everyone's most sensitive topic...

so, this morning, there has been the beginnings of a (i am guessing) passionate and long debate in my team's google group. It is centring around an article that Mary posted, which has to do with athlete's favourite thing to talk about.

heck it has to do with something that almost *Everyone* loves to talk about, and what society is obsessed about. The article is called "The single most effective way to loose weight." And, i'm not going to lie, i don't think it is a terrible article. Actually I agree with most of it. There are some bits that i don't completely like, but... whatever. However, i did find myself a little frustrated with the article, and i will tell you why, in a bit.

Food, and body image (especially for women) is a topic that people become exceptionally passionate about, because it is a sensitive topic. I have had people say to me everything from "Yes, but... do you like what you eat?" and "Mmmm, are you sure you are not edging on a eating disorder?" to "Wow, you eat so healthy!" and "can you give me any tips on nutrition?" And let me tell you. people who know me well, know that i.love.food. and i love what i eat. i love cooking. i love learning about it. heck, i even love good food photography.

As i sat, reading this article, and the subsequent posts, i found myself a little frustrated. I found it frustrating, because most of us don't have junk food in our lives (and, i am talking "athletes" here). and, despite trying my best not too, i am guilty of occasionally judging people on what they eat (normally not right to their faces, unless they ask... ;). I once read a post secret that said something to the effect of "i judge people at the checkout because of what they have in their shopping cart." let's just say, i can relate.

so, low/no junk food: check. yet ask if we have been able to loose the weight we want to... if we are at an ideal training/racing weight... mmmm, maybe not. I feel like there is more to it, than what this article outlines. Maybe it is not something complicated (i doubt it is), or even mentally demanding (i really like how he put the social factors and complexity factors, and the psychological aspects of diet into the article). But, I feel that there has to be something more to it.

... or else, why would it be so hard?

and, as I sat there, prior to my 30 min run, eating a bagel, with almond/flax seed butter, and a banana, I was challenged to think about what is junk. was what i eating there, junk? some might say the bagel is. (but.. i swear, coach, i was eating in a workout window!) after (despite it only being 30 minutes, it was a quick paced tempo run), i drank a whey protein drink with some strawberries mixed in.

i guess, what is frustrating about the whole thing, is that i don't mind what i look like right now, and i feel pretty good (most of the time...). Yet, i know I am a big girl (in terms of endurance athletes). At 6ft tall, and not so tiny, i know that i could be lighter, without sacrificing power. i know that my lean weight could be lower. but, the struggle is... a struggle. to try and focus on something, and see no results. that is frustrating. and defeating.

so. what is it? with the off season looming around the corner, where do we go from here? what do I change, what do I do, so that come next season, i am a little closer to goal weight, and a little closer to fast? this article, and the subsequent posts, have certainly given something to think about...

oh, the line of focus...

September, in a student's life is never easy, i don't think. As soon as you think it is easy... well, then something else happens. For this (my3rddegree.ugh.) time round, it is Federal/provincial student loans. This is the first degree in my life where I need to have canada student loans. My B.Sc was funded by the lovely WVU athletic department, where i did this:

Then, for my M.Sc at UBC, i worked here, and here, and then finally, here. and, i made it through. I am finally at a point, broker than I have ever been in my life, and saying "Show me the money! I don't want to work! i just want to focus on school!" but, that comes with loads and loads of bureaucracy (is that how you spell it!?). and, it comes with long lines, and going from office to office. and, if you remember last year, my loan was 6 weeks late, and I had days where i was afraid of where I was going to be getting my f

ood. And, i hate that. This year, I think that it will go better: fingers crossed --> the lines have been waited in, and the papers signed. and, now, I just have to wait.

yesterday, i had a "ahhhhh" moment. a moment when i came to the realization that this fall is probably going to be better than last fall. montreal feels more familliar. montreal and I have had some differences over the past year. but, you know.. I have an idea what to expect from my nursing program. i know the roads. there are some people here (despite a curse that I have of befriending people, only to have them leave the city/program) that i like quite a bit. places that i like to hang my coat. but, right now, i can't stand mcgill (that is a different post, for a different day). and one of those reasons is because of all the *STUPID FRESHMEN* running around in groups, with coloured t-shirts, chanting, and calling out to eachother. Parents: go home. 18 year olds: stop pretending that you are 14, but now legal to drink as much as you want.

