Sweet Home Alaska!

Well, Alaska isn't really my home, but it has taken on the feeling of a second home, as I have just spent my 6th week in a row in Anchorage, Alaska.



Anchorage, AK skyline at dusk

 
The company I work for sent me out to help out on a project that is located in Nikiski, AK in the Kenai Peninsula Borough, but working from the Anchorage office. My company has offices in nearly every major city in the world, so many employees (lucky ones like me!) get an opportunity to visit many cool places all over the globe!

I am based in our Spartanburg, SC office, which is the city that I was born and raised in. I have been quite blessed to work in my hometown and be close to my family, my friends, and my church throughout my career. But when duty calls, especially in a global company, temporary duty assignments are nearly inevitable. It's not usually a bad thing, because travel can be exciting and visiting new cities offer opportunities to explore territories that one may have never thought of going to before, or had the opportunity to visit otherwise.

To make my visit even more memorable is the fact that Alaska's largest city is experiencing the largest snowfall on record since the winter of 1954-55 of 132.6 inches. As I write this post, Anchorage is 3.3" from breaking that nearly 60 year old record! It is incredible, to say the least, and especially to drive the streets. Everywhere I go there are 6 to 8 foot high walls of snow on either side of the roads, with sidewalks cleared off as well, creating corridors of snow walls on every street in the area.





The view driving from the airport, February 4, 2012

 Another memorable event that I have gotten to enjoy was the 40th Ceremonial Start of the Iditarod Trail 1,000 mile Dog Sled Race which begins on 4th Avenue in Downtown Anchorage and ends in Homer, Alaska. The race takes between 8 to 32 days and is an ultimate test on man and dogs, running through the most brutally cold temperatures known to man, or between -40 and -60 degrees Fahrenheit! It was quite a spectacle to see the proud mushers and their excited sled dogs race down the street and off into the wilderness!

 



The official ceremonial start on 4th Avenue, Downtown Anchorage

 


And they're off!!!


 Being a snowboarder has made me a lover of snow, so I feel right at home in Anchorage! And the mountain range of the Chugach is breathtaking! You see it from every place you walk or drive, and every view of it just blows you away! I'm also a lover of mountains, and the mountains in Alaska are ahhmazing! I still love my Blue Ridge Mountains more, because they are my home and they are so beautiful, but the mountains in Alaska are very different. There are many more sharp, pointed peaks and covered in snow. It is definitely a winter wonderland everywher you look! I mean, Alaska is where Santa Claus lives, for goodness sake!





This is the scenery, everywhere you go in Anchorage!

 Only a few miles outside the city gates is like entering a whole other planet, whether you drive north, south, east or west. Taking Hwy 1 (Seward Hwy) to the south is a drive that everyone has to do when in Anchorage. It follows an inlet of water from the Bering Sea and the Cook Inlet called The Turnagain Arm. On the right side you have the water and giant mountains rising up out of the water, and on the left you have giant mountains rising up from the shoulder of the road! No matter where you roam in Alaska, the views are incredible!



The Turnagain Arm, AK Seward Hwy 1 South

About 35 miles south on the Seward Hwy takes you to a small village called Girdwood. It is home to Alaska's premier ski resort, Alyeska. This ski area was established in 1954, and continues to grow and opens new terrain every year. I got to snowboard there last weekend, and it was ovewhelming! The air is so clean and fresh, and the mountain ranges were awe inspiring!


 

The view from the top of Chair 6, looking down on the Turnagain Arm!

 After a full day of snow riding, it's nice to relax and indulge in some aprés ski activity in the Sitzmark Bar and Grill, located at the base of Mt Alyeska near the bottom of Chair 1. Being by myself here, and never meeting a stranger, I make friends with everyone who pulls up beside me at the bar, exchanging names and sharing stories, and leaving as friends to keep in touch with!

 


The Sitzmark & The Bake Shop, buried in snow!

    


The Sitzmark Bar & Grill at Alyeska Ski Resort

 
 I've been having a blast here in Alaska, met some really cool people, and made some new friends! As long as there is plenty of work here, but not so much in Spartanburg, SC, I will remain here. I was certainly made for this environment, and I thrive in such an adventurous land! There has been talk around the office about the company wanting me to stay on and even move here once the project is done. I do love Alaska, but I love my home in Western North Carolina more... But if work doesn't pick up in my SC office, I may have to stay out here to keep my job. And then again, what a great place to have to relocate to!
 


The view walking out of The Sitzmark to my truck!

  Keep a wary eye out for more posts on Alaska to follow this one, as I continue to share more cool stories of work, play, and my stay here in Anchorage, Alaska!

