CNX

Well, I said we'd be back from Adak on Thursday, weather permitting. It didn't permit going in the first place. There is only one flight Sunday, and one Thursday. So, if your flight is canceled, your trip is canceled. It's part of the risk of planning a trip out there, but still - saying I'm disappointed doesn't cover it.

Now, I Have A Hunting License. Ho...Ho...Ho....

Adak. No bears, plenty of caribou, no bag limits. Scattered naval ordnance, occasional Rommel stakes.

I'm not sure whether I'll be shooting anything besides pictures, but I do actually have a hunting license just in case. Likely I'll be sticking with helping out "field dressing" anything we get and lugging it back out.

This trip knocks out two birds with one stone - go on a hunting trip, and go to the Aleutians. We're back New Year's Eve, weather permitting. See you next year!

(More Than) A Three Hour Tour...A Three Hour Tour...

Ahhhhhh - today was WINTER SOLSTICE - shortest day of the year!

Sunrise: 10:14 a.m. Sunset: 3:42 p.m.

It's allllllll downhill from here (until Summer Solstice on June 21: Sunrise: 3:20 a.m. Sunset: 11:42 p.m.) I'm no mathematician, but I think that's about an extra 7 hours of light in the morning, and about an extra 8 at night!

In the meantime, it's the dead of winter when many Alaskans plan to go "Outside" for a breath of warm air.

Hawaii, our fellow non-contiguous state (and a little late to the party), is always a popular choice:

Or, maybe kick it up a notch, and head down to the Bahamas - ahhhh nice.

In banner years, why not turn it up to "eleven" and book a spread in Fiji? Classy!

Orrrrrrrrrr - if you really want a change of pace for your island adventure, you can veer down the path truly less traveled - the Aleutian Islands!

Personally, I'm headed to Adak (marked by the "A"). It's known as the "Birthplace of Wind" - at last report about 34 degrees, winds gusting to 30+ MPH, 1.25 miles of visibility.

Note where Hawaii is at the bottom right.

I'm headed out to Adak on 12/27 . Why on EARTH would someone do such a thing? More to come...

Fog Blind

Generally speaking, I love "freeze fog." I'm not quite sure of the mechanism, I suppose something to do with residing on a large body of water in a cold climate, but occasionally in the winter we get freezing fog. It's different than frost - much more "furry." It attaches to everything it can, usually in one direction with the breeze, but when it goes for a full week, in every direction.


The best is when you get freeze fog, then a little sun - beautiful. Not quite as exciting when you get 7 straight days of freeze fog, but no sun.


This is looking out into the Inlet, toward Sleeping Lady and the other mountains - out there somewhere. You can see all the trees are solid white - that's not snow.



It finally moved out, but only because snow came in (FINALLY, MORE SNOW!) We've picked up an additional 7 or 8 inches lately - in Valdez it snowed six feet in three days!