a proper denali send-off

Last night the Northern Lights came out in all their glory around 1:15 am, and what we saw was something I'm not able to properly describe in words. Unfortunately, all of our camera batteries were empty, and so we sat along the Nenana river, a crackling fire behind us warming our backs, we simply sat back, looked up, and enjoyed.

I regret to say that we did not capture the light show that ensued on film, but at the same time I do not regret it. It was a moment in time I won't soon forget, and perhaps the best way we could have said goodbye to Denali (for now.) The lights flashed, danced, and skirted across the sky with quick, breathtaking movements. It was more than enough to leave us completely speechless, our eyes reverently locked on the bright sky above us, we stood completely awestruck.

We feel we have said our proper goodbyes to this place we've called home for the last 4 months - after an exhilirating and adventurous trek up to Cathedral Mountain in the park yesterday, and the light show to cap off the beautiful fall Denali day, we're looking forward to packing up and heading south, but always with Denali in our hearts. That might be cliche and cheesy to say, but I don't mind this time. Denali will be forever in our hearts, and we hope that you have the chance to see it for yourselves one day.

On to more great adventures -

cheers,

Jenny & Justin

All of the lights.

As the summer winds down, our pursuit of adventure has only increased. And so began the hike out to 8-mile lake to find the small cabin situated right on the water - this cabin is owned by a local in Healy, Alaska who keeps it well stocked (and unlocked) for wandering hikers.

So a group of us decided to check it out.

Thinking it would be a quick walk from the Stampede Trail, 7 of us piled into two vehicles and loaded down the pick-up truck with wood, camping gear, tents, and beer (only the essentials here), in case this elusive cabin turned out to be just a myth we wanted to be prepared to tent it. As we set out, there appeared to be some kind of ATV road, but for some reason or another we decided to bushwhack across the plushy, wet tundra, and make what we believed to be a bee-line for the little cabin. Darkness set in, which we are just recently becoming acquainted to again, and the strain of all the firewood, gear, and beer began to wear on us. But after about an hour of hard work and aimless wandering, the silouhette of the mysterious cabin finally gave way.

Upon swinging the wooden door open, we discovered a quaint, rustic cabin with a loft, matresses, a couch, stove, cast iron stove, and enough marshmallows to last us the week. We threw our gear and firewood to the ground, and excitedly explored the cabin and its beautiful surroundings.

That night we caught our first glimpse of the Northern Lights -- just one more reason to stay up late and explore. Alaska continues to surprise and amaze us.

Check out our photos:

Jessica and I enjoying a beer before setting out!

Rick, play us a tune.

We made it! That fire felt so good.

Drying all of our wet clothes from the hike

The loft - so cool

The Cabin on 8 Mile Lake in the morning

Yessica being a goon

Friends :)

Northern Lights - beautiful.

Mt. McKinley came out the next morning!

Old time photos are the best.

Happy adventuring,

Jenny & Justin

changing colors

Since the last update it seems that so much has changed here in Denali but nothing more than the colors. Magnificent yellows and reds grace the tops of trees, hillsides and mountaintops. Blueberries are ripe for the picking, and the fresh, crisp smell of fall air is enough to make us fall in love with Denali all over again...

We had an AWESOME visit from Justin's Mom Lynn and her friend Sara a week ago here in Denali! They arrived just in time to see the colors changing, with a visit into the park, a trip to the husky homestead, an adventurous trip down the Nenana river, and a beautiful hike to the falls & one ultra-tacky yet hilarious photo session at the Old Sourdough Studio (see below), we were certainly on-the-go. These women cannot be stopped, my friends. Justin and I couldn't help but feel energized by another fantastic visit from family & friends. What's funny is that while showing them around Denali, they actually showed us Denali. It's so easy to fall into complacency when you've been in that "new" place for a few months. But Lynn & Sara's appreciation for this treasure of a place opened our eyes once again to the beauty of Denali.

We had a blast - and judging by the pictures below, we think they did too.

With just 3 weeks left of our Alaskan summer, these times (and colors) they are a changin'.

Carpe Diem!

Jenny & Justin

Too few & far between.

July Update - Part 1

As of late we have slacked in our summer blogging, so this is going to be an attempt to catch up and reflect on the month of July.

July 14th: My parents arrive in Alaska!

