Focus the Nation
This is a nationwide event that is happening tomorrow Thursday, January 31, 2008. Different organizations and institutions are holding educational presentations promoting change & solutions to increase climate change awareness in the United States. If you would like more information check out the link below:
http://www.focusthenation.org/
Willie and the Denali Education Center were asked to support this message because this expedition supports the message of Focus The Nation by showing that it is possible to live simply and happily out in the heart of true wilderness with simple comforts.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008 - Day10
Toklat temperatures since midnight:
Max, 8 degrees F
Min, 5 F
Temperatures at the Denali Education Center at 11:00 am:
-3 F
Sunrise: 9:45 am
Sunset: 4:26 pm
Total daylight: 6 hours, 42 minutes
Gain: 6 minutes, 39 seconds
This morning Willie went out to the outhouse and there were wolf tracks down the trail to the outhouse. Willie took a look around and their tracks were all around the cabin- "there was tracks everywhere". The wolves must be checking out their new visitor. Willie's day will be spent hauling wood from his wood pile that we dropped the end of September right on the Toklat. Then tonight he will split the wood. The temperature is mild out there right now (9 degrees F) so he is preparing the wood for the next blast of cold. The cabin is about 10x12 it has a 2 burner Coleman lantern, 1 propane light, and an old time small wood stove about 5inches x 5inches x 2 feet. He can cook on it. The wood stove does have a small firebox so he has to stoke the fire about every 2&1/2 to 3 hours to keep it going. It seems to be able to crank the heat in the cabin to about 50 degrees inside. Willie is spending today getting his "systems" down for everyday living out there.
I have an update on the mushers. They left Toklat yesterday and went all the way back to the Sanctuary Cabin. They are not traveling today. They will be staying at the cabin again tonight.
Max, 8 degrees F
Min, 5 F
Temperatures at the Denali Education Center at 11:00 am:
-3 F
Sunrise: 9:45 am
Sunset: 4:26 pm
Total daylight: 6 hours, 42 minutes
Gain: 6 minutes, 39 seconds
This morning Willie went out to the outhouse and there were wolf tracks down the trail to the outhouse. Willie took a look around and their tracks were all around the cabin- "there was tracks everywhere". The wolves must be checking out their new visitor. Willie's day will be spent hauling wood from his wood pile that we dropped the end of September right on the Toklat. Then tonight he will split the wood. The temperature is mild out there right now (9 degrees F) so he is preparing the wood for the next blast of cold. The cabin is about 10x12 it has a 2 burner Coleman lantern, 1 propane light, and an old time small wood stove about 5inches x 5inches x 2 feet. He can cook on it. The wood stove does have a small firebox so he has to stoke the fire about every 2&1/2 to 3 hours to keep it going. It seems to be able to crank the heat in the cabin to about 50 degrees inside. Willie is spending today getting his "systems" down for everyday living out there.
I have an update on the mushers. They left Toklat yesterday and went all the way back to the Sanctuary Cabin. They are not traveling today. They will be staying at the cabin again tonight.
Wolves! - Day 9
Willie is still adjusting to the transition of traveling the 55 miles to Toklat via snowshoe, skis and mushers, and is now starting to settling in. The mushers left Toklat today. They plan on going all the way back to Sanctuary or at least to Igloo by tonight. Now Willie's alone time at Toklat beings. But it seems he's not really alone...He saw 2 wolves today. And he says, "they definitely saw me too".
Monday, January 28, 2008 - Day 8
A change of plans. The campsite has heavy signs of wolf activity.
Willie & the mushers went farther out & north to look for a new campsite that would be free from the wolf activity. But, the whole valley had signs of HEAVY wolf activity.
In Willie's words:
I thought to myself, if I camp there I'm invading their territory. I'm going to be upsetting & altering their behavior, and ultimately it causes a safety risk to the wolves. If they break into my camp and start to get acclimated to humans, that would be a bad thing. I checked out other spots to camp, but that whole valley is very "wolf centric". I came to the conclusion that it just didn't feel right. I have to trust that. At this point I am staying at the Pearson Cabin. {The cabin is just west of the Toklat bridge about 2&1/2 miles from the area Willie was going to set up his camp. (See photo of the cabin in past entry on this blog towards the end of the page)}
Ultimately it was a decision based on 1) my presence is an invasion of their territory 2) that by being there it affects/alters their behavior 3) This is a journey about celebrating Sheldon, and it is also about the respect of the resource.
When I started skiing into the valley Sunday there was a wolf howling. I saw signs everywhere. The places they were bedding down, remains of snowshoe hares. I think this is a great thing as far as observations go & such. But as far as living there, I'd be upsetting their balance- their behavior. This is not a journey just about me. It's respecting the resource and respecting the wolves. I have to be able to adjust to being a visitor here and not to take up residence. I know it is the right decision- it's just hard. It changes things a lot. It changes the entire journey- in some ways. Living in an arctic oven tent is one thing and living in a small rustic cabin is another. You know, it occurred to me- Sheldon moved out and the wolves moved in. I do not want it to be, that when Karidis moved in the wolves moved out.
So here I am at the cabin...
Willie & the mushers went farther out & north to look for a new campsite that would be free from the wolf activity. But, the whole valley had signs of HEAVY wolf activity.
In Willie's words:
I thought to myself, if I camp there I'm invading their territory. I'm going to be upsetting & altering their behavior, and ultimately it causes a safety risk to the wolves. If they break into my camp and start to get acclimated to humans, that would be a bad thing. I checked out other spots to camp, but that whole valley is very "wolf centric". I came to the conclusion that it just didn't feel right. I have to trust that. At this point I am staying at the Pearson Cabin. {The cabin is just west of the Toklat bridge about 2&1/2 miles from the area Willie was going to set up his camp. (See photo of the cabin in past entry on this blog towards the end of the page)}
Ultimately it was a decision based on 1) my presence is an invasion of their territory 2) that by being there it affects/alters their behavior 3) This is a journey about celebrating Sheldon, and it is also about the respect of the resource.
