An Alaskan trip with Mom

MASADA SIEGEL

A look of horror crossed my mom’s face. We stared at the petite woman standing in the pouring rain, as she raised her hands over her head making menacing faces. “If you see a bear, put your hands over your head and start saying, ‘Bear, go away.’ If we do this all together, then he will be afraid and walk away. Well, hopefully,” said Tammy Smith, our hiking guide in Denali National Park.

The mud was sticky, the incline steep and droplets of rain stuck to our coats. Mom said, “Masada, I don’t think this is for me.” I smiled, “That’s nice, now let’s go.” We grabbed walking sticks and set off, walking single file behind our guide on the Triple Lakes Trail.

Denali National Park in Alaska is a dream destination. The scenery is majestic, in both the rain and sunshine, as it appears to be the land before time. It’s both pristine and rugged, and the magic only escalates when viewing a grisly bear at close range. (We saw a few, but out of a tour bus window in the park.)

We were on an Alaskan adventure; it was my Mother’s Day gift, albeit an early one. It is one of the commandments to honor your mother, so I took it a step further and decided to spend quality, fun time with mine. In a mere three weeks, we were going to fly fish, hike glaciers and explore nonstop, until our Holland America cruise, where we would be pampered endlessly and treated like queens.

We landed in Fairbanks and worked our way south, experiencing every mode of transportation possible: planes, trains, automobiles, canoes, helicopters and a ship

Fairbanks took us by surprise; it is charming and filled with unique places like the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum at the Wedgewood Resort. This living museum encompasses 78 vehicles, ranging from the obscure, such as the Hertel and Argonne, to the legendary Peerless and Packard. It’s a walk through both automotive and American history, as many of the shiny cars are paired with figurines wearing the fashion in the given time period.

After exploring the fabulous ice museum, the fair and hopping on a riverboat cruise, all before dinner at the famous Pump House restaurant and saloon, we stopped by Congregation Or HaTzafon.

Fairbanks has a small but vibrant Jewish community. The city started in 1902 and, in 1904, a Jewish community formed with the arrival of Robert Bloom, a Lithuanian, who came from Ireland via the Klondike in 1898. He ran a general store from 1906 to 1941 and contributed not only to the Fairbanks Jewish community, but was one of the founders of the University of Alaska.

Housed at the University of Alaska is a jewel, the Museum of the North. It’s small, but sophisticated, and it showcases the history of Alaska, the local artists and is definitely worth a visit.

The next day, we headed to the Arctic Circle with Northern Alaska Tour Company. Our first moose sighting was only an hour into the drive. The Alaskan pipeline rose and fell, guiding us along the way, where we stopped to pick wild blueberries and literally bounce on the squishy arctic tundra. In remote places, we met people who lived by nature’s rules, mainly fishing and hunting for their sustenance.

Our mode of transportation for the following few days was the Alaskan railroad. The Gold Star service is first class in train travel, and sitting on the second floor of the train is a treat; it’s comprised of all glass windows so the views are phenomenal. Watching the world roll by is relaxing and it’s romantic to have a tasty meal with china and silverware on a train, a throwback in time with all the modern amenities.

The train took us to Denali, where, other than hiking, Mom and I ventured to unknown places, including walking in thigh-high wader boots in 34-degree-Fahrenheit water while fly fishing.

We followed our fearless guide, Terry Boyd from Denali Fly Fishing, to the river. We grazed the entire way on wild blueberries.

Mom gave me one of those hilarious “What have you gotten me into now?” looks as she started to walk through the near-freezing river running at around 20-25 miles per hour. She immediately caught fish, but I was not as talented. I didn’t flick my wrists well, nor could I figure how to take a fish off the hook and release it back into the water, but I fell in love with the purple mountains and the serene sound of the river rushing past my feet.

The next day’s agenda included flying in a floatplane, and I was nervous. It’s one thing to have water rushing at your feet, another to have your plane standing and landing on a blue liquid runway.

Talkeetna is one of the prime locations to fly into Denali, and we flew with K2 Aviations on an aerial tour of Denali in a fire engine-red, 10-seater plane. We flew over rivers, lakes and glaciers. It was like flying inside a painting. After an exceptionally smooth landing, we were greeted with hors d’oeuvres before a hike in a seemingly untouched land.

We stayed at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, where we could see Mt. McKinley from our room, and had dinner at the Base Camp Bistro, where the food was remarkable both in presentation and taste.

Our next adventure included a new mode of transportation: the rental car. Mom had a map, but it was unnecessary, as driving in Alaska is much like its residents: straightforward. She stared at the map, the lack of railings on the narrow, windy highway making her too nervous to notice the magnificent scenery of the Mat-Su Valley.

