Updated on December 11, 2021
Day 4 of 2021 Alaska Trip, South Pioneer Peak, Jewel of Chugach Mountains
Fourth day of my 2021 Alaska trip and last day in the Anchorage vicinity. I climbed and summited South Pioneer Peak, a magnificent YDS class 3 mountain on the southern bank of Knik River that’s an enchanting sight from much of the Mat-Su Valley. It’s a long day-hike with grueling elevation gains, but this time I was better prepared, mentally and physically, and it turned out to be a much memorable experience.
Pioneer Peak
Updated on December 9, 2021
Day 3 of 2021 Alaska Trip, Anchorage
Third day of my 2021 Alaska trip. Weather forecast was occasional drizzle for the day, which wasn’t ideal for hiking. So I took the day easy, visited Anchorage Museum in its downtown, and a few parks on its coastline, before checking into a new Airbnb in its suburb.
Exhibit WallDisplaying the state’s various products and activities.
Updated on December 9, 2021
Day 2 of 2021 Alaska Trip, Marmot Mountain
Second day of my 2021 Alaska trip. Yesterday’s excursion to Matanuska Peak took quite a toll on me that I spent most of the day resting. But since I still wanted something done for the day, I decided to take a short hike to Marmot Mountain near Hatcher Pass towards its end.
Cairn before Distant Snowy Mountains
Updated on December 31, 2021
Day 1 of 2021 Alaska Trip, Matanuska Peak, Manifestation of Mental Perseverance
First day of my 2021 Alaska trip, I would be climbing Matanuska Peak outside the city of Palmer, a grueling day hike that tested both my physical and mental capabilities.
Trail to Matanuska Peak
Updated on December 2, 2021
Flight Log of Alaska Airlines Flight 3 and 127 from Washington DC to Anchorage via Seattle
I enjoyed last summer’s trip to Alaska so much that I decided to visit it again this year over Independence Day. The outbound flights followed the same routing as last year, with a different set of sceneries and stories.
Rolling Clouds against Mountain Range
Updated on June 3, 2024
Weekend Trip to Jamestown and Norfolk, Virginia
Second weekend of June 2021. With summer calling, I decided to make an overnight trip to Virginia Beach for some typical summer fun. On the way there, I would be visiting historic Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America and cradle of American civilization. It turned out that Virginia Beach was sort of underwhelming, so on the second day, I visited Chrysler Museum in downtown Norfolk instead.
Statue of John Smith
Updated on July 12, 2022
Day 3 of 2021 Memorial Day Weekend, Dragon’s Tooth
Third day of 2021 Memorial Day weekend. We hiked to Dragon’s Tooth, a giant near-vertical rock along Appalachian Trail that’s also part of Virginia Triple Crown.
Dragon’s Tooth
Updated on October 17, 2021
Day 2 of 2021 Memorial Day Weekend, McAfee Knob
Second day of 2021 Memorial Day weekend. We hiked to McAfee Knob, a piece of rock sticking out of a cliff with stunning views, dubbed “most photographed point of the Appalachian Trail”.
ObserverMe at McAfee Knob.
Updated on October 17, 2021
Day 1 of 2021 Memorial Day Weekend, Driving to Roanoke
First day of 2021 Memorial Day weekend. On our drive to Roanoke, Virginia, we visited the city of Lexington, Natural Bridge and Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory along the way.
Natural Bridge
Updated on October 17, 2021
Flight Log of Alaska Airlines Flight 1108 from Los Angeles to Washington Dulles
After spending the weekend in Los Angeles, this was a cross-country flight back to Washington DC.
Joshua Tree National Park
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