When I started skiing into the valley Sunday there was a wolf howling. I saw signs everywhere. The places they were bedding down, remains of snowshoe hares. I think this is a great thing as far as observations go & such. But as far as living there, I'd be upsetting their balance- their behavior. This is not a journey just about me. It's respecting the resource and respecting the wolves. I have to be able to adjust to being a visitor here and not to take up residence. I know it is the right decision- it's just hard. It changes things a lot. It changes the entire journey- in some ways. Living in an arctic oven tent is one thing and living in a small rustic cabin is another. You know, it occurred to me- Sheldon moved out and the wolves moved in. I do not want it to be, that when Karidis moved in the wolves moved out.
So here I am at the cabin...
Sunday, January 27, 2008 - Day 7
January 29, 2008
Tuesday
Toklat temperatures since midnight:
Max, 17 degrees F
Min, 9 F
Denali Education Center temperatures at 8:30 pm:
0 F
Sunrise: 9:51 am
Sunset: 4:19 pm
Total daylight: 6 hours, 28 minutes
Gain: 6 minutes, 35 seconds
Willie and Sarah stomped out a campsite with snowshoes for the arctic oven tent. The spot was about 2 & 1/2 miles north of the Toklat bridge. Near the site that Charles Sheldon spent the winter of 1907-08. That night Willie couldn't sleep because after much thought (around 3:30 am) he realized he would not be able to camp in this spot....
Tuesday
Toklat temperatures since midnight:
Max, 17 degrees F
Min, 9 F
Denali Education Center temperatures at 8:30 pm:
0 F
Sunrise: 9:51 am
Sunset: 4:19 pm
Total daylight: 6 hours, 28 minutes
Gain: 6 minutes, 35 seconds
Willie and Sarah stomped out a campsite with snowshoes for the arctic oven tent. The spot was about 2 & 1/2 miles north of the Toklat bridge. Near the site that Charles Sheldon spent the winter of 1907-08. That night Willie couldn't sleep because after much thought (around 3:30 am) he realized he would not be able to camp in this spot....
They Made It To The Toklat- Day 6
January 26, 2008
Denali Education Center temperatures at 11:58 pm:
-30 below zero F
I called Bonnie back at about 4:30 pm today. She told me that Willie & the mushers made it to TOKLAT! They got in at 3:07 pm today. It was only -17 below zero there and clear. This is all I know for now. They are at TOKLAT! OH YEAH!!!!!
Denali Education Center temperatures at 11:58 pm:
-30 below zero F
I called Bonnie back at about 4:30 pm today. She told me that Willie & the mushers made it to TOKLAT! They got in at 3:07 pm today. It was only -17 below zero there and clear. This is all I know for now. They are at TOKLAT! OH YEAH!!!!!
On The Way To TOKLAT!- Day 6
January 26, 2008
Saturday- Day 6
Sunrise- 9:57 am
Sunset-4:12pm
Total Day Light- 6 hours, 15 minutes
Gain of daylight- 6 minutes, 30 seconds
I just called Bonnie back and she let me know that they left the East Fork Cabin today around 11:30 am. They are headed to TOKLAT. They should get there today. Bonnie said, "It should be a BEAUTIFUL DAY for mushing."
Saturday- Day 6
Sunrise- 9:57 am
Sunset-4:12pm
Total Day Light- 6 hours, 15 minutes
Gain of daylight- 6 minutes, 30 seconds
I just called Bonnie back and she let me know that they left the East Fork Cabin today around 11:30 am. They are headed to TOKLAT. They should get there today. Bonnie said, "It should be a BEAUTIFUL DAY for mushing."
They Are Over Sable Pass- Day 6
Today is January 26, 2008
Toklat temperatures since midnight:
Max, -18 degrees F
Min, -22 F
Temperature at the Denali Education Center 9:00 am:
-28 below F
When I spoke to Willie on Thursday he told me he would not call during the next few days. That I could find out their progress from the Park Service. The mushers have to check in everyday. I called this morning and Bonnie let me know that they made it up over Sable Pass last night. They are at the East Fork Cabin. I have no other details right now about their plans, or the weather, temps, etc.... out there...but will post it when I do.
Toklat temperatures since midnight:
Max, -18 degrees F
Min, -22 F
Temperature at the Denali Education Center 9:00 am:
-28 below F
When I spoke to Willie on Thursday he told me he would not call during the next few days. That I could find out their progress from the Park Service. The mushers have to check in everyday. I called this morning and Bonnie let me know that they made it up over Sable Pass last night. They are at the East Fork Cabin. I have no other details right now about their plans, or the weather, temps, etc.... out there...but will post it when I do.
The Plan-- Day 5 & 6
Today is January 25, Friday- Day 5
Igloo Cabin, over Sable Pass, to the East Fork Cabin
The Plan is to go up and over Sable Pass today. If all goes well they will get to the East Fork Cabin tonight. If the snow, willows and winds are not good (weather dependant) they will do another night at Igloo-- and it will take 2 days (Saturday night) to get to the East Fork Cabin, over Sable Pass....Willie wants to snowshoe or ski up and over Sable- it's about 8 miles to the East Fork Cabin.
Waiting to hear....
Igloo Cabin, over Sable Pass, to the East Fork Cabin
The Plan is to go up and over Sable Pass today. If all goes well they will get to the East Fork Cabin tonight. If the snow, willows and winds are not good (weather dependant) they will do another night at Igloo-- and it will take 2 days (Saturday night) to get to the East Fork Cabin, over Sable Pass....Willie wants to snowshoe or ski up and over Sable- it's about 8 miles to the East Fork Cabin.
