Information - Apps We Use

Several people have asked up how we develop our blog.  One of the most common questions is what apps do we use.  We’re Apple, iPad, and iPhone junkies so we’re working through the iTunes App store. 

And mainly we use only two apps.  One for recording the map for the hike which is Motion GPS.  The other is AyeTides (iPad)  or AyeTide XL (iPad) to check the tides for our beach hikes or trying to time our arrival with the Turnagain Arm bore tide or the rush of water at the Homer Spit Fishing hole.  AyeTides also provides the sunrise/sunset times which helps us pick depart times for the best photos. 

We also use a number of weather apps but there is no real front-runner.  The weather in Alaska seems to be hard to forecast and we are constantly cross checking them.  But we’re always prepared on our hikes for inclement weather.

(Closed due to massive undercutting of trail) Hiking - Diamond Creek Trail to Kachemak Bay Beach

Young Eagle on the Beach

Closed due massive undercutting of the trail
-- We'll update this post when it gets opened again.
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Stats

Distance:  0.5 miles +           Difficulty: Easy / Moderate           Time:  30 min +

Summary

This hike is in Homer, AK.  The first time we walked this trail was 16 Jun 2013.  It was a beautiful day, so we decided to go for a walk on the beach.  We hiked the trail again a couple of weeks later.  It is close and easy, so we'll be doing this hike often.

The link to the official web site is http://www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/recreation/diamond-creek-trail.  This is limited site that lists a few of the hikes in the Homer area.



Opinion

We love this hike for an easy day hike.  We prefer this hike and beach access to the better-known Bishop Beach.  The beach here is more interesting

Information - Do aluminum art prints survive sun and weather? IDK but am going to find out

    

6 Jan 14                                               4 May 14

4 May 14

How did it do after the first winter?  Very well.  It wasn't that hard a winter but we did get a lot of wind and a fair amount of snow.  Our biggest problem was hanging it on the wall.  A normal indoor hanger just doesn't cut it.  And it was blown off the wall at least four times.  Now we have it leaning on the house instead of hanging.

So far as we can tell there isn't any change in the color after five months outside.  There was some damage from falling off the wall.  The bottom was dented from the fall.  Also, there is one small scratch; you have to use a finger nail to find it and you can't see the base metal.  It's also a bit dirty from the dust, water spots, and pollen, but the dirt just wipes off.  The metal print we have used an infusion method where the ink is pulled into the metal and it goes a far way in.  Next update will be towards the end of September.

6 Jan 14

After many people asking "Do aluminun art prints survive sun and weather?" I remember my dad saying "I don't know" wasn't an acceptable answer unless followed with "but I will find out."   So, we decided to take one of our aluminun art prints that failed our quality assurance check and hang it outside and check on it about every six months or so.


It is facing basically due south in a full sun location.  It is, also, on the corner of the house where the wind gets funneled between the house and a line of alder.   So, for the next four months, it's going to get live outside during an Alaska winter, and, then, it will get more sun that most could every want from an Alaskan summer--all 19 hours a day in June.

We can't decide if it is going to enjoy the fresh air or fade away to nothing.  But based on ancient coke cans we're found, we're betting on no effects.  However, we do thing the untreated wood frame will probably fail first.

Why you ask am I posting about this? Well, we're basically doing this blog to document our hikes on where we're going to take pictures for our gallery.  The online gallery, by the way, can be reached from the changing pictures on the lower left of the page.

If you're wondering what a aluminum prints, where a couple of vendors that can make them.  Please, NOTE, I'm providing the links as references only as I haven't used either as a vendor yet.

http://www.adoramapix.com/app/products/metalprints
http://www.bayphoto.com/metalprints/

Winter Adventure - Arctic Circle Tour with Ronn Murray Aurora Tours

Aurora around the moon

Stats

Difficulty: Moderate                                                                                   Time:  Full-Day

Summary

This is a “bucket list” trip of a lifetime!

Ronn Murray and his wife Marketa run Aurora Tours out of Fairbanks, AK.  We chose to go all out and took their Arctic Circle Tour on 10 Mar 2014; this was the next to last of these

Winter Hiking - Snowshoeing at Eveline State Recreation Site

Snowshoeing on Eveline Trail

Stats 

Distance:  1.4 miles         Difficulty: Easy           Time:  1 hr 10 min

Summary

On 17 Jan 2014 we finally got some much overdue snow and headed to the Eveline State Recreation Site for snowshoeing.  Eveline has trails that are used in both summer and winter.  We tried the trail in summer (Hiking at Eveline State Recreation Site outside Homer); it was time to check it out in winter.  We took the Alpine Meadows Loop. In summer, this loop has excellent views of the Portlock and Dixon Glaciers.  The views are even better in winter.  The Alaska Department of Resources web site for the recreation area is Eveline State Recreation Site.

Opinion

This is a very nice snowshoe. 

Winter Hiking - Snowshoeing at the Carl E. Wynn Nature Center or Walking With Moose

Shadows and light

Distance:  0.3 miles                    Difficulty: Easy                            Time:  Up to you

Summary

The Carl E. Wynn Nature Center is a popular area for both hiking and snowshoeing.  The snow was just deep enough for snowshoes on 10 Jan 2014 and we took a short walk.

Opinion

In winter, the Wynn Center offers fabulous views of snow-covered spruce and open meadows.  You also have a very real chance of seeing a moose.  This area is definitely worth a visit. 

Winter Time Posts

Now, that, the temperature has fallen below freezing in Homer, we're going to start posting about having fun in the winter in Alaska.  We're not going to talk about arctic man or extreme snow machining or skiing.  Instead, we're going to write about the differences in the hiking trails between using a boot versus a snowshoe.  Or how a marsh provides dramatic scenes in the middle of winter.

Current Available are:

- Winter sunrises
- Potter Marsh below freezing

- Turnagain Arm iceflow

- Turnagain Arm ice falls
- The Spit in winter

Coming Soon:
- Snowshoeing Eveline Trail
- Snowshoeing Homestead Trail

We are also, weather permitting, going to try walking over the frozen lakes to the the face of Portage and/or Grewingk glaciers.  Some years this is very doable and some years the weather never clears enough during our time off.