Blog

Oh my gosh, this National Park! Where do I even begin!! Though I visited this park on the coattails of Alaska, my breath was still taken away at every step. It’s hard to not be enamored with this temperate rainforest. These pictures offer more than my words could ever hope for and still it doesn’t compare in the slightest to being there in person.

My best advice: go in a circle. Start in the Southeast or Southwest corner and drive all the way around until your back towards the beginning. My next advice: stop often! There are tons of sites, trails, visitor centers, etc. Use an online source or a trail map to note where they are along the way and hit as many of them as you can.

For my trip, I started in the Southeast corner coming from Centralia, WA. My first stop was Port Angeles for lunch, the nearest town for the first portion of the trip. After that, I hiked Heart O’ The Forest (4.4mi out and back; 850ft elevation gain), skipped Hurricane Ridge because it was closed due to snow, and ended at Lake Crescent. There I saw Marymere Falls (1.5mi loop if done alone) en route to a sunset hike up the very steep Mt. Storm King (5.3mi out and back; 2,300ft elevation gain; roughly 2hrs to the top).

The following morning I continued traveling west. In the NW corner of the park, at the Pacific Ocean, are the town and beach Forks and La Push– both made famous by The Twilight Saga. Enjoy movie references around every corner and themed gift shops throughout. Along this Northern part of the coast are several beach spots to enjoy with the best known ones being Rialto, Second Beach, and Third Beach. I spent my morning on Second Beach marveling at the birds, white sand, and mini island structures and continued South along the 101 to spend sunset at Ruby Beach, so aptly named for its beach of stones, which gifted me one of the best West Coast sunsets I have ever seen.

After camping at Kalaloch Beach and enjoying morning campground trail shenanigans, I drove to Hoh Rainforest. Hall of Moss (1mi loop) is a highlight featuring all of the nature. It is dense and beautiful. A real escape. The sun streaming through the leaves and branches and dancing along the moss was breathtaking and one of my fondest memories of my trip.

Lastly, I stopped in Quinault to spy the world’s largest Sitka Spruce and the Big Cedar. The latter was blown down by a storm a few years back but I was able to scramble up the remains and see the center where those before me had carved their names. I could picture the tree put back together, standing wide and tall. It really was marvelous. A shame, though, because no one has kept up the trail since the storm so it is really easy to get lost trying to find it– just keep your eyes peeled for bits of railing and man-made steps underneath brush or fallen trees; once on the Big Cedar you will know it. And the road that features the world’s largest Sitka Spruce continues on and features several waterfalls right off the side of the road– definitely worth the extra 30min or so to drive down and back to see them.

Luckily for me, the before-mentioned closed road re-opened a few weeks after this initial trip to Olympic NP, so I went back to partake in the infamous Hurricane Ridge. I made the long and winding drive even longer because I couldn’t help stopping at every opportunity along the way for photos. At every pitch-off I was out of my car and taking in the sights. Once at the visitor center, there are several trails to choose from. Though the Hurricane Ridge trail is the most popular and the longest (3.1mi out and back; 800ft elevation gain), there are also shorter loops that leave directly from the parking lot and these loops offer views that are equally breathtaking if not moreso. I stayed through sunset and my hands got so cold at the 5200 ft elevation that I only stopped because I literally, physically, couldn’t take any more photos.

And that was that. An amazing experience. One of my favorites so far. No big deal.

The Route: Anchorage-Juneau-Gustavus-Glacier Bay-Gustavus-Juneau

Days: 3

The last big adventure of my Alaska experience did not disappoint. I don’t even know where to begin it was so amazing. It started with a flight from Anchorage to Juneau which was obviously beautiful– every moment in the air feels like I paid for a flight-seeing tour; the wonder never ceases and I have yet to get tired of the view. The following day we flew with Alaska Seaplanes ($221.40 roundtrip not including weight in excess of 50lbs) to Gustavus, the main town that is 10mi from the park.  They depart straight from the airport and allow baggage storage for $10/day/bag.  From Gustavus, we were picked up by TLC taxi, ($15/person one way) a service run by a local gentleman who takes reservations in advance. He is also very open to letting visitors borrow bear-spray for free!  Note that there is one grocery store in the town of Gustavus  (ToshCo) where some basic and higher-end foods and supplies can be purchased. Call ahead for propane purchase so they can order and ship it before your expected arrival on a freight plane.