Waiting to hear....
Willie Called Last Night- Day 3&4
Today is January 25, 2008
Toklat temperatures since midnight:
Max, 16 degrees F
Min, 9 F
Temperature at the Denali Education Center at 9:00 am: 3 F
Sorry for the delay in details of what Willie said, but the internet went down in Denali today & I couldn't finish the post. Here is what Willie said in his words:
January 22, Tuesday- Day 2
Savage Cabin to the Sanctuary Cabin
What happened was after we left each other, which was extremely hard & very sad. I started to pull the sled. Not feeling good about the whole decision. About 10 seconds out on the trail a flock of Redpolls surrounded me. Then not 10 feet farther a snowshoe hare came right up at my feet & ran in front of me down the trail. I took this to be a good sign & continued on. I got to the Savage River & it was icy. I got across the river and it was blowing so hard. I got around a little hillside and had to hunker down to get my bearings. For a little while I stayed in that spot, took a break, ate food & drank water. Then I went about 20 feet farther & thought I was walking on solid ice, but it gave through. I sunk into it with the sled & fell through the overflow. Feet & sled (it tipped over) all wet. THAT'S HOW IT STARTED!
I didn't hear from the mushers 'till I had hauled all the way below Primrose-- about 4 miles, 1/2 way to Sanctuary. The mushers showed up and Carmen took my sled & hooked it on and ran it up to Sanctuary. Sarah showed up next and said, Hey, ya want me to take your pack?" So, I snowshoed the rest of the way without the sled & pack. Just before I got to the cabin it was dark out & I heard a Great Horned Owl hooting. I hooted back & then the owl responded back. We hooted at each other for about 10 minutes before I went on to the cabin. I cooked the Jersey Jones recipe of shrimp & pineapple wrapped in bacon. Turns out that Krusty loves everything pineapple! We has a great night. Everyone felt really good.
January 23, Wednesday- Day 3
Sanctuary Cabin to Igloo Cabin
-25 Below F
I left early and skied up & over the ridge that goes from Sanctuary to the Teklanika River. The Tek was REALLY cold and REALLY windy again. Putting on my gear I needed my "skins" (skins go over your skis to stop you from sliding back. The skins will grip so you don't slide.) But they were in the sled with the mushers. So, I learned a lesson: I should have had my gear with me for travelin'... I was out on the Tek when Sarah showed up & said, "Hey, you want to get on." I threw my skis into the sled & got on one of the runners. I was on one side & Sarah was on the other. Not a minute later there was a dog fight that lasted about 2 seconds. But Orca, a really sweet dog was left with a bad gash on the nose & was bleeding, dripping big piles of blood. Sarah let Orca run free, and Orca ran for awhile right next to the sled. Then Orca took off into the woods. We had to track her. We had radio contact & it turns out that Orca was headed back towards Sanctuary. So we had to go ALL the way back to Sanctuary last night & sure enough Orca was back at the cabin. So another night at Sanctuary.
January 24, Thursday- Day 4
Sanctuary Cabin to Igloo-- AGAIN!
-32 Below F
It was -32 below this morning. Heard a lone wolf howling & saw an amazing sunrise. I skied back over the ridge again- a big ski day- to about 2/3rds the way in & Sarah caught up & gave me a ride to the Tek Bridge area. I then walked most of the remaining 3 miles to the Igloo Cabin...
When I spoke to Willie on Thursday night they were all at the Igloo Cabin. He said he is getting "trail hard". The hardest day was the 1st day. The last 2 have been "easy". Everything is going really good. He's feeling really strong. He's feeling really good to be out there and it is AMAZING!
Toklat temperatures since midnight:
Max, 16 degrees F
Min, 9 F
Temperature at the Denali Education Center at 9:00 am: 3 F
Sorry for the delay in details of what Willie said, but the internet went down in Denali today & I couldn't finish the post. Here is what Willie said in his words:
January 22, Tuesday- Day 2
Savage Cabin to the Sanctuary Cabin
What happened was after we left each other, which was extremely hard & very sad. I started to pull the sled. Not feeling good about the whole decision. About 10 seconds out on the trail a flock of Redpolls surrounded me. Then not 10 feet farther a snowshoe hare came right up at my feet & ran in front of me down the trail. I took this to be a good sign & continued on. I got to the Savage River & it was icy. I got across the river and it was blowing so hard. I got around a little hillside and had to hunker down to get my bearings. For a little while I stayed in that spot, took a break, ate food & drank water. Then I went about 20 feet farther & thought I was walking on solid ice, but it gave through. I sunk into it with the sled & fell through the overflow. Feet & sled (it tipped over) all wet. THAT'S HOW IT STARTED!
I didn't hear from the mushers 'till I had hauled all the way below Primrose-- about 4 miles, 1/2 way to Sanctuary. The mushers showed up and Carmen took my sled & hooked it on and ran it up to Sanctuary. Sarah showed up next and said, Hey, ya want me to take your pack?" So, I snowshoed the rest of the way without the sled & pack. Just before I got to the cabin it was dark out & I heard a Great Horned Owl hooting. I hooted back & then the owl responded back. We hooted at each other for about 10 minutes before I went on to the cabin. I cooked the Jersey Jones recipe of shrimp & pineapple wrapped in bacon. Turns out that Krusty loves everything pineapple! We has a great night. Everyone felt really good.
