Welcome to Girdwood

I am creating this blog to share my Alaska experience with my friends and family. I have recently moved to Girdwood, Alaska from Saranac Lake, New York to become a snowboard instructor at Alyeska Resort. I am currently staying at the Girdwood Alaska Backpacker's Inn (GABI) until I find more perminant housing. GABI is a hostel in affiliation with Hostelling International, a network of accredited hostels around the world. Amy and Branden are excelent hosts in this relatively new addition to Girdwood's Old Town.

Girdwood is devided into the old town site and the new town site. In 1964 there was a major earthquake in Alaska and half of the old town site subsided below sea level. and is still visible at low tide. New Town is about 2.5 miles inland and a little higher in elevation. It lies at the base of Alyeska Mountain and consists of a grocery store, post office, clinic, fire dept., library, and a few resteraunts and shops. The population is roughly 1700 and many are without electricity or plumbing! Food costs are almost twice those of New York, and nobody seems to mind. It is what it is.

Girdwoodians come from all over and form a very tight knit community. Everybody goes out of their way to help each other in a very physically and financially demanding living environment. The community also includes a large pack of very friendly Town Dogs. Many people here own dogs that wander freely around town and many folk carry treats in their pockts. It is amazing how quickly I am learning all of their names.

I am very excited about becoming a more active member of this community and learning from it's members. Already I have met many people who have opened their arms to me. I have attended the openingn of the Babes In The Woods art gallery and looked into the Challenge Alaska program, an adaptive ski program for those with physical and mental handicaps.

Further reports comming soon!

~Mark