Alaska

My next adventure is to Alaska! Starting in August I will be spending at least the next year in a small town on the Bering Strait. I am moving to the village of Stebbins to teach second grade. Stebbins is located southeast of Nome, on the north side of St. Michael Island, which is on the south side of the Norton Sound in western Alaska. The population in Stebbins is around 600 and 95% of the population is Native Alaskan. In the summer there is about 20 hours of light a day and in the winter there is about 4 hours of light a day. I have heard that the all day of light is the hardest to get used to, but people have given me suggestions to help with this. One suggestion is to put aluminum foil on my windows. The temperature ranges from 60° F in the summer to -10° F in the winter. The weather and amount of sun light will take some getting used to - it is all part of the adventure.

Stebbins is located in a part of Alaska called the Bush. The Bush encompasses small, remote native villages and miles of untracked wilderness. It ranges from the city of Nome, on the Bering Strait, to the northern most city in the Untied States, Barrow and along the Dalton Hwy to Fairbanks. There are very few roads in this area of the world, so the only way to get around is to fly, float or walk.

Alaska is 586,412 sq. miles. I am leaving two weeks before I start work in order to explore the great state of Alaska a little before I move to this small remote area of the world. I am taking the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry from Bellingham, WA to Juneau, AK and then from Juneau to Whittier, AK. The Alaska Marine Highway follows the famous Inside Passage. The Inside Passage is a coastal route with a series of passages between the mainland and coastal islands. The passage starts in the Puget Sound and extends through coastal British Columbia and the Alaskan Panhandle. It looks like a beautiful way to see the coast on my way to Alaska.

My adventure to the great state of Alaska will begin at the end of July! I will continue to blog about my trip through the Inside Passage and life in a small, remote village out in the Bush of Alaska. I can’t wait!!!

Utah's Desert

The mountains have always been my favorite places to hike, but there are some truly beautiful and unique areas in the desert. One of these places is the Grand Gulch. Located in southeast Utah, the Grand Gulch is a beautiful, historic area of the United States. Throughout the canyons and mesas of the Grand Gulch there are several cliff dwellings and petroglyphs. These sites are still fairly in tacked and they give us an amazing look into the life of the Anasazi. The Anasazi thrived in the Grand Gulch area between 700 and 2,000 years ago. As you hike along the canyon you can see a piece their history hidden in the canyon walls.

Not only is the Grand Gulch a magnificent place to find Anasazi cliff dwellings and petroglyphs, but its beautiful canyon walls and lush oasis make this area a stunning place to see. The canyon walls are full of a multitude of browns and tans that are sometimes cast in the shadow of the lush, green willow trees that stand tall around their scarce water sources. Nature and history are so interesting and in the Grand Gulch you get to experience both. Whether I am on top of a mountain or down in a canyon, the beauty of nature always seems to amaze me.

Perfect Kiva

Kivas were used for religious ceremonies. Perfect Kiva has been restored and is one of the most interesting kivas on the Colorado Plateau.

The Green Mask

Snow in May

Mountains

Advice From a Mountain

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Dear friend,

Reach new heights

Savor life’s peak experiences

There is beauty as far as the eye can see

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Stand in the strength of Your True Nature

Be uplifting

Follow the trails of the Wise Ones

Protect and preserve timeless beauty,

silence, solitude, serenity,

flowing rivers,

ancient trees

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Rise above it all

Make solid decisions

Climb beyond your limitations

Leave no stone unturned

Never take life for granted

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Get to the point

Patience, patience, patience

Life has its ups and downs

Let your troubles vanish into thin air

To summit all up

It’s the journey step by step

Rock on!

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- Ilan Shamir

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"A mountain is a large landform that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area usually in the form of a peak." The standard definition of a mountain does not come close to describing the magnificence of a mountain. Mountains are powerful, majestic, and mystifying.For me, mountains offer solitude, peacefulness, and spirituality. There is no other feeling like reaching the top of a mountain. When I reach the top I have a feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment that I have rarely found in anything else that I do. Looking out over the world from that point is so breathtaking and it makes me so thankful for the beautiful things on Earth that God has given us.