finally, i was out for a run this afternoon, during a week which has kinda been my "let's get the mojo back." and, it was a good run. it was an endurance run, and my endurance zone running, is always higher, than when i bike. i have tried, for the life of me, to get my HR down lower, but, it always hovers in my Z3, and slighly higher. but, if you look at the following, you can clearly see where i turned around (minute 23 ish) and hit the head wind that had been carrying me for the first half. HA!

anyway, i feel like i am "ramping up..." on my run, i thought "damn. i pretty much have 3 weeks." and, for you who don't know... 3 weeks is NOT a lot of time in training land. it is soooo fast. so, what will this next three weeks consist of? well, it consists of me saying "no, i will not go out tonight, because tomorrow, i am waking up at 5am to do my workout." (ahem. that also applies to skype conversations. i will not be kept up until 11pm on skype) it means i watch what i eat, like a hawk. that alcohol is at a very minimum. that I make sure that I give myself enough time to recover, between my workouts. that when i rest, i rest. when i go hard, i go hard. that my focus is on this race.

because this race might be the last one of the season. (i know that there might be the chance to run something in the fall, and I generally *love* fall 1/2 marathons.) and, i want to do the best I can possibly do.

i also remembered what a baby I am at this distance. I have had some thoughts of what i can achieve at this race. but, then i remembered, that in the next two years, i really want to improve at this distance. I have next season, and the summer of 2012, which are the seasons before my "Real life" begins. and, i will still be in the same age group. I *know* that with help from my coach i can qualify for worlds. and, despite the fact that people complain about clearwater... it is still worlds. and i want it.

I will graduate in spring of 2012, and then, after that, the world is my oyster.

so, who knows what might happen.

all i know that is on September 19th in syracuse, i will walk into that lake with some of my train-this teammates, and know that from now, until then, i did everything I could to succeed at that race.

just a little laugh

so, today, i had a good little laugh.

These past few days, I have been the queen of riding inappropriate bikes.

--> the bixi bike, last week, for a training ride. <---

and, today, after having picked up my flying machine from the shop, and post real training ride, I went to take the flying machine back via metro. however, it was during "les heures de point." and, for all you anglos out there (heh): "peak hours." meaning no bikes on metro.

so, i commuted... on my P3. picture me, with my chacos, a crappy "messenger bag," a cotton tee-shirt, cruising the bike lanes at a rapid speed of oh, say 15km/hr, and making stops at a coffee shop, and the bank. allowing commuter mc joe to pass when they want, and weaving through the traffic.

(now, if this is not a funny story for you, well, you clearly don't know how inappropriate a cervelo P3 is for commuting. believe me. it's funny.)

oh, and, i was also priviledged to see, on my commute home, a black man, standing at the side of a park lip syncing (i think) a variety of reggae tunes and playing fake strumming an electric guitar, wearing a polyester suit from the 70's. fantastic.

oh you know. just another thing you see while on 2 wheels in montreal during the summer.

to rob a title... "the indignity of commuting by bike": bixi's to the hospital

So, it has been a while since I have posted. Not necessarily because I have not wanted, but just cause this past week has flown by. the last few days in edmonton were busy. busier than desired.

the beginning of last week consisted of me being a recluse. My exams, on wednesday and thursday, were a large source of stress. I spent sunday-monday-tuesday at a friend's place, and at coffee shops. Filled my time with cramming, and with researching other nursing programs that might take me if I totally flunk out of mcgill. Exams cause you to do strange things, that is for sure.

and, after I was done, it was like a big breath of fresh air. all of a sudden, there was going to be 10 days of non-stress, book reading, bike riding, late sleeping. however, that has only somewhat been true. I have been missing my bikes. They were shipped from edmonton, on greyhound, last monday. THey arrived yesterday (yesssss!), but I had to make due with what I had here in Montreal.