January 23, Wednesday- Day 3
Sanctuary Cabin to Igloo Cabin
-25 Below F
I left early and skied up & over the ridge that goes from Sanctuary to the Teklanika River. The Tek was REALLY cold and REALLY windy again. Putting on my gear I needed my "skins" (skins go over your skis to stop you from sliding back. The skins will grip so you don't slide.) But they were in the sled with the mushers. So, I learned a lesson: I should have had my gear with me for travelin'... I was out on the Tek when Sarah showed up & said, "Hey, you want to get on." I threw my skis into the sled & got on one of the runners. I was on one side & Sarah was on the other. Not a minute later there was a dog fight that lasted about 2 seconds. But Orca, a really sweet dog was left with a bad gash on the nose & was bleeding, dripping big piles of blood. Sarah let Orca run free, and Orca ran for awhile right next to the sled. Then Orca took off into the woods. We had to track her. We had radio contact & it turns out that Orca was headed back towards Sanctuary. So we had to go ALL the way back to Sanctuary last night & sure enough Orca was back at the cabin. So another night at Sanctuary.
January 24, Thursday- Day 4
Sanctuary Cabin to Igloo-- AGAIN!
-32 Below F
It was -32 below this morning. Heard a lone wolf howling & saw an amazing sunrise. I skied back over the ridge again- a big ski day- to about 2/3rds the way in & Sarah caught up & gave me a ride to the Tek Bridge area. I then walked most of the remaining 3 miles to the Igloo Cabin...
When I spoke to Willie on Thursday night they were all at the Igloo Cabin. He said he is getting "trail hard". The hardest day was the 1st day. The last 2 have been "easy". Everything is going really good. He's feeling really strong. He's feeling really good to be out there and it is AMAZING!
The Wilderness of Denali
Today is January 24, 2008
Toklat temperatures since midnight:
Max, 11 degrees F
Min, -15 F
Temperature at the Denali Education Center at 9:00 am: -25 below F
Tonight at 6:oo pm: 9 F
I read the entry for January 22-23 in, The Wilderness of Denali, book last night. I had to laugh at the part that reads: "A heavy wind blowing all the next day swept off much snow from the mountain slopes. I remained at the cabin,..."
A Patch Of Blue Sky For Willie- Day 2
As I got closer to the end of my ski the sky was dark & clouded to the east. But behind me was this patch of blue sky. I thought that was a good sign for Willie as he is out there in that direction-to the west.
Birds & Mushers- Day 2
Two things happened that turned my day around, and got me thinking I'm OKAY. 1st- it was after the most intense beating of the wind, that I noticed the gusts slowing down in frequency. At this point I saw 2 pairs of Chickadee's fly down from a Spruce tree to the ground & then fly off to another tree. I thought they must know something I don't, and from that point forward, the worst wind was behind me. 2nd- was seeing the mushers approach. If the mushers are actually out here-- it can't be that bad! Carmen was 1st, then farther back was Sarah & last was Krusty. They truly were a sight for sore eyes, as my eyes were literally sore from the wind all day.
WIND!- Day2
There are no photos of this next part. But, I wrote an email yesterday to our family & I think it tells the story of what I experienced best. So, I have decided to share that email here.
Hello All!
I thought I'd drop a note to let you know that Willie started his trip as planned on Monday. I decided, last minute, to do the 1st part with him. So, we started off on the Park Road skiing at about noon. A late start, but we headed out together. The skiing was not working well for Willie with pulling the sled, 'cause the snow was "sticky". So he changed to snowshoes and we were off. We had 10 miles to go to get to the Savage Cabin that the park service has out there. We had PERFECT weather! We had a great day snowshoeing & skiing together. I laughed that it takes Willie snowshoeing & pulling a sled behind him, for me to keep up with him skiing. So Monday we were perfectly matched "skiers"! It was a wonderful way for us to part ways like this. If I had to say, "see ya later" from the cabin or the start of the trail-- it would have been tooooooooo hard. But, skiing all day together was wonderful. Plus, I could see him out there.... And, ya know he just fits. He looks like he is in his element & that was good for my heart. The visual of him "out" there like this... Anyway, I have never skied 10 miles before, but I was completely motivated by the power of not wanting to say goodbye. So I made it out to the Savage Cabin! That night it got REALLY windy outside. We were concerned about the conditions of skiing out the next day... but in the morning it seemed to be windy but not that bad.
Tuesday, yesterday--
Now this is the sad part... we had to say "see ya later" and ski away from each other. I cried and the tears froze to my eyes & I thought that's not good. But, I cried anyway... and walked on. I'm walking at this point because the 1st 2 miles the road has no snow. It is a BIG wind blown area (the day before we had to pull the sled over this area together). As I walked on my tears stopped because the wind started up again. It was gusting big time! I have never experienced wind like this before. If it's THIS windy outside I'm NOT out in it. But, I continued on. As the day went & I was farther away from the Savage Cabin I had feelings of actually being SCARED! There were gusts of wind that literally knocked me off my feet. But I thought all I can do is keep moving forward & hunker down when I need to. I was concerned about Willie too because I knew he was facing the same wind as I was. But, I knew that the 3 mushers with their dog teams were heading out to meet up with him. And, sure enough! I passed them on the way. They stopped to check in with me & after I convinced them that I was "totally fine" :) YEAH RIGHT!. They mushed on to meet up with Willie. So, the 3 mushers (Carmen, Sarah & Krusty) will be with Willie for the rest of his trip out to Toklat. This makes me feel relieved. Once he is set up at his camp, they will head out, and his alone time will begin. The great thing about that is that he does not have to travel like he is now... he can do day trips from the camp site, instead of covering 55 miles.
Hello All!
