Pedaling for Empowerment

August

2010-08-18T12:25:00.001-07:00

With only days left in this great Alaska adventure it was time to explore somewhere I hadn't yet seen. Being on crutches limits the amount of creativity available in planning. Lisa and I were also in the mood to get out of the Denali area. Living on a lone highway in Alaska can feel a bit isolating at times. We'd heard about a town called Talkeetna 170 miles south that friends had talked of favorably. With no car and the necessary frugality required on a polisher's salary, we decided we would hitchhike. Managing to pack almost everything we would need for a couple days of camping into one pack we were off. I crutched up the hill towards the highway with my pack, Lisa by my side, and sun on our shoulders. What a beautiful day it was.

Our trip began quite well with a game of throwing rocks at a stop sign. With our entertainment and the best weather in weeks we weren't concerned with getting a ride immediately. And even with my crutches as a guilt trip we waited a half hour or so for the first car to stop. We climbed into the back of a very comfortable new rental car being driven by a friendly couple. Things just kept getting better. We started south with the typical introductory conversation. Apparently, they had passed by and decided to turn around to fetch us. After only a moment the conversations were rolling. At times when hitchhiking the driver has little desire to talk, this was not the case with Helen, the wife of the driver Larry. And they were great. To make things even better, they were headed to Talkeetna, to a brewery. Wow, things just couldn't be better.

Larry and Helen were on a trip to Alaska to visit their son who is working at an organic farm in Ethel, Alaska. It sounded like a fun prospect. His accommodations at the farm were primitive with nothing but an open air lodge. Farm workers collected crops and stored them in exchange for food, a place to sleep, and a small stipend. It sounded great to me. Larry and Helen were entertaining making the 170 miles fly by. We arrived in Talkeetna to see a bustling main street. The festive mood made a beer very appealing. We went directly to the brewery where we bought a pitcher of their IPA and sweet potato fries. It was delicious. After some more talk, food, and beer we made our way to the brew house for some samples. Larry and Helen bought us some testers and we were having a great time. When it came time for our company to leave we were sad. They headed south to Anchorage for the night and Lis and I were left in Talkeetna to search for the next adventure.

Talkeetna has a typical Alaskan vibe with planes taking off and landing on the grass runway in town, ATV's with dogs atop, residents with knives on th

eir belts, one woman with a rifle slung over her shoulder, and fiddlers in the park. Lisa and I were quite refreshed. We sat in the park sipping a beer in complete bliss. We talked about how simple life can be, and our possible future adventures. As the day went on we made our way to a bar at the end of town and played bago. We met a few local girls working the bar and made plans to meet up with them later. After a bite and a little more friendly competition, Lis and I walked to the beach on the banks of the river. We stopped to visit horses on the way. The remainder of the day included more of the same, exploring and loving life.

Later on we decided it was time to find a camp spot. We ran into an obstacle we hadn't dealt with all summer, almost darkness. Sounds like a silly thing to be so concerned about but try being in a room with the lights on for more than a month then someone turns them out. Talkeetna lies 170 miles south of Denali so we should have assumed that there was a possibility that it would get dark, but we were not prepared. To add insult to injury I cleverly led us through a thick forest. So with me on my crutches, Lisa and I bush waked through an unfamiliar forest in the first darkness we'd experienced in almost two months. What an adventure. I fell twice when my crutches were snagged on vines and my heavy backpack pulled me over awkwardly. At least Lisa found it funny. We finally made it to the beach with my pants looking green and Lisa more than likely sore from laughing at me. The tent went up quickly because we were exhausted from all of the fun. That night we fell asleep listening to the river and the satisfaction of a great day.

We woke the next morning and packed up camp. Hobbling into town we almost certainly turned some heads. Then again, this is Alaska, it probably takes more than two dirty hitchhikers to turn heads. Sitting in the park we talked more about life. After a couple of hours of this I heard that more of our friends had made it into town. I told them about the slack line set up in the park and they were there in minutes. We spent the remainder of the day and night with great company enjoying the freedom of Talkeetna and the last days in Alaska. I was starting to get a feel for how difficult leaving was going to be. In reality it was even harder than I guessed.