Until then, y'all try and stay cool down south, while I try and keep warm in the artic tundra!

 

Mike D on Chair 6, Mt Alyeska Ski Area



So long! 

Mountain Winter

As the colder air moves in and the winds pick up here on Melrose Mountain, stripping the remaining Fall leaves from the trees and turning the mountains from bright orange to a dull grey, we're beginning to prepare ourselves for winter in the mountains!

My Friday Afternoon Delight in Saluda, NC

After a full week of hard work in Spartanburg, I like to take Friday and sleep in a bit (usually til 8 or 8:30 a.m.), mull about the mountain house, complete some chores, make some lunch, then get out for a ride in the mountains!
Living in Western North Carolina, I am surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.  Also being a motorcycle enthusiast, our roads provide some of the best riding in the world to boot.

This is the road I live on. My house is just ahead on the right!

FALL 2011 in Tryon, Gem of The First Peaks

FALL 2011 has taken off in spectacular fashion!

The Western North Carolina (WNC) hills have been alive with color during the month of October, beginning in the highest elevations during the first week. The mid elevations' color began around halfway through the second week of October, and the lower elevations are still holding on to a lot of greens, even now in the first week of November!

Exploring the Mountain *Gems* - Tryon, NC

As an extension to my previous post, WNC Mountain Road Trip!, this one discusses some of my personal favorite mountain towns.  If you're planning a day or weekend trip to our Blue Ridge Mountains, this will be a great start for places to explore.  Because this subject could go on and on, I will have to make multiple posts to cover WNC.  Please keep checking back in for updates to this theme!
In the next several posts, I plan to get into waterfalls, historic points of interest, mountain overlooks, great hikes, mountain bike trails, camping, horseback riding, rock climbing, fishing, boating, motorcycling, shopping, dining, B&B's, and scenic drives.  Whew...
To keep with good blogging etiquette, I can't get too long winded in each article, so just as I said in my previous post, I encourage you to do a little online investigation for yourself!  Doing this will help you to learn more about the places you want to visit and experience, and will ultimately lead you into many more adventures!  Here I want to highlight some of my personal favorite mountain towns, some attractions in each one, and some of what to look for along the way!

WNC Mountain Road Trip!

Even before I became a WNC (Western North Carolina) transplant, I have been an expert on the Blue Ridge Mountains (BRMs) and their alluring mystical ambiance. I have spent the past 20 years visiting every small town that I could get to in a weekend day trip, sometimes taking the whole weekend to explore!

I was born and raised in Spartanburg County, SC, which is less than 20 minutes from the base of the BRMs. Spartanburg is defined as the Upstate of SC, the Piedmont region of the state.

The Right One - Part II

I felt like that last post needed some clarification, because I received a few private comments through Facebook where some thought that my "list" sounded demanding.
On the contrary! Those are not demands. Those are qualifiers.
Remember - I don't want a "steady."  I want multiple friendships.  Platonic, if you prefer that term.  No ties.  No expectations.  No deep personal divulgence to have to maintain...  Just friendship!

The Right One?

I've had this conversation more than once this year with various friends, and I've not been supported in full by any one person, although a couple friends do agree with me on this topic.
The right "one" for me.
To catch you up with where I'm at (this present time), here it is. 

Weekend Ride Report - Little Switzerland

What a gorgeous day to ride! Best day of the year, in my opinion, for clear skies and air temps.
We had 6 bikes with 6 riders meet at the Waffle House on 176 & Springfield, one of which was new to our group! Kim Barnette from Harley of Greenville, invited by Doc.


Kim Barnette and Sarge

 The lineup consisted of Ben "Sarge" Rodgers, Mike "Doc" Driscoll, Kim Barnette, Brian "Stick" Hightower, Will "Stud Muffin" Yarborough, and "Big Ben" Steagall.

Weekend Ride Report - Sapphire Valley Run

Southern Curisers Riding Club

  Spartanburg, SC Chapter 313

   September 3rd, 2011

    250 miles - 8 hours

Well, the SCRC 313 finally got The Sapphire Valley Run under its belt. After a year and a half of making attempts and being rained out, we beat the rain and had an awesome run!

We began the ride from the Waffle House at 9:23 a.m. with Mike "Doc" Driscoll, Raymond "Ray Dawg" Nyhart, and Mike "Hoss" Hosom.

As we headed down 176 into Inman, we were ambushed by Carl Briles and Diane on the beautiful Black Beauty (Carl's '08 black & chrome Goldwing).

We followed 176 into Camp Pueblo, bared left on 11 and headed for Echo Valley in Cleveland for our first stop.

