Girdwood. Mt Alyeska, winner creek trail

Great Discovery!

I might have discovered the best downhill skating this week!
It was totally amazing!! Flattop to Seward Highway!! The steepest grade.. and out of the world scenery!! I think it was the wildest (or one of the wildest) trips in my life. It is definitely way up on my list of best dowhills in the world!! Any which way I took down was a total thrill! Glen Alps, Huffman, Hillside, O Manley Rd..
I skated down.. then hitchhiked back up.. and did it again.. I kept on doing it over and over!! It was loads of fun!! Thank G-d for a great week and Sunshine!! I truely appreciated the sun that day!!

Alaskan compositions..

דרכך ה' הודיעני ארחותיך למדני

הדרכיני באמתך ולמדני

כי אתה אלקי ישעי

אותך קויתי כל היום


הסתרת פניך הייתךי נבהל
אליך ה' אקרא ואל ה' אתחנן

מה בצע בדמי ברדתי אל שחת
היודך עפר היגיד אמתך

extreme denali. i am a loser.

I lost my gear not once but twice this week backcountry camping in Denali National Park..

It was pouring rain.. the entire week - non stop.. I got rained on.. and had no food for three days..

I depended on the blueberries I picked for survival. they were yummy.. but I needed food.. After a few days of backcountry hiking/camping in such harsh conditions..I had no choice but to leave Denali.. I was cold, totally wet and starving.

The first time I lost my gear was on the first day. I had started my day early. I took the 6:30 am camper bus to Kantishna.. The bus which took me all across the park.. I had a permit for camping @ unit 34 between Toklat and WonderLake.. I had just gotten off the bus and was really exciting about exploring the park. So I left all my stuff - tent, my bear canister w/ all food for the week inside, sleeping bag and backpack and figured I'll come back to set up camp later on after hiking and scouting the area.. I was wrong.. I couldn't find it when I got back.. The area all looked the same. Green bushes.. It was getting dark and the rain was pouring heavily!! For hours I was searching for it.. there were no other campers in site either.. There were supposed to be two other campers within that area that night.. but saw them hiking out of the park earlier that day. They met bears in that area and decided to leave..

My clothing was now sopping wet. I wasn't dressed warm enough to make it..I hiked out to the road.. I met a wonderful park ranger..and we went out to search for my gear again.. We finally found it.. I was so tired and wet and just wanted to go to bed. I left my bear canister there.. making sure it is away from where I was going to camp not to attract the bears.. I hiked some more.. set up my tent and went right to sleep..



In the morning, I woke up to another rainy day.. I was hungry so went out to look for my bear canister but couldn't find it.. went back to my tent.. again went on a search and hike.. and so on for the next three days. The bear canister w/ the food was too well hidden from the bears.. I myself couldn't find it.. and I was starving.. the cold, rain, and my hiking made me even hungrier..

I was all curled up in my wet sleeping bag.. shivering.. my tent filled with deep puddles of rain.. I was miserable.. and was thinking about writing it up in my blog.. Hey, this is totally crazy. Here I am almost dying of hypothermia and I think about blogging?? I decided not to write about it.. but now I am here. I B"H survived.. and as thanks to Hakodosh Baruch Hu I recall His greatness and miracles..
אם אלך בקרב צרה תחייני (c alaska)

ואני אשיר עוזך וארנן בבקר חסדיך כי הייתי משגב לי ומנוס צר לי עזי אליך אזמרה כי אלוקים משגבי אלוקי חסדי

וגם עד זקנה ושיבה אלוקים אל תעזבני עד אגיד זרעך לדור לכל יבוא גבורתך (c panama)

Chena hot springs was well appreciated afterwards..
I left the park.. hit the road.. I thought it would be some time until I get to the hot springs. Thank G-d I got a ride all the way to the hot springs! It was wonderful..



Soaking in the hot springs after hiking in cold wet Denail..It was so nice!! but the pleasure wasn't for too long.. It was pouring rain and on the road back to Anchorage.. I and all my stuff got even more wet.. At last Shabbos יום מנוחה was coming. I got to wash and dry out all my stuff and Shabbos was nice and warm..

avraham avinu and sara imeinu in alaska

They are the most wonderful couple. Welcoming everyone to their home in the most friendly and generous way. Shabbos was so much fun and meaningful w/ all the delicious food, great company and guest they had around.. and great environment..
Thank You for such beautiful Shabbatot in Alaksa!!