I thought I'd drop a note to let you know that Willie started his trip as planned on Monday. I decided, last minute, to do the 1st part with him. So, we started off on the Park Road skiing at about noon. A late start, but we headed out together. The skiing was not working well for Willie with pulling the sled, 'cause the snow was "sticky". So he changed to snowshoes and we were off. We had 10 miles to go to get to the Savage Cabin that the park service has out there. We had PERFECT weather! We had a great day snowshoeing & skiing together. I laughed that it takes Willie snowshoeing & pulling a sled behind him, for me to keep up with him skiing. So Monday we were perfectly matched "skiers"! It was a wonderful way for us to part ways like this. If I had to say, "see ya later" from the cabin or the start of the trail-- it would have been tooooooooo hard. But, skiing all day together was wonderful. Plus, I could see him out there.... And, ya know he just fits. He looks like he is in his element & that was good for my heart. The visual of him "out" there like this... Anyway, I have never skied 10 miles before, but I was completely motivated by the power of not wanting to say goodbye. So I made it out to the Savage Cabin! That night it got REALLY windy outside. We were concerned about the conditions of skiing out the next day... but in the morning it seemed to be windy but not that bad.
Tuesday, yesterday--
Now this is the sad part... we had to say "see ya later" and ski away from each other. I cried and the tears froze to my eyes & I thought that's not good. But, I cried anyway... and walked on. I'm walking at this point because the 1st 2 miles the road has no snow. It is a BIG wind blown area (the day before we had to pull the sled over this area together). As I walked on my tears stopped because the wind started up again. It was gusting big time! I have never experienced wind like this before. If it's THIS windy outside I'm NOT out in it. But, I continued on. As the day went & I was farther away from the Savage Cabin I had feelings of actually being SCARED! There were gusts of wind that literally knocked me off my feet. But I thought all I can do is keep moving forward & hunker down when I need to. I was concerned about Willie too because I knew he was facing the same wind as I was. But, I knew that the 3 mushers with their dog teams were heading out to meet up with him. And, sure enough! I passed them on the way. They stopped to check in with me & after I convinced them that I was "totally fine" :) YEAH RIGHT!. They mushed on to meet up with Willie. So, the 3 mushers (Carmen, Sarah & Krusty) will be with Willie for the rest of his trip out to Toklat. This makes me feel relieved. Once he is set up at his camp, they will head out, and his alone time will begin. The great thing about that is that he does not have to travel like he is now... he can do day trips from the camp site, instead of covering 55 miles.
DAY 2
January 22, 2008
30 degrees F + WIND CHILL!!!
Day 2
We had a VERY windy night out at the Savage Cabin. We wondered what the conditions would be in the morning. It was a restless night sleep with lots of wind howling around & throwing things at the cabin. We got up & started our instant coffee, had breakfast, melted snow for more drinking water. We packed up & cleaned up our mess at the cabin(cleaned out the woodstove, made it fire ready for the next person--all that is needed is a match & they'll have a fire too). The wind was still constant, but the heavy duty winds seemed to have died down. We thought it was okay to head out. So, we said our goodbye's and each started the other way. I back the 10 miles to the start of the road. Willie on to Sanctuary 7 miles ahead.
SAVAGE CABIN!!!!- Day1
Here we are at the Savage Cabin 10 miles down the road from where we started our day. I cannot believe that I made it! Thus the motivation of not wanting to say goodbye. 
We got into the cabin & the woodstove was all set-up. All we had to do was strike a match & we had fire. We each had one Guinness Beer that I brought along as a surprise. Dinner was cheese & nuts. We had food to cook, but we were both too exhausted to make dinner. That was the best beer, cheese & nuts I've ever had!
We had a cool moment happen out on the road before we reached the cabin. All of a sudden it seemed like someone was shining bright truck lights on us from behind. We knew that was not possible, but that's what it seemed like. When we turned around, the full moon had come out from behind the clouds & filled the night sky with light. Beautiful! Luminous!
We got into the cabin & the woodstove was all set-up. All we had to do was strike a match & we had fire. We each had one Guinness Beer that I brought along as a surprise. Dinner was cheese & nuts. We had food to cook, but we were both too exhausted to make dinner. That was the best beer, cheese & nuts I've ever had!
We had a cool moment happen out on the road before we reached the cabin. All of a sudden it seemed like someone was shining bright truck lights on us from behind. We knew that was not possible, but that's what it seemed like. When we turned around, the full moon had come out from behind the clouds & filled the night sky with light. Beautiful! Luminous!
SURREAL- Day 1
I asked Willie how he was feeling. Not physically, I could see he was hauling alot of "squib". But, I wanted to know what his emotions were. Here is THE DAY that you have visualized for over 22 years, and now it is here & you are in it. How do you feel? He said simply, "Surreal", and continued hauling the sled (all up-hill). I know how I feel, I am VERY proud of him. It is not everyday that you get to live out your dream. He has made this journey happen in his life. He is doing it!
Break Time- Day 1
I laughed and said to Willie, "Hey, I can FINALLY keep up with you skiing." It only takes him hauling a sled, backpack and 
using snowshoes to have us be compatible skiers!
using snowshoes to have us be compatible skiers!Haulin' the Squib- Day 1
Anyone who knows Willie, knows that he uses the word SQUIB for everything & anything. To him it is a word for STUFF. So I thought, this would be a good usage of his word. He is definitely hauling some SQUIB here! (I looked up the word squib and it means: short, witty verbal attack). Who knew
!
!
Skis to Snowshoes- Day 1
Here we are at the start of Willie's 70 day journey and my 10 mile journey. Very quickly we had a problem. It was 35 degrees above zero (which was GREAT for me) and Willie couldn't get the sled going with his skis on-- it was "sticky" snow. So, he had to change to snowshoes right away. After the change of gear, we were off to start the journey together.
Loading the Sled Up- Day 1
This is Willie getting his gear into the sled. The plan for the day is for us to ski to The Savage Cabin
10 miles out. Willie will pull the sled behind him and wear his backpack. The rest of the gear is with the mushers who will leave the next day, Tuesday, January 22. The mushers will then catch-up with Willie & they will all travel together to the next location--which is Sanctuary (about 7 miles from Savage). They will be staying in Park Service Cabins all the way out to the Toklat. Thank you again Park Service!
