Our vacation to Hawaii was well timed and well deserved. We had an excellent week on Kauai with lots of sun, sand, and warm weather. We rented a VRBO that backed up to a horse pasture and beautiful tropical mountains.
On the first day we hiked the beautiful NaPali Coast trail.
We also did an awesome hike in Keke State Park out to an incredible vista point.
There are chickens everywhere!
We spent plenty of time on the beach, too.
We enjoyed the fresh fruit and delicious foods on Kauai. Jennah also found some massive avocados!
We hiked along the beaches at Poipu beach. The south side of Kauai is always hot and sunny, even when the north shore is rainy.
We also spent one day stand-up paddleboarding on the Hanalei River.
Our week in paradise was not enough, but we certainly maximized our relaxation and vitamin D intake! We also made a short music video of our trip, available here.
After returning from Kauai we spent some weekends at our favorite local outdoor spots, such as x-c skiing at Hatcher Pass. Nate made a video of one of his ski descents of Archangel trail, available here.
We also did some fat biking around town (Nate gave in and got a fat bike too).
Jennah did a 25 mile (!) fat bike race through town, mostly on ice, and finished in a scorching time!
Nate did a few local nordic ski races, including the Oosik Classic in Talkeetna, in which he got third in the 25k!
While Nate was skiing, Jennah was biking around the area. It was a beautiful day!
Due to a lack of snow, we were riding on dry ground out by Portage Lake.
This year Portage Lake never froze solid. So, unfortunately, no crust skiing for us.
Nate spent an awesome day backcountry skiing at Hatcher Pass with our friend, Chad.
Sanuk, to our surprise, has become a very good older sister. Simi will not leave her alone!
Sanuk doesn't usually care about toys, but all of a sudden she has become a hoarder!
Nate's parents, Bobbie and Rick, made their annual trip to Alaska for the Tour of Anchorage - which ended up being canceled due to lack of snow! We tried to make the most of their visit, however, the weather didn't want to cooperate. During their entire stay it was frigidly cold, dry, and sunny with a thick layer of ice all over the ground! It was by far the worst time of the year, during what is usually part of the best time of the year. Despite this, we really enjoyed having them visit and can't wait to see them again in a few months. They are already planning their trip for next year, which we 'promise' will be have much better weather!
We watched the Iditarod Ceremonial start in Anchorage, spent a night at a cabin in Talkeetna and also a night at Hatcher Pass. We did lots of hiking with yak traks or on ice-free trails, and made sure to bundle up as you can see below! The next few photos are from Gull Rock Trail near Hope.
And these photos are from Hatcher Pass, where we found some 'decent' snow to ski.
These photos are from the bluff and beach at Kincaid Park in Anchorage.
And finally, I know you were wondering, so here are the obligatory Sanuk jumping photos from the beach at Kincaid Park.
The days are getting longer very fast, and the temperatures are hovering in the 40s, but we could use some rain to fully transition to spring time. We are looking forward to many more adventures during Alaska's short summer, in addition to a trip out east (Nantucket and Rhode Island) to visit family! Until next time!