July 15-16: Kenai River Fishing Trip with the Wesser family

I believe I can speak for both Justin and I in saying that this was one of the highlights of our time in Alaska thus far- "The Fish are In the River!!" was the theme of the weekend. Following a negative salmon report that we had not timed it quite right and the salmon were not yet running the Kenai, it was to our exciting surpise to find that the fish were running, and in fact the fish were running at record-breaking numbers.

http://www.adn.com/2011/07/18/1973774/salmon-surge-into-kenai-river.html

Prior to arriving in Soldotna, Wendy was our wonderful guide for the day, and took us to tour Seward and Exit Glacier on the Kenai Peninsula. Pictures tell the story much better than I could:

Team Seward bundles up and departs Anchorage earlier than the other Wesser Men, who are disheartened by the diappointing fish report.

Mom & Dad- so happy to have them in Alaska

A bit of a nervewracking drive up to Exit Glacier - roads were flooded

A very rewarding hike to Exit Glacier...just don't touch it!

Dad finds a piece of Exit Glacier floating down the river & becomes quite attached.

More Seward Fun :) Many laughs and jumping pictures later, Team Seward receives a call from "the Brothers" saying "The Fish are in the River." Team Seward departs Seward after purchasing appropriate fishing licenses.

"The Fish are in the River" - Wesser Men are focused and strategizing at 5 am

Kenai River Boat Launch - We're ready!!

2 hours later, all 6 fishing licenses were maxed out: 18 red salmon.

All the men with all the fish

After a spectacular weekend with family on the Kenai, Mom and Dad headed up to Denali to stay with Justin and I for the second half of their Alaskan adventure....

backcountry lessons learned

We took our first opportunity to venture into Denali's spacious backcountry last weekend, had ourselves some high moments, and to be quite honest some low ones as well. Perhaps the greatest lesson from our overnight in the 6 million acre stretch of Denali National Park was the need to respect nature -

From just these two days we learned a great deal about hiking and camping, and hopefully this summer will only further our knowledge and experience level for future camping trips to come. In order to properly reflect on the trip, we have made a comprehensive list of to-do's and not to-do's for future reference. Hopefully our mishaps will encourage you to learn from our mistakes (or just laugh at us) -either way, here's our top 10 Denali Backcountry tips after trip #1:

1) Respect nature (repeat, but it's just that important) - Denali in particular is vast, but in all outdoor endeavors learning to respect the elements by allowing enough time, the right equipment, food, and tools is #1 on our list.

2) Water & a good ol' granola bar - Always have back-up snacks and TAKE THEM WITH YOU when you go out on a long hike. We assumed we'd eat lunch and then stash our food, snacks, essentially all sources of energy, into our bear can and leave it back at our camp site. We then ventured 6 miles one-way assuming we'd have plenty of time to get back for dinner. 15 miles and many hours later, we were hungry and energy-less. Pack snacks and keep 'em with you! Also, you never know when you'll get into a pickle, and need emergency food. Pack it in.

3) Plot your course - looking ahead and planning the best route can be crucial. We ran into many a tough trail and near-impossible river crossing that forced us to backtrack. It's worth the time to look at the map, study the topography, and plan ahead as much as possible.

4) Choosing your camp site - We loved the spot we chose for our campsite, but neglected to take into consideration the elements. We selected an open spot at a higher elevation (we consciously avoided the high brush that bears hang out in and can be easily hidden in) BUT upon setting up our tent early on in the day to mark our spot we forgot to consider that the openness and elevation of our awesome site could mean big wind gusts. Upon returning to our humble abode many hours later, we found our little tent on its side and never located the stakes. Point taken.

5) Hot meal - never underestimate the feeling of a hot meal in your stomach after a long day's hike. PB and J only goes so far. Enough said.

6) "Cotton kills." - Charlie Wesser. Dad, for all the times I have giggled at the many, many times you have used this phrase, I owe you an apology. I have never appreciated those words more than after last weekend. I didn't have any water-resistant pants when I came to Alaska, but I will most certainly be returning with them. I ordered nylon/water-resistant hiking pants the day we got back from camping and will never venture out without them again. Pops, you were right on this one.

7) Wildlife viewing + tough terrain = challenging - Sometimes you have to just stop to enjoy the scenery instead of attempting to multitask. In tougher terrain, you learn the hard way that you can't avert your attention from the ground for even a second. Take the time to just stop, soak in the scenery and snap a few photos before continuing on.

