Fires & Brews

We went out to North Douglas again yesterday evening, with a plan to build a fire. The thing to do is bring your own firewood, or a truck load of pallets, since cutting down trees is bad and any downed wood gets burned up pretty quick. All we had was a bunch of cardboard, a bag of leaves, and a determination to scavenge the shore for driftwood. Luckily for us, the spot we picked had a leftover pallet that someone had left from the night before, and we were able to gather up quite a bit of driftwood fairly close by. I got the fire going while Dustin manned the grill. We enjoyed some burgers and dogs, and relaxed to the sounds of whale spouts in the distance and seals playing right out from the shore. Our friend Spenser showed up in his boat to hang with us for a while. We all enjoyed a few beers and admired the amazing beauty that surrounded us. Spenser had to leave to get his boat back before dark and ended up letting his keys go for a swim, which is a whole other story you can read about on his blog, AK Livin'. While Dustin was helping Spenser with the key delimma, I was relaxing by the fire with just myself and my beer. Some people with truck loads of pallets showed up and started a fire about 100 yards down the beach from our spot, which turned out to be some Eaglecrest peeps that I hung out with until Dustin got back.

God I love Alaska. Everywhere you look, there's beauty. 

The sunset was gorgeous, as always. I just can't imagine how anyone can NOT love Alaska. Being that I love snow, mountains, and pretty landscapes, I'm certainly in the right spot. 

Also, yesterday marked 5 years for Dustin and I. I can't believe it's been a half decade already! It's definitely been the best 5 years of my life. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be in AK, shredding such gnarly, amazing mountains, and living the dream. I couldn't be more blessed to have such an amazing man in my life :) Now, enough with the mushy stuff... onto the photos!

Enjoying an Alaskan Summer Ale with a spectacular view!

Dustin on grill duty

It's not a burger without Texas Pete!

Burgers and views

Looking towards the Mendenhall Glacier from North Douglas

A ferry headed to port in Auke Bay

Spenser coming in for a visit on his skiff

Twilight & Fireglow

Looking towards the valley from North Douglas

Same shot, but with an ember from the fire floating by

Bonfire time!

She's a blazin...

Sunsets and Humpbacks

Yesterday we drove out to North Douglas to catch the sunset, and it was a beautiful one! We pulled in at False Outer Point, which is my favorite spot on North Douglas, and walked down to the beach to get some photos. The tide was coming in and the waves were pounding the beach, which made for such a relaxing sound as we watched the sun disappear behind the gorgeous Chilkat mountain range. 

After the sun was gone, we were on our way back home and as we were driving by the North Douglas Boat Launch, a humpback broke the water's surface just a few feet from the shore! Of course we immediately pulled over at watched this beautiful creature swimming around in Fritz Cove. It amazes me how close to shore they will get. I tried to get some photos but the only thing that ever broke the surface was it's back, and turns out Dustin got better photos of the whale than I did. That whale must have just been in a mellow mood. I have yet to see one breaching, but when I do, I know I'll be in awe of those creatures once again. I know I'll see hundreds of whales over the course of the summer, and get plenty of photos to share with you guys! 

Here are some of the better photos from last night.

Picture Addiction

It seems like every time I step out my front door I'm so amazed by the beautiful scenery that surrounds me that I just have to take a photo. Mountains, water, beaches, waves, eagles, snow... you name it. Then I realize that I've taken photos of those same mountains a bazillion times in just the short time I've been in Juneau. It's just that gorgeous here! Although I'm trying to control my photo addiction, Dustin did snap a few good ones of the sunset earlier. Yes, I know what you're thinking... ANOTHER sunset photo, but this one is worth it, I promise :) Just something about the silhouette of the mountains, the clouds, and that wonderful big ball of fire in the sky makes this photo worth sharing. Good job with the camera, Dustin!  

That just fueled my photo frenzy and we drove further 'out the road' to try to get another shot of the sunset. We ended up at Lena Beach just a few minutes too late and the sun was pretty much gone. I ended up walking around the beach looking for marine life in the tide pools. I did find a lot of these guys in the pools... 

Not sure exactly what he's called. My guess is some type of sea anemone. If you know what he really is, please enlighten me. We are definitely making a point to go tide pooling in the near future. Hopefully we'll find all kinds of cool little sea creatures! 

Anyways, today I am thankful for my Xtratuf boots I purchased shortly after arriving in Juneau. I saw everyone wearing these boots and thought to myself, 'no way am I gonna get these if everyone else is wearing them', but now I see why! They are comfortable, warm, and waterproof! Apparently every true Alaskan owns a pair, and seeing how much it rains here explains why. Puddle, I will conquer you! Now I can splash my way through the streets, creeks, saltwater, and snow with no worries!

I just wish they didn't move their production from the U.S. to China, because now apparently they are getting the nickname 'Not-So-Tufs' because they fall apart. Thanks, China. I hope mine lasts me forever!

Creek, take that!

And they led us to a beached jellyfish a few weeks ago...

Colors of the Sunset

Today on our drive back from running a few errands, I looked to my right and was in awe at the amazing colors of the sunset. I immediately found the closest spot to pull over and snapped a few pics. It was gorgeous... absolutely stunning! It's still weird to me seeing the sun set so early. Today, it was completely dark by 4pm. Although it's not as bad as it seems. I kinda like it... and I will also love those long summer days! The last couple photos are from our quick jaunt up to Eaglecrest earlier in the day. 

Carpet Boarding & Sunsets

No snow leads me to this:



All you need is a PVC pipe, then strap in your board, and you have a workout and balance training all in one! This actually was quite the workout. My legs were on FIRE after about 15 min. Another sign that I need to get my ass in shape soon. SO ready for winter though.

This made me smile today:


Dustin and I drove to the top of Beech and watched the sunset. So pretty and romantic! That was seriously the most beautiful sunset that I've ever seen. The mountains are freakin' fantastic! I don't see how anybody would want to destroy such a beautiful place. Preserve the earth!! :)