The Alaska Story - Part 1

After much thought I have decided to post the Alaska story. It is long and so will be posted in parts. I don't think that I'll post all the parts right after another, but rather will spread it out over the next several weeks so I can still post other stuff. This version of the story has already gone through many revisions, and I may decide to make more as I post. But I hope you enjoy reading it. I certainly enjoyed writing it. Here goes!


The Beginning

My brother attended a university in the East Bay area of California. One of his roommates for practically the entire time he lived in the East Bay was Dusty. Dusty originally hails from Alaska. He is so proud of his state and jumps at the chance to talk about it or show pictures. He comes from the small town of Cantwell, very close to Denali National Park. Sometime in late 2002 he approached several of his friends about planning a backpacking and kayaking trip to his home state. My husband and I being outdoor enthusiasts needed no persuasion. We were in from the beginning. In addition to Husband and I there were my brother Nate, Nick and Annie, Mary and David and Dusty, of course. He would serve as our guide during the backpacking portion (the only part Husband and I could go for).
It was difficult for all eight of us to meet prior to our departure. A few of us were able to meet and strategize here and there, but it wouldn't be until we arrived in Anchorage that we met our traveling companions. Dusty had "hand-picked" a select group of people whom he thought would both enjoy the trip and possessed the physical and emotional strength necessary for strenuous hiking. The only thing we really knew was that we would be backpacking for three to four days somewhere in Alaska.

The Arrival

Husband and I arrived in Anchorage close to midnight in the beginning of July. The first obvious sign that we were in Alaska was that it was still light at midnight. Dusty, Nate, David and Mary were already settled in to the hotel room we were sharing. After a late meal at the all night diner we got a few hours of sleep before driving to Cantwell. Annie and Nick were meeting us two days later at Dusty's house.
About halfway through our drive we stopped at a "super store" to buy our food and additional supplies. We had already stopped at the REI in Anchorage, but it seems like there's always something you forgot. My first twinge of concern and uncertainty occurred in the super store.
Because Husband and I are avid backpackers, we've learned through lots of trial and error what works and what doesn't. We've also learned what our limits are in regard to the weight of our packs in relation to the difficulty and length of our hike. If we're only going a short distance to basically camp for the weekend, we've been known to pack in ridiculous amounts of liquid refreshment because we can.
In this situation we knew we had limited amounts of space for food because everything for all eight of us had to fit into three bear proof/resistant canisters. Let's just say that some of us knew what that meant and others didn't. The end result is that we walked out of the store with three days worth of vegetables, including Swiss Chard, which were intended to come with us into the wilderness. To say I was confused is an understatement.
At long last we arrived in Cantwell and pulled into the gravel driveway of Dusty's childhood home. His parents own a tourism business and run it out of the house. The sun was still lingering in the late afternoon sky, lighting up the cottonwood puffs dancing through the air. I remember feeling an intense peace and relaxation being so far away from the worries of my real life. We were welcomed into the adorable log home and each found our sleeping quarters. Before dinner we decided to take a stroll around the property.
* * *
Dusty's childhood home is situated very near a river. The gravel road that passes his house leads down to a walking trail along the river. In mid-July the air was heavy with the fragrance of Fireweed, a bright pink, sweet-smelling and beautiful flower. As I walked down the path I tried to take it all in; the smells, the sounds, the absolute serenity that I felt.
Dusty is a two-time Jr. Iditarod champion. He still has two of the dogs from his team, Jazzy and Irma. The dogs accompanied us on our walk, excited to see their long-lost master again. My internal bliss was suddenly interrupted when I heard Dusty yelling at the dogs.
"Dammit Jazzy!!" He then called out to the rest of us, "Porcupine! The dogs got into a porcupine. I've gotta go back."
Dusty started back toward the house and, of course, the rest of us followed. I'd never seen the result of a dog-porcupine encounter and I don't think I'd like to again. It was something out of a horror show. Jazzy's entire mouth and most of her face was unrecognizable. There were quills pointing out from seemingly every orifice including underneath her tongue. Husband and Nate helped Dusty and Sue (Dusty's mom) pull the quills from the dogs for over an hour. Although Jazzy got the worst of it, Irma suffered some minor damage as well. After carefully and thoroughly removing all the quills we resumed our walk to the river. This was our first clue that we should expect the unexpected.
Dusty's parents have lived in Alaska for many years. When Dusty was born, the log home he lived in didn't yet have electricity or indoor plumbing. Gary and Sue have since expanded on their one-room cabin and they added electricity when Dusty was eleven. They've had indoor plumbing for a long time now, but the outhouse is still used with some frequency. The composting toilet inside the house wouldn't handle the capacity of eight people so we all got to have the outhouse experience. Let me just say, if you ever have occasion to use an outhouse do not lock the door from the inside. Apparently you're meant to keep the door open so people know it's occupied. And almost locking yourself inside an outhouse is really no fun, trust me.We barbequed dinner that night and stayed outside talking and drinking until we had to force ourselves to bed. It's so easy to stay awake since it's light for so long. But we had to be up early the next day for our adventure in Denali National Park.