Fairbanks

This past (long) weekend, I had the opportunity to go to Fairbanks, AK. I have been wanting to get up to Fairbanks for some time now, just because it seems like such a unique place being so far north on the road system. Plus, one of CYAK's college ministries is in Fairbanks at UAF, and my friend Kara is serving with the ministry there. Not only that, but Ken and Sandy Moore (the pastor and his wife who were at my home church in Colorado Springs for the majority of my upbringing) live there too! Needless to say, it was about time I made my way up the Parks Highway. Fortunately,  I lucked out and hit a particularly sunny and snow-free (though slightly chilly) time to visit.  I know it won't be long before the snow and winter hits! The drive is just a little over 300 miles from Wasilla, so it is a decent distance, but on a clear day, it makes for a beautiful trip. During my stay, I was able to go to a couple Arigaa (the name of CYAK's college ministries) gatherings, see the Alaska Pipeline, go on some great runs, visit NORTH POLE (a dream come true! haha) and just spend some good quality time with my pal, Kara :) I am so thankful that I was able to come on this trip! Fairbanks is unique without a doubt, but Alaska wouldn't be the same without it!

This is where there was supposed to be a phenomenal view of Denali, the highest peak in North America at 20,320 feet. As you can see though, it wasn't exactly the clearest of days. But, I was excited nonetheless. Thank goodness for imaginations!

The weather started improving later in the trip...good thing! The sign on the bottom right is for Denali State Park.

Some of the UAF students at Arigaa on Friday night! To learn more about CYAK's Arigaa ministry, click here.

Part of the UAF Campus.

Kabladel!!!! Under part of the 800 mile Trans-Alaska Pipeline.

Santa! North Pole, AK.

On my drive back, DENALI WAS OUT! So awesome to see so bright and clear.

Check out this beast. Awesome.

Fall Blast

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to fly to the village of Elim for CYAK's annual High School Fall Blast Retreat. Every Fall, high school students from villages in the Norton Sound Region gather together in a village for a weekend retreat. This year, we had about 50 students from: Nome, White Mountain, Elim, Koyuk, and Unalakleet. MARC (Mission Aviation Repair Center), one of CYAK's partner ministries, helped transport staff from the road system to Elim, as well as some students from the villages. Four students from Koyuk came by boat (awesome!). Our speaker for the weekend was Nathan Nagaruk. Nathan grew up in Elim, and went to UAF, where he was involved with CYAK's college ministry in Fairbanks. He now lives in Nome with his wife Nora. It was awesome for the students to be able to hear from him throughout the weekend as he spoke on Hope, Healing, and a Future in Christ. I hope you enjoy a few pictures from the weekend! PS- On Saturday night, the Northern Lights were bright and clear and dancing in all their glory! Unfortunately for you, though, we were pretty busy playing a game called "mission impossible", so I was only able to take mental pics.

The MARC plane that took those of us from the road system to Elim!

Some of the staffers from Anchorage, and Alaska Christian College in Soldotna.

Getting close to Unalakleet here - headed out of the stormy clouds into warm sunshine.

Preparing for landing in Elim.

A hymnal in the church with Inupiaq hymns. Awesome!

9am sunrise looking out at the village from the school where we stayed.

A few familiar Unalakleet faces :) Derric, Roberta, and Svea!

The whole group!

Nathan giving a message on the hike.

Games!

Sunday morning worship at Elim Covenant Church with the community. A wonderful weekend!

Reed Lakes

It's a two-post sort of day. There's just so much going on at this time of year! Multiple CYAK retreats, beautiful weather, and fall colors all call for lots of photos, and therefore multiple blog posts in a single day. Yesterday I had the day off, and so I wanted to take advantage of it and go hiking. I went with my friends Mary and Ingrid (and their dogs) to Hatcher's Pass to hike Reed Lakes trail. I'd heard about this trail since I got to Alaska, and now I know why. It is beautiful. See for yourself!

So pretty!

Fresh huckleberries for a snack.

So proud of Pierre the pup for making it over the boulders despite his fears!

Looking back down the valley.

Osa found a duck. Also... I am definitely coming back when it is warmer to go SWIMMING in this glorious little pool.