i lost something really precious

my siddur. it fell off exit glacier..
The siddur that traveled with me over the entire globe. It almost made it to Mt Mckinley..
I got it from my dear brother as a birthday gift years ago. He was like 6 years old.. He would save up to buy me gifts for my birthday and anyday! It was so sweet of him! I love him!

livengood

some highlights of my Alaskan Adventure

F - where's the major in pa - Penn state so there I go .. got rained out no food..
S - broke down when saw microphones - vehaishiv lev avos
- rocked myself to sleep on the swing
- havdallah ice tea lovely flowers
- nice motzash jam on highway waiting for ride.. composed two songs.. like the stars in the sky.. tzemach..
S - ride with band on tour all the way to Chicago
M - Minnesota minehaha falls pikes island Minnesota river morning hike.. so refreshing
crossed border to Canada
midnight skate to Winnipeg.. fun fun. what a great way to destress from the border control troubles..
started raining - slept under overpass..
T - Alberta jumping jacks, nimbo on highway, stacked up tent backpacking .. I am getting better and better at it.. I keep on stacking them up higher..
rosh chodesh hallel treats chocolate soy milk, banana granola bars, blueberries and cherries!!!
W - rv camper: liard hot spring rancheri falls
T - Yukon: Breathtaking skated on Alaskan Highway
swimming in the river.. it was freezing.. but so refreshing..



F - Kuani Lake to Anchorage Beautiful Alaska - skated on glen highway
S - Anchorage what a small world met our exterminator in Brooklyn
S - native American with cutest white granddaughter champion of snow mobile rive crossing picking up his snowmobile at the Yukon river driving on the section of road he built. Slept near Yukon river - raining
M - hunters for caribou all the way to Prudhoe bay
- crossed Arctic circle
- walking my way down south on Dalton highway
T - Marion creek waterfall found hat
W - Fairbanks - university of Alaska supercomputer painting 3D sound light installation
T - Tisha B'av read kinus and piyutim.. scaled huge salmon for Shabbos .. library.. broke fast on delicious Alaskan smoked salmon.. and delicious lasangne Bracha made. First bite of milchig in two weeks.
F - Coastal Trail Goose Lake chester creek AMAZING!
S - Another beautiful Shabbos with Ruenen and Bracha! They are the most amazing couple. Bracha makes the most delicious challah I have ever had.
S - Skated from Anchorage down South to Seward! Wow!! Passed the Salmon viewing.. and headed South. Beautiful views!!
- 26 Glacier Cruise (Majestic) - Whittier Prince William Sound
- Portage Pass. Thank G-d no bears! I was ringing those bells! Didn't stop. One of my favorite spots
M - got a ferry ride to Valdez
- best breakfast mixed grains, honey oats crunch, dried strawberries with chocolate almond milk and bananas. yummy!
- skated down Thompson Pass
- bridal veil and horsetrail falls!
- filled myself with blueberries I picked
- hiked around thompson pass (you can actually walk on the glacier)and blueberry lake.
- thinking of going to homer, seward but saw beautiful mountains and headed there! I am glad I did - McCarthy!! The largest national park St Wrangler Ellias
T - Root Glacier!!
W - Homer (got a ride in a limousine)
I am good. A bit hungry. I need to find a supermarket. I am sick of granola bars and berries to keep me going. I'll probably get an avocado and veggies. What I really want is to catch a salmon and grill it over a fire. Maybe it will happen today. I am @ one of the best fishing places in the world. (12:00 am update - I just came back from my visit all around Homer and Homer spit on my blades. I don't really want to do that - kill the fish. I had instead a good salad I made. I hoped the farmers market would have some fresh produce but they didn't. So I used safeway..)
Homer is absolutely stunning! great smooth biking paths.. and the views are amazing! I had a lovely nap @ the belugna lake - warming up by the mid-day sun
T - Exit Glacier!!!!
F- Seward

deadly mushrooms...

They are deadly... or make you feel like you wish you were dead..
but I didn't eat them..
I just picked them.. enjoyed their smell and thought how nice it would be to try them.. but I didn't.. ( I wasn't going to - my Israel mushroom Hadassah experience was enough..)
so why was I feeling so sick?

(at least I didn't need to make the couple in the rv giving me a ride, to stop on the road for me to vomit.. B"H a couple of hours later I felt fine and ate my Seudat Hamafseket - blue tortilla chips and yummy vanilla soy milk..(funny - I am just reminding myself that I actually got a ride somewhere in the US the previous week from a farmer/artist/musician growing organic blue corn for these chips and organic soy beans..)