One Month in Alaska!

We have been in Alaska one month! I'm so glad we were able to leave in September instead of October. We were able to see so many things and enjoy some nice fall weather before it snowed. Like Today!! We were so surprised to wake up to a light snowfall and icy roads. We will get studded snow tires tomorrow. I think the icy roads are more of a concern than just the snow. We also are scheduled to take our drivers license test this Wednesday. Just the written part. Sure hope we pass.

This was a very busy week. We had 4 zone conferences. The one with Juneau was a zoom meeting. Since we have to fly there we may not go until springtime. We had 2 meetings in Anchorage and then drove down the Kenai peninsula to Soldotna. I enjoy driving in Alaska because there is always something interesting to see. We saw sled dogs again pulling an ATV by the side of the road. I thought I took a video but when I pushed the button to stop I realized I hadn't actually started the video so all I got was a quick picture at the end. If you look carefully you can see the dogs just above the grass.

I should be better at pictures by the time the Iditarod starts in March. The Kenai River is popular for trout fishing but you have to dress very warm. We saw some fisherman that looked like they were dressed in rubber snowsuits.

After the conference in Soldotna we drove to the east side of the peninsula to Seward. It is a beautiful harbor town. In October there are about 2500 people but on July 4 there are about 50,000. Very popular tourist town.

The Iditarod historically starts in Seward and goes to Nome. It was quite cold but we walked along the harbor and saw some scuba divers, Iditarod info and went to the aquarium. It was fun to watch them feeding the sea lion. Reminds me of catching shrimp in your mouth at Tepanyaki.

 

We also went for a hike to the Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjord National Park.

There were only a few other hikers when we started at 10 am. It was 27 degrees! I didn't know we were going hiking so didn't bring warm clothes. I wore my warm fleece pajamas under my clothes and with Gary's extra jacket it wasn't too bad. As Kate says, "No bad weather, only a bad wardrobe". It was a mile hike to the observation point and nice without a lot of crowds. I look forward to seeing it in the summer too.

The glacier has been melting since 1815 and they post year markers along the trail so you can see how much it has receded over the years.

Glacier melting is part of how the landscape is sculpted. It is interesting to see the scratches on the rocks as the glacier and rock slides down the mountain and deposits rocks, gravel and silt at the base. I liked feeling the black sand in the flood plain and along the braided river, where little streams of water flow through the plain. It is amazing to think of how the earth is formed. 

 

I wanted to include this picture of the sculpture of the rock man. Kind of a Stone Henge creation.

They make some totems out of wood and some figures out of stones.

This is outside a souvenir store. It also has the world's biggest chocolate fountain and a stuffed polar bear.

I also have enjoyed the quirky things people put outside their yards and businesses. I have seen a silhouette of Bigfoot, a guardhouse with a life-size Marine statue in uniform, a ferris wheel and this car on a tree.

I am not as much of a road tripper but have enjoyed sightseeing on our travels. The one bad thing was that traveling on the Kenai peninsula we had no cell service with our phones. We will have to take a mission phone with us when we travel so we aren't stranded somewhere without cell service. 

As I have thought of the missionary work here in Alaska, I have thought of the missionaries and their willingness to go wherever they are asked to go. There are some really remote areas. I think how do they find people to talk to. The local wards and stakes are so supportive and very actively involved in helping the missionaries. You really learn to rely on one another in areas like this. There is strong support among the missionaries and in the communities. you have to help each other. I am grateful especially with the isolation that the pandemic has caused to feel that sense of community and caring. We are so grateful to be here at this time and place and feel so blessed each day. We are grateful for family and friends and making new friends here in Alaska too. Each day has brought new and exciting experiences. And we have just started!

We love you all and hope it is a good week. Especially for Scott and Ruthie on Wednesday, Oct 21. Happy Birthday to you two! Presents are in the mail. 

Love, 

Elder and Sister Robinson