8) Humans are not as agile as Dall Sheep - As enticing as a trail can be in the backcountry where no human trails exist, Dall sheep are extremely agile and sure-footed and able to climb much more difficult terrain. The trails can be great but when they border steep and slippery cliffs, it's best to avoid them.

9) "Hey Bear" - Before heading out, know the wildlife you might be stumbling upon. On our return to campsite as I was nearly keeled over from lack of water, food, and self-diagnosed with general grumpiness, luckily Justin was in the right frame of mind to yell "Hey bear!" as we bush-whacked a majority of our way back. In high brush, you can especially surprise a bear. Surpised bear = not a happy bear. Let your presence be known.

10) The sun that never sets - During the summers in Alaska they say the sun doesn't set until September, and they weren't joking. Upon returning to camp around 9:30 pm the sun was as high as ever. Luckily we were so exhausted that even the high Alaskan sun couldn't disrupt our sleep. For future reference, a sleeping mask might be a good idea.

That's our top 10 - I'm sure we'll have more to come.

Here's to lessons learned by experience!

Jenny & Justin

p.s. pictures from our adventure to follow!

Updated Address

Jenny Wesser/Justin Jurek

c/o Alice Ricciardi

PO Box 367

Denali Park, AK 99755

Don't forget to add the c/o. Thanks!

"Quiet crowd back there" -go to quote for pilots

Jenny and I have been fortunate enough to take two flightseeing tours over Denali National.

The first brought us down the west side of the Alaska Range to the peak of Mt. Denali. Clouds parted just as we neared the mountain, allowing us to see just how much higher this peak stands than any other around it. From base to top, a nearly 18,000 ft rise. Hard to describe in words or in pictures, Denali truly does dwarf all else around it.

The peaks of Denali

Steep ridged mountains, which look way cooler from a plane.

The second tour had a slight twist in that the plane landed on the Ruth Glacier just south of Denali. The flight to the glacier was spectacular and the process of landing a plane on a glacier astounding. Walking on the head of a glacier near Charles Sheldon's cabin in the "shadow" of the highest mountain on the continent made for a humbling experience. The pictures below will attempt to capture but fall far short.

The plane on the Ruth Glacier

The Polychrome Mts. Site of our upcoming first backcountry camping trip.

Glacial Lakes

Needless to say, we've been very lucky to have experienced these excursions and to be able to be in this amazing place together. Not too far in the future, some of the Wesser clan will be visiting, and I can assure you that their itinerary will be fully planned with many adventures to be had.

Please do send us updates on what's going on wherever you may be.

My email is jjurek41@yahoo.com and Jenny's is jenny.wesser@gmail.com or just comment on our blog.

Also, our cell phones have full reception.

Hope all is well and thanks for checking in

Justin & Jenny

Trail Running: my "crippling" obsession

(not me)

Since arriving in Denali, I have quite literally fallen head over heels for trail running. What I've come to love about running up here is never dreading lacing up my shoes & instead finding my sometimes burnt out passion newly refreshed. From road to trails, all it took was a change of scenery.

There is something very energizing about running where it makes much more sense to walk. My favorite trail begins just a half mile from the lodge - the Oxbow. It loops & twists through trees, the trail narrowing and then widening again, opening up to gorgeous views of the Nenana river. The trouble with running amdist beautiful scenery is that even just one second of lost concentration can result in a trip and tumble on one of the many roots jutting out of the ground.

I'm certainly not at my most glamorous while trail running - aside from yelling "Hey Bear!" every 20 seconds, I have taken quite a few falls since I started running the trail. (Note to Mom: the "Hey Bear" is just to let bears know I am coming in the rare event that they are back there. I am not greeting the bears along the trail. It's very rare to see wildlife on this particular trail.) Usually my falls result in my laughing out loud at myself (again, I'm sure I would be a sight if anyone saw me) and popping back up to continue my run. On Saturday I didn't exactly pop back up - luckily Justin was there to help me back up. With my head down and my legs covered in mud, some scratches and a bruised up knee, I hobbled back to the lodge. The trail had obviously won that day.

Regardless of the falls, I don't think I'll have any trouble mustering the motivation to get back on the trails - the beauty of the scenery and the captivating quietness are enough to make anyone fall in love with trail running.

