I have been in Juneau, Alaska, since May 16th. I came here the day after my graduation from CSU in Fort Collins, CO. I feel that a little bit of history should be given so that anyone visiting this site, besides friends and family, will know what the heck is going on and what I have been doing with myself.

My itinerary for the next couple of months looks something like this:

Oct. 5th - Fort Collins, CO - want to catch up with friends and family - TORY! - and tie up some loose ends. Must eat at all my favorite places and have margarita's at the RIO. Anyone who has tasted these tequila delights knows that it is a MUST before heading into any big adventure. They bolster your spirits!

Oct. 16th - Pensacola, FL - Dad and Sheila! I get to visit with my family here and even meet some extended family. While here I'm taking a trip to Missouri to see my grandparents. ha ha

Then Dad and I take off for Homosassa Springs, a couple of canoe trips on some florida rivers, and then we are heading further south to the Everglades where we will do some canoeing. VERY EXCITED.

Nov. 6th - Guatemala City, Guatemala - from Miami, FL - I head to Guatemala and Xela for a month of language school. I am very excited about all of this as well. With any luck I will spend my birthday and x-mas in Antigua. :)

Mar. 24th - San Jose, Costa Rica - flying back to Miami to meet up with my parents. Wonder what kinds of adventures I will be telling them about? Well, we will all be reading about them on here. :)

Mar. 31st - Fort Collins, CO - I pickup a vehicle of sorts and get ready to head back to Juneau, AK for another summer at the Mendenhall Glacier.

Apr. 19th - Juneau, AK - back to work for the forest service! Wish me luck :)

What have I been doing so far? Well... I can show you in pictures.

Working for the US Forest Service at the Mendenhall Glacier - This is my first "post graduate" job and it is awesome. The view from work is not bad at all. This summer has been an exceptionally warm one. It is a funny thing to come to work at a glacier in Alaska needing to use suntan lotion. View image

Hiking - lots

West Glacier Trail at Mendenhall Glacier - this is a beautiful hike and definitely a great way to get started in the area. This trail parallels the glacier for a couple of miles. Beautiful. The trail itself is amazing. I love the steps. View image View image View image

Cedar Lake - View image View image View image

Nugget Creek at Mendenhall Glacier - (this is Vista Creek shelter it was built by the CCC) There is a beautiful waterfall at this shelter. View image
This trail is also where I spent time with a vole. :) View image

Herbert Glacier - the river created by this glacier's melt off is amazing! There are huge waves and splashes and it feels like the water might just reach up, grab you, and pull you in. View image

Thunder Mountain - DO NOT lose your daylight on this trail. Apparently it is easy to lose the trail, as I did, and it becomes a very interesting experience from there. View image

Gastineau Peak - You can read about my hike here in "Haines Fair". View image
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A Tour of Tracy Arm and Ford Terror - Kari and I had a blast on this tour. This is a tidewater glacier and it is amazing to watch it calve. It sounds like shotguns when it calves and the waves it puts off are fun to ride. View image

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