December 12, 2005

Alaska and Me

I spent my last Sunday (for a while) in Alaska doing two very Alaskan activities. Special thanks to “The Coach’s Daughter” (Give me a better nickname and I’ll use it) and “AJ” for hosting me. I visited them in August when my family was up, to see what raising sled dogs was all about. In August, there were 10 dogs (don’t make me name them, because I can). Yesterday; 16 dogs! I honestly can’t think of another time in my life when I’ve been around 16 dogs like that. It was fascinating. I mentioned I took part in two Alaskan activities, there’s the dog sledding