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August 21-28, 2011: Alaska Trip
Ben and Nate enjoyed several meals with Alex and Susan in Anchorage before and after the
Backroads Alaska Biking Tour
(detailed itinerary).
We met our Backroads group in
Anchorage
on Monday, rode clockwise from
Palmer, AK,
around the
Chugach Mountain Range
to
Valdez,
then boarded the high-speed ferry to
Whittier,
and shuttled to the
Alyeska Hotel
for another day of light riding before returning to Anchorage on Saturday.
| Day | Miles | Hours | Feet of
Climbing | Max
MPH | Avg
MPH | | Cum
Miles | Cum
Hours | Cum
Feet |
|---|
| Mon | 47.2 | 3.7 | 4,250 | 45.4 | 12.6 | | 47.2 | 3.7 | 4,250 |
| Tue | 76.3 | 6.3 | 5,140 | 44.8 | 12.1 | | 123.4 | 10.0 | 9,390 |
| Wed | 83.2 | 6.1 | 2,101 | 42.9 | 13.6 | | 206.7 | 16.2 | 11,491 |
| Thu | 107.2 | 7.8 | 4,765 | 43.9 | 13.7 | | 313.8 | 24.0 | 16,256 |
| Sat | 34.9 | 2.7 | 1,331 | 34.3 | 13.1 | | 348.7 | 26.6 | 17,587 |
| total | 348.7 | 26.6 | 17,587 | |
Trip highlights:
Dinner with Alex at the
Spenard Roadhouse
followed by a 2.5 hour (8.4 mile) walk along the
Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
and back to the
Captain Cook Hotel
with the sun setting,
the long climb up to
Independence Mine State Park
followed by a screaming descent back to
Wasilla,
a lovely dinner of salmon at the
Sheep Mountain Lodge
accompanied by a bottle of
2008 Terrazas de los Andes Malbec Reserva
and Q&A with five-time
Iditarod
musher
Zack Steer
and 2012 rookie Iditarod musher
Anjanette Steer,
a glorious halibut chowder and halibut sandwich at
Mendeltna Creek Lodge,
a roaring campfire and picnic lunch at
Blly Mitchell Campground,
riding by the
Worthington Glacier,
reaching the top of
Thompson Pass
after 77 miles and then screaming downhill for 10 miles in the rain,
riding 266 miles in 3 days on the
Glenn Highway
and the
Richardson Highway
to circle (clockwise) the
Chugach Mountain Range
from
Palmer
to mountain and glacier-ringed
Valdez,
riding by the
Bridal Veil Falls,
breakfast at the
Fat Mermaid
in Valdez,
the smooth ~3 hour, 40 knot voyage on the high-speed ferry
Chenega
from Valdez to
Whittier,
driving through the
Whittier Tunnel
on schedule,
staying at the beautiful
Hotel Aleyska,
enjoying yet more fish for dinner at
Jack Sprat
accompanied by a bottle of
2005 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
and a glass of
1982 Bodegas Toro Albala Montilla-Moriles Don PX Gran Reserva,
dinner with Alex and Susan at
Sacks Cafe and Restaurant
accompanied by a bottle of
2004 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut,
homemade waffles by Susan,
the paintings of
Sydney Laurence
at the
Anchorage Museum,
and having one last meal of salmon at
Humpy's Great Alaskan Alehouse
in the Anchorage airport before flying home.
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Note: There are 1,025 pictures, with 99,932,611 bytes of thumbnails and 2,529,810,828 bytes of full-size pictures.
| Sun |
Aug-21 |
SEA->ANC, Spenard Roadhouse, Captain Cook Hotel
|
| Mon |
Aug-22 |
Backroads Day 1: 47.2 bike miles, shuttle to Palmer, Independence Mine State Park, Wasilla, Lake Lucille Inn, Settlers Bay Lodge restaurant
|
| Tue |
Aug-23 |
Backroads Day 2: 76.3 bike miles, Matanuska Valley, King Mountain, Sheep Mountain Lodge
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| Wed |
Aug-24 |
Backroads Day 3: 83.2 bike miles, Mendeltna Creek Lodge, Richardson Highway, Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge
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| Thu |
Aug-25 |
Backroads Day 4: 107.2 bike miles, Best Western Valdez, THC On The Hook
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| Fri |
Aug-26 |
Backroads Day 5: Fat Mermaid, Ferry to Whittier, Girdwood, Alyeska Resort, Jack Sprat restaurant
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| Sat |
Aug-27 |
Backroads Day 6: 34.9 bike miles, Indian Creek, Anchorage, Captain Cook Hotel, Sacks Restaurant
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| Sun |
Aug-28 |
Brunch, Anchorage Museum, ANC->SEA
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Last updated Saturday, September 8th, 2012.
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