Mount Redoubt: Musings on Alaskan Mountains

Depending on the clouds and whatever other mysterious things are involved in making mountains appear and disappear, sometimes Mount Redoubt looms over us here at the Ranch, and yet, every once in a while, you'd never know there was a mountain  here at all. 

Our guests, Ellen and Bill McEwen, snapped this shot of the mountain from our viewing deck here at the Ranch.  Obviously, it was one of those moments where Redoubt was standing, strong and tall, in plain sight for all to see.  Breath-taking. 

Mountains, much like a sky full of stars at night, are good for reflection.  All the little soap operas in our lives, things that often take up so much of our energy, seem to be put in their place when we step back and take in the vastness of nature.  Like falling leaves, the wind of awareness comes in and blows away the petty issues that we were allowing to rob us of our vitality and precious time, allowing us to concentrate on the things that are worth it. 

The towering mountain reminds us of the temporary nature of our days, and as we breathe that in, we remember that very few things really matter.  People matter.  How we spend our time matters.  Who we spend our time with matters.  Learning, growing, developing into who we truly are---that matters.  Most of the other stuff, loud and pesky stuff that can often occupy so much of our energies, doesn't really matter at all... 

Mount Redoubt is good for that, calling us to go inward and reflect on the priorities we have and changes that, perhaps, it's time for us to make.  Seasonally covered in snow or verdant greenery, the mountain stands firm, mysterious, and alive, a treasured part of this Alaskan landscape. 

Alaskan Beaches: Razor Clam Digging and Sand Castle Design

We take all interested guests on a razor clam dig, once a week---always a much lauded experience---but it's fair to say that the play-dough-like consistancy of Alaskan beach mud calls out loudly for tactile engagement of other kinds.  Here, Kaillee Skjold and Josiah Martin take a brief moment off from clam digging to construct a sand castle---with a moat and the decorative value of snail shells thrown in for good measure.

Last year, my kids and I found three baby sharks caught in a tide pool, waiting for the cold waters of Cook Inlet to come back and give them a chance at life.  My children stood guard as the sea gulls circled hopefully above, the salty sweet smell of kelp filling the air around us.  

There is no such thing as a "casual" walk on the beach, here by the waters of Cook Inlet, no matter which beach you visit.  It is a richly meditative experience, each and every time, and certainly one not to be missed.          

The 2010 Free Authentic Alaskan Summer Activities List is Up!

This summer is going to be FULL of fun stuff to do on the Ranch!  Check out the extensive (and ever-popular) list here, especially if you want to plan your trip around one or more of these authentic Alaskan experiences. 

Speaking of an authentic Alaskan vacation, a new article from the Ranch, featuring advice on how to make the most of your Alaskan stay, is now up at Trailer Life.  Enjoy!  

Daylight in Alaska and the Ever-Changing View

The viewing deck here at the Diamond M Ranch is always changing.  A few days ago, mist gently moved across the wetlands, completely obscuring the mountains and almost everything else.  The way the sun played across the wisps of fog was gorgeous.  I hear that Blair has been told to move his Nordic Trak out of the main office room, but he loves the view there so much that he hasn't been able to do it yet.  Nothing beats working out in the morning to the ever-changing Alaskan scenery... 

Speaking of scenery, here's a sunset picture taken from one of our Main Street Suite rooms.

One of the interesting things about being an Alaskan is the way the sun moves across the sky.  In the dead of winter, the sun seems like it peeps over the edge of the mountains, just long enough to decide that it's way too cold to stay long, and then dips back down to warmer regions.  In the summer, though, the sun stays...and stays...and stays, coming up early in the morning and not going all the way down until after midnight.  (This means that the ideal windows for my houseplants in the winter are not at all ideal in the summer.  Ha.  No matter.  We just play "musical plants" every six months, and it all works out okay).  

We all get accustomed to the rhythms of the light, so it rarely bothers Alaskans, but newcomers to the state often take a year or so to adjust.  "How do you sleep in the summer time, with all that energizing light?"   Sleep?  We've got a gorgeous Alaskan summer in front of us---salmon to catch, berries to pick, clams to dig, gardens to plant, beaches to walk, barbeques to enjoy---and we want to enjoy every last minute of it!  We'll catch up on sleep come winter...    

Iceburgs on Alaska's Kenai River

This last week has been full of unexpected rain and above-freezing temperatures, somewhat odd for an Alaskan February.  The sun is starting to climb back out of the sky, much to everyone's delight, and the promise of warmer days is in the air. 

Close to the mouth of the river, the Cook Inlet tide affects how high the river will be at any given time period.  When the tide is out, we get to see the underside of the iceburgs---always a treat, though with all of this below-freezing weather, the river silt is sticking to the icebergs and so they all have the distinct color of mud!   

Break-up in Alaska, which is our affectionate term for "Spring," tends to be a very wet and muddy affair, but it has certain beautiful aspects to it, as this picture above demonstrates.  I snapped this photograph just below the Diamond M Ranch, catching the glacier-fed river in a moment of cool stillness.