I got up about 7:30-7:45 which is late for me. Mairead had been up late as well. Dan and Amanda have the bedroom downstairs so they usually go down there to watch TV later at night. I settle down on the leather loveseat to blog while Mairead relaxes on the sofa watching TV or using the internet on her phone. Mairead has been falling asleep on the sofa and ends up sleeping there even though I have told her to go into the double bed, and I would sleep on the sofa. For years I slept on the sofa when we lived on Main St. in Watertown - Johnny Murphy used to go to bed at 7-8 pm to get up at 5-5:30 am to be to work at 6:30. If I was working 3-11 or even 7-3, I would be going to bed at midnight or 1 am and would wake him up. Then he would be waking me when he was getting up. It was easier just to sleep on the sofa which was very comfortable. So I never mind sleeping on a comfortable couch.
Anyway, Dan texted from downstairs about 8:15 that he and Amanda were going out for breakfast. Mairead had just gone into take a shower. I texted Dan that Mairead was in the shower. I got dressed. I guess Dan was too hungry so they headed off to breakfast at the Picnic Club - which was no problem - Dan and Amanda could have some time alone - Mairead and I could take our time and go when they came back. Which is just what we did.
The Picnic Club is a cute little place in New Girdwood - it was very busy when Mairead and I arrived. Amanda had recommended the rhubarb waffle which Mairead had. But I wanted something more substantial so I ordered a veggie omelet. We didn't know when we would be eating next so I wanted something filling! The home fries were delicious, and Mairead said the rhubarb waffle was very good too.
Mairead wasn't interested in taking some pictures of the town so I dropped her off at home. I drove around to take some pictures of the houses we have been passing so I could remember them. The architecture is a lot different than Boston!
Crow Creek Mercantile is the general store in New Girdwood - Mairead and I were in here several times. And below is a local night spot that has live music but I don't know how often.
This was at the top of the Alyeska Highway - a sign for the Alyeska Resort. The picture is dark but there is skiing on the mountain in back and a restaurant on top. Take a left here and the main resort is about a mile away.
This is where Dan checked in.
Below are some pictures of our local neighbors.
This one is for sale!
When I got back to the house, Dan was in the dining/sitting area, but there was no sign of Mairead. Then we heard a little voice coming from the loft!! Mairead had a headache and had climbed up to the loft to lay down in the darkest part of the house. This is not good because we are going for a helicopter ride at 1 pm! But Mairead pulled through, and we got ourselves together. The airfield was only a few streets away. Dan drove over. I think Amanda said she was in a helicopter before, but Mairead was very nervous. I was quite excited.
We checked in and they told us to hang on for a while. So I was checking out the flowers outside - they had strawberry plants as well, but it didn't look like anyone picked the berries - there were a couple of big juicy ones.
Lots of strawberry plants!!
Chillin' before our helicopter ride.
So before the helicopter arrived, the staff took us into the dressing room. I had ridden in a small plane to the Aran Islands a few years ago - they weighed us before we got on so they could distribute our weight evenly - Patty, Richie, Ricky, Jody, myself and the pilot. My biggest fear in going on a helicopter was that they were going to yell out my weight in front of everyone else! But they didn't - because Dan had given them our weight when he was booking this adventure. So why were they taking us into the dressing room? To get dressed for the glacier, of course!!! We were flying to a glacier on the helicopter!! Doesn't everyone?
They started pulling out long waterproof pants - like ski pants - the gal helped me get into them - they were black with long zippers on both legs so I didn't have to take off my winter shoes that I had brought all the way from Cape Cod! in my 45 lb. suitcase!!
Then she asked what size shoes I wore. Why was she asking me this? I have winter boots - but she pulled out these god awful big black waterproof boots that fit over my shoes and attached to the ski pants. I was roasting by now - I had worn a flannel shirt and it was 75+ degrees outside and no air conditioning inside. I had brought a winter jacket that Dan had bought me for Christmas with this trip in mind - it is warm but light weight and very comfortable. Well, I had to put on a red waterproof jacket - OVER my own winter jacket! Could it possibly be that cold and wet on the glacier? I was so hot now that I couldn't wait to get to the cold glacier!! Then she handed me some gloves. My outfit was complete! But no winter hat - just my Alaska baseball cap. Wait a minute, won't my ears be cold?
This is my snow boot over my own winter shoes - the boot is strapped to the ski pants.
Then we trudged outside to wait for the helicopters. Mairead had brought her own winter jacket that is waterproof so she did not have to wear one of theirs.
