...termination dust

Termination dust on the mountain above Tern Lake.

Tern Lake again.

The view from a pull-out near Seward, Alaska. Looks like someone sprinkled powdered sugar on the top of this mountain.

Here are a few pictures I took on our way home from the soccer game in Seward yesterday. As you can see there is termination dust on top of the mountains. It has been there for the past 7-10 days. It means summer has ended. No more warm temperatures, no more extra long day light, no more lots of stuff. Winter isn't far off. It will be here before we know it. But, in the mean time we can watch the Colorado Rockies and the Denver Broncos on TV and prep the house and yard for snow. Because we know it is over and we've seen the...termination dust.

...soccer in Seward

Making a dash for the ball.

Laura throws the ball into play after it was kicked out of bounds.

Laura (#16) goes for the ball.

Laura gets ready to kick the ball down the field.

The Nikiski Middle School girls soccer team took a road trip to Seward today where they played against the Seward Middle School girls. It was spectacularly sunny and both teams played hard. I enjoyed the drive over and was able to get a few pictures from the sidelines. On the way back to Nikiski we stopped to find a geocache and visit some friends at Watson Lake Campground. All in all, it was just a great day for...soccer in Seward.

...campfire photos

The gang around the fire pit. This was a shorter exposure. The people are somewhat in focus but not very well lit.

The same shot as above with a longer exposure. The people are lit better but blurry due to natural movement.

Campfire sparks leave trails in the dark.

This weekend we went camping at Captain Cook State Park. Saturday was our 31st camping night of the summer (we like to camp). The sky was clear and packed full of stars. We spent the evening around the campfire with some of our friends and I thought it would be fun to take some photos. I hadn't done this for a long time so it took some experimenting with exposure times to get things just right.

It was a good evening with good friends and it was tremendous fun taking...campfire photos.

...a hike in early fall

Mrs. Hufford and Emily pose at the trailhead sign.

A splash of red along the trail.

Emily poses at the trail terminus. That's Skilak Lake and the Kenai Mountains in the background.

We just returned from a wonderful afternoon hike on Burney's Trail near Hidden Lake Campground. The weather was beautiful and the colors are becoming more spectacular with each passing day. The trail is almost a mile long (it's been extended since the trailhead sign was put up) and ends at a knoll which provides a nice panoramic view of the area. Emily ran most of the way back so I had a difficult time trying to take pictures and keep up with her. Still, it was a great walk and a perfect...hike in early fall.

...caribou burger

Here is a picture of the Alaska version of a Quarter Pounder with cheese. It's wholesome. Nutritious. Delicious. And, it's made of caribou.

Just add a bun, lettuce, onion, and dollop each of catsup and mustard, and you're good to go. It's a great meal but you won't find it at a drive-thru. Not even in Alaska. Nope, because they would look at you funny if you ordered a quarter pound...caribou burger.

...Winner Creek Trail

The gang poses in front of the sign at the trailhead before we start hiking. Mrs. Hufford stops to examine the direction marker at a fork in the trail.

Lori, Laura, and Alex ride the Hand Tram.

Here is a photo that shows how mountain bikes can be transported across the gorge. Just place them on the hooks located on the side of the Hand Tram.

Mitch and Alex come in for a landing.

When you are camping at Williwaw Campground in the Portage Valley the hiking opportunities are boundless. The Trail of Blue Ice passes through the campground and Portage Pass Trail is just a short drive away. Of course, if you motor a short way down Turnagain Arm you will pass numerous trailheads which lead up the valleys and into the mountains. All of them are perfect places to explore when the weather is beautiful and you have the benefit of a long Labor Day weekend.

After much discussion and debate we finally settled on Winner Creek Trail. We had wanted to hike this trail for a long time but just never got around to it. We didn't know what we were missing!

The trailhead is located near the tram behind the Alyeska Prince Hotel. But, once you are several hundred feet into the woods the hustle and bustle of the hotel parking lot melts away as the woods become tranquil and serene. We walked along watching the kids bound down the trail ahead of us. Then they would stop to look at something or pick a berry and eat it before bouncing off again. The trail was in great condition and the forest was beautiful, but at mile 2.5 we saw what we were looking for--the Hand Tram across Winner Creek.

The Hand Tram is something we have heard about for a long time. It was recently renovated and in perfect condition. We took turns climbing into the small cage and pulling the rope to transport us across the gorge while glacier water rumbled in the stream below. Other hikers arrived and some mountain bike riders even put their bikes on the hooks on the side of the tram to continue their ride on the other side of the river. We rode across the gorge and back before returning down the path we had come in on.

When we got back to the trailhead we had hiked five miles round trip and it was worth every step just to ride the Hand Tram. We stopped at the Ice Cream Shop on our way out of Girdwood and then returned to Williwaw Campground for dinner. It was a great day and we truly enjoyed the Hand Tram on...Winner Creek Trail.

...the Alaska State Fair 2009

Tika had her face painted and her hair done.

Liz and Emily pose in front of the new World Record Cabbage.

Lumberjacks climb to the top of tall poles during the lumberjack show.

Danni and Emily ride the Silver Streak.

Members of the band ShaeLaurel perform on stage.

The Alaska State Fair always involves a big weekend of travel, eating, crowds, concerts, wild rides, face painting, hair fixing, lumberjack jokes, and huge vegetables. And, that's the exactly the way things went down this past weekend. We left for the fair on Friday evening and camped out at Williwaw Campground along the way. We left camp on Saturday morning and drove to Palmer along the Glenn Highway with at least 80 million other fair goers. We took a deep breath and walked through the entrance and began taking in all the fair events. We ate corn on the cob, barbecued ribs, turkey drumsticks, Kettle Korn, candied apples, and snow cones. Junk food for sure.

Emily and Danni spent a couple of hours waiting in lines and riding on rides which they enjoyed immensely. Laura went with another family for a while to play the games and ride the Astro. Then it was time for a concert by ShaeLaurel. They are a family band that plays high energy Irish music and they are at the fair almost every year so we make it a point to see them. Emily and Danni danced throughout the concert and were even recognized as the "ShaeLaurel Dancers" by the leader of the band. After the concert we went to the Lumberjack Show, which was the highlight of the fair for me. The jokes are corny and pretty much the same year after year, but it is lots of fun to watch them saw logs. climb poles, spin on logs in the water, and throw axes at a big round target. The final event of the evening involved finding and taking pictures of the World Record Cabbage which was 120 something pounds. It was huge and would make a lot of cole slaw.

After seven hours of fair time we had to leave. As we walked out the gate the music, noise, smells, and crowds faded into the background. We got in the truck where Laura and Emily quickly fell asleep as we drove back to Williwaw. Everyone went directly to bed when we got back to the campground as we were worn out following a big day at...the Alaska State Fair 2009.