Forums
Alaska Climate Variation

Peggy,

Are you ready for your expedition? What have you done to prepare? Southcentral Alaska is my favorite part of Alaska and I am really excited to see your photos and hear about what you are doing! Kristin

Thu, 07/12/2007 - 12:26

Peggy Foletta

Kristin, thanks for asking how my preparations are going. I have a lot of gear and clothing to take with me and I'm getting closer to being ready every day. Check out my latest journal to see what I have been doing (and to see who will be going on the expedition with me). I have not visited south central Alaska so I am looking forward to spending time in the mountain and lake region. I have seen breath-taking photos of the area and I'm also excited about helping with the research. I will be flying to Anchorage a week before my expedition with my husband for a vacation and to see the area. If you have any recommendations on what we should see, I would appreciate you passing them on!
I hope you and everyone who is reading this will follow the "Alaska Climate Variation" expedition with researcher Darrell Kaufman, graduate student Caleb Schiff, and a few others. We head out July 27th, so check back again soon!
Peggy

Fri, 07/13/2007 - 14:04

Kristin Timm

Good to hear you are ready to go! I will check out your journal right after this. Places to go... If you have a week it is a good idea to either pick north or south. If you go north you can go to Denali and there is a lot going on there, hiking, rafting, bus rides into the park, etc. However, there is not a lot around Denali or along the drive there. If you go south there is a lot more to do and places to visit along the roads you travel. If you go south from Anchorage you go down the Seward Highway with Chugach State Park on the left and Turnagain arm on the right. Girwood is a nice community with a tram ride to the top of the mountain- great to do if it is clear. There are also hiking trails ALL OVER the Girdwood, Portage, and the Kenai Penninsula. Past Girdwood, you can go to Portage Glacier where there is a great visitor center and very helpful people, some of who know me (i used to work there)... but you will have to talk to the people at the visitor center about where to go from there- because I have wrote too much already! Have fun!Kristin

Sat, 07/14/2007 - 13:41

Peggy Foletta

Kristen, thanks for the suggestions! I would love to go both north and south, but you have many good suggestions for going south down the Seward Highway, I think that is the direction we will go. I hope we get a clear day or two! The Girwood tram ride sounds like a wonderful adventure. If I get a chance to stop by the visitor center I'll say hello to your former colleagues! Just a few days before I head north! I'm psyched!Peggy

Mon, 07/23/2007 - 11:45

Kristin Timm

Hi Peggy, How has your vacation been? What have you seen and done? I heard the weather down there has been beautiful lately.
Kristin

Mon, 07/23/2007 - 23:49

Peggy Foletta

Today we drove south from Anchorage to Seward (about 140 miles), went to the Alaska Sea Life Center, took photos of the fabulous vistas, and had dinner before we headed back. Many of the fish and mammals located there are also found on the coast of central California where I live, but the highlights for me were the salmon exhibit and the colorful tufted puffins. On out way there we drove around in Girdwood and took photos. What gorgeous views we had of Eagle Glacier. We did not have time to go up the tram, unfortunately. The "ghost forest" near the water of the Turnagain Arm at Girdwood was eerily photogenic. This location dropped 10 feet during the 1964 8.4 magnitude earthquake and sea water infiltrated the land and killed the trees, many of which still stand there lifeless and surrounded by wispy beautiful grasses.
We have been to the the Alaska Native Heritage Center, the Alaska Zoo, the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum, and Ship Creek to view the salmon run. We even had a chance to spend some time at the World Eskimo Indian Olympics! You will see this in my journal soon!
Peggy

Wed, 07/25/2007 - 09:02

Kristin Timm

Sounds like you had a great time! Thats awesome. I'm excited to see the journal entry!Kristin