I have mentioned, before, some of the somewhat socialist tendencies of Montreal. Like the free public swim times. Montreal has something called "BIXI Bikes." they are almost socialist. It is a bike lending program, that you go to a little station, pick up your bike, and drop it at the station of your destination. However, this does cost money. The monthly, or "yearly" suscription fees aren't so bad. THe daily, though, are 5$ for the first 1/2 hour, then 1.50$ every half-hour afterwards. but, i had to ride. so, on thursday, I took to the streets. me and a bixi. for a "Training ride" commute around the city. now, here is a pic of a bixi:

not quite your training machine. but, as mary said: now *That* is a beautiful bike. I know that everything becomes better on a bike. it doesn't matter what type of bike, and there is something quite heart warming about riding around the city on publicly-shared, emission free, couch on wheels. but, let's just say that it was tough to get my HR up into Zone 2. but, i swear, i was sweating! those 3 speed internal hubs are quite entertaining!

on that bike ride, as well as many other times while riding a bixi throughout the city, on daily commutes, i have seen lovely things. such things as a man walking around with a "mafia" sign. what does that mean? that you are part of the mafia? that you support the mafia? that you want the mafia to end? i have also seen commuters of all sorts: my fav was the lady who had plastic flowers attached into her hat, as well as her front bar basket.

however, that night (friday), i was talking to one of my new roommates (which I have lots to blog about!!!) and i said "hmmm, but, i think the bixi bikes are making my back hurt, becasue they are a bit small for me." and, alas. i made a stunning realization that it was not indeed the bixi bikes, but, the possibility that I was coming down with a kidney infection. I had a UTI earlier in the week (yeah yeah, you probably don't want to hear about this...), but, i was all of a sudden really worried that I was going to have a kidney infection! so, after some consultation with friends, i was convinced to go to the ER. (yup, i even rode a bixi there... cheaper than a taxi, i say!) and, you know how ERs are for a non-life threatening situation. by the time I waited for 8 hrs over night, i walked myself through the locked doors, and pretty much said "look. this is ridiculous. I am normally a really patient person. but, my pain is increasing, give me a fricken cup to pee in so I can get this show on the road, I am a nurse (okay, so that is a small lie. i am learning to be a nurse), and this is ridiculous." less than 1.5 hours later, my tests had been done, the cipro prescribed, and I was walking out of the hospital.

so, saturday and sunday consisted of me in bed, feeling like canned crap, and taking far more pills than I ever thought possible. Cipro for infection. gravol for nausea. Advil for pain. my daily multivitamins, and my daily pill for my skin. RIDICULOUS i say. i am 27. not 80.

I am feeling much better, though, today. I am going to be out in the world, and get a swim in. i am mildly concerned about what this week, and HUGE lack of working out, is going to do for my race in september. I am feeling fat and lazy. and, worried that having a week that was focused on other things (which was necessary) than training, is really going to be detrimental. however, the next 4 week are going to be soooo focused towards my training, it is not even funny. it will pretty much be my last race of the season, unless something magical happens, while I am there.

but, enough time wasting. it is time to jump back on this bandwagon. time to go swimming.

back in montreal

so, arrived yesterday (early) into this city that will contain me for the next 2 years.

well... that is, if i pass my physiology exam on wednesday, and my pathology exam on thursday. The common question of the week has been "why are you writing exams, before the semester starts!?!?" well, if you remember back in April, my Momma fractured her hip. Very thoughtfully, she did that during my final exam period. I had 4 exams. I deferred two of them, knowing that had I written them then, I would do awful; and, if i deferred them to August, I would have a better chance at doing well. who was I to know that i was going to have a great summer job, and a great boy to spend time with?!?!

so, the cramming begins continues... I am, truthfully, a bit stressed out. i don't have to do terribly well on these exams: on physiology, i have to get 46/70. on pathology: 41/65. those are the grades, which will keep me in this program. And honestly, i know they don't seem high. but, we are talking information that I learnt from January-April. it's not like it is fresh. nor is it like these exams are easy. they have tricky questions. so, if you believe in some sort of power of prayer, please stick a little one in there for me.

------------------------

I don't miss edmonton. in fact, i was ready to leave edmonton. i think the thing about edmonton, is that I have seen so much more... experienced and live in many of the greater cities in the world. and, the last couple days were way busier than planned, especially the last day.

I wanted to do nothing, and be non-stressed, and just spend time with that boy i like. but, i woke up in the morning, to discover that my flight was at 1:15 AM on sunday, not PM. so, that made a big difference.... and, a 3hr bike ride turned into 4hrs due to a flat, a massive head wind, and a gravel road. it made me run late for a hair appointment, that turned into a 3hr ordeal (but, i look cute!). One fringe play turned into two. my flying machine proved to be far harder to pack than was planned. and, i only got to spend the last few hours with sean.

but, here I am. once these exams are done, maybe I can take a holiday from my holidays. maybe i can escape into the mountains somewhere for a bit, go swimming in lakes, and sleep in a tent. maybe I can ignore the fact that i am already missing people, and can't see my best friend (In DC) who is about to have a baby, or my old WVU roommate from australia, who is going to be in NYC. maybe I can ignore the fact that I would rather be out west. two weeks to be able to remember that Montreal is actually not all that bad.