Upon arrival at the Matanuska Glacier, we had a safety briefing with our MICA guide and received gear, mainly crampons and walking sticks. I was not forthcoming about what hiking a glacier entailed and, as we drove, rather bounced, on an unpaved road towards the icy blue glacier, I was nervous. Was I pushing adventure too far?

The glacial mud path was sticky and, when the ice was mere steps away, we laced our crampons to our boots. I thought of the phone call from my sister, Audrey, a few days earlier. In a stern voice she told me, “I’ve been talking to Dad – I know what you are up to. So, don’t kill Mom!”

About hiking the icy blue glacier, Mom said, “It was one of the most remarkable and challenging experiences, as I had never climbed one. There comes an age where you have to try everything.”

Once back on solid ground and starving, we drove to Sheep’s Meadows Lodge for a delicious home-cooked meal. Soon after, we stepped into a fairy tale called Matanuska Lodge. A huge home turned into a bed and breakfast; the main area was filled with colorful art, couches and books. It was such a pleasant surprise to see mezuzot on the doors and books about Jewish art in the living room. Even the guest book had notes written in Hebrew – this magical hideaway was known as far away as Israel.

Alaska, where about 6,000 Jewish people live, has a long history of a strong relationship with Israel. Rabbi Yosef Greenberg of Anchorage explained how, in 1949, Alaskan bush pilots risked their lives to rescue thousands of Yemenite Jews and fly them in the dark of night to Israel during operation Magic Carpet.

“The planes at the time could make the trip from Yemen to Israel in 10 hours; however, [they] could only hold enough fuel for nine hours, and there was no country they could stop to refuel in,” he said. “They had to take fuel on the plane, and refuel it while flying from the inside. These planes were at times shot at, but the Alaskan pilots accepted the job. They flew 370 flights and, when Alaska Airlines had to pull out, their pilots carried on with the mission until it was completed.”

Additionally, the Alaskan Jewish community, understanding the importance of the continuity of the Jewish religion and culture is working with native Alaskans to help them preserve their heritage and language (such as the Na-Dene language, which became extinct in January 2008).

Spending time with Greenberg, who is with Chabad of Alaska and has lived in Alaska for 20 years, was an unexpected treat. He is filled with such positive energy and light; listening to him was mesmerizing. One of his main projects is the creation of a museum to highlight the beauty of the Jewish-Alaska relationship.

“We need about a million dollars more to complete the museum, so, yes, we are looking for a miracle, but miracles do happen,” he said, smiling.

The relaxation portion of the trip was just beginning and it does not get any better than Alyeska. The only five-star resort in Alaska, it’s in a dream location where, on a sunny day, one can see the surrounding glaciers while enjoying a AAA Four Diamond-rated meal at Seven Glaciers. To get to the restaurant, we took a cable car up the mountain and, while the views outside are breathtaking, sitting underneath an authentic Andy Warhol added to the enchantment.

The royal treatment continued aboard the Holland America on an Inside Passage cruise. The cabins are decorated in a classic style and, more importantly, the bed was exceptionally comfortable. There was a never-ending selection of delectable food; surprisingly, many were even healthy. The ship boasts executive chef Bitta Kuruvilla, who also overseas the Pinnacle restaurant, where the food was fabulous, the pampering over the top and the ever-changing view spectacular.

The ship itself is also a floating museum, with paintings and sculptures worth more than two million dollars onboard. The front concierge also provides an iPod with a walking tour guide of the works. I spent time chilling out in the Statendam’s library, which boasts more than 4,000 books, a café and Internet access.

My father joined us for the cruise, so Mom was off the hook, but a few shore excursions excited me.

In Haines, I opted to take a 30-foot canoe to Davidson Glacier. Newfound friends, who lovingly nominated me to sit in the front, laughed as I got splashed with freezing cold water. Amy, sitting comfortably behind me, said “Oh, I see you are getting the glacial facial, and for free no less.” I chuckled, as big chunks of ice banged into the canoe and we paddled close enough to the glacier to hear the ice cracking.

The next day, in Juneau, I stood atop Mendenhall Glacier, arriving via a new mode of transportation: a helicopter, in which I had never been before.

Every day in Alaska is filled with untamed beauty, exquisite scenery and nonstop activities, but our trip was coming to a close. Now, I had a look of horror on my face; no more extraordinary adventures, no more pampering and being lulled to sleep by the gently rocking waves. Reality was rapidly approaching and, alas, putting my hands over my head to try to scare it away, like a bear, was not going to work. However, while bears tend to disappear, my amazing Alaskan adventure with my mom will last forever in my photos and in my mind.

Masada Siegel can be reached at [email protected].

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