drive, in Pictures

Here are just a few photos from yesterday's drive to the south. (Click for the ooh, ahh factor.)



Heading south out of Anchorage, along the Turnagain Arm.






Halfway to Girdwood, near Bird Point.











Nearing Girdwood.











High in the Kenai Mountains.










Looking north (on the way back) near Turnagain Pass.

20 April 2010

A Glorious Morning

It's one of those mornings that makes you glad you got out of bed. The sun was up at 6 a.m., and shining in the corner of my eye all the way to work.

The snow-covered mountains gleam in the sunlight, and Denali (Mt. McKinley to you flat-landers) is clearly visible - that's rare.

It's gonna be a nice day.