Mt. Kilimanjaro

Mt. Kilimanjaro is the larges freestanding mountain in the world. It is located in Tanzania, Africa. At an elevation of 5,893 meters (19,334 ft) Mt. Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain I have climbed so far. The name comes from KILMA NJARO meaning “shining mountain” in Swahili. It is the highest mountain in Africa and is the fourth highest of the Seven Summits. Mt. Kilimanjaro is an interesting and unique mountain. It is composed of 3 volcanoes: Kibo (19,340 feet), Mawenzi (16,896 feet), and Shira (13,000 feet) and it contains an example of virtually every ecosystem on earth - glacier, snowfields, deserts, alpine moorland, savannah, and tropical jungle. The mountains unique qualities made climbing it a fun and fascinating experience. We started the climb in the lush rainforest and ended at the stunning glaciers, looking out over the vast savannah.

Around 25,000 people per year attempt to summit the top of Africa. We started our attempt on Monday, December 28, 2009. There were 11 people in our group attempting the climb, 7 guides, and 30 porters. I only knew one person upon arriving in Africa, but soon discovered that there were some amazing people in our group. Along with the beautiful and unique landscape the people I went with made climbing Kilimanjaro a fun and memorable trip. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to meet all the different people I met during my trip to Africa.


There are several different routes you can take up the mountain. We decided to take the six day Machame route. I liked this route because we went down a different way then we went up, so we were able to see more of the mountain. The only day that I found strenuous was the summit day. Because most days were not that strenuous I was able to really enjoy the mountain. My favorite part was of course the top. Standing on the top of Africa was fantastic! We started the ascent at midnight and were near the top by the time the sun started rising. The sun slowly rose over the savanna far below and as it rose higher in the sky the sun cast vibrant colors onto the glaciers. My fingers felt like they were going to fall off and I couldn’t breathe that well, but as soon as the sunrise started I forgot about everything and was just thankful for the beautiful things God has put on this Earth. It is hard to believe that these stunning glaciers will be gone in fifteen years.

After we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro we took a safari. Not only does Kili contain an example of virtually every ecosystem on earth the vast plains below the mountain contain a wide variety of fascinating animals. People often ask me what my favorite part of the trip was. It is hard to say because I love mountaineering so climbing Kili was great, but having elephants come into your camp and seeing the Big Five was also fun and exciting. The term Big Five refers to the five most difficult animals to hunt. They are also among the most dangerous animals. The five consist of the lion, the African elephant, the Cape buffalo, the leopard and the Black Rhinoceros.

Lake Manyara National Park

This park is 127 square miles of which 89 square miles is the Lake. The terrain around the lake contains a rich assortment of habitats, therefore it can sustain a large number of animals and the lake attracts many different types of birds. Some of the diverse species we say in the park were: monkeys, antelopes, zebras, hippos and crocodiles, buffalo, giraffe and a high density of elephants. The park is known for its tree-climbing lions, but we did not get a chance to see this.

Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti is commonly recognized as the major wildlife reserve in the world and is one of the world’s last great wildlife refuges. It is an enormous natural reserve that covers almost 5,793 square miles, about the size of Connecticut. We spent two days in the Serengeti. We did not see the same diversity of animals in the Serengeti as we did in Lake Manyara, but the animals we did see are rare and unique.

We were there at the end of the wet season, so the animals were migrating. Every year the herbivores are forced to follow the rains in search for water and grass. They make a 310 mile circular migration from the Southern Serengeti to the northern edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve. This great spectacle is named the Great Wildebeest Migration and has been called one of nature’s most impressive events. We were able to witness a part of this magnificent wildlife spectacle. The Wildebeests had just moved from the central Serengeti to the endless plains just outside of the entrance to the park. As we were driving into the park we could see never-ending miles of Wildebeests, with some zebras mixed in. It was a fascinating spectacle that I am glad I was able to witness.