A fun thing happened getting ready to hit the road. Our friend Todd Shorey surprised us by showing up. Since I had not told anyone about my decision to go with Willie. I told him of my plans to TRY to ski all the way to Savage with Willie
& asked him to be "my person" if I never returned. Thank You Todd! ( I also left a note in our cabin & Jersey Jones did know too, but he's in Fairbanks) Thank you 2 Jerz!!!!
10 miles out. Willie will pull the sled behind him and wear his backpack. The rest of the gear is with the mushers who will leave the next day, Tuesday, January 22. The mushers will then catch-up with Willie & they will all travel together to the next location--which is Sanctuary (about 7 miles from Savage). They will be staying in Park Service Cabins all the way out to the Toklat. Thank you again Park Service!
A fun thing happened getting ready to hit the road. Our friend Todd Shorey surprised us by showing up. Since I had not told anyone about my decision to go with Willie. I told him of my plans to TRY to ski all the way to Savage with Willie
& asked him to be "my person" if I never returned. Thank You Todd! ( I also left a note in our cabin & Jersey Jones did know too, but he's in Fairbanks) Thank you 2 Jerz!!!!
DAY 1
January 21, 2008
35 degrees F
Day 1
The night of January 20, 2007 Willie had an idea. He said, "why don't you grab your -30 below bag & extra warm gear and TRY to ski with me all the way to Savage Cabin". The cabin is the destination of his 1st day. 10 miles out on The Park Road. I have never skied 10 miles at one time before...but, the Green Bay Packers had just lost in the Playoffs, and I wanted to cheer my man up. So, I said, "OKAY". With the intention of (maybe) not really going the whole 10 miles...
We had a late start the next day. We got to the Kennels at about 10:30am. We checked in with the mushers. (Carmen, Krusty & Sarah) Willie got road conditions & exact plans on how the next few days should go. We then went to the start of The Park Road to unload the gear & set the sled up.
35 degrees F
Day 1
The night of January 20, 2007 Willie had an idea. He said, "why don't you grab your -30 below bag & extra warm gear and TRY to ski with me all the way to Savage Cabin". The cabin is the destination of his 1st day. 10 miles out on The Park Road. I have never skied 10 miles at one time before...but, the Green Bay Packers had just lost in the Playoffs, and I wanted to cheer my man up. So, I said, "OKAY". With the intention of (maybe) not really going the whole 10 miles...
We had a late start the next day. We got to the Kennels at about 10:30am. We checked in with the mushers. (Carmen, Krusty & Sarah) Willie got road conditions & exact plans on how the next few days should go. We then went to the start of The Park Road to unload the gear & set the sled up.
Willie is on The Road!
Hi! This is Christine, Willie's wife, writing for him. The plan is for me to keep this blog going while he is out in the wilds of Toklat. He will call me via satellite phone to let me know what is happening out there. And I will share it on the blog. Photos will be intermittent. When the mushers (Carmen, Sarah & Krusty) return from Toklat, they will have some photos of their time traveling out with Willie. He will continue to document his journey and when-- (nothing is scheduled yet) another visitor or drop can happen-- I'll get more photos to share. In the meantime, PLEASE, bare with me. I am nervous about taking over his blog, but said I would. So, here we go.........Back To School
January 18, 2008
Sonya Schmidt is a fantastic teacher at Tri-Valley High School in Healy. Pictured here is her Alaska Studies class. A great bunch of kids, Sonya has incorporated following my trip into their school work. i did a presentation for the class bringing in some of my gear and telling the story of Sheldon. The questions were fast, thoughtful and excellent.
This my friends, is what it is all about.
Healy is a wonderful community located on the Northeast end of Denali National Park. Many of these same kids take part in the Denali Education Center's programs including Denali Discovery Camp and Denali Backcountry Adventures.
i love this photo. Without any prompting these kids show the friendship that living in a closeknit community brings.
This my friends, is what it is all about.
Healy is a wonderful community located on the Northeast end of Denali National Park. Many of these same kids take part in the Denali Education Center's programs including Denali Discovery Camp and Denali Backcountry Adventures.
i love this photo. Without any prompting these kids show the friendship that living in a closeknit community brings.
Packing Up The Gear
January 18, 2008
Time to start the process of packing everything up. i had set up the Arctic Oven here on the Denali Education Center property to make sure all the systems were working properly. So the first thing to do was break down the tent and hang it in the Riverside Office which is functioning as our home for the winter. i was able to hang the fly and tent from the loft which was over the monitor stove allowing it to dry overnight.
The second photo shows the Arctic Oven in the orange bags and my gear sorted from foot to head.
The second photo shows the Arctic Oven in the orange bags and my gear sorted from foot to head.
i will take over a load of gear to the National Park Service Kennels today to drop off so they can weigh and divy up according to weight. Gear weight adds up fast, for instance the axe i am holding weighs 10 lbs and the stove and accessories to the stove almost 50 lbs. The Arctic Oven weighed in at about 40 lbs including all the poles.
i arrived at the Kennels and we started weighing the gear and food i had brought along and it came in at a whopping 173lbs. Karen and Carm had talked before i arrived and thought 120 lbs. of my personal gear would be acceptable because this would be divided by 3 dog teams for a total of 40 lbs per sled. What to do? We immediately pitched my axe as they felt there was one out at Toklat which i could use. i had brought all the meat i was going to need for the entire trip in a cooler. i took out over 1/2 of it knowing that even if i am unable to get a resupply of this meat i still have plenty of food to make it through. We reduced the weight so it was down to about 48 lbs per sled and that worked for the Kennel folks.
The final shot gives a good picture of the SnowWalker sled.