There were 6 other people going to the glacier. One of the Alpine Air Alaska gals went over safety - do not step on the bars on the bottom of the helicopter - they can break; don't pull on the helicopter door or it will fall off!! There is a bar inside that you can grab onto; zip everything up because it is so tight inside the helicopter. Make sure you buckle up. Grab a headset when you get in so you can hear the pilot. The top rotating blades are 11 feet high so no need to bend over but do NOT go near the back of the copter because of the lower rotating blade there that could hurt you. Okay, no big deal.
And here comes the helicopter! Wait a minute, that looks awfully small!
The red and blue helicopters were VERY small - I was surprised by how small. The other 6 people headed out first - 3 in each chopper. It was an 8 minute ride to the glacier - a couple of minutes to disembark the passengers and pick up people who are returning to the airfield - and 8 minutes back to base. I was dying of the heat - I had unzipped my 2 jackets - I was afraid I was going to pass out - not from fright but heat stroke!!
Then we heard the helicopters approaching - then we saw them - closer, closer they came - I was very excited - they landed, and we waited for the passengers to get off. Now it is our turn!!! Dan and Amanda get on the red one. Mairead and I walked out to the blue helicopter. Mairead jumped into the front - I was supposed to get into the back. But what the heck! How HIGH did I have to lift my right leg? There was no way I could get my right leg up that high. There was equipment in the seat beside me - if I could have used the door on the other side, there would have been no problem. It was flashing though my mind that I was dressed in all these roasting hot clothes and had waited so long for this, and now I couldn't get into the helicopter!!`
But one of the employees ran to a shed and got a box. He turned it upside down. I climbed on and between us I got my right leg in, slid along the seat a bit and pulled up my left leg. I was in!! And it was very tight!! The guy who helped me in now strapped me in and put a head set on me. Then we were off!! in this tiny helicopter! Dan and Amanda were in the red one ahead of us. They seemed to be flying at a good clip, but we seemed to be having trouble getting off the ground - were Mairead and I too heavy, too much weight on the left side - shouldn't I be in the right sided seat to balance us? We were flying low but gradually going up. I was squeezed in so tight that I couldn't get my hand into my pocket for my cell phone to take a picture. But the scenery was spectacular! We were flying way up above trees, climbing between mountains - then we could see the snow covered glacier ahead of us. There seemed to be a lot of sheds - people standing in a group. We were descending, lower, lower - then we landed pretty smoothly on the Punchbowl Glacier in the Chugach Mountains.
I slid out of the helicopter. THIS WAS AMAZING!! I started following the others - I was sliding because of all the loose snow - even with these clodhopping black boots! Someone grabbed my arm and steadied me. Once I was away from the chopper, the ground seemed more packed and less slippery. But I was being very careful I tell you.
We gathered around one of the gals who worked there - she just had on a vest - another gal just had a T shirt on! I had already unzipped both of my jackets. So this gal started giving us safety instructions because we were going on a DOG SLED RIDE!! That's right - a dog sled ride on the snow of Punchbowl Glacier! She was talking about all the dogs that were there - two sleds go at a time - when they return, those dogs rest, and another 2 sets get hitched up to the sleds to take more customers on a 2 mile run. This is training for the dogs for the Iditorad. The dogs are NOT pure huskies - they are dogs specially bred for their strength, stamina, and ability to run. They are fed a special diet to keep them lean. These dog sleds use 12 dogs while 14-16 are used in the Iditarod. They can run for a couple of hours but then need to rest. We were told not to pat the dogs until after the dog sled ride.
The dogs are chained to the metal spikes and each has its own little hut. This dog on the left loves to sit on his hut and watch what is going one.
Next the gal talked about the sleds. There is the Princess seat in front, then the musher stands behind at the 2nd seat, the 3rd person stands on the back runners and holds on to the curved metal handle. I definitely wanted the Princess seat! I could just see myself falling off the back runners. But wait, the other people had 6 in their group so they broke up 3 and 3. The 3rd person in both groups has to stand up on an attached sled that is pulled behind that first sled - they have to shift their weight as the sleds turn, move over to one runner when turning or for something - I can't remember what else - I just know thank god that we were 2 and 2 - it's sounded so dangerous for that 3rd person!
There is a special way to get onto the Princess seat - you sit down on the side - do not stand on the lines or the runner because you can break them - swing your legs over - only hold onto a certain bar so you don't break the sled.
Everyone got that? Holy moly!!
So now they broke us up into 2 groups again - the other 6 people were going first so the staff started hitching up the dogs.
So why did that other group get to go first? What's up with that? Who decides who goes first?
These are all questions we will get to in the 2nd installment of The Best Day Ever!!
These are all questions we will get to in the 2nd installment of The Best Day Ever!!
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