On Saturday, headed out to Morgantown home of West Virginia University where my best friend from high school teaches in the Life Sciences department.
On Sunday headed with the team to Washington DC to elevate the visibility of the work being done at California Community colleges. The team included – Deputy Chancellor Daisy Gonzales and Vice Chancellor of Government Relations David O’Brien; from the Board of Governors, President Amy Costa & Pamela Haynes; from the Foundation for California Community Colleges, Executive Director of Workforce Development Tim Aldinger.
Then headed to San Diego for the DEI Conference and then back home Friday night.
The cast of characters: John Alexander, Ajay Anand, John Avalos, Bill Baker, Narinder Bajwa, Nikhil Bhambi, Brij Bhambi, Jacob Cohen, Rohan Khanna, Dinesh Khanna, and Manoj Mittal.
Site: Tikchick Narrows Lodge.
Manoj and Jacob were the first to reach Anchorage. The rest of us assembled in Seattle and flew together to Anchorage. The flights followed the schedule, and the luggage arrived with the travelers. After a quick trip to Costco to hunt for travel “essentials”, the group gathered at Kinkade restaurant for dinner. The menu was reasonable but sadly lacking in Sabel.
The next day, a minor glitch in the itinerary created a rush to the airport. We were saved by the bell because the charter had only us as the passengers. The flight took 90 min to reach Dillingham; the propeller made up in noise what it lacked in speed. A 40-minute van ride took us to the float(water) planes. The “bush planes” are single-engine Beavers engineered for short take-off and landing(STOL), an effective transport tool in remote areas. It’s fascinating to watch the bush pilots take off and land in rivers and ravines. The engine is loud and cruising speed of around 120 miles/hr. Our fascination for rides in the bush planes grew thin quickly as we discovered them to be noisy albeit utilitarian taxis that packed us like sardines but transported fairly reliably. The float planes being our primary mode of transportation at the lodge, demanded a quick tutorial.
We enjoyed the ride to the lodge, feasting on the pristine Alaskan wilderness, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls.
The landscape is decorated by the glistening lakes that have islands within, embroidered by the changing fall colors, and many islands within the lakes have little lakes within. The serpentine rivers merge and diverge, highlighted by hordes of trees standing sentinels to the gushing waters embracing the Fall colors.
It’s a mesmerizing spectacle that captures nature’s hues on nature’s clues.
The lodge is beautifully located on the banks of two lakes. The accommodations were comfortable, and the staff was extremely hospitable. We saw a pair of bears across the lake, and a bald eagle flew by on our first day.
Sept 17th was the first day of fishing and the group was divided into four locations: Togiak, Kulukak, Agula Pak, and Shadow Bay. We rotated these locations and fished in the lakes and rivers adjacent to the lodge.
Togiak and Kulukak(Clock) had an abundance of silver salmon. The easy fishing cultivated a false sense of competence, but we were humble in our pride. On Kash Creek, Togiak; guides cooked freshly caught salmon, giving us a memorable meal and an unforgettable experience.
Agula Pak was easily the most beautiful river. It has 20% of the entire population of the sockeye. At this time the sock eye is nearly moribund, having finished spawning. We fished Char and Rainbow Trout flanked by two bears on either side of the river banks, a surreal sight. It’s a fantastic experience to watch the bears in their native environs eating salmon, totally unconcerned by the humans fishing some 40 feet away.
Back at the lodge, we were able to catch more Char and a rare Grayling.
We enjoyed sharing fish stories at breakfast and dinner throughout the entire stay.
We had Sabel for our last dinner and headed back on 9/21 after making unbelievable memories.
Back in Anchorage, on the way to dinner, we got rear-ended by a couple of distracted young men and survived a minor whiplash.
Trip back to Seattle afforded incredible views of snow-peaked mountains and glaciers glowing in the dawning Sun.
From Seattle to Burbank, the plane traveled eerily close to Mt Renier and also had an enchanting look at Half Dome with Nevada and Upper Vernal Falls in full view.