Tent sites in Bartlett Cove, the main hub of Glacier Bay NP, are first come, first serve and free of charge. In order to camp one must stop as the Visitor Information Station (VIS), the ranger’s station, to obtain the camping permit posted at the tent site of your choosing. Sites are set within a dream-like forest just feet from the water. There are multiple bathrooms, a food cache, and a warming area. Chopped wood is available for free for use in the warming area and to enjoy fires on the beach in pre-determined fire-rings. They are strict on where one eats, cooks, and makes fires within the campgrounds. Of note, showers and laundry are available for a fee at the Glacier Bay Lodge, the only formal lodging in the park.

At the VIS itself one has access to a courtesy phone, bathrooms, picnic benches for eating, and a gear cache (requires a key to open so only available during  business hours– 7a-7p). One can often find partially used fuel in the gear cache as no fuel may be transported on the flight to or from the park– check here before buying a new propane container for three times the price at the lodge 😉

After settling into our tent site and getting a lay of the land, we decided to make the most of the good weather and hike the few maintained trails of the park– the Forest Loop Trail and the Barlett Lake Trail. Wanting to be on the beach eating dinner for sunset, we didn’t make it all of the way to the lake, but the hikes we’re both gorgeous. The Forest Loop Trail is 1.1mi roundtrip leaving from and returning to the lodge and features everything one would expect from the gorgeous temperate rainforest that SE Alaska is known for: bright green moss, Sitka spruce trees, birds, and ponds. On the way back from the Bartlett Lake Trail (roughly 7mi roundtrip; follow dotted lines that veer right at the split on the Bartlett River Trail map if using AllTrails), we were greeted by a lone moose eating on the side of the road. We were eventually able to pass safely on the other side of the road but it was hard to stop taking photos while marveling in her beauty. She couldn’t care less about us, though!

After an enchanting campfire and sunset, we retired early for the full day ahead: the Glacier Bay Day Tour. Hands down, the best glacier and wildlife tour I’ve been on thus far and I’ve been on at least four since arriving in Alaska three months ago. I was floored not only by the types of wildlife that we saw but by the quantity in which we saw them. Multitudes of puffins, including the rare tufted puffin (!), bald eagles, ospreys, and other species of birds, tons of otters and seals, all of the sealions, at least four humpback whales either spouting or doing small breaches, and four bears walking and eating along the beach. The salmon could even be seen jumping out of the water! And then there was Johns Hopkins Glacier… Words can’t describe the sight! Not as massive as the Columbia Glacier of Valdez, but more than awe-inspiring. Set against a backdrop of colorful mountains and surrounded by wildlife relaxing on icebergs– I mean, come on! #whatatimetobealive. One cool geological element was being able to see a mountain where the Pacific plate and the North American plate had collided. Though the tour eventually came to an end, I will remember this cruise forever. Booking with the Glacier Bay Lodge is easy and convenient with day-before reservations allowed. At $226 per person, you are supplied with lunch, multiple snacks, and unlimited water, coffee, and tea (Numi organic!) for the duration of the cruise. I left the dock more than content.

The following morning we kayaked around Bartlett Cove renting from Glacier Bay Sea Kayaks ($40/person for 1/2 day; guided half day and full day tours available). We saw several eagles, ospreys, and some sort of heron or crane (I’m obviously not a birder lol) and were even able to venture pretty close to an otter before it shyly ducked away. Only misty at times, the weather held out well for us but the area is in a temperate rainforest, so rain is a constant and to be expected and embraced. If wishing to kayak to glaciers or other inlets and islands, be prepared to kayak out and spend the night. To get in and out of Bartlett Cove and travel the shorter distance to the Beardley Islands requires a tide of at least 12ft, which does not occur daily. If wishing to kayak in the NW to, say, Johns Hopkins Glacier, or NE to John Muir Inlet, one must rent a kayak and pay to ride the Glacier Bay Day Tour to one of the select drop-off points and then kayak from there. These same points are used for pick-ups. Drop offs and pick-ups occur only once daily and should be pre-determined with the ranger’s station and the Glacier Bay Sea Kayaks when obtaining a backcountry permit. Bear canisters can be obtained from the VIS.

Another last-minute highlight of our GBNP adventure occurred on the drive back to the Gustavus airport. Again, we encountered a moose on the side of the road– this time a mother and her two calves. From the safety of our vehicle, we slowly crept past them, taking several photos and basking in the rarity of this sight. We left Glacier Bay with our hearts warmed and filled with appreciation at our amazing luck.

Quote by Kim Heacox:

“If Glacier Bay were music, it would be an unfinished symphony. If it were a painting, it would be a watercolor. If it were a resolution, it would be a challenge to us all to slow down and sleep on the ground now and then, to take a minute to look, really look, and listen, and to imagine all that’s possible when nature isn’t a commodity that we own, but rather, a community to which we belong.”