Photos from Lake Chaparral

In reverse chronology. Thank you to Mr Birch. Captioned by thoughts.

Oh good god. it's the finish. i can take these shoes off, my one sock and let this damn blister air out. ugh. i can't believe those girls beat me by 30 seconds. so happy to be done with this race, so I can go home and sulk.

"hmmm. it is only water. i need some sort of salt. sugar. not just water. my head hurts. my foot hurts. i need a sock. i am going to steal one from that boy next time i see him"

"clearly i can save time in T2 if i take my feet out of my shoes while still on the bike. 'Cause *clearly* i am a pro-star like that. okay, well, not really. i have just seen the pro-stars do that. so, maybe it is worth it."

"damn i love this bike."

"Dear God. Thank you for not allowing me to drown. or have a DNF. Get me the hell out of this lake."

Lake Chaparral Race Report

Ah yes. Olympic distance triathlons. the distance that made me fall in love with this sport. the distance that causes me to suffer a bit, but allows me still to do well, since it is still fairly endurance based...

I Went into Lake Chaparral Tri with high expectations. And, maybe I should not have done that. I think it made me flustered. but, more on that, later.

I also went into the tri without any taper. It is not a "A" race (yes, i do risk sounding tri-geeky when I say that), and so, we used it as a training race. the week before had no change in schedule, meaning that i was meant to do a 3.5 hour brick on saturday. I did a 3hr ride. then had breakfast, then drove the 3hrs to calgary. So, I wasn't rested, that is for sure. but, I *was* excited.

'cause i love racing. It is so much better than training.

anyway, got to the race, especially excited to ride my new flying machine. set up transition, and in my mind, know that i am going to get lost in T1. (yes, for a note, i did. ran up the wrong line coming out of the swim).

anyway, got a little swim warmup in. but, felt weird, because i was the only person doing so. Maybe that is why I cut it a bit short. get out, felt fine. listen to the man do the pre-race meeting/instruction. the woman's olympic distance was the first wave in. 8am. I figured, about 50 women.

swim: so, this was the most surprising part of the entire weekend. the start was a beach start, with a little rock on the left hand side. so, I had to position myself that I would be able to get out in front, but not have to swim over everyone. i started off, pulled in front of a group of girls, and number one girl was out quick. I caught her, tried to draft, and then suddenly realized that i felt awful. I knew that i couldn't keep that pace up, so, I dropped back. it was like the shit hit the fan. I felt awful. i tried to take swim a bit of breast stroke, but it just seemed harder than I was wanting. for the first time in my life, i thought "shit. I am going to have a DNF. I don't know if I can do this." so, I rounded the first buoy, and had to pull to the side. I took my goggles off, floated for about a minute, watch a group of about 6 girls swim by, and gave myself a "you are not going to DNF. you can't. you can't tell people you want to win, then have a DNF. get your shit together. you need to swim, not worry about the other people, and get onto that bike."

after that, it was okay. i was frustrated, I got a headache 1/2 way through, and got really ticked off at a girl who was disguising pushing me to side, and swimming overtop of me (despite the large amount of water available around us) as "drafting."

Time: 26:55 (avg 1:48/100m, which is about 15 seconds slower than normal!!! ARGH!) 8th woman out of the water.

bike: now, this was the highlight of the race. I was beat out of transition by a girl, then i passed her as she put her shoes on, then she passed me again. My transition felt flustered. I think it was because of the ridiculous swim that I had just completed. and, i think that I felt like I needed to save time. but, my new bike suited me well. there was a strong hill, both up and down. The few things that got me: a 90 degree turn at the bottom of the hill, so you couldn't just burn it down. and, the fact that I am still a little scared of going around corners fast. i think this is still a result of my 2007 crash. And, i know that I lose time on corners. I slow down so much, and it takes me too long to get back up to speed.

Time: 1:18 (avg 30.8km/hr). 8th woman out.

