Alaska update

I've only been here one full day (Sunday), but it feels like I have done and seen a lot! I looked at the weather forecast and it said it was going to be mostly sunny so I thought this would be a great day to do a short hike. There are mountains right next to Anchorage, so I decided to hike up one called flattop. On the drive up I saw a nice bull moose (I don't have my camera, so these photos are just for effect!). It turned out that the sun never came out, in fact I hiked up into the clouds and never had any good views. But it was awesome anyway. Just a few feet on the trail I spotted a NEW BIRD! It is called a gray-cheeked thrush. Number 532 on my list!

Then I went to the conference and listened to some depressing papers on the effects of global warming on polar bears. Not good news. Then back to my hotel to watch the Denver Broncos beat the Patriots, and finally out to the Brewhouse for a luscious IPA and a salmon BLT. All-in-all a pretty good day!