In the park we say even more fascinating animals. There are a lot of people that come to see this great wildlife refuge, so when you see something interesting there are about ten other cars around you trying to see the same thing. At one point everyone was stopped trying to see a leopard in the bushes. We had stopped right under a tree and after trying to see the adult leopard in the bushes for several minutes our guide told us to look up in the tree. Right above us was a baby leopard sleeping in the tree. He eventually woke up and looked right at us. The next day we were around the same area and a bunch of cars were stopped. People were trying to see the adult leopard again. We stopped on the opposite side of the other cars and as soon as we did she walked out of the bushes, walked right in front of our car and continued up the road we were parked on. Leopards are secretive and elusive animals, therefore they can be hard to see. We got to see a baby leopard and had an adult leopard walk right by our car! Of the cats that I have seen in nature I would have to say that the leopard is the most fascinating and elegant.

I was disappointed when we didn’t see a male lion up close during our time in the Serengeti. We say a few females and a family that had just killed a giraffe, but there were so many people that we could not get a good look at them. My chance to see lions up close didn’t come until after we were leaving the Serengeti. As we were driving out of the park I fell asleep and was woken up to a beautiful view of several teenage male lions hanging out on the side of the road. This ended our trip to the Serengeti on a perfect note.

Some of the other animals we saw in the Serengeti were: Cape buffalo, zebras, giraffes, hippopotamus and crocodiles.

Ngorongoro Crater

The Serengeti was my favorite for animal sightings, the Ngorongoro Crater was my favorite park overall. The crater is the largest unbroken and unflooded volcanic caldera and is called the eighth wonder of the world. The crater has the densest concentration of wildlife in Africa. It was by far the prettiest place we went to on the safari. We camped above the crater and that morning we had a couple of elephant wonder through camp. This is how our day of sight seeing started.

The very first thing we say upon entering the conservation area were two cheetahs stocking gazelles. The cheetahs were right next to the road, so we were able to get very close to them. They would get up every once in a while and it looked like they were about to make there move, but it wasn’t quit right so they would sit back down and rest. After about 30 minutes they finally went after the gazelles. The gazelles were aware of the cheetahs so they were able to get away. It was interesting to watch the hunting process. The only other new animals we say in the crater were the endangered Black Rhino and we say 12 of them, and a lot of flamingos. The crater is truly a lush and beautiful place in the world.

My trip to Africa was a great experience that I will never forget. I saw some of the great wonders of the world and some of them will not be around for long. I met some fascinating people and made some great new friends.

Colorado 14ers

Every mountain and every experience climbing a mountain is different. Colorado has 54 official fourteen thousand foot peaks and everyone is different and unique. I fell in love with mountaineering when my father took me up my first 14er at the age of nine, but I did not fully appreciate them until we started our quest to climb all of the fourteen thousand foot peaks in Colorado. This was a challenging adventure that I started with my father in the summer of 2000 and completed in the summer of 2009. This was not an easy goal to accomplish, but every mountain was a great experience and I am glad I was able to experience it with my father. Colorado is such a beautiful state and climbing all of the 14ers gave me an opportunity to fully explore it. Gerry Roach says in his book, Colorado's Fourteeners, "A lifetime of adventures is waiting for you in Colorado's mountains." I agree with this statement because even though I have climbed all the 14ers in Colorado, there is still so much more to explore and I never get tired of climbing Colorado's mountains.

Of the 54 offficial 14ers in Colorado there are some that stick out because of their exquisite beauty or distinctiveness. All of them are unique and challenging, but these are a few of my favorites:

1. With Snowmass Peak rising high above Snowmass Lake, the lake's crystal clear water and the large white rock face jetting out of the water makes Snowmass Lake my favorite spot in Colorado and Snowmass Peak one of my favorite 14ers. Snowmass Lake is an exquisite high mountain lake outside of Aspen and is what makes Snowmass Peak so stunning. It is a nine mile hike into the lake, but it's worth the hike.

