...Maui

The Hufford girls arrive at the airport and received flower leis while waiting for their luggage.

Emily enjoyed playing the ukelele in our condo.

We ate an entire pineapple our first morning on Maui.

Laura and some flowers.  They were everywhere.

Emily loved visiting the beach near our condo.

If you look closely at this sign you can see there was quite a contrast between the weather on Maui and Anchorage.

Back in February it was dark and cold in Alaska...and it had been that way for a long time.  So, one night at dinner I blurted out that we should all go to Hawaii for Christmas and invite our families from California and Montana to meet us there.  I remember there was was a stunned silence and blank stares for a moment before the Hufford girls erupted with joy, laughter, and disbelief.  I remember one of them saying:  "Really?  You mean it?  Really?"

So, for about ten months we planned and dreamed of Maui.  We talked with people who had been there, searched the web for information, and made our reservations for condos, tours, and luaus.  We wanted to spend time on the beach, watch the sunrise from atop Haleakala and then ride bikes down its flanks, see a luau, snorkel with sea turtles, eat dinners out, and drive the road to Hana.  Essentially, we put as much as we could into a six night stay.  It was quite the trip.

Of course, it would be difficult to put all the photos and details into one blog entry.  Too much happened for a single sitting.  So, if you're interested, check back often for updates of our trip to...Maui

...ice fishing at Forest Lake

The day got off to a great start. 

Ice fishermen standing around a bonfire on the ice.

The Quickfish 3 on Forest Lake.

Due to ice build-up on the auger blades we couldn't drill through the ice.  So, we put it in the fire to thaw out.  Worked great.

Izzy...the ice fishing hound.

Waiting for the bite.

An ice encased fishing line.

Minus 13 at the parking area.  It was cold.  Charlie and I pulled our gear sleds out of the back of the truck and started for the outlet at the far end of Forest Lake, just about a mile away.  It wasn't long before we warmed up.  About 30 minutes later we stopped, drilled three holes with the hand auger (the power auger was too heavy to haul on this trip) and set the Quckfish 3 on the ice.  We were ready to fish. 

Several other ice fishermen arrived and it wasn't long before more holes were drilled and the first fish was caught.  The search for wood soon began and before long a huge bonfire was blazing.  More ice fishermen arrived and more holes were drilled and tents popped up.  More fish were caught...and so the morning went.

The sun rose above the trees but no heat could be felt.  A few hours passed and several ice fishermen started to talk about leaving.  Had to be home in time for dinner and to make it back to town for the parade and fireworks display in Kenai.  So, slowly the lake was abandoned and the fish world under the ice returned to normalcy.  The parking area was still cold but we knew heaters would soon be blasting and the ride home would be toasty.  That's how it was...ice fishing at Forest Lake.

...the cabin at Kelly Lake

The Hufford girls at the trailhead on our way to the cabin.

Mrs. Huffy on the trail to the cabin toting a full backpack and towing a sled full of gear.

Laura hiking along the edge of Kelly Lake on her way to the cabin.

The cabin at Kelly Lake.

The cabin's heat source.  It kept things plenty warm.  I had lots of fun adjusting things for maximum warmth and wood burning duration throughout our stay.

We had a birthday party while we were at the cabin.

The birthday cupcake.  One of those candles would not extinguish.  Very funny.

Laura helps Emily add up her score during a rowdy game of Phase 10.

We all had fun playing the game.

The bunk area of the cabin.

Emily climbs the ladder to her bunk at bed time.

We brought a Coleman lantern to use as a source of light during our stay.  We used an entire tank of fuel as the darkness is pervasive this time of year.

The view of the cabin in the early morning.

Emily and Mrs. Huffy play Bananagrams as the sun comes up outside.

Big Head Todd and the Monsters provided the early morning musical entertainment from a cell phone.

The gear sled loaded, bungeed, and ready to go back to the truck.  It was easier to hike than it was to ski due the minimal snow coverage.  So, the skis got to ride on the sled.

Laura blazes the trail back to the truck with a loaded pack and gear sled.

The public use cabin at Kelly Lake is maintained by the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.  We have visited it several times during our hikes on Seven Lakes Trail which passes by its front door.  Last summer we were looking around and said, "We should rent this sometime."  The next day we called the KNWR Headquarters and reserved our date.  At $45 a night it is a great bargain.  It's also kid friendly as the hike to the cabin is on a well established and level trail.

