Back to the North (Part III: Cinnamon Rolls, Trees & Bears)

For Father's Day I made Dad my (non) award-winning cinnamon rolls. The next morning Brian decided it would be a good idea to slice them... and make french toast. What a clever man I married. They were delicious! (Please note that real maple syrup was available for Brian's use, but he declined). After such a hefty breakfast we went for a short walk on the Portage Glacier trail. There Brian found this massive tree. I appreciated Brian allowing me to photograph him for scale (he was kinda being goofy and was thrilled that we were going to turn around after this photo was taken...the mosquitoes were really bad and we didn't bring bug dope).

On our final day in Valdez, Brian, Bolt, and I hiked the Salomon Gulch trail up to a lake created by a hydroelectrical dam. This is where Valdez gets its electricity. Here's Brian at the top- an incredible view.

One of the main reasons I wanted to do this hike: to take a photo of Bolt and me. I have this same photo taken in 2000 with my father's last black lab Spring. So much has changed in the last decade. I hope to come back to this spot in another 10 years.On the way back down the mountain we ran into a black bear. Here he is under the pipe that brings water to the hydroelectrical plant. See him?

We brought a sidearm with us, so we weren't too worried about the bear. We talked to him a bit and he decided to go the other direction. A closer look. Been a while since we've seen a bear, so it was kinda exciting! We were both sad to leave Valdez the next morning, but were excited to head up to Fairbanks to see the rest of the family and many friends. Thanks Mom and Dad for an exceptional week!