Run: so, every time i don't put socks on, i know it is a bad mistake. i think the max i can run without socks is about 5km. because, after that, THIS HAPPENS:

yup, in the middle of T2 I had the brilliant thought "oh, whatever. i can run without socks, it will be fine... I can save some time." why? WHY do i ever think that is a good idea?!?! so, i got a blister. I contemplated going back into transition to get my socks, but, i knew they wouldn't allow me to cross the timing mats again. so, next time I saw that boy I like, i demanded one of his socks "give me your sock." "what?" "i have a blister. i need you sock. but, it will get blood on it." "oh. okay. well, i don't need it right now." (ps... have i mentioned that it is a difference between the two of us? he loves to wear socks. i, on the other hand, believe that socks were invented as a jail for our feet.) so, after stealing his sock, i was okay.

the other thing about the run, was that you run through a park. while I was leaving T2, someone said "oh, just run around the lake." well, there was a T in the intersection, with no volunteer. and, of course, i went towards the lake (right...). well, i should've went left. so, i had about a minute and a half detour. i ran back, ticked off, and saw my next competitor. and, i really think she took that to her advantage. because she dug it in, and passed me (breathing really hard, to which I thought "go for it, girl. you can't hold that for long."). but, i think that is what got her 3rd in our age group, because from then on, she was the same distance ahead of me.

The run wasn't terrible. it wasn't great. it kinda hurt. both the blister, as well as just my body. i was tired at this point, and just kinda wanted it to end. i even looked behind me at one point to see if anyone else was going to pass me. I couldn't see anyone, so, I kinda said "okay. whatever. i don't need to push it super hard to the finish." maybe that is a bad attitude. but, it was a hard race for me. two people passed me on the run. they beat me by less than 30 seconds. (damn that blister. damn that slow T2. damn that detour. i hate mistakes)

run was long (i heard someone say her garmin got 10.9Km. and, mapmyrun confirmed that.)

Time: 57:38.

AG place: 4th/18. OA women: 10/60. Total time: 2:43:20

so, not terrible. but, definitely not as good as i wanted.

And, to a degree, this is what I am struggling with. I don't want to think that I am faster than I actually am. I look at an olympic distance race, and I think "I should definitely be able to do a 2:30." but, here I ran a race (despite the mistakes) and was 13 minutes slower than what i perceive myself as being able to do.

why am I not hitting the podium in my age group? are my goals to ambitious for myself right now?

what is it that is missing? would there have been different results if I did not do a 3hr bike the day before, and a regular training week prior? how did i screw up my nutrition (i could tell something was wrong... my recovery has been really slow, and i had that headache throughout the race from the 2nd lap of the swim, until... well, today)?

anyway. this kinda race is good for any athlete. you learn from these ones, and they remind you that you always have lots to learn. I have a better perspective 2 days later, but i was really frustrated post-race. maybe the biggest thing is to stop placing un-realistic expectations onto myself.

next race (last tri of the season!?!?): SYRACUSE 70.3!!!!! wooooOOOOOOoooooo!

hard to concentrate...

(I love the RHCP song which this title is based on...)

the race, this morning, in calgary, was not bad. but, it was not great. I will write a detailed report tomorrow, when I am a bit more concious, and a little bit more focused, with my results.

I got 4th in my age group, 9th OA woman.
the course was long (about 10.75km for the run, 41km for the bike)
i got blisters on my feet, because i made the stupid decision of not putting my socks on for the run.
bike was good.
swim was the slowest and hardest that i have had, since my first OLY in July 2008. i almost thought that I was going to have my first DNF. thank god I didn't.
despite it possibly raining, it didn't. and, that made me happy.
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Today, I had a the beginnings of a conversation that started to get to the very route of my being. a conversation that will continue to go on longer.

