BACK "INSIDE." Before jumping into fall happenings in Alaska, let me take a brief moment to honor the truly spectacular summer adventures had on the "outside." We managed to hit all four corners of the lower 48, be loved up by friends and family galore, and party our white Alaskan buns off... Thanks to everyone who contributed to the hoopla - we love you LOTS!
Oregon...
And New England!
BERRIES. There's nothing like getting settled and grounded back at home than, literally, getting on your hands and knees on the ground and harvesting a bit of nature's bounty. Sure enough, in the days following our return to AK, word got out about a bumper crop of berries, so Team Leslie left mounds of laundry and unwritten thank you notes aside, and headed for the hills.
Our first attempt took us up a trail in the mountains edging the Kenai River. We passed fellow hikers happily coming down with gallon ziplocks, stuffed with high bush blueberries! Encouraged, we climbed and climbed, only to find that time and elevation were not on our side; the goods were another 3+ miles ahead. Indigo and her friend Ruby (yup, we roll with a colorful crowd) did manage to find a single bush, which they rushed with elbows swinging, to get a few satisfying ker-plunks into their buckets. Amazing how once you shift your expectations, even twelve berries can make you grin!
Our next try was the result of a failed kayaking weekend with Kim and some lady friends - Plan B turned out to be a gorgeous hike outside of Seward. Low and behold, high bush blubes were dripping from the sides of the trail!
And finally the whole fam headed out on an official mission, backpacks, sleeping bags, tent and all, to get some goods figuring that if we put our energy into hiking just one way, we could get high enough to pick and have all the time in the world...
For low bush crans,
For low bush blues,
For Alaskan autumn views,
For fun with family,
And berry picking buddies!
In classic "Blueberries for Sal" form, we even spied a big black bear across the valley, doing some picking of his own.
Happy fall, everyone!
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