The next week was full of work and fun. I was enjoying the few days I had left with some of the best people I've met. Time quickly wound down and suddenly I found myself saying my goodbyes. They didn't start out easy. My friend Desi, the first I was forced to part with, shed a tear or two and I knew I was in for a sad morning. Before I knew it I was standing at the train station with Lisa for my final farewell. The train was so loud it was hard to have much of a conversation. It was probably a good thing because nothing good could have come from talking in that circumstance. With one loud final goodbye and my best attempt to save face I turned away and boarded. With one final wave goodbye I was already missing it.

Now I find myself back in Denver. At this point my life is completely up in the air. I sit awaiting surgery or whatever cure the doctor will decide upon. Still a week away from my consultation I mull over my options far too many hours a day. I don't know why I have such a huge restlessness. I do have the option of a four month adventure by car through southern Africa starting in January. Lisa is going with her boyfriend and his sister. They've been planning the trip for sometime and it would be a difficult opportunity to pass up. The giant question looming at this point is my finances. With surgery coming, no ability to work for now, a bad job market once I'm healed, and little time to make money, it seems impossible. I will sell my piano and motorcycle. That will get me closer but I suppose I won't know if I'll be able to make the money until further down the road.

The trip to Africa would be an amazing opportunity for Pedaling for Empowerment as well. I am still searching for a more concentrated cause. I feel passionate about the environment and would love to encourage and assist in green projects in some way. I've been exploring permaculture farming as well and I think it has a lot of wisdom that could significantly help poor farmers. However, the more I research the more I feel that almost every problem in developing countries is somehow rooted in a lack of education. I feel if we loaded the car with school supplies while touring we could help students who lack the most fundamental tools to spur education. I would also finally be able to get that first hand experience so that I can see how people in developing countries really live.

Of course this is all speculative at this point in time. If the money isn't there I'll return to my job from last winter in Avon, Colorado. I'll do my best to save money for my eventual bicycle ride to Argentina.

2010-07-19T12:29:00.001-07:00

After a long day at work and overwhelming fatigue, I needed to get out and do something to avoid what otherwise would be guaranteed laziness. I met Lisa at the dining room and she convinced me to hike a mountain called Healy. It was a perfect idea considering that it's around the corner from the village and that I've been dying to climb it. We picked up friends Jon and Pat on the way to make four. The weather was looking beautiful and we were ecstatic.

The hike begins in a forested section with something rare in Alaska, a trail. My entire life I've loved the idea of venturing off into the woods without a trail and nothing but limitless possibilities in front of you. It's an adventurous idea and in Alaska it is commonplace. However, once you experience this it's quite obvious how beneficial a trail really is. It provides a path connecting two points along the most practical route, with another rarity in Alaska, even ground. It is impossible to explain the difficulty of hiking across tundra, one must try it for themselves. In an attempt to enlighten, imagine walking on endless piles of pillows thrown indiscriminately and fastened to the ground, then add plants of various kind trying their best to snag your feet. These are some of the many reasons I was thrilled to finally hike on an actual trail.

After meandering through the woods it began to make its ascent. We were teased from glimpses through the forest of the beautiful views to the south. There was a good deal of humidity in the air which made the panorama stunning with mountains further away fading into the distance. When we made it to the first overlook we were thrilled with what we saw. I was able to pick out a few of the hikes I've done recently. The landscape was very green. We returned to our ascent. Nearing the end of the trail we found a great spot with shelter from the wind. Here we sat watching Pika and a lone Dall Sheep.

After a little more climbing we made it to the end of the trail and began climbing around the ridge line. As we made our way off of a large rock we turned around to see a beautiful rainbow reaching out of the clouds and behind the cliffs. It was stunning. We made the final push to the top of the mountain with our reward being an impressive panorama of the park into Savage River and across to the Alaska Range.

However, on one of my final steps to the top of the mountain my knee popped. I didn't really think much of it initially. I soon came to realize this may be a serious injury when it began to pop with consistency on the descent. On the way down it went from popping every few minutes to every other step. It made the hike home difficult to put it lightly. Once I made it back to bed and rested for a bit and decided to not try walking again for the night and ice.