2. Handies is one of the most beautiful 14ers in Colorado because of its array of colorful wildflowers. Vivid wildflowers stretch across the American Basin at the bass of the mountain and stretch all the way to the top. The flowers are in full bloom in late July and early August and it is one of the prettiest displays of natural mountain beauty.

3. The Crestones are very distinct mountains that sit side by side. These are very prominent mountains that point straight up to the sky. Although Crestone Needle was one of the more challenging 14ers, it was my favorite mountain to climb. The rock on the mountain was very stable which made it easy to scramble up the rock faces.

4. Windom was the first mountain that I climbed and is still part of my top 10 favorites. Windom is located in the Chicago Basin, which is between Silverton and Durango. The only way to get to the Chicago Basin is by train, which is part of the reason why this is such an incredible area of Colorado. The Chicago Basin is a lush, green area that is full of life. While camping in the Basin we had a family of snowshoe hares come out to play, several mountain goats wondered into our camp, and deer grazed in the field across from us. The Basin as well as the three 14ers above it make Windom a beautiful Colorado mountain.

5. The top of Oxford is what makes this mountain so unique. The top is rounded like a large hill with a big orange rock on top.

6. Redcloud is a good name for this mountain because the top is full of red rocks. The red, orange, and yellow colors on the top of Redcloud are very vibrant and unique.

7. Longs is a popular 14er to climb because of its proximity to Denver, but it is a remarkable mountain. Longs is located in Rocky Mountain National Park, which is a beautiful place by its self. The view of it from Longs is breathtaking. The morning that we climbed Longs it was raining, but that didn't stop us and I am glad because once we reached timberline we had climbed above the rain and were looking out over a sea of clouds with blue sky above us. Along with the amazing view of Rocky Mountain National Park, the keyhole also makes Longs special. The keyhole is near the top and is like an entry way inviting you to the mountain.

8. Capital is not only beautiful from top to bottom, but is also one of the more challenging peaks. The most challenging part is the knife edge. This is a saddle that you have to get across - the majority of the saddle comes to a sharp point. There are some people that walk across it, but we straddled it and shimmied our way across. Not only did it hurt, but there were drop offs on both sides.

9. I liked Castle because we climbed it early in the season when there was still a lot of snow. The majority of people climbing Castle during that time of the year were skiing or snowboarding down, which was interesting to watch. I also enjoyed looking out from the top and seeing the surrounding mountains covered in snow.

10. The entire Elk Range is beautiful and a lot of my favorite places and mountains are located in this mountain range. Pyramid is one of them, but it is often over shadowed by the famous Maroon Bells. My favorite part of Pyramid was the amphitheatre. Right before you climb straight up 1,000 ft to the ridge there sits a valley full of rocks with a sunken spot in the middle forming something similar to a natural amphitheatre.

11. Wilson Peak is a mountain that I will never forget. I have been hurt on one mountain and that was Wilson Peak, but that is not the only thing that I remember about this mountain. The most stunning feature came after reaching a false summit. We got to the top of this false summit thinking this is the top, but were surprised to be looking across to a wall of rock leading to the summit and wondering how we were going to climb it. It turned out that it was easier then it looked.

I love Colorado and I know that there is a lifetime of adventures waiting for me in the state. I am now fully addicted to mountaineering, so after accomplishing my goal to climb all 54 fourteen thousand foot peaks I needed a new, more challenging goal and have decided that climbing the 7 summits (the highest mountains on the seven continents) would be a great new adventure. I have already climbed one, Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, and plan to climb Aconcagua in South America this winter. I have been to the highest points in Colorado and it was exquisite! Now I wish to explore the world and the highest points on all the continents.