Photo courtesy of John Gaedeke
The author and his wife enjoy a view of the Brooks Range
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Photo courtesy of John Gaedeke |
By Philip Peterson II
Special to the Turnagain Times
I got my first sun burn of the season last weekend! I was standing amongst a crowd of locals while a lightly veiled sun cooked our faces as we watched the World Telemark Freestyle Championships, and, oh, what a show. These athletes were skiing lines through a maze of rock gardens that looked more like a mountaineering expedition than a ski competition. After talking to the competitors, it was apparent that for many of them this event was a true adventure. By definition an adventure implies a bold undertaking involving uncertainty and risk. The risk was obvious and I heard a fair bit of “what am I doing here?” type statements that seemed to register a bit of uncertainty in some of the athletes as well. It was truly remarkable to see so many world class skiers in one location, many of who hailed from the Turnagain area.
There was also a contingent of Jr. skiers that ripped up the steeps, picking such dramatic lines that Child Services may be giving their parents a call soon. I would like to give a high five to all the locals that competed and just say, “Wow! You guys are extremely brave, extremely talented, and extremely extreme.”
Coming up April 4-6 we have the North Face Masters competition for our talented snowboarders, and April 10-12 the Alpine Free skiing World Championships make their return to Alaska. So there is more adventure, spectacles, and craziness on the way.
I had my own little adventure this past month, though it was a bit more civilized than a bunch of free healers hucking cliffs. I had been in the mood for a beach vacation with an umbrella drink in hand, and my glowing white body frying in the sun. But, instead of pulling my Speedo out of the closet, I found myself packing for the Arctic.
A couple of plane rides later the skis of our Helio touched down on the snow-packed runway of Iniakuk Lake on the south side of the Brooks Range. We had come to do a bit of back-country skiing and were delighted to find two feet of fresh powder draped over the landscape. The snow had fallen the night before at about fifteen degrees below zero…so it was a touch lighter than the coastal snow we are used to. When you first crawl out of those little planes and get blasted by the arctic cold you quickly realize that you aren’t in Girdwood anymore.
One member of our team owns the Iniakuk Lodge, a small but beautiful lodge located at the north end of the lake, so we wouldn’t have to rough it too much. It certainly wasn’t umbrella drinks in Speedo country, more like insulated mugs and fur lined briefs.
After brushing the new snow from the solar panels we had more power than we could use. With the flick of a switch Bob Marley filled the frozen lodge as we unpacked gear, boiled water for hot toddies, and huddled around the wood stove. It took a couple days for the lodge to heat up to a balmy 50 degrees, but between the white spruce being thrown into the fire and the hot air from my toddy fueled rants it all happened quickly enough.
We spent our days climbing the isolated peaks and then taking turns tracking up the mountains. The powder would spin in mini snow devils behind us, leaving a fine mist of glittering crystals hanging in the air. Upon reaching the bottom each day, we would look back at our lines and were always struck by how foreign they seemed in this remote region. We would then cut some dead standing trees for firewood, and snow-machine back to the lodge for dinner, drinks, and to recap the day’s endeavourers.
Between ski trips, the daily work load of getting water, cutting fire wood, and cooking was just enough to keep us mentally present and prevent our minds from wandering back to the endless list of duties and responsibilities in our regular lives. The cold means you have to be more methodical about everything you do. It is impossible to forget where you are when you’re sitting in the outhouse at forty below zero trying to keep your important parts from freezing.
The highlight of the trip for me was cresting the summit of a mountain just in time to scare a herd of caribou into a frenzied stampede. It was the first time I’ve had my line snaked by a herd of grazers.
Although it wasn’t a beach vacation, we did get our fill of reggae, and grilled fish; I did come back with a bit of the “Alaska Tan” bronzing my upper cheeks all the way down to my chin. We didn’t do any extreme skiing while we were in the Iniakuk area, but we did do some extreme talking about skiing… which is probably more impressive in my case anyway.
To wrap it up I’ll leave you with a melodic memory from former Girdwood resident John Gaedeke, “This snow makes me feel like I’m in one of those old Juicy Fruit commercials… remember, get your skis shined up grab a stick of juicy fruit…”