Satellite Phone, Solar Panels, Juice Pack & Batteries
January 18, 2008Communication is important for keeping in touch with my love, Christine.
This is the satellite phone i will use. The brand is an Iridium 9505A made by Motorola. As a Volunteer in the Park the National Park Service has supplied me with the satellite phone so i can check in regularly. i will call Christine at a predetermined time and she will then communicate with the Park Service if need be.
The top photo shows the phone plugged into a charger which has been adapted to receive power from a rechargeable battery. The middle photo shows 2 portable solar panels which will charge the batteries which are then plugged into the phone to charge it.
The bottom photo is of a "Juicebag" a backpack with a built in solar panel. i will use this system to charge the batteries for the video camera.To be honest i am skeptical of the performance of the solar panels during the end of January and through the first 2 weeks of February. i will be carrying a lot of extra charged batteries to hopefully get me through this time.
The SnowWalker
January 17, 2008
Toklat temperatures since midnight:
Max, 28 degrees F
Min, 1 F
Denali Education Center temperature at the Riverside Office at 4pm:
10 F
A sled in a box. It arrived just in time-- today! Willie will use this sled to pull some of his gear as he ski's in The Park.
As Christine said this is my sled of choice for the trip. Last winter i was having dinner at the local wonderful restaurant 229 Parks and friend Mark let me borrow a great book, "Snow Walkers Companion" by Garrett and Alexandra Conover. This book told the story of living, working and embracing outdoor life in winter. One of the sleds they recommend is the SnowWalker which is made by Chris Evavold of Black River Sleds, info@blackriversleds.com .
I asked Chris a few questions to get a better feel for the sleds and how they came to be and how he makes them.
How did you come up with the design? "The inspiration for the design originally came from the Conover's book. I then created a sled with a more traditional design with lines more akin to toboggans from 100 or more years ago. The SnowWalker toboggan has a more traditional hood design to ride up on snow better. It also incorporates copper nails to rivet the crosspieces to the toboggan. Copper nails have a long history as a fastener in boatbuilding and elsewhere."
What is it made out of? "My toboggans are made of HDPE or high density polyethylene. It is a common plastic represented by a #1 on the recycling triangles. Same as bottle plastic. I use 1/4" HDPE with a black pigment for looks and more Ultra Violet light resistance."
How long does it take you to make one sled? "Takes me about 3 or four hours to put a toboggan together. I try to maximize my time though by building at least a couple at a time so I use tools more efficiently."
What is the best way for me to open the webbing up to add the canvas tarp? "Undo the webbing all the way back to where it is anchored, lay your tarp down over the toboggan, lay your duffels in place, wrap up your duffels, zig-zag the webbing back over your load and tighten down."
i have done a lot of hauling over the years. Can't wait to put this to the test.
Toklat temperatures since midnight:
Max, 28 degrees F
Min, 1 F
Denali Education Center temperature at the Riverside Office at 4pm:
10 F
A sled in a box. It arrived just in time-- today! Willie will use this sled to pull some of his gear as he ski's in The Park.
As Christine said this is my sled of choice for the trip. Last winter i was having dinner at the local wonderful restaurant 229 Parks and friend Mark let me borrow a great book, "Snow Walkers Companion" by Garrett and Alexandra Conover. This book told the story of living, working and embracing outdoor life in winter. One of the sleds they recommend is the SnowWalker which is made by Chris Evavold of Black River Sleds, info@blackriversleds.com .
I asked Chris a few questions to get a better feel for the sleds and how they came to be and how he makes them.
How did you come up with the design? "The inspiration for the design originally came from the Conover's book. I then created a sled with a more traditional design with lines more akin to toboggans from 100 or more years ago. The SnowWalker toboggan has a more traditional hood design to ride up on snow better. It also incorporates copper nails to rivet the crosspieces to the toboggan. Copper nails have a long history as a fastener in boatbuilding and elsewhere."
What is it made out of? "My toboggans are made of HDPE or high density polyethylene. It is a common plastic represented by a #1 on the recycling triangles. Same as bottle plastic. I use 1/4" HDPE with a black pigment for looks and more Ultra Violet light resistance."
How long does it take you to make one sled? "Takes me about 3 or four hours to put a toboggan together. I try to maximize my time though by building at least a couple at a time so I use tools more efficiently."
What is the best way for me to open the webbing up to add the canvas tarp? "Undo the webbing all the way back to where it is anchored, lay your tarp down over the toboggan, lay your duffels in place, wrap up your duffels, zig-zag the webbing back over your load and tighten down."
i have done a lot of hauling over the years. Can't wait to put this to the test.
Polarmitten and HD Video Camera
January 17, 2008
One of the intentions of the trip is to take video footage of the sights and sounds of the backcountry. Thanks to my friend Kris Denton i will have the equipment necessary to film in High Definition. The first photo shows the camera in the Polarmitten which is basically a warm coat for the camera. The pouch on the front of my body was custom made by Apocalypse Design to make the video camera accessible whenever i need it. i opened up the front of the Polarmitten so you could see the front of the camera but typically this will be closed tight around the lens.
i have found that whenever you are in the outdoors that if your hope is to write, sketch, take photos or video it is always best to have your mode of expression readily available. The last thing you want is the missed opportunity to take a photo of that wolverine that you've never seen before because your camera was buried in your backpack. Same thing with writing, sketching or video, if your plan is to go out and do any of these activities, make it easy on yourself, make it way fun, you'll be glad you did.
The camera is a Canon XH A1 which is a high definition video camera. High Definition video is basically a system of filming which has a greater number of lines in the vertical display resolution.
The challenge for filming in the backcountry is threefold: cold, moisture and batteries. If it's really cold your camera won't work. The Polarmitten has pockets built in which accommodate hand warmers and then when the mitten is closed it holds the heat in. This photo shows the pockets.