The Route: Anchorage – Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward – Talkeetna – Denali National Park – Talkeetna – Anchorage
Days: 4

DAY 1: A bit of a travel dredge but I couldn’t resist driving two hours South to Seward and back in order to hike Harding Icefield with my boyfriend. The trail ends with the possibility to walk onto Exit Glacier, is rated strenuous, and checks the box of visiting a national park. All things right up our alley! The 1st half of the hike is among the trees and bug ridden but the 2nd half makes up for it– once above tree line the bugs are gone, the views are absolutely gorgeous, and the trail is diverse crossing streams and trekking through snow. Roughly 4.5hrs roundtrip with a lot of me pushing myself to keep up! After being sufficiently worked-out, we hopped back in the car and ventured back to Anchorage to grab our bags and make the final trip leg 2 hours North to Talkeetna where we spent the night in a really cute cabin right off of the town center traffic circle.

DAY 2: An early rise at 3:30am was painful to say the least but hitting the road by 4am had steep advantages. We fueled up at the gas station on the edge of town out of concern for where the next opportunity might be but, for future reference, there is at least one other closer to the park road. With very few people on the road, we had the unique chance to enjoy the spectacular sunrise throughout the entire 2.5hr trip. It was beyond breath-taking. The real gem came when we approached the South Viewpoint. With the GPS reporting an arrival 25min prior to when our bus would depart into the park, we opted for a quick pit stop. And boy was this the right option. The pictures say more than words every could.

We made it to the Bus Depot roughly 15min prior to our slotted departure time of 7am. We got our Wonder Lake camping permit and our two Camper Bus passes parked in Lot 2 of the Visitor Center. From there it is a 3min walk to the bus stop. Rule #1: pack your bear spray in your bag prior to getting on the bus! Apparently several people have dropped their bags or the bear spray itself and it has ignited due to the high fumes of the bus. Trust me, these drivers run a tight ship. Just get it into a bag while waiting in line to board. Overnight bags go in the back, smaller bags can fit in the overhead bins/shelves. Rule #2: No standing while the bus is in motion. Rule #3: Buckle up at all times. They are watching! Rule #4: Keep hands and cameras inside the bus at all times, even when the vehicle is not in motion and no one is passing.. Just because I guess. Don’t get me started on this one. Other than a really strict ride, the drivers are very nice and informative, we spotted bears, caribou, dall sheep, and snowshoe hares throughout the journey, and the view is nearly indescribable. The words that come to mind are: beautiful, spiritual, vast, and expansive. Though roughly 6hrs from the main visitor center to the Wonder Lake campsite due to rough roads and narrow canyon passes making for low speeds and several stops roughly once and hour to campsites and toilets scattered along the way, it didn’t feel like it at all. My lack of sleep and natural inclination to zonk out when in motion forced me to nap some. But I definitely didn’t want to. The fear of missing an animal or the gorgeous view after turning another corner was real!

To our disappointment, the clouds had settled over Denali by the time we reached Eielson Center, one stop from Wonder Lake. We had hoped to hike for a view after unpacking the tent but we quickly realized that the spectacle we got with our sunrise was not common.

Finally, around 1pm we landed at the Wonder Lake campsite. We snagged a site at the end of the path that curves to the left which awarded us with great views of the valley. That said, the weather had changed again to now rainy along with cloudy. What should we do next? Nap! After a few hours of much needed rest we finished the night with a quick jaunt to Reflection Pond which reflected nothing but still allowed me to bask in the wonder that so many artists before me had the opportunity to capture. Since I’m a “see-it-to-believe-it” kind of gal, I’m still skeptical as to how the top of Denali can be reflected in a pond so far away and so low but I can’t really argue with history! Lol. After that, to fulfill my FOMO and my FOMO only, by boyfriend and I conquered the near-by McKinley Bar Trail. Though not very technical, the trail does cross three medium-sized streams and traverses over rocks and through spruce trees to land at the McKinley River. The problem was the mosquitos. Though our upper-halves were protected by mosquito-net hats and shirts previous purchased from REI, our lower-halves did not fair so well. I got destroyed. I’m talking 23 bites per leg destroyed. We were relatively miserable throughout the hike but I am proud of my closer to Zen approach to the whole thing. A few years ago I would have crossed into full panic mode and taken it all out on my companion.

