A Big Day

It was a big day all-around. I got up early for a charter flight to Tok, AK for an event marking the opening of the Denali Pipeline Field Office. The event was very well attended; 500 lunches were served to residents and visiting officials and there was much excitement about the project. Most of the major media outlets in Anchorage covered the event and I and several others were interviewed by KTUU, KSKA and the Anchorage Daily News. I also got a chance to meet folks from the Native Villages of Tanacross and Tetlin and answer questions from the public about the project. It was a very productive trip and a lot of fun as well.

If you look carefully, you can clearly see me (or at least a small part of the back of my head) standing below the third group of balloons (Snak Shak trivia - I am the same height as Tom Cruise, although Tom fibs a bit and says he is 5'7".).

On a side note, gas prices are significantly affecting tourism in Alaska - for those that don't know it, Tok is one of the most popular rest stops on the Alaska Highway. In summer it is typically overrun with RV's coming up the highway looking for a place to stop and refuel and refresh. RV traffic is noticably decreased in Alaska this summer due to the high cost of gasoline. The good news is that the Denali field crews are occupying hotel rooms so the local establishments are not suffering as much as would be expected due to the light traffic.

Here is a link to a whiny article from the Fairbanks News-Miner about the event. I continue to hate the media; how can filling empty hotel rooms during the make-or-break tourist season "probably be helping the economy"?? Answer: Because they don't like the story. Best quote: "Whatever the reason, Denali is starting strong, with crews considering soils, water, wetlands, wildlife habitat and archaeological resources along the proposed route." Hurray for good field study planning!

Closer to home, Molly and her buddy Hellen did a Big Ride today. They were animals - they hit the trail in friendly South MPLS and then set sail for points west, pausing to refresh themselves at The Depot before returning to home base via the senic lake route. They cranked out a respectable 25 miles and probably looked good doing it, too.

Tomorrow: flight home to MPLS and then two weeks off for R&R. Looking forward to some time to ride my bike and build up my wheels (more on that when I finish them).