I have recently been given a gift that is the something which challenges me to be a better person. a gift that challenges me to be more like christ, because it challenges me to think of someone else, more than i think about myself. I have recently been given a gift that is amazing. and beautiful. and something i may have never been given before.

this conversation, and this gift, continuously has made me remember how the things we go through, people we meet, and circumstances we encounter in life form us into who we are today: the good, and not so good. the way we choose to act, and the unconscious reactions that we just do. and, it is not so much that our past defines who we are. we do not have to be held captive to the things of our past, they just tend to influence some of the things we do.

it is likely that I will say things that i do not mean to say.
it is likely that I will not do the things that i do not mean to do.
it is likely that I will be selfish, and forget to think of other people, before i think of myself.
it is likely that I will forget to trust, forget to extend grace and show mercy, forget to rely on faith, and forget to love.

every day, we wake up, with a series of decisions to make. do i wake up, or stay in bed? do i phone so and so. do I help out in the house, or at school, or at work? do i choose to be positive, or be upset, angry and have a negative outlook on life? do I choose to walk forward into the good things, even though they may be unknown, scary, and risky?

i pray that every day, I can wake up and say 'yes. i will not be defined by the things of my past, or be scared of everything that is different or new or makes me feel vulnerable. i choose to have a positive outlook. i choose faith, hope, love. i choose to go beyond my fears, and experience something new. I choose the good things in life.'

i choose life.

the weekends pass fast!

This weekend, I am racing a MSC Canada event: the lake Chapparal Olympic, in Calgary.

I am pretty sure that it is going to be a strong race for me. I am currently feeling quite strong. I am definitely noticing the increasing in hours for training times throughout the week, and definitely noticing that I am on a building period right now. It is interesting though, because coach and I have (for reasons unbeknownst to either of us) missing eachother on the "being good at connecting on skype." thing. why is this interesting?! well, because i just feel like i am going to be racing this race without overly thinking about it as being a race week. just go into it feeling a little tired. is this good? well, it's not bad. why? well, because we are building for an A race in the fall. i will be racing Syracuse 70.3 on sept 19th. and, that is soon. that is just over a month away. yipes!

Anyway, for lake chapparal, the top 3 times for women, last year were: 2:19, 2:28 and 2:29. i am kinda curious as to if i will be able to manage that 2:30 time slot. I raced a 2:36 at slave lake, with long transitions, and running 5km with bare feet. I also have upgraded my bike to the flying machine. maybe i have purchased myself a win. :)

--------------------------
the past 2 weeks have certainly been interesting. It has involved a lot of family stuff. Most notably, a last minute August long weekend trip down to the Nelson BC area for the baptism of my youngest neice, Elizabeth. I traveled down in a rental car with my sister, and my oldest neice. We stopped overnight in Fairmont Hot Springs, and I had the best ride so far on my flying machine. 90km at 6 am, down a low traffic mountain secondary highway: rolling hills, beautiful weather, wide shoulder. virtually perfect (except for my seat... yup, have to see if that pain is going to pass on the longer rides).

The trip was better than expected, but a lot of driving. With the diverse personalities of the characters that were there, it could've led to a lot of drama. but, it was a beautiful weekend, and the best possible outcomes. More photos will come, but for now, a few stolen from Makayla's facebook page...

the dog.

the girls: makayla, elizabeth.

the family: ridiculously tall leigh. small child elizabeth. short (she is standing on a step) mother Riane.

the father daughter combo. so great to see my bro.

the other girls: Me and one of my most favourite people, Makayla, on the ferry.

jammed packed couple days

yeah, i know. it has been busy. I know it is busy when:

• emails pile up.
• i find that I am only getting 6-7 hrs of sleep a night.
• i drive 12 hours each way to see family, only to stay in the destination for a day and a half.
• i don't answer my phone when it rings.
• i bring school work to work work.
• day schedule looks somewhat like this: wake up. work out 1. study a bit while eating. grab a coffee. work. eat. work. go home. snack. workout 2. go hang out with boy. eat dinner. bed. REPEAT.
• i realize that it is already the 4th, and I only have 10 days left in this city.
• i barely have time to squeeze in dinner with my mum.
• i don't blog much.

so. things like that have been going on. a better blog post will follow. but, for now, I leave you with some more photos. remember how I mentioned at one point in a "things i like" post, that I love getting film developed after they have sat in my room for a year, or longer. these photos (and the ones in the tree post) are from a recent film developing.

These are from my recent trip to alaska, at the end of june.

Two of the coolest dogs i know... Jack and Jasper. Featured in 2 AK huskies

A rather convenient sign on the Nancy Lakes Canoe trail.

two of my favourite people in the world. Sam and Gretchen Chamberlain. Glad to have had the chance to see them, before they are off to Arctic Village for 2 years!!!

Exit glacier. Kenai Fjords National park. This little sign told us about the wind that an ice field produces. you can notice the wind, by my swept hair.

The old railway at Hatcher's Pass Mine.