Here comes the sun :)

The weather this week has been AWESOME but I've been told that it's very uncharacteristic of Southeast Alaska.   I sat outside today on a rock on the beach, listening to the seabirds and watching a land otter jump and swim around.  The mountains off in the distance are completely snow covered and look almost translucent in the sunshine.  I went camping the other day!  Yay summer has officially started.  This week we are taking the motor boats up the bay for a couple of days as part of our training and I'm giddy like a little schoolgirl.

I went on a hike a few days ago to a glacial lake and I want to say that it was beautiful...I suppose in its own way it was...but the terrain was so strange.  No elevation gain!  Just lots of roots and mossy rocks to jump over and water to trudge through.  It was a pretty long hike and one of the guys that was with us didn't think to bring any water.  In my mind, I'm thinking "what an idiot.  Everyone knows they should bring water."  It seems like common sense to me, but for someone who has never spent much time in the outdoors I guess he can be excused.  But that gets me to thinking....I'm pretty sure there are people here in Gustavus that think that I'm an idiot because I don't know anything about boating or tides or sea creatures or...fishing.  So I will try not to judge others because I am totally out of my element up here.

Friday we had Survival Suit training in the cove.  I was the clown in the big red suit and was the brunt of many jokes because the suit was at least a foot and a half too long for me.  I thought I would include pictures because they are funny.  It was so much fun being in the icy water and staying completely dry and warm.  I didn't weigh enough to bring me down into the water, so for the most part my suit was just full of air and I floated above the water way higher than anyone else.

Next week, expect pictures of the glaciers (finally!!!).

Sunset from my home - Bartlett Cove

Same sunset, entire Fairweather Range

My HUGE survival suit

Part of the survival suit training