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This Photo-documentary is copyright by Hugeaux aka Hugo R. Miller with The Library of Congress of The United States Copyright Office. USA

Hugeaux aka Hugo R. Miller is a world traveler and professional artist/photographer living in Florida.

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Hugeaux

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PART #3

2:00pm
Kenai Fjord National Park
Exit Glacier, Alaska
Fall is definiately here in Alaska, everything is almost orange. Well I decided to take a detour on the way back to Anchorage and go hike up Exit Glacier in the Arctic wind, Arctic cold and Arctic rain. What an incredible expedition. I told myself that I was going to totally lose myself on the hike and go very close to the glacier. For those of you who do no know what Exit Glacier (see Internet search engines) is, it is a huge iceburg between the mountains. The color is white and blue. Well, I hiked in the Arctic cold water, over small streams, onto dangerous slippery rocks and wild Arctic winds to get up close to the glacier. What makes this expedition incredible for me is that I packed my umbrella, which is used against the rains in Johannesburg, South Africa, and this made the expedition less wet. I had the skills of balancing an umbrella against the cold rainy Arctic winds in one hand and my camera in the other hand, hiking amongst the rocks. I now do not know how I made it, but I was determine. The fog is covering the tops of the mountains and the white snow is playing an illusion on me, because when the fog lifts, you see this whiteness and you think that the sun is appearing.
The area is suppose to be inhabited by moose and bears, but with this kind of weather they are somewhere safe and dry. I brought a gift from my Florida Native American Ancestry to my Arctic Native Ancestry, which was a piece of sweet cedar from the Florida pine tree and I throw it into the mouth of Exit Glacier. The Ancestors are very happy now. As I write this entry sitting in the pavilion of the Kenai Fjord National Park, I can feel the temperature dropping. When I was getting closer to the glacier, I also felt the temperature dropping. This notepad is getting wet due to the Arctic wind and rain. It still amazes me that I am only a few hundred miles from the Arctic Circle and environment looks like Florida minus the mountains. While hiking to the glacier I saw some trees which look like mulberry trees. I am soak and wet, but I feel the cold, however I am not feeling cold. If the weather would permit I would climb up to the glacier again, I had the opportunity of taking some photographs on the glacier. This is the first ice glacier I have seen up close in all my 50 years on the planet Earth. Well, I must head back to Anchorage which is 3 hours away, but I am hoping I get lost again.....what an incredible expedition, Exit Glacier,Alaska.
PS: I almost slipped off the cliff coming down from the glacier.

DAY #2
3:30pm
Somewhere between Seward and Anchorage, Alaska
The sun has peeped out and the mountains patchwork quilt colors are being revealed dark purple, gray, brown, red, green and yellow hues, oozing with snowfalls.
...STOP THE CAR!!!!! I saw a black bear. At first I thought it was a large black dog, then it occurred to me that it was a black bear.

7:30pm
Anchorage
10 hours traveling, exploring and photographing South Alaska. I can say I am completely tired. The sun finally came out after I saw the black bear. I finally got to see all the beauty of this part of Alaska and it is "BEAUTIFUL". Some areas reminded me of Hawaii, as the mountains extend into the ocean. You could smell the pine everywhere. As my adventure becomes more defined to me, I am learning that to really see and appreciate wonders and beauty, you can not plan it. You just have to go through the rough to see the light. Today was such an example. It started out very rough, but through my determination it began to shine. I noticed that the sky, up at the Arctic Circle, is a light blue, a blue I have never seen before. It almost looks like it is sprinkled with powder for a baby blue color. Well tomorrow starts my adventure in the heart of Anchorage and for those who do not know Anchorage, it is not a town but a city. Good Night and may God Bless.

DAY #3
2:00pm
The 5th Avenues Mall
Downtown Anchorage, Alaska
After returning the rental car, I decided to catch the Achorage Metro bus to downtown Anchorage. I wanted to walk around and photograph the architecture of downtown Anchorage. I first walked over to the Anchorage Visitor Center. I then returned to the Visitors Center after souvenir shopping to ask about the African American Historical Society of Alaska. I was told by the attendant that such a building does not exist, but there is a man from Africa who has a shop in the historical 4th Avenue Historical Mall. So I took the walk down and what a WONDER!!! was waiting there for me.
His name is Mr. Trevor Rennie and he is from Trinidad and he runs a unique cultural shop. Trevor told me the history of most of the African Culture here in Anchorage. The name of his shop is called "One People, One World". He told the different dialects of the Native Alaskans for the word "Dark Skin Man". They are "Yupik", "Tunubuk" and "Dukseevuk". He also mentioned that the African man was here before Mathew Henson (African American Explorer) discovered this region for America. He mentioned that they were sailors on ships up through the Bering Strait. I am thinking of the African Man who lived in Russia, etc. He has been in operation for over 10 years and his shop consists of African, Eskimo, Native, Russian, Indian (India), etc culture. He also told me something which was of major interest. I would think that the major problem with the people and the Arctic environment would be the weather, but it is not, it is the sun. He mentioned that there is a professional illness, when most of the people go through a depression/sadness due to the lack of sun. All life forms, either animal or mineral need sun. during the winter months the sun is so rare, that the people do not get the minerals to nurture their bodies, so their bodies go through a deep depression. He mentioned that most of it is present in the villages in Alaska. He mentioned that basketball is the sport that keeps the people active during this period. He also told me that a 70 year old woman could probably teach me something on the courts. We had a long talk about African Ancestry and of Mr. Mathew Henson (first African to reach the North Pole).
His shop has African tribal masks and Eskimo carvings. I told him he reminded me of a shop similar to his in Prague, Czech Republic called AfroAfrik. As I sit here in the food court of the 5th Avenue Mall, I can not help but notice all the Native Alaskans people. There are many blacks in Anchorage. The people are very friendly. I have run into many great men like Mr. Trevor Rennie on my Journeys, who are a unknown wealth of African history in/out of the way locales of the world. The sun is finally starting to shine and I shall want to get into it. I photographed much in Trevor's shop.

3:15pm
Anchorage
I am writing this entry while sitting on the Cook Inlet of the Anchorage trail, just outside downtown Anchorage. I walked about the city of Anchorage. It is quite a small metropolitan city. A few high rises, but not too high. I had a chance to pick some wild crabapples and rosehip which is everywhere in the city. The Cook Inlet is so peaceful here, especially with the sun warming me up. As I mentioned before, the sky is like a baby powder blue. I have never seen the sky this color. These Arctic skies look so soft and light. The sun is not piercing as in Florida. I took out my binoculars hoping to catch a glimpse of whales or dolphins, but the water looks to shallow for them. I believe I am looking out onto Port of Anchorage, as there are tugboats and cargo trailers stacked on top of each other. I should have picked more crabapples as this would be the perfect time and view to enjoy them. I can finally say I am relaxed. It is so peaceful, that I took off my shoes.