Glacier Creek Hand Tram

 

Hand over hand, pulling on frozen rope, we crossed the rushing Glacier Creek in Girdwood, AK. The town of Girdwood built the tram that is a metal box 200 feet above the creek that carries passengers across the gorge.The snow has just begun to fall in this part of Alaska and our hike Saturday found us in a quiet winter wonderland. The tram in itself was a worth the 45 minute drive from Anchorage and the beautiful white views from the it were lovely. 

Watching for the white whale

Sitting on a ledge above the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, John and I joined other volunteers to scan the waters of the Cook Inlet for beluga whales. It was a 30 degree F morning but with ample layers and a miraculous lack of wind, we sat comfortable behind our binoculars. We watched as six belugas fed at the mouth of Campbell Creek for nearly three hours before the retreating tide forced them to move on. 

The belugas of the Cook Inlet are a genetically distinct population and are federally listed as an endangered species. The beluga watch is conducted by volunteers of the Anchorage Coastal Beluga Survey and was created by the Friends of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge (FAR). Find out more information (here).

Flower.

Caterpillar earlier this summer at the Botanical Gardens.

Bird Ridge

John perched on Bird Ridge

Fall in Alaska

A beautiful evening at Cheney Lake, Anchorage, AK.

Blue skies over Anchorage

A sunny afternoon on the beach in Kincaid Park.