So,  on Saturday morning we loaded our packs and sleds with everything we would need for a birthday party and a night at the cabin.  Upon our arrival we started a fire to warm the place up and began to think about dinner. Afterward we played Phase 10 and Bananagrams, and told ghost stories before going sleep for over nine hours!

When we finally woke up Mrs. Huffy and Gabby took off for a hike following the trail to the turn-off to Hidden Lake while the rest us us stayed behind and lounged about the cabin.  Upon Mrs. Huffy's return we packed things up and left the cabin around 11:15 AM.  We had a great time and we know that we will return to...the cabin at Kelly Lake.

...first tracks of the season

Emily looks back at the photographer as we make our way around the campground loop at Captain Cook State Park.

Emily follows Mrs. Huffy's tracks through the snow.

Mrs. Huffy poses for a photo op.

Emily and Mrs. Huffy take a break on the trail.

Winter is off to a great start and we are back on our skis!  We made the campground loop at Captain Cook State Park the location of our first tour of the season.  Emily, Mrs. Huffy, and I slid through the snow taking time to look at the animal tracks and feed Gabby treats as she romped in the powder.  A good time was had by all and we were happy with our...first tracks of the season.

...the bears of Russian River

A brown bear surveys the scene near the trailhead to the Russian River falls.

This bear has some claws.

THE ROUTE:  Carter Lake Trail.  Well established trail with lots of water crossings.  Very muddy.

Mrs. Huffy crosses a stream on Carter Lake Trail.

Michelle on her way up the trail.

Trent leaps across a stream.

The hikers at the top of Carter Lake Trail.

The fall colors were beautiful in the valleys.

But, up high winter has arrived.

Dinner cooking over a fire at the end of a day of bear viewing and hiking.

Our weekend opened up unexpectedly.  On Thursday evening we discovered we had no commitments and the weather forecast was excellent.  Time for some fall camping at Russian River Campground.

We arrived on Friday evening just before the Burnett's pulled in.  We immediately set up camp(s) and got a fire blazing.  After several hours of visiting we made plans to hike the Lower Russian Lakes Trail to the falls the next afternoon.  Then it was time to hit the hay.

At 1:00 PM, we loaded the trucks and drove toward the trailhead parking lot.  When we got there several other vehicles were parked in the road and two brown bears were eating berries in the bushes.  We pulled up close enough to get some good photos and after the bears wandered back into the woods we abruptly changed our hiking plans to Carter Lake Trail.

It was a wonderful hike with many water crossings.  The streams were full with the rain that has fallen over the Kenai Peninsula for the past month.  There was lots of mud, which was enjoyed immensely by the kids in our group, and a beautiful view when we reached the top including Carter Lake and the snow capped peaks around the valley.

Following the hike we returned to our camp for another evening fire where we cooked dinner and recalled the adventures of the day not far from...the bears of Russian River.

...hiking Slaughter Gulch Trail

THE ROUTE:  Slaughter Gulch Trail

TERRAIN:  Very steep established trail, loose rocks and dirt, probably extremely slippery when wet.

ELEVATION GAIN:  1435 feet (according to my GPS)

Emily and Mrs. Huffy climbing up the trail.  Emily was using her new pack for the first time.

Looking across the valley at the mountains on the other side.

Emily and spectacular fall colors.

Mrs. Huffy trying to check her Facebook account.  That's Kenai Lake in the background.  We ate lunch at this location.  Best meatloaf sandwiches I ever made!

Emily and Mrs. Huffy hiking/crawling back down the trail.

Mrs. Huffy puts her hiking poles to good use.

The view across the valley.  Yes, that is Termination Dust on the tops of those distant peaks.

Emily celebrates after the hike by eating an enormous scoop of strawberry ice cream.

I have no idea how Slaughter Gulch got its name.  I probably don't want to know.  I do know that it is a spectacularly beautiful place, and the trail leading up to the gulch is extremely steep.  Still it is a great hike and one we will do again. I've heard that once you reach the gulch you can hike to Resurrection Trail even though the route does not appear on any maps.  We didn't have time for that today, but that's my kind of hiking.

We were lucky as the weather was nice and sunny and we spent an hour enjoying the views and eating lunch at the top of the trail where there is a fantastic vista of Kenai Lake and the surrounding mountains.  We also watched some Dall sheep through the binoculars and generally enjoyed being outside on such a grand day.  In fact, conditions couldn't have been better for...hiking Slaughter Gulch Trail.