Moisture is a potential killer of electronics. After spending time outside with cameras, satellite phones and batteries it is important to place them in sealed plastic bags before they have a chance to warm up in my Arctic Oven tent. The moisture will form on the plastic bag rather than on the electronics and have a chance to warm up without being filled with moisture.
Batteries drain in cold weather and since i will not have a ready source of power it is critical to have a system to rotate and keep batteries warm. i have interior pockets on most of my coats and plan on keeping the batteries here at the start of each day. i will also keep spare batteries in a sealed plastic bag and have them in my sleeping bag each night.
The camera inside the front pouch, ready to go.
Thank you to Kris Denton for having the faith to make this happen. i will do the best i can each day...
One of the intentions of the trip is to take video footage of the sights and sounds of the backcountry. Thanks to my friend Kris Denton i will have the equipment necessary to film in High Definition. The first photo shows the camera in the Polarmitten which is basically a warm coat for the camera. The pouch on the front of my body was custom made by Apocalypse Design to make the video camera accessible whenever i need it. i opened up the front of the Polarmitten so you could see the front of the camera but typically this will be closed tight around the lens.i have found that whenever you are in the outdoors that if your hope is to write, sketch, take photos or video it is always best to have your mode of expression readily available. The last thing you want is the missed opportunity to take a photo of that wolverine that you've never seen before because your camera was buried in your backpack. Same thing with writing, sketching or video, if your plan is to go out and do any of these activities, make it easy on yourself, make it way fun, you'll be glad you did.
The camera is a Canon XH A1 which is a high definition video camera. High Definition video is basically a system of filming which has a greater number of lines in the vertical display resolution.
The challenge for filming in the backcountry is threefold: cold, moisture and batteries. If it's really cold your camera won't work. The Polarmitten has pockets built in which accommodate hand warmers and then when the mitten is closed it holds the heat in. This photo shows the pockets.Moisture is a potential killer of electronics. After spending time outside with cameras, satellite phones and batteries it is important to place them in sealed plastic bags before they have a chance to warm up in my Arctic Oven tent. The moisture will form on the plastic bag rather than on the electronics and have a chance to warm up without being filled with moisture.
Batteries drain in cold weather and since i will not have a ready source of power it is critical to have a system to rotate and keep batteries warm. i have interior pockets on most of my coats and plan on keeping the batteries here at the start of each day. i will also keep spare batteries in a sealed plastic bag and have them in my sleeping bag each night.
The camera inside the front pouch, ready to go.
Thank you to Kris Denton for having the faith to make this happen. i will do the best i can each day...
Marmot Sleeping Bag
January 17, 2008
Thanks to Rick Brugger, former tour driver in Denali, and forever a Sheldon enthusiast, all the Marmot gear i am taking is courtesy of him. Thanks Rick, you rock.
This is a Marmot prototype COL -30 overstuff Long Sleeping Bag.
i'll usually sleep in my wool long underwear top, bottoms and socks. It's also a good idea to sleep with a nalgene of water so i have thawed water for coffee in the morning. If my mukluk liners are wet in the least i'll stuff those in my bag as well.
Talk about toasty warm...
Thanks to Rick Brugger, former tour driver in Denali, and forever a Sheldon enthusiast, all the Marmot gear i am taking is courtesy of him. Thanks Rick, you rock.This is a Marmot prototype COL -30 overstuff Long Sleeping Bag.
i'll usually sleep in my wool long underwear top, bottoms and socks. It's also a good idea to sleep with a nalgene of water so i have thawed water for coffee in the morning. If my mukluk liners are wet in the least i'll stuff those in my bag as well.
Talk about toasty warm...
Overboots
January 17, 2008
In a much earlier post i had shown a picture of my ski boots and wasn't sure what kind they were. My gear guru Rick thought that they looked like Asolo's. So for now that is what we will call them. i have used these boots for years after a buddy gave them to me. He bought these at a thrift store. He had driven his motorcycle from Argentina to Alaska and then spent the winter in Fairbanks.
It is best to have double boots to keep your feet warm while skiing in extreme temperatures but if you only have single boots like these it is essential to have an Overboot. These were made by the fantastic folks at Apocalypse Design and are meant to be worn with Gaitors
. They have a full velcro attachment on the side which will make taking them on and off easy. i will probably cut off the front blue loop because of the chance for it to catch on something like a hidden branch while skiing. Anytime you can avoid a crash and burn it is probably a good idea to do so, especially if you are alone.
. They have a full velcro attachment on the side which will make taking them on and off easy. i will probably cut off the front blue loop because of the chance for it to catch on something like a hidden branch while skiing. Anytime you can avoid a crash and burn it is probably a good idea to do so, especially if you are alone.i've treated the boots with 6 layers of SnowSeal which is a leather preservative which repels water. i used a whole jar on the 2 boots. To apply, goop the stuff all over the boots and then hold over a flame of some sort, like a gas stove or better yet a campfire. The leather heats up and sucks in the SnowSeal. Repeat the process as you feel necessary. i did this in our Fairbanks cabin over our kitchen stove and while i like the smell Christine and our buddy Les were sitting in the living room with their shirts pulled over their noses, who knew. The other problem with doing it in the kitchen is that while most of the SnowSeal goes into the leather if you goop it too heavy it melts off and drips on the stove. Then you have to smell it each time you light the stove burner until it burns off. If you have a campfire or camp stove probably best to use this method, outside.
Mmmmmm.... Sausage
Willie loves Usinger and Hoffman's Sausage from Milwaukee, Wisconsin-- his home town. He picked these up on our last trip home. They have been divided up into 7 bags of 10 day rations. Thanks so much to Mandy and Sam for shipping them up to us after Willie forgot them in Sam's freezer!
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