Alyeska Hideaway

Last week we intended to drive about an hour South to stay at a hotel near Mt. Alyeska to go downhill skiing the next day.  We left Anchorage as soon as Pete got off of work, and drove into Girdwood, the ski town, home of Mt. Alyeska.  As we turned into Girdwood, Pete announces "detour," turns, and drives up this steep hill....there are a few cabins on either side of the road nestled in the trees.  We pull up to one and park the car.  Pete says "This is where we will be staying tonight."  

"Oh Really," I say with a smile.  

It's just like Pete to surprise me like that.  I should have guessed when I asked him the day before how much the hotel was and he said "I don't remember." After JUST paying for it.  Pete ALWAYS knows how much something costs.  

We were greeted by the owners of the cabin who lived next door.  They brought over homemade bread for us to enjoy during our stay there.  

We sipped on tea, discussed small group questions from our newly marrieds group at church, read books from the library, watched a documentary, and of course Pete conquered me in a few games of ticket to ride.  We visited the Girdwood bakery in the morning, and headed toward the mountain.  We knew there was a chance it would be closed that day because we woke in the middle of the night to a huge thunderstorm and pouring rain that continued when we woke up.  We probably wouldn't have wanted to ski that day anyway based on the conditions, but when we drove up to the mountain there was no one on it.  The ski lifts were not running.  Bummer.  

We took our time in Girdwood that day and then thought we'd head back to Anchorage, though when we drove up to the one and only road connecting Girdwood and Anchorage along the coast there was a pileup of cars.  The road was shut down.  Because of the rain and warm temperatures they had to set off avalanches along the road with artillery in a controlled situation so that they wouldn't go off on their own.  

We can officially say now that we've been stuck in traffic due to an Avalanche.