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Not really SAD, but

A lot of people are affected with Seasonal Affective Disorder in Wisconsin.  We have many, many days without sun during the winter months.  This year, we've had a string of days with heavy fog and unseasonably warm temperatures in the 30's and 40's.   Personally, I can't claim that I've ever really felt the effects of SAD, but this year, knowing that we are likely moving west later next year, I've been very impatient and annoyed with Wisconsin weather.   Sun trying to fight through the clouds It hasn't helped that my daily routine involves looking at the weather in Fort Collins and Tucson.  Their weather has been spectacularly sunny and more pleasant this time of year.   So, I haven't been blogging much because not much is going on. I've substituted indoor pickleball for hiking. The trails have been muddy and not much fun. For Christmas, we had my mother, Julia's brother and Allie here.  I went and retrieved my mother from Cedar Rapids a...

Girdwood, Alaska



After our train returned to Anchorage, we rented a car and drove to Girdwood. We rented a room called the Treehouse for two nights. Our first stop was Girdwood Brewing Company. I had a Northeastern style cloudy IPA, while Julia took the West Coast version. In the third photo below, I discuss with staff the pros and cons of high alcohol percentages in beers that taste really good.





After a light breakfast on the next morning, we drove to the trailhead to hike to the Byron Glacier. Although this is a popular easy hike, we arrived early enough that we pretty much had the area to ourselves for exploration and picture-taking.




I wasn’t sure that I even wanted to hike to a glacier, but I am so glad that we did.
After a short nap at the Treehouse, we ventured out mid-afternoon to hike the North Face trail at Mt. Alyeska. Many people pay to take the tram up and then hike down, but frugal John wanted to hike up and take the tram down for free.  With a vertical rise of over 2000 feet in 2.2 miles, we earned outstanding views, a beer at the top, and the free ride down.





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