A time capsule of memories keeps us chained to nearly spiritual experiences.
There are times when the pain and tragedies we see and remember become almost overwhelming. I remember Mr. Rodgers’ reassuring advice for children when terrible things happen – “look for the helpers.”
Often Community Colleges become the helpers…often during emergencies… places of love and strength and support as we navigate difficult times.
We decided to stay overnight at the airport Marriott on Wednesday eve for the Thu morning flight to Edmonton. The flight/rentals and logistics, thankfully, remained mundane, and we arrived at the Fairmont in Jasper National Park at about 8 p.m. The smoke from the BC fires hung ominously in the air, but the accommodations on Lake Beauvert were suitably inviting.
On the morning of September 1, we took a stroll around the banks of Lake Beauvert, a leisurely couple-mile stroll made exciting by our first encounter with an Elk family. We headed out for a busy itinerary that included visiting Edith Covell, Athabasca Falls, Sunwapta Falls, and a quick look at the Honeymoon Lake. Due to a minor navigational error by our wingman, the travels took longer than necessary but were enjoyable nonetheless. Our sore bodies welcomed the late afternoon reprieve of much-awaited cocktails. The food at the lodge didn’t offer much to talk about, but there were other reasons for the food to be forgettable.
Sat, Sept 2nd, after the ceremonial walk around the Lake, we headed out for the Maligne Canyon hike. It was an incredible, picturesque hike in the pristine environs before the BC smoke could percolate back in. An intricate subterranean cavernous system drains the Medicine Lake into the Maligne Canyon from 10 miles away. It’s a beauty to behold, natural engineering, elegant and flawless.
We walked around Lake Annette in the evening and ran into a large elk family.
Humans and elks share a similar bond—a long line of cars gathered around the OMG moment. The patriarch elk, with a coronation of formidable antlers, provided a protective cover and tactfully tried to coax the younglings to safety from the prying eyes. The baby elks for the want of wisdom or the tug of playfulness stayed behind. It was adoring to see the patriarch wait and then walk back the younglings to safety.
On September 3rd, we headed out on the Valley of the Lakes hike. We were there very early and alone on the trail. Near the end of our path, a majestic bear resplendent in solid black fur appeared from nowhere and casually walked across the track and blended in the woods on the other side. It was an unexpected and memorable experience. Still, safety compelled us to change our plans, and we decided to turn back with surging excitement from this sudden and mesmerizing encounter.
In the afternoon, we headed out to Maligne Lake and the coveted Spirit Island cruise. It was a mostly cloudy afternoon with elusive breaks in the clouds. The incredible experience included towering cliffs, many glaciers, endless waterfalls, epic scenery, occasional drizzle, and an obligatory dip in the glacier lake.
Monday, September 4th, we headed back home, but not before a buffet of mouthwatering scenic spectacles. The Icefield Parkway is a fantastic drive. We were duly blown away by the mighty Colombian Icefield and many glaciers. Back on the parkway, we had an incredible surprise waiting for us. We were stunned to see a mama grizzly with two cubs feasting on berries only a few feet from the highway. A crowd had gathered, and Mama Bear kept a weary eye on the cubs but mainly remained unconcerned by the attention the family was getting. The elk family affections seemed no different than the grizzlies. The anti-social media has not breached the family bonds across the species yet.
Our next stop at Lake Peyto introduced us to the spectacular emerald waters surrounded by towering cliffs displaying nature’s treasures in an unabashed exuberance.
The glaciers, waterfalls, and serpentine glacier run-offs continued to embellish the parkway. We stopped to take a few photos of Lake Bow, another spectacle.
We arrived in Lake Luise around noon time. Lake Luise is inundated by tourists now. It had none of the pristine solitude I remembered from my first visit in 2012. The BC smoke, crowds, parking, etc., seemed to dim the glitter in this jewel.
At about 3 p.m., we got in the car and headed to Calgary. We had a bite at the airport and boarded.
