JUNEAU, Alaska — I stood in disbelief. On Voyager's bow, I watched humpback whale after humpback whale surface in Auke Bay. There was Flame, a world-famous super-mom challenging previous scientific beliefs with the five calves she’s had since 2019.
There was Kelp. And Juneauite. And Tucker.
And two calves. And several whales who were too far off in the distance to identify. All told, Captain Joe estimated that we saw 10-12 whales that afternoon — a rarity that we should feel fortunate about.
Before we boarded the vessel, I didn’t know what to expect. But it wasn’t that. I would have been happy to see one whale.
But double-digits? Phew. A few years ago, I realized that I was painfully close to having visited all 50 states. In 2022, all I had left were Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Alaska.
So, I decided I’d prioritize getting to all 50 by my 30th birthday. With my Alaska Adventure, I crossed the 50th off the list a few months ahead of my milestone birthday. I went to New England last year after the Lincoln Marathon and was in Wisconsin last fall for football.
Was it worth it? Oh, absolutely. But I was lucky at just about every turn of my trip which made it all the more special. Four days in Denali National Park and Preserve.
Thirty miles of hiking with nearly 8,000 feet of elevation gain. Eight moose sightings, all from a safe distance. Several caribou sightings, only one from an unsafe distance.
At least eight Dall sheep si.