La Fuma Sky Race Trail Running Shoes

I ordered some new trail running shoes on www.theclymb.com, an awesome site that sells cheap hiking, camping, and general outdoor gear. Justin and I have grown fond of the "cheap gear" websites and are anticipating the arrival of some much-needed gear for backcountry camping. Another great site we've used is sierratradingpost.com

If you've got any more sites, we'd love to hear about them!

Peace out rainbow trouts,

Jenny

p.s. (our address!)

p.s. here is the address you can send mail to if you like! Just make sure you put either of our names at the top since we're sharing a p.o. box with friends up here.

PO Box 367

Denali Park, AK 99755

(Also, don't forget Denali PARK! Otherwise it might not get to us) I'm on my way to the post office now to drop off some letters myself. Send us your address if we don't already have it!

Love and letters,

Jenny & Justin

Work & play - our Jeep Safari tour

It's my day off here at the lodge - I've spent the day sleeping in, an hour of quality time with my kindle in the hammock, a great phone call catch-up with Katie, and a run along beautiful Oxbow trail, one I think will become part of my daily routine. It's clear, warm and sunny, not much to complain about! My first day of work yesterday was suprisingly very busy, but a lot of fun too! The hospitality industry is a very different world of business and I feel I have a lot to take away from this summer job. Many of the tourists are happy and excited - others just tired and cranky. The goal is to turn their day around while figuring out our all-too complicated computer system. It can be a bit nerve-wracking but when you do make someone's day, it's a really good feeling.

We've had a great balance of work and play up here at the lodge.

Here's a re-cap of our latest adventure: a Jeep Safari further inland into Denali. It is beautiful, spacious, and breathtaking. But what struck me most is how small I felt amongst the towering mountains, vast openness, and the total absence of tall buildings, paved roads and people that are characteristic of a bustling city. It was a foreign and amazing feeling to be surrounded by so much and so little at the same time.

Our stunning Jeep Safari driver

Beautiful scenery all around us

Stopping for pictures

A little cabin out in the distance on 8 mile lake

We took Stampede Road - the road Chris McCandless took in Into the Wild

some rougher terrain - so much fun!

Justin taking pictures from on top of the jeep

a great day :)

some moose friends we saw on our way back! Can you spot them both?

Happy trails to everyone,

Jenny & Justin

Together in Denali

After spending an incredible Memorial Weekend with my family in Anchorage and Wasilla, I headed up Tuesday morning in my Aunt and Uncle's red truck to Denali, Alaska. The trip north was breathtaking and forcing myself to resist every pit stop along the way, I made it up to Mckinley Village Lodge to find a handy landscaper guy to show me around ;)

Here's a few pictures from my weekend before heading up to Denali!

Wendy, me, Sara & Tania on the boat

Prince William Sound - launching out from Whittier!

Beautiful (and sunny!) Whittier

Hiking Hatcher's Pass in Wasilla

My uncles taking a break after our hike up Hatcher's Pass

Since being up at the lodge, Justin has been able to show me around, introduce me to fellow employees, and take me out on my first hike here, on a trail called Triple Lakes. There are three lakes: 1, 2, & 3 - pretty original, huh? Regardless of the name, the trail is gorgeous, stretching over 7 miles one way.

I began my training today with the front desk - there's so much to remember, but I can't wait to get started. I'm sure bizarre stories will come from all the time I'll have with tourists. We've been prepped to answer questions such as "Where exactly in the park can I see a bear?" and "When and where can I see the northern lights?" I'm sure they'll be more to come.

In addition to landscaping at the lodge, Justin will now be working a couple of days a week at the Mckinely Chalet, our sister-lodge a few miles down the road. After discovering Justin had just graduated with an environmental studies degree, the head of maintenance asked him to help him out with a waste stream management project.

One of the best perks of my job so far at the front desk is that they want us to be well acquainted with the various adventure trips that we'll be selling to guests in just a few days. That means lots of free and amazing bus tours, helicopter rides, scenic flights around Mt. Mckinley, white water rafting and more. Justin & I went for a flight tour of Mt. Mckinley yesterday and cruised down the Nenana River today in class 3 and 4 rapids! We're so lucky to have the chance to go on these incredible and breathtaking trips for free that many guests pay the big bucks to go on.

Justin is in charge of posting pictures of the flight tours - more to come soon!

Meanwhile, it's 11:30 pm here in Denali, perfectly light out, and yet we are wiped out. Sleep should come easy, even with the sun still high in the sky.

Love from Denali,

Jenny & Justin