I woke the next morning and at times wasn't able to bend my knee at all. Stress was beginning to set in. I clearly wasn't making it to work. I headed to a clinic bearing the same name of the the mountain I was injured on, Healy Clinic. The P.A. didn't have any concrete diagnosis, just a referral to see an orthopedic P.A. in Fairbanks 10 days later. It would be a long 10 days.

In the meantime there was a lot to think about. Injuries always seem to come at inopportune times. I suppose there is never really a good time to have an injury, but with my bike trip two months away and my brother coming to visit in only a week it's hard not to think this could be the worst timing possible. Thinking this way can't be productive and I decided this mindset should be avoided if at all possible. After all I have no idea of the severity of the injury. I suppose it is human nature to have a pessimistic reaction. At this point in time I decided it was necessary to take things one day at a time.

The first few days were hard to get through. I was more or less trapped in my room with no way to get around. The first morning I hobbled to the dining room. I was in no shape to be moving and it created a bit of a scene walking by all of my friends in such a condition. It wasn't sympathy that I was looking for, to be honest I can't give any logical reason for leaving my room. The feeling of helplessness was a bit stifling and I think that I was trying to overcome it. It was foolish. My friends talked some sense into me and helped me back to my room where I spent the next two days. Here I did all that I could do, I read and slept. I tried my best not to think about the trip, not to think about my brother catching a flight to visit me in 10 days. I tried not to think of the fact that I just published my website about a 1900 mile bicycle trip I would be embarking on in only two months.

It is in times of hardship that you realize the value of a true friend. In the state of dependence that I found myself in, I discovered the true quality of the people up here. During my stay in my room I was amazed at the compassion that people were showing for me. My meals were being specially prepared by our cooks in the employee dining room. Leah was bringing the food to my door. My HR Manager had driven me to the clinic the day after the injury and had already told me he would take a day off of work to drive me to Fairbanks to see the orthopedic P.A. Visitors were rolling by constantly to see how I was doing. Tim dropped off a knee brace he had from a previous injury. Magazines and books were getting dropped off to keep me busy. When I finally left the room cart drivers were whipping around at my sight to see if I needed a ride. Brian bought crutches for me on a trip to Fairbanks. After all of the care that people were extending my way it was difficult to feel sorry for myself.

With my attitude turned around I started to enjoy myself again. With all of the extra down time I was reading constantly. I often sat icing my leg in the river thinking. I thought about nature, about my next step, about life, about Pedaling for Empowerment. I realized that this trip was never about me, it was about what I can do for others. I can't say that a huge part of my motivation isn't adventure but I believe this injury is giving me the mindset I need. The feeling of helplessness in Alaska makes me want to do something for others so badly. I had time to ponder what it is that I can do. I would love to use the trip as a way to raise money and awareness about Baan Dada, the orphanage in northern Thailand where Gaelen filmed her documentary. On the trip through Latin America I would love to do projects with local farmers to try to discover workable permaculture systems in different ecosystems. Clean up programs on beaches along the way would be a great way to spread awareness of littering. There are so many ideas and so much to do for the world we need to filter them down to what is the most practical for our trip.

Solo Hike up Flat Top

2010-06-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

Being that it was the weekend a group of us decided a hike was in order. After a morning hike turned into an afternoon hike then dissipated all together I decided it was time to make some new plans. I hadn't yet gone out in the area alone and was needing some solo time. Considering that the area never experiences dark this time of year a night solo trek suddenly became the plan of choice. I set off on the train tracks towards the base of Flat Top, a mountain just across the Nenana from the village. I began the ascent and after a good deal of bush wacking and some steep climbing I had made it to the top. This was my second time up the mountain but the views were still breathtaking. I believe the hour was 9 PM or so. A storm was brewing in the sky to the south but the sun was still showing to the north which made the mountains glow in the foreground of the dark sky. Already the trip up was paying off.

I made it my goal to traverse the mountain top and ascend another small peak to the south end of the ridge. It was slow going over the uneven tundra but fun none the less. I found a pond in the middle of the trek across which made for a peaceful moment on its shores. I ascended

quickly with the motivation of the panorama that lie ahead. And it was spectacular. A river system to the west was now in view that cut through the huge shale ridden mountains. The idea of a possible future trip was then in its infancy. Yet another peak came into view to the south and with roughly a month and a half left of light I thought why not? As I made it to the last peak a hole in the clouds illuminated Pyramid Mountain. The view was really something else... Considering the late hour and that I didn't want to worry my friends, at 10 PM I started to head home.

