Just Like Living In Paradise

With days like these and a kite in hand it's hard not to love Alaska.

Open

The view from where I sit is pretty good. I've seen it in magazines and I've seen it on the telly. When the chance came up to see it live I couldn't pass it up. Although I'm not much of a fan, to see it live is pretty exciting to say the least.

Solstice

With weather all over the map, from -40F to +40F in Alaska, solstice came and went this year with little fanfare. Snow, snow, and more snow. Not much light, just more snow.

Magic

In November in Alaska it's cold and dark and sometimes on Sundays, the wind blows from the South, and paragliding at 'the Bluffs' is nothing short of magical. Hard to imagine this flying site is right next to Anchorage and a stones throw from Anchorage International airport. After several hours in the air everyone was beaming. Nothing short of spectacular.

Montare

One of the last things I bought in 1991 before I moved to Alaska was a mountain bike. It was more money than I'd ever spent on anything, except my car. But I figured it was a reasonable investment to explore the wilds of Alaska. This Gary Fisher Montare has served me well over the course of twenty years. If you don't believe it, read this:

http://www.troyhenkels.com/TrustySteed.htm

So, when the mechanic told me my trusty old bike was not worth repairing, you can imagine my dismay at losing an old faithful partner. None the less, even after twenty years, Gary Fisher is still making the Montare and the same reasons I liked it back then are the same reasons I bought a new one and am riding it today. Here's to another twenty years and many more mountain bike fueled adventures.

Gear Box

Those of you that know me, know that I have small infatuation with sunglasses and watches....always have, ever since I was young. Fortunately, my best sponsor, Oakley, makes some of the finest of both!! This week a new "Gear Box" showed up and it is really, REALLY cool! I'm going to be the hippest cat this side of Talkeetna wearing this thing!!

Sleep

As summer quickly crawls towards fall, we've had a lot of rain and storms blowing in from the South. After a sunset kiting session on Turnagain Arm, I looked up to see the sun setting behind a local favorite mountain, Sleeping Lady. Alaska sure is a good place to call home.