But we made it. And back at the campsite we got to engage in a true camping milestone for me: cooking our own food. As un-thrilling as this sounds, bear with me. I have thus far only camped with snacks. Never being out long enough to really need to boil water and “cook” my own food, I’ve always happily relied on nuts, fruits, and power bars for day-hiking and overnight twinges of hunger. It’s always been enough. This left me pretty intimidated to purchase the “right” or “best” stove and pot. Luckily I meet Phil at Anchorage’s REI prior to our departure. Phil hooked me up! With the Sea to Summit pot, bowl, and cup set (alpha cookset 1.1, 1.2L), a Snow Peak GigaPower 2.0 stove (folds up and self igniting), JetBoil fuel, and a GSI Outdoors Essential long spoon in tow, we were ready. Food of choice: Good to Go– healthy, low sodium, low sugar, and carnivore, pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan options; just boil water, pour into pouch, stir, zip lock pouch, and wait! It was so easy. 1L boiling in roughly 4.5min. I now feel like real pro prepared to conquer days on end of camping!

DAY 3: With the original plan to hike trails at and near Eielson Center in the morning, we found the weather to again be too gloomy. Some areas along the bus ride back toward the main visitor center were so misty one couldn’t seed 20ft in front of them. I had palpitations each time the bus curved along the narrow canyon road. The weather became warmer as we got to the visitor center 1hr ahead of schedule. We purchased some knick knacks and coffee and visited both the museum and the bookstore before making our way to our final Denali Hike: Mt. Healy Overlook. Despite not being able to see Denali, we made it to the overlook in roughly 1hr and 10min. Amazing views greeted us along the entire hike and the bugs were minimal. Once at the overlook, one can continue along the ridgeline for a seemingly endless number of peaks. Being 2hrs ahead of schedule, we opted to make our way back to Talkeetna to scope out the town since we didn’t get the chance to do so the first night. We stopped at the South Viewpoint again just to see what it looked like when Denali was hidden. It really cemented just how lucky we were to have had shared that blissful morning.

After unpacking and showering at our romantic tiny house BnB on the Susitna River, we frequented the shops and bars and shared dishes at several restaurants including a cauliflower rice dish and veggie sandwich from Denali Brewhouse, amazing tofu tacos from Talkeetna Tako (open late!) and a pizza to die for from Mountain High Pizza Pie (live music on the outdoor patio).

We finished the night splitting a bottle of wine while relaxing on a picnic blanket and watching the sun set over the river.

DAY 4: Travel back to Anchorage. We halted for a moose drinking water at a pond! The usual rigamarow that occurs in Anchorage completed our Kenai-Denali excursion.

Episode #7 of Dan Harris’ podcast, Ten Percent Happier, is one of the best episodes of a podcast I have listened to yet. Which I’m sure Dan Harris would be happy to hear. :p

The reason? George’s honesty and humility and his insane ability to answer each of Dan Harris’ rebuttals with grace and precision. He never wavers from the point of it all. His understanding of the purpose of all of this is so profound. Let’s just say that I listened to the podcast more than once to really soak it all in.

George is best known for bringing mindfulness to the NBA– he started out working with Phil Jackson and the Chicago Bulls and then progressed to the LA Lakers and is now with the NY Knicks. He was an aspiring athlete himself, he states, before injuries took him out of the game. Though successful as a financial analyst for the defense industry, George tells how his addiction to prescribed narcotics for his chronic pain from previously mentioned college basketball injuries numbed him to an emptiness inside. That addiction then advanced to heroin and alcohol. According to George, he was a functioning addict– which is no small feat given he was under the influence of not just one but two very powerful addictions. Eventually George came to understand that he was hitting a “spiritual rock bottom” where he found that he couldn’t get high and he couldn’t not get high. He also saw clearly that his health was in decline and that he would die if he didn’t change.

One comment that struck me was when Dan asked George where his stress was coming from. George responded that, although he was in a stressful career, he was also stressed about “life and dealing with life on life’s terms” and not knowing who he really was. Gosh! How that resonates. Some of the things that life throws at me I just don’t want to deal with. Even if just minor inconveniences. Even if not inconveniences but just something or someone I don’t like or would prefer not. Like, can I say No, but Thank You??

George credits a friend, himself recently clean, taking him to an AA meeting as one of the things that helped change his life. A second life-changing event occurred shortly after becoming sober in the form of an HMO through his job introducing him to stress-reduction techniques via a mindfulness and meditation class. The real credit, though, lies within George himself. He claims that is was his “perfectionism” that got him to read every book on the syllabus of that stress-reduction program and to keep trying at meditation because he “didn’t get what everybody was talking about.” But in this case, I’d say that his perfectionism is just persistence and dedication– qualities that we all have and that don’t have to be soul-sucking or negative. George wanted to change and he clearly had a fire within him, being able to succeed in the financial sector while addicted to drugs and alcohol.  He clearly had the drive to succeed despite losing his basketball dream– a dream attained by people he knew, including his college roommate, Julius “Dr. J” Erving. What a slap in the face that must have been! We can all be motivated, we can all be driven. The questions are: how do we tap into this and how do we make it work for us?