Reed Lake numero uno.

Such a beautiful spot. About 10 minutes after this picture was taken, tons of huge snowflakes began to fall! In September!

Gold. Heading back down.

The Gathering

Last weekend was CYAK's annual college-aged retreat called the Gathering, in Big Lake, AK. Each fall, the Arigaa ministries (Arigaa means 'sweet' or 'so good' in Inupiaq, and is the name of our college and young adult ministries across the state) from the University of Alaska – Anchorage, the University of Alaska – Fairbanks, Job Corps in Palmer, Alaska Christian College in Soldotna, and Amundsen Educational Center in Soldotna. This year there were about 50 students and staff who gathered at the beautiful Camp Maranatha for a weekend of refreshment. We heard from great speakers, canoed, shot skeet, berry picked, laughed, had a basketball tournament, and just had a great time. I am already looking forward to the Arigaa retreat in February!

Beautiful fall day in Big Lake, Alaska.

So many beautiful golden trees.

Group photo!

John (Arigaa-Fairbanks Director) and Jim (photographer) smoking up some delicious Moose "scoobies" for all of us to enjoy!

Fall is FUN.

It's a blessing to work alongside these two beautiful ladies with CYAK! Amy and Julie both live in Anchorage.

Doesn't get much better than this.

Cute girls. Kia and Charlee joining our canoe party.

Ultimate!

Alaska map representation of where all of the students are from in Alaska. Pretty awesome!

Fall

Well, autumn has definitely arrived in all its glory. It's looking like it won't be much longer before winter rolls around though (there was snow on the Chugach mountains this morning), so I've been trying to get out and enjoy the nice weather while it lasts. I've done a bit of berry picking for lingonberries, high bush cranberries, and currants, and Mary and I drove down to Seward last weekend for a final "hurrah!" before she moves up to Unalakleet. So, here is a hodgepodge of some of those pics! I hope everyone is doing well!

Lingonberries from Houston!

Beautiful fall colors in my back yard.

Playing with Osa and Kiana in the back yard. They'll be leaving in a couple of weeks when Mary moves to UNK. I'm going to miss those pups!

Our tiny little cabin in Seward.

Resurrection Bay, Seward.

So many cool murals in Seward!

Exit Glacier in Seward.

It's huge!

We took the tram up the mountain at Alyeska. Beautiful scenery!

Crow Pass

This past Saturday and Sunday, 5 friends and I set out on a 24 mile hike from Girdwood to Eagle River to experience "one of the best hikes in the Chugach Range", Crow Pass.  Every year in late July, there is a race along this trail, and people complete it in as little as 3 hours. We on the other hand, opted to do it in two days. And even that was tough (though we did have a bit more weight on our backs, to be fair...) Regardless, it was an awesome hike and we had a great time.

A major highlight was the wide variety of land that we passed through. We hiked ... up a steep incline, past an old mine, next to Crystal Lake, by Raven Glacier, across snow patches, over a bridge spanning a gorge, through thick mud and brush, past 6 black bears and 2 cubs (they were high up on the hillside, don't worry!), in deep woods with towering trees, by crashing waterfalls, through grass fields, across the glacier-fed Eagle River, and so much more. Needless to say, by the time we reached the last mile, we were ready to rest our feet! But it was an awesome experience to say the least. I am already looking forward to doing it again next summer :) Hopefully the pics will give you a glimpse of all the great sights we saw along the way!

A map to give you an idea of our trip.

The Group: Pierre the pup, Ingrid and Nathan Reep, Jason and Jami Bahmer, Julie Diercks, and Me!

Soaking in the beauty.

Looking back down toward Girdwood.

Taking a break at Crystal Lake.

Crow Pass.

Standing in front of Raven Glacier.

Rushing glacial water through the gorge.

Headed into the valley.

Our camp spot for the night 9 miles in. I didn't take any pics during the few miles prior to camp because it was all MUD.

Coffee to get us going in the morning. 15 miles to go.

Crossing Eagle River, fed by Eagle River Glacier. aka FREEZING water.

And some more river crossings.

Taking a much needed break.

24 miles and about hundred blisters later ... we made it to the end! Such a fun trip!