From there we turned off 11 in Pickens onto 178 for Rosman, NC.  We had an awesome ride up 178, with no cars ahead of us or behind us!  We made our second stop at Jarrett Bros Gas Station in Rosman to top off our tanks and rest our butts.  Because the weather was way too nice, we made our stop very short and headed to 64 for Sapphire Valley. This was a bit slower going as we got behind a few carpet baggers that had apparently never driven through mountain curves...  They held us at 20 mph under the posted speed limit...  Not to worry, as it is a short 16 miles from Rosman to Sapphire, and we were still making good time.We arrived right at noon to the Sapphire Mountain Brewing Company, which is tucked away nicely within the beautiful Sapphire Valley Golf Club.  We got a great table out on the covered deck out back with an outstanding view!  See next pg...

Motocross Racing - most physically demanding sport?

I've read statistics that Motocross is the #1 most physically demanding sport in the world, with which I agree.  Some have said that soccer is most physically demanding.  I suppose that everything polled is based on opinion of each individual, and their prior experience with a particular sport.
I can say that, for me, I believe it is.  I've played several different sports for several years each, and Motocross was definitely the most thrilling, exhilarating, and the toughest on the body.  I've played baseball, football, soccer, golf, wrestling, track running, trail running, rock climbing, weight lifting, water skiing, Jet Skiing, snow skiing, snowboarding, and mountain biking.  Each of these sports present their own challenges on the mind, the spirit, and the body.  But in competitions where there is no break, no rest period, no bench seats, and "it ain't over til it's over," those are the most physically demanding.

Cigar Night At Mill Farm Inn

When I bought my home in Tryon, NC, I immediately became friends with my realtor, Gary.
Gary owns a large, rock house named Mill Farm Inn, which he had registered a few years back on The National Register Of Historic Places.  I won't get in to the history of this property here, but it is very interesting.  It would be worth your time to look it up & read about it!
http://www.presnc.org/Preservation-News-Roundup/Mill-Farm-Inn-Earns-Register-Listing

About my background image...

I took this photograph, the one you are looking at behind my profile (left), during an early morning ride one year ago.  I was riding from Greenville, SC to Pigeon Forge, TN to spend the day with my (soon to be) fiancee and her father.  They had a tradition of visiting the Great Smokey Mountains every year to kick off the beautiful Fall season, and had invited me to join them for a few days of lodging, shopping, and eating in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
Since it was a Friday, and I still had work to finish up for the week, I decided to leave extra early from home and make the 5 hour bike ride through the backroads of Western NC and the magnificent Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP).  Normally this trip only takes 3 hours to make via I-26 to I-40 to Hwy 441, but when you travel the snakey mountain roads of the Blue Ridge and Smokies, it's a little slower going.  So I left the house at 4 a.m., having strapped my K2 backpack to the backrest, and lit out for the mountains!
I headed up I-385N from Simpsonville, Hwy 276 through Greenville, Hwy 11 through Cleveland, up Hwy 178 through Rosman, NC and then up Hwy 215 to intersect the BRP and follow it on to Cherokee, NC and on to the Smokey Mountain Parkway into Tennessee.
It was an exceptionally clear morning, so I was certain that I would enjoy several photo ops as the sun came up! Racing up Hwy 215 in the dark was thrilling, and I had my headphones plugged into my Sirius Satellite Radio, which is mounted to my handlebar.  As I approached the BRP, I began catching the early glimpse of deep purple light creeping over the distant peaks and through the hardwood forest.  My stomach was beginning to churn with excitement as the light went from that deep purple to periwinkle, and then began to blend with a rosey-pink.  When I got to a curvy section of Parkway with some overlook views, I pulled over onto the shoulder to capture my first image.

Welcome!

Welcome to my world!
We are about to embark on a new journey. I am at a place in my life that is different than it had ever been before, but still seems so very familiar.
I recently suffered a heartbreak, where 4 years of a deep investment in love came to a crashing stop. So, after the mourning period ran its course, and through the amazing support of my family & very close friends, I decided a change of scenery was in order.
I moved away to begin a new life; away from an area that I had inhabited for the last 8 years; away from the best neighbors a guy could ever dream of having.
We'll get into more of my new environment as the days go on, and as I rediscover the old writer in me, while I learn the new art of storytelling through social media.
In short, I have been a lover of mountains my entire life, as well as a pathological thrill seeker. An adrenaline junkie, if you will... And this is what I've decided to dedicate my new blog to.
So hold on to your hat, jump into the "bitch seat," and ride with me on this new journey of adrenaline rushes, prophetic words from God, and peaceful mountain serenity!
Y'all come back now, ya hear?
~ Mike D.