On the way back I started to see lightning in the distance. I became worried because I was very exposed. I started to run across the mountain top to make it back before a possible storm made its way to Flat Top. It never materialized over me but I had made it across in very little time. I decided to break for a bit and enjoy the view. I sat atop within eye shot of the village and with the entire valley in front of me. What a great trip. I descended flat top very quickly. The walk back home along the railroad tracks was peaceful with the sky still illuminated and a great hike behind me. As I made my way into the parking lot at midnight a shuttle for the Panorama Bar was headed out. I had friends climbing in convincing me to join so I ran back, dropped my pack and I was off again. The bar was fun as always. Full of the type of people that are attracted to remote Alaska it makes for an interesting time. My new friend Tommy was at the bar and we began discussing future plans. I mentioned to him the Pedaling for Empowerment plan and he seemed into the idea. He mentioned that when I go he would love to join me. Another potential great rider to join the expedition. Upon returning to the village, Tommy and I decided to celebrate the new idea by a little swim in the Nenana. We floated down the river that just over a month ago was full of ice chunks. What a place Alaska is.

2010-06-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

Today I can happily say that the website is up and running. My cousin Dana did a terrific job I couldn't be more excited. Now that the site is online I can really start searching for sponsorships as well as organize the ride. I need to include a map of the route as well. I've been working on setting up speaking venues for the Pedaling for Empowerment & Peace Pedalers tour down the west coast. It has been a bit more work than I originally expected. Working with a non-profit budget makes things rather challenging.

I've been keeping busy having fun in Alaska in the meantime. Work has been busy but I've been able to squeeze in a couple adventures. It all started on the summer solstice where a sleepless night is a tradition. Work starts at 5:00 AM so this wasn't very appealing at the time. However, after a couple of drinks staying up suddenly became a great idea. Along with Lawrence and my South African friend Lisa we sat at a bar with an amazing view and watched the arctic glow. Nights without darkness pass quickly and the solstice was no exception. After leaving our perch on the mountainside we made our way back to the village and joined a larger group of friends having a fire on the beach. After some time here I decided I would cheat and get an hour or so of shut eye. I had to sneak away because everyone was trying hard to convince me to stay. After my escape I made my way to my bed for a short rest. The next day at work was interesting to say the least. It was ok though because I had a great excuse and everyone was in the same boat.

A couple days later it was time to bring my bike out after a week or so without any attention. It is difficult to find a new place to ride when you live in a remote area with one road. I've been south, I've been north. I've been all through the park but never on my bike so I headed up to the entrance to get a perspective other than one from the bus. It was a

crew of two that included Leah and I. We made our way up the 2000+ foot gain in the first 6 miles or so and after that it was cruisin all the way to Savage River. The ride was beautiful to put it lightly. After a brief break at Savage we headed back out. On the way in I had spotted a Caribou sleeping in a riverbed from a distance. It was still there on the return trip so I decided I wanted another look. I made my way on foot to a closer spot for a photo. He had likely heard my approach and once we were in view of one another he was standing. I captured a few photos and made my way back to my bicycle. The remainder of the ride was relatively easy being mostly downhill. It was nice to pull into the village after the 30+ miles of riding. Not a bad distance to squeeze in after a full day at work. I'm really hoping to start riding longer distances more frequently. It's going to become necessary soon considering a ride from Vancouver to San Diego is only two and a half months away.

Journal from Alaska May 29 - June 20

2010-06-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

May 29, 2010

Last night my plane landed in Anchorage, Alaska at 10 PM. The sun was still in the sky. What jumped out at me the most was how green everything is. It's simply

stunning to see how thick the forests are and it makes me wonder if the lower 48 at one point in time were this pristine. Picturesque has an entirely new meaning to me.

Too exhausted to truly appreciate the Alaskan landscape I made my way to a hostel called Backpacker's Inn to bunk up for the night. The hostel was great and I lucked out in getting my own room. After organizing my things it was still bright as day outside. By 1130 the sun was starting to set, although the dark never settled in.

