Off out to the wilderness today and the dog sledding ride. This was way out, about an hour North and on to a homesteaders place.  In other words, back to basics! It was great!  First a session about hunting and trapping, which was perhaps different for us at home, but so much a part of life up here in Alaska. If you don't hunt to eat you don't survive.  However, it was also interesting to me that their main market was China for furs and just how much this market has infiltrated another culture and part of the world that was once so untouched and now is reliant on this global giant for living. The animals they kill feed that endless demand for vanity that we have thankfully left behind. Sorry, just a bit of my personal stance coming in here!  (there are laws and quota systems in place, and special tagging for the rare species and certainly some of the animals they take are many in numbers like the possums, but some are not, and of course, there is always illegal poaching)
In particular, the bears that they kill, just for this market and the lynx cat just makes me sad and annoyed.  However, the trapper that was doing the job was humane and certainly he did need to do this to survive.
So after that, we went out to the dogs and off for a sled ride. Man are they noisy!!!!! they were so excited to lead the sledge. So this is just on land as there is no snow yet. The Alaskan husky is quite a small dog, not at all like the white Siberian husky we think of. 15 dogs to the sledge. Off we went around the track, having to stop so the dogs could pee!! That was gross! Ride a sledge BEHIND a peeing dog, and add 14 more.......... eeuhhh!!!!  Then a talk by Bob Cotter who has won the Iditarod race four times, his first race in 1977. Fascinating to listen to, 1000 miles in winter across Alaska. when he started it was without any help, now he calls it the 'sissy' race as they have GPS!

Headed off on the train in the afternoon from Denali down to Anchorage. This is an 8 hour train trip, there is a road from the park and another from the Anchorage end, but they don't meet, a large portion only has train access.  Again, just another thing about Alaska that just makes you realise the sheer size of the place and the absolute isolation of the people and places. Less than a million people in total and 350,000 live in Anchorage. Alaska is the single biggest state in America. I think one of the 'great' train trips on a bucket list! Perhaps, just one story ..........

In Sherman, (about the middle) lives Mary Lovel and her husband. They are now in their 80's and have lived in Sherman since 1964. They raised their three children in Sherman.  The population of Sherman is 5. The mayor is Mary, except for one year, when she went on holiday, and her husband held an election while she was away. She overthrew him when she got back.  It is a recognised town, you can google it, and Mary and her husband waved at the train as they have done everyday since 1964.



A great day, and an amazing trip, we have photos and stories for sure. Arrived at Anchorage at 8.15pm and were very pleased to see the hotel and bed.

the first half of the photos ....

moose of the road side heading to the dogs

Wolverine skull

Wolf skin

excited dogs

on the sled

Alaskan husky puppies.........

Bob Cotters sled for the Iditarod, he won it in 9 days ......

Bob and his beaver mitts

leaving Denali ..... on the train.