Up the trail, finally




Journal entry, January 21, 2008, 34 degrees
Christine and i drive up to the trailhead and start packing the gear into the sled. Who should pull up but Todd Shorey, what a guy! i used to live with Todd for 3 years, my bed was his couch and my closet was a spare bath tub he had in the living room... The sleds loaded, skis are on, i give it a pull, nothing. Again, doesn't move an inch. i pull with all my might, uh oh. i need my snowshoes... i pull out my wax scraper that i use for my skis and take off a layer of ice that formed when i put the warm plastic sled on the relatively warm snow. As soon as the ice layer was off it pulled like a dream, whew...
...it seemed like the Park was ours. Up we traveled and the further we got, the harder it was. Truth be told i thought i was in good shape, a little round, but i had planned that... My guess is that i had about 150 pounds in the sled and another 50 or so in my backpack...

By mile 9 it started getting windy. By mile 10 it was blowing hard but luckily it was at our backs. It still stung though and was whipping through us. Eventually we found a large culvert under the road and we dropped our packs and sled and sought some refuge there for a short break...

Finally the snow patches were gone and the ice on the pavement nonexistent. I could barely pull the sled on my own so Christine helped and that was the only way we could move it forward. Even with the two of us pulling we had a hard time...

That night the wind blew so hard that it kicked the front open and the outside shutters broke free smashed the window frame so hard it was fortunate the glass didn't break. i went outside in the middle of the night and latched everything in tight, immediately blackening the inside of the cabin. Too bad because the moon was full and filled the cloudless night sky...

Sled thoughts, Brett Favre & Christine


Journal entry, January 20, 2008
Time to make final decisions about gear and supplies. i wanted to pack the sled and see how it worked and what it looked like , i'm impressed. It's easy to pack and the load cinches tight. i think it's going to pull pretty easy but until i do it who knows. My assumptions have been wrong so many time before that i should probably assume the opposite.

I'm listening to the Packers on the computer, it doesn't sound good. i so want them to go to the Super Bowl but it's a tough league and different teams peak at different times. Overtime, Pack loses 23-20, their miracle season comes to a close. It would have been great for Favre, but hey, there's always next year.

i knew i was in love with her from the moment i first saw her... i had never met or seem anyone like her before... So now i'm leaving her, what the hell am i thinking? This is the hardest decision of my life.

Some Answers to Questions about the Trip, April 2, 2008

Greetings, i've been asked if i was going to update the blog and now that i am settling into my life again here on the fringe of Denali i am ready to go.

A couple of general answers to questions:

My first meal when i got out was a ham and cheese sandwich. It's funny but i didn't crave any foods while i was away but during my last week i started thinking ham and cheese, ham and cheese, when i arrived home Christine must have read my mind cuz there it was. Later that night after the longest shower of my life (i had what you might describe as a very distinct, wilderness scent) i ate every last crumb of scrumptious fish and chips from 229 Parks Restaurant, amazing food and impeccable service.

Yes i lost weight, i started at 196.5 and came back 176.5. i've already put about 5 lbs back on because everything just seems to taste great and i'm not getting out all day long like i did when i was out, who knew.

Biggest moment? They were all big, i loved each day.

Happy to be home? Ecstatic, it is so good to be back with Christine and to see all my friends.

Happy to be at work? Working for the Denali Education Center is not a job it is an opportunity to educate and help people understand Denali. i work with wonderful people each day and see great potential for making more of a difference than ever before, so yes i am happy.

Would you do it again? Yes, but only if Christine were with me. i got married for a reason.