Snow Covered Mountains

Dear Family & Friends,

The mountains have been snow-covered since we arrived. We woke up to our first snow on Oct. 11. This area is filled with tall slender spruce and birch trees. Most of the leaves have fallen off now. We have been able to go on a few bike rides so far before the weather turns too cold for me. I have been wearing snow pants outside for two weeks and wore my warmest gloves with hand warmers on our last bike ride. We took an interesting bike ride on the Coastal Trail late Tuesday afternoon. Watching the planes take off from the airport right over our heads was intense. The colorful sunsets here seem to last a long time.

The senior missionaries have more latitude than the younger missionaries, but some rules are ironclad for both. We are not allowed to go on the mud flats. They can be deadly to animals and humans. They are very interesting to look at but unlike the beautiful beaches or lakes we are used to in Utah, Minnesota, Hawaii, or Florida. The bore tides are also very extreme. They are supposed to be Big next Thurs. & Friday, so we will try to check it out. It's only a half hour away from here. We want to see a few things in the area before the days get really short. 

Here, the bore tide has been known to reach up to 30 ft. in height and travel up to 30 miles per hour. The incoming bore tide in Alaska can see waves as large as 6 – 10 ft. in height that take up to 5 hours to travel the length of Turnagain Arm. This is the most northern bore tide in the world, and possibly the most stunning, as it is surrounded by beautiful mountains with snow-capped peaks.

The largest bore tides usually occur around the spring and fall equinox (Sept. 22 this year), when there is a full moon or new moon. These conditions typically create the most extreme tides, which are needed to create large bore tide waves. After extreme minus tides, a large incoming tide will sweep over the mud flats of the inlet, creating large, continuous waves. -https://www.bellsalaska.com/alaska-bore-tide

We headed up north with Elder & Sister Kuerth on Wednesday and had a nice drive as we visited, then went to lunch. They are the missionaries on the military base. It is surprising how much colder it is. I did not dress warm enough. We may have to wait until spring to visit the Matanuska Glacier. It was raining when we passed by on our way to Anchorage. It is about 2.5 hrs. north of here. We have enjoyed our volunteer opportunities since we arrived. 

We went with another senior missionary couple Friday night, Elder & Sister Cox, to help at the Quyana (Thank you) Night for the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention in downtown Anchorage. We watched native dancers from villages perform their cultural dances. It was very interesting. Many put on gloves and the dances seemed to be centered around hunting and fishing. The children were especially cute. My great-grandmother, Anna Maria Chamberlin Fontaine, was born in Wrangell, AK and I am 1/8 Tlingit. My great-great-grandmother, Kitty Kodiak, was born in Howkan, AK. I am named after both of them. It has been fascinating to learn about the Alaskan Natives and our heritage.

We have been busy gearing up for our upcoming temple construction assignment. Our new camera & laptops showed up Friday evening from SLC. We are busy studying drawings, downloading programs, getting permissions, learning programs, and attending Zoom meetings. It is really nice to be involved without the pressure of decision-making or the stress of responsibility. We are like grandparents here. We get to love them and be helpful, without the day-to-day worries. We are looking forward to another busy week. 

The daughters, daughters-in-law, and granddaughters had our favorite things party last night in Utah to celebrate my birthday earlier this month. It was fun to see what they brought to share and for them to sing Happy Birthday to me. I am so grateful for Google Meet. It's like sitting right next to them on the couch and visiting. I appreciate being able to visit virtually with family and read texts & emails from friends. Realized today is my dad's 97th birthday. I hope he is having a wonderful experience in heaven. Families are Forever.

Serving with other missionary couples here has been a choice experience. We all love the Savior and our Heavenly Father and have devoted our lives to walking the Covenant Path. It is still a huge thrill to look out our back windows and see the Angel Moroni. It is even more impressive when it's lit up against the night sky. We love attending the Anchorage Temple and doing family history. We were able to do sealings this week. As usual, the pictures never do it justice. We love you all and pray you are happy and healthy. Keep in touch. #ThinkCelestial

Love always, Sister Badger