Thrive Outside

Christy Marvin Wins Mount Marathon in Seward July 4, 2016!   No one, I mean NO ONE wins a race, breaks a record, or has success in running all on their own.  In every race, every record, every win, there is a long trail of support that brought them there.  For me, that trail includes God, my family, and my friends. Before God even said, “Let there be light,” he knew that he was going to make me.  Humbling as it is, God has had a plan for my life from the very beginning of time.  He knew he was going to give me a talent in running.  It was a part of His plan to reach a crowd of people that might not otherwise hear about the saving love of Jesus Christ. My faith is the core of my running success.  I could have faith without running, but not running without faith.  God is my inspiration.  When Satan rears his ugly head and plants seeds of doubt or fear, it is through Christ that I find my strength.  Strength to be my very best, strength to accept nothing less. “I can do all

   For residents of the Matanuska Valley the Hatcher Pass area offers trails for every skill level, from the stroller friendly first 1.5 miles of the Gold Mint trail to the epic Pinnacle Peak. The April Bowl hits the sweet spot of a nice uphill push combined with stunning views. At 2.2 miles round trip and approximately 800 feet of elevation, April Bowl gives you a lot of bang for your buck! I've enjoyed this hike numerous times and have always been awed by the many different colors of the lakes/ponds in contrast to the lush greens of summer or reds of autumn, all with the gray and white of the distant mountains.  TRAIL HEAD    Take the Glenn Highway north of Palmer, turn left onto  Palmer-Fishhook Road to Hatcher Pass and continue for 15 miles. Take a left onto the graveled Willow-Fishhook Road (just before the A-Frames). Be aware that Willow-Fishhook is gated shut during the snowy seasons and is often the last road to be opened during the summer. You'll find the trai

This past Friday evening my family (minus my eldest son) zipped down to Seward and spent the weekend exploring the Caines Head Trail. This is a great trail for introducing backpacking to younger kids since it is relativity flat. I watch my weather app all summer to see when Seward will have a three day window of sunshine and then we GO! Looking north from Derby Cove Caines Head itself rears 650ft above Resurrection Bay and offers sweeping views of the surrounding mountains. During WWII , when the territory of Alaska was attacked by Imperial Japanese ground forces, Caines Head became a strategic spot for defending the Port of Seward. Seward is the most southern point of the Alaska Railroad, the port was a vital supply line for the war effort and continues to be for Alaskans today. Construction of Fort McGilvray began in 1941 and ended in 1944. Today you can explore many concrete bunkers and the gun mounts that held huge 155mm guns. !ALERT! This trail MUST be timed wit

Gunsight Mountain:  Elevation 6,441 feet Time to the top: hiking fast uphill : 2 1/2 hours with lunch break Total time Roundtrip:  3:52 minutes Miles Round Trip 8.2 Okay, after trying to find the trail backpacking, we went back for a day hike.  Thankfully, it was easy. There is a pull off mile 118.5 on the Glen Hwy just past Sheep Mountain Lodge if coming from Palmer with a nice outhouse and no parking fee. Head down the old road and turn right up the trail.  For the first 2ish miles you will be on a well marked four wheel trail.  It can be a bit muddy in places, but we stayed dry for walking around. Major crossroad:  Take a left on the first decision right when you see the pond. The road to the right takes you into the back woods around the mountain not to Gunsight. See James point to the left the "correct" way to go There is a small creek crossing that was easily jumpable. Then when you start getting to a flatish part, you will see a nice area for cam

Being unplugged is one of my favorite things about the outdoors, until this year.  I have two apps that I and so excited to share for all your adventures (hiking, biking, skiing, snowmaching, running, kayaking). 1st:  Gaia GPS.  It not only tracks your speed, time, altitude, distance, ascent, pace, it has a wonderful feature of moving time and stopped time.  I love knowing how long I actually was hiking minus the breaks.   It has a wonderful feature of downloading the Topo Maps of the area you are hiking (there are 6 versions that come free) so that you can have your phone (iphone or android) on airplane mode and still track everything!  So, you can save power.   Having any pictures as a waypoint makes it easy for people to see your route and follow it later, makes this summary of your route a fun way to share with others.  You can even add photos by uploading them if you want to after the hike on a computer.   Other hiking apps save the data for a short period of tim