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“Some
men are not fit to live in the wilderness.
Others are not fit to live in civilization.
For those of us who have lived in both places, we will
never be able to find a home in either again.”
--
Meriwether Lewis |
26
August 2000
Started
the first of longer walks today. Due
to my video production schedule my “workouts” have been limited to
half-day walks with lots of elevation gain and loss.
Today Klondike and I went out one of the many dirt roads near
Colorado Springs with the goal to see how far we could get on a
“flatter” surface. I
also put several weights in my pack to bring it up to 50 pounds.
Of
course, the road I had chosen wasn’t as flat as I had remembered it.
The fact the Springs is at 6,500 feet and this road goes up to
Cripple Creek at 10,000 feet should have been a clue.
After
about an hour, though, the pack and the weight seemed to become one with
my body. Then we saw a sign
at a trailhead telling us that a falls was only 1-3/4 miles up the trail
– of course, “up” is the operative word, here.
And down, and around. Let’s
just say we made it to the falls – almost.
When
I decided to turn around, we were near a nice place for a break and
lunch. I had a rock to lean
against and Klondike had a pool of creek water to stand in and drink
from.
We
took our break. As I
prepared to put my pack back on I noticed Klondike wagging her tail and
staring wistfully at my handful of trial mix I was munching on.
I also noticed she was standing in the pool.
Forgive me, but I decided to see if I could get her to “sit”
while still standing in the water.
I know, it must be a “guy thing.”
I
took one piece of candy out and held it expectantly in front of her nose
and gave the "sit" command – several times.
Nothing happened except more gleeful tail wagging and panting.
I then accidentally (I swear it was an accident) dropped the
candy in about four inches of water.
The look on her face was something akin to, “Now what did ya'
go and do that for, Pal?”
Know
Klondike will stand in a creek and drink from it, but she is not a real
fan of water. So she stared
at the candy, shot me another “what for” look, looked at the candy
again, and me again, then at the sky, then back at the candy.
She tried to gently push the water aside with her paw, then
plunged her nose into the water and retrieved the candy.
With a Husky grin she wagged her tail and said, “That was fun,
let’s do it again!”
I
knelt down in front of her and held another piece in front of her nose
and again tried to get her to sit in the water.
She looked at me, then at the water, and decided that one of the
rocks on the bottom must be a treat.
“And since I am not going to SIT in the water – how stupid
does he think I am – I’ll just go get another treat in the water”
is what I am sure she was thinking as she plunged her nose back in and
poked it from rock to rock. And
I began to wonder when she would come up for air.
When she did she turned to me, looking quite funny with a wet
nose, then “pffffooot!” and I had a face full of Husky nostril
water. Serves me right, eh?
As
we started to head back down the trail, I was reminded that it was 3
p.m. and time for the afternoon shower.
First it sprinkled, then it hailed, then it paused, then it
poured – in BIG WET COLD DROPS. Klondike
seemed to be unsure of what to make of the whole thing as the rain
thundered down around us and splashed mud into her face – I just get
really wet. But what a
wonderful feeling. There
was nowhere to run, no way to get out of it.
We just had to “be” in it, and the feeling was one of
complete freedom.
When
we got back to my truck I took my pack off and decided that since my
fingers were feeling funny I must not have had it adjusted completely
right.
Then
I took my first step in hours without 50 pounds on my back and plunged
onto my nose. Luckily
I’ve got five more weeks to work out these kinks.
In all we did over 6
miles on some really rugged trials and my body feels like a piece of
concrete worked over by Michelangelo.
Later, as I warmed up in the shower, it suddenly hit me:
this was a luxury that wasn’t going to be available anymore in about
five weeks . . . .
31
August
Finished
my shoot for the Pikes Peak Council Boy Scouts video I am producing.
Returned the light kit to Affordabull Video (the owner’s name
is Wendell Bull – clever, huh?).
Now Wendell is a short ex-boxer.
I think he comes up to my shoulder.
But, don’t let that fool you.
As I said, he is also an ex-boxer.
I used
to work for him when I first moved to the Springs about four years ago,
so we have become pretty good friends.
In fact, he has donated his photographic services (yep, you
guessed it, Wendell Bull Photo) to ENA for Klondike’s and my PR
photos.
His
wife, Rita, is about the same height as Wendell, and is a very charming
lady – most of the time -- except for when she thinks I am being crazy
or something.
Wendell
runs his business from a converted garage next to his house, so I was
paying him and making small talk when Rita came around the corner and
decided she wanted to talk about my trip (Rita and I haven’t had much
chance to chat, lately). The
conversation went something like this:
Rita:
So when are you going on your trip?
Me:
I leave in 32 days.
Rita
to Wendell: He’s leaving in 32 days!
Wendell:
I know (busying himself with writing my receipt)
Rita:
And where are you walking from?
Me:
Key West to Point Barrow – America’s southern most point to
America’s northern most point.
Rita:
And how many miles is that?
Me:
About 7,500 miles.
Rita:
Why?
Me:
(Thinking: Here we go again – sigh.)
Rita, you know why.
Rita:
Tell me again.
Me:
Because it will be one incredible adventure.
And we have a really cool website up now, and we have an
award-winning curriculum writer working on the project – so school
kids across the country can follow the journey and see how the people
and terrain change as we head north.
Rita:
I wanna know why you are leaving right in the beginning of winter –
you’ll be walking through snow and storms.
Me:
I have to get into Arctic in the fall, so that is why I am
leaving in October. I need
to get into the Arctic in early November, before it gets dark 24 hours a
day.
Rita:
YOU’RE GONNA WALK TO
ALASKA IN A MONTH AND A HALF?
Me:
About 13 months.
Rita:
13 MONTHS?
Me:
(nodding my head)
Wendell:
(shaking his head and still messing with the receipt)
Rita:
How are you going to cook?
Me:
I have a small Cascade Designs stove that I will cook on.
Rita:
Why I are you doing this?
Wendell:
Just leave him alone, Rita . . .
Rita:
NO!
I wanna know! I wanna know why he wants to go do something so crazy!
Me:
(lauging)
Wendell:
(shaking his head some more) Sheeezzz
. . .
(We
move out of the studio and head for his house.)
Me:
Rita, you know it’s been something I have always wanted to do.
And now it’s grown into something really cool that others might
be able to experience with me.
Rita:
Well, I sure hope you know
what you’re doing, because I think you are insane, young man!
Wendell:
RITA! Now that’s
not very encouraging!
Rita:
Well, I’m telling it like it is!
I think he’s crazy!
Wendell:
Just leave him alone, Rita!
Rita:
I don’t understand why he can’t be like a normal person, ya know;
raise a family, cook outside (she points to the bar-b-que as we pass
it), things like that!
Wendell:
He will be cooking outside
Me:
(Laughing)
Rita:
YEAH! FOR 13 MONTHS!
NEXT
ENTRY
ALSO
READ: How Klondike Was Chosen
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