Well, good thing we have George to tell us! His book, The Mindful Athlete, speaks exactly about this. The book is mapped after his sessions and coaching techniques with the NBA that he has since expanded to individuals of all career-types. George spends much of the podcast trying to help Dan understand what it means to be “flow -ready.” He explains that we all know what flow is, especially athletes. We know what it feels like to be in-the-zone, one-with-the-ball, hyper-focused but at the same time just “being.” As if the ball is dribbling itself. Authors and painters know this feeling when inspiration strikes. Students know this feeling when their thesis seems to be pouring through their fingertips onto the keyboard (or pen to paper for you old folks!). Ever been in a successful conference meeting where the ideas just kept coming and building on one another and a conclusion was reached or a goal was defined and it was just “productive”? We’ve all experienced it. George, is quick to explain, though, that we can’t force flow or being in the zone. Once you try to be in the zone, you aren’t present, and you therefore can’t get there. So what can players on the Knicks do to win next season’s championship?

From listening to George, this is my interpretation: they can give it their all, being as present as possible and accepting flaws as building blocks rather than obstacles, and they can foster a personal environment and a team environment in which they are always “flow-ready.” The more positive, compassionate, and forgiving your mind is, the better able you are to deal with life’s disappointments with grace. This grace enables you to learn and remain productive. A positive and safe environment that fosters learning, growth, and productivity, is the same environment that enables you to drift seamlessly from “normal” to “flow. ” But you can’t “try.” You can’t force it. You have to just  be. Maybe you missed the shot yesterday, but because you didn’t hang on to the negativity and disappointment of it and, through persistence, you looked at your hand and your footing and you kept trying, maybe tomorrow you make the shot. This is what I’ve gathered so far.

George is quick to state that he is not Buddhist. I think this is very important. Buddhism has, perhaps, most succinctly captured the essence of mindfulness and meditation, offering verbiage with which to discuss the topics. But Buddhism is by no means the originator of mindfulness nor does the religion as a whole claim to be. All religions share in positivity and compassion for those of equal, higher, and lower fortune, of being your best self. Just because Buddhism has given us words with which to communicate these age-old concepts does not mean that using that language makes a person Buddhist. I’m not Christian but I still plan to teach my children to “love thy neighbor.” That’s because it’s not about being put into a religious box. It’s about not being a jerk!

George is also quick to state that those who believe they can not meditate because they can’t quiet their minds are missing the point– you can’t force flow! It’s not about forcing the meditation to be anything. It’s about just being. Just noticing the sensations of the body or the sounds around you. And finding the space between action and re-action. He tells Dan that, though his formal meditation practice of sitting on a cushion is anywhere from 10mins to 1hour per day, he practices mindfulness all day long! And isn’t that the key? He says that “enlightenment” is his goal, but the important part is the journey itself. He describes enlightenment as being ever-present, as seeing life for what it really is without past experiences determining our re-actions, of living in that space between action and re-action, of being in control. I truly admire this approach to life. Enlightenment is not a place to go to. It’s not a destination over there somewhere and I can beat myself up because why haven’t I gotten there yet?? Enlightenment is a state of being in the ever cycle of acting and re-acting that makes up human existence. Suffering is part of being human. The idea is not to prevent suffering, but, rather, to understand that suffering comes and goes and to see that the real power lies in how we react to that suffering. How we can learn to just be instead of being tossed to and fro by our emotions.

During Dan’s interview, George talks about how he came to study mindfulness and meditation, all of the people and practices that he has come in contact with over the past 30 years, how that lead to meeting Phil Jackson in the first place, and how that has now led him to a successful book that he is adapting to reach children through a shared love of sports as well as reach anyone else that he can. He believes that what he has learned throughout his life and his journey should be available to everyone– not just affluent middle-class Americans who can afford retreats and yoga classes and private liberal schools for their children.

Towards the end of the interview, after all of the fluff and the warm talk about athletes gracefully accepting defeat, Dan states something along the lines of “tell that to a fan!” George’s response: to praise the other team for winning because they earned it. It’s not about being a fan– it’s about being human. #yaasss. It really is about being human.

Watch the podcast below or listen via your preferred podcast app– you won’t be disappointed!