The preparations for Pedaling for Empowerment will have to take a brief hiatus while I enjoy Alaska for a few days. I've heard from my cousin Dana that the website is well on its way and I'm hoping we will be able to put it up by the end of the weekend.t. I figured I would read while waiting for the sun to set completely but by 1230 darkness had still not taken over. Deciding I needed the sleep I tried my best to crash despite the light but it was difficult. This is something I will have to get used to.

I've been working hard to get into shape recently. It was quite the process bringing a bicycle up here but without a doubt it will pay off when I'm able to put it together and tour around Denali.

May 30 - June 2

Have not been as good about updating the journal in the last few days but busy would be an understatement in explaining these first days. I arrived to Mckinley Village and was immediately greeted by all the awesome people that live and work here. After unpacking my things i was reluctantly convinced to make my was to Panorama Pizza for the first open weekend night. Panorama Pizza may sound like a pizza joint but this cabin located in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness comes alive in the midnight sun. It seemed like everyone from the general vicinity (which up here includes a pretty vast area) had come to see the first real party night. I wasn't quite in the mood to party because I was so excited to get up early and explore but the endless light and awesome people kept me out to around 1 AM. Still light… this is going to take a while to get used to.

The next morning with my bike assembled I made my way to the park road. I pedaled until I ached and still wanted to charge on because around every corner was something new and beautiful. It is interesting riding around here because you constantly have to be careful of wildlife. Moose (which I see daily or at times hourly) will charge anything that moves and bears and wolves are rampant. I've never yelled while riding to warn anything ahead.

After being awe struck by the most pristine wilderness I've ever seen, I made it back to turn around and leave. We headed to the house of Jeff King, a 4 time Iditarod champion. His house is located on a lake with the Alaskan Range in the distance. Not a bad setup. We were able to meet a new liter of puppies who will possibly be the future of dog racing. Then we saw the yard full of doghouses as well as some of their training methods. It was truly a great experience and the King family is a truly awesome Alaskan family.

The next day I started work which I won't bore anyone with the details of waiting tables. However that afternoon I was able to catch a flight in a small prop plane over Mount Denali. What an experience. The weather was overcast and I was concerned with whether or not we would be able to see anything. It is safe to say I was shocked when we ascended through the clouds to see the top 3000 feet or so of great Mount Denali. Not only was the the largest mountain I've ever seen, it is one of the most impressive features of our world I've ever laid my eyes on. I was speechless for a solid 5 minutes while we rounded the peak to see it from several angles.

June 3 - June 6

The first couple days of this journal entry were completely dominated by work. I was able to learn a lot and make a few bucks but didn't have a ton of time for much else. I was able however to squeeze in a hike to Triple Lakes and a little bike ride south.

The real fun didn't start until Saturday morning when it was finally time to make my way up Park Road. With my friend Leah, we headed to Savage River which is where the paved section of Park Road ends 13 miles into Denali National Park. Here we took off along the Savage River headed north. We were given instructions to head a vague distance along a social trail until we found a ridge and headed up Mt Margarete which was to the west. We hiked for sometime and after not seeing a spot that matched the park ranger's description decided it was time to head up the mountain. We were immediately bush waking through areas that are arguable impassable. Deterred by the sliding shale rock, slippery moss, mosquitos, and thick bush we figured a new attempt from a different spot would be smart. We hiked back to an earlier section of the trail after having a nice snack on the river between massive boulders.

Finally we were headed up Mt Margarete from a section that looked passable. The hike was strenuous and beautiful. As we struggled our way near the top we noticed horns on a ridge line to our left and very soon after a Dall Sheep ram appeared. It was stunningly beautiful. However, it is possible he felt threatened by our presence because he began to approach us. We decided this was his space and before making it to the top headed back down the mountain.

The bus back was very relaxing and I was lucky enough to spot a Lynx on the ride. This was very lucky considering the fact that even the seasoned bus driver had not yet spotted one this season. The animal was beautiful and just as I imagined it would be. I was feeling very lucky.

The next day though Leah unfortunately had work I was able to head out with Lawrence to the same spot. On the way out to Savage I had my first long distance view of Mt Denali. It was 80 miles in the distance yet stood taller than the mountains 10 miles away.

This time around we planned on heading up the other side of the mountain where the passage to the top is much easier. However we were forced to take an alternate route when we arrived because of a grizzly bear. As we arrived in the parking lot we were greeted by what we thought was a male because of the lack of cubs during the rearing season. He lumbered by the bus so we were able to see him from an extremely close distance, probably no more than 10 feet! As he headed in the direction we were planning on taking I realized the strenuous hike from the day before was probably what we would be forced to do.

We made our way down the trail and started heading up the mountain. It was without incidence for the most part. We did see Dall Sheep on the way up and the ridge line near the top was steep and exciting because of the drops on either side. We made it to the top of Mt Margarete in roughly two hours. The view from the top was beautiful but clouds had set in to cover Denali.

On the way down we were forced into thick brush again. This was the general area we had seen the grizzly bear head so we were very vocal on our way down to warn any possible neighbors. As we were deliberating which t

rail to take we hear a roar from no more than 40 meters away. That made up our minds as to which direction to head. We went away from the roar into the thickest bushes in any direction and we made it through very quickly. After climbing across the mountain through thick bush we made it onto a ridge what gave us a vantage point to find the best way down. We never saw the bear but found a great way down.

We made it to the road and as we crossed the Savage River we caught a glimpse of caribou traveling upriver. What a day!

So in my first two days in the park I was able to see Lynx, Caribou, Dall Sheep, Grizzly, Moose, Marmot, and other smaller critters. Not too bad, I can't wait to go deeper into the park.

June 7 - June 12

This was a week that truly flew by. I was consumed by work for the most part. Thankfully I was able to fit a long bike ride south towards Cantwell and had great weather for the trip. I did a fair amount of reading this week which was good but I really need to start contacting people about venues for the Peace Pedalers speeches. Honestly there is just so much to see around here and work consumes so much energy that when I have a minute it is hard to pick up the phone and start dialing people. The highlight of this week didn't even start until

the weekend which started thursday night. After a 12 hour day at work it was time for a couple beers. I sat with Lawrence on the deck of the restaurant with a couple Alaskan Ambers in hand. It was very relaxing but exhausted and buzzed was not the perfect state to pack up for the backpacking trip the following day. It worked out but I need better planning next time.

June 11

I woke early and grabbed breakfast at the restaurant. We headed out to catch an early bus to the Wilderness Access Center. We promptly caught one of the first camper buses headed into the park. Similar to other bus drivers I've met driving through the park our bus driver Thomas was a fascinating guy. He climbed out of the bus to help us throw our bags in the back and the first thing we noticed was his awesome beard. Guys with great beards are almost always rugged and Thomas is no exception. He talked to us about how he ended up in Alaska for the summers after growing up in Santa Cruz, California. He fell in love with Alaska a decade and a half ago after visiting with his grandfather. He's been driving buses here for almost as long. He spoke with us about the many long distance backpacking trips he has done in the past. He also told us about his bicycle trip down the west coast. We seem to have a lot in common. Leah mentioned that she is interested in the flowers of Denali and the plethora of floral knowledge that Thomas has began to roll of his tongue. Leah could describe a flower and he was able to give us the casual name. It was very impressive. At Polycrome overlook he realized his bus had a leak and flagged down another bus for us. I hope that this is not the last time that I see Thomas.

We took the second bus with a crowd of intrigued tourists then were dropped off a mile or so west of the overlook. We took off and found a pond which fed a tributary of the East Fork of the Toklat River. We followed the tributary for a few miles. Along the trip we found a moose rack and spent a lot of time walking over ice up to 5 feet thick. The lower portion of the tributary was ugly. It was covered in ash from a fire, it smelled of rotting flesh, and was full of dead brush. We surveyed the map and determined if we hiked a small mountain to our right we would end up on the East Fork and hopefully in a prettier spot. As we reached the top and were able to look down we were relieved by the beauty we saw. Finding a camp spot was our immediate goal. This proved very difficult because of the swampy marshy landscape that bordered the river bed of the East Fork. We eventually found a spot that looked sufficient although later on it pooled up to provide a very wet wake up call in the morning. After we set up camp a nap was in order. I slept with the rain falling onto the tent and could have continued to do so if it weren't for Leah giving me a guilt trip. Thankfully she did because the sun finally came out to give us a hiking window. We made our way downriver without our packs for an hour or so until we reached a bend and were able to see a completely new view of the landscape below. It was breathtaking. The sun was shining through the clouds to illuminate the taiga forest that was simply stunning. After a day of rain and hiking this was truly and awesome moment. We made our way back to camp and cooked dinner on the 200 yard wide river bed. What a great day.

The morning of the 12th we were woken up to a pool of water in our tent. We mustered enough energy to pack up and cooked breakfast in 100 percent humidity. The Park Road was only a couple miles upstream so it didn't take us long to make our way there. The last 20 yards was the hardest section of the trip. We had to negotiate a wet cliffside with our heavy packs. This was necessary in order to avoid a river crossing. The cliff wasn't overly dangerous but it did make for an interesting moment looking 20 feet down to a rushing East Fork. It would have been an uncomfortable ride home to say the very least if we had fallen in. The bus ride flew by because our driver seemed to be in a hurry. We made our way back to the Village in time to do laundry and grab some dinner. My monday is tomorrow, here we go again...

June 13 - June 20

I won't discuss the majority of the week and just say that I spent a good deal of time trying to get over a cold and working all too much. I did have the opportunity to make my way into the park at my week's end. Friday morning I caught the early bus into the park and was dropped at the Polycrome overlook. We were dropped only a mile from the prev

ious week's starting point but this time around were headed south. It was a completely different kind of hiking. The last trip was spent shuffling though the bush with very little long distance visibility. Taking off from the overlook we were able to see our general destination before taking the first step. It was 5 or 6 miles across the tundra on the base of the Alaska Range. We set off by downclimbing the overlook which had its exciting moments. When we reached the river bed it was simply a jump across the tributary of the East Fork. This was due to the colder weather that had reduced the melting in the highcountry. We

started across the tundra towards the mountains. It was decided that walking the riverbed would be far easier than navigating the uneven spongy tundra so we started descending. As we approached the riverbed Louis warned us to look up. No more than 100 meters ahead was a large sow grizzly and her half grown cub. It was an exhilarating moment. It was the biggest bear I had ever seen. We turned away slowly and made our way into a drainage and starting hiking away. We gradually began to make more and more noise so that if it did see us it wouldn't be startled. I caught a few more glimpses before we hiked out of sight. She was quite the animal.

After the adrenaline subsided we took a break and admired the view. It was an absolutely breathtaking view The colors of the mountains were vibrant with the bit of sunlight peaking through the clouds. After the break we continued on towards the canyon with the wind beating our faces. The hill was only slightly ascending but the tundra combined with the wind made the hike quite challenging. We crossed one more small drainage and dropped a hillside to finally drop out of view of the road after 5 or 6 miles. We set up the tents immediately and took a nap. After sleeping a few earned hours we took off into the canyon in search of the glacier at the end. On the way we saw two Caribou in the riverbed. It was quite the sight.

We turned the corner with a waterfall on the eastern wall of the canyon and straight ahead we had our first glimpse of the glacier. It had a significant amount of rock debris so it was clear at this point we wouldn't be able to see any blue glacial ice. Still a beautiful view and well worth the trip we didn't find the point in continuing on considering the late hour. It was reaching 9 pm and we were hungry. We made our way back with the sun moving its way around the horizon. We made it back to the tundra covered in flowers and set up our stove for some dehydrated pad thai. As we were wrapping up dinner our friend Jake was spotted in the distance walking our way. We had planed up meeting at this predetermined spot and sure enough he had made it the entire trip on his own. We were all very impressed.

That night my cold began to return in the form of shivers and coughing. I made it through the night fine but when I awoke I was ready to make my way home. Louis and I left camp and Kelly and Jake stayed behind. They would meet us back at the Village late that afternoon. On our way out Louis and I saw the same two grizzly in the same general area. We took a large detour to avoid the bears. We made our way across our last river crossing and up to the Polycrome bridge where we would wait for the bus. While waiting we were able to watch two golden eagles flying along the mountain ridge and perching on boulders.

On the way out I met a very interesting guy named Keith from Georgia. Keith is a facilities manager at a university as a profession but a mountaineer and adventurer at heart. We had a great discussion on the long ride out of the park. The people you meet up here are great. Weekend over and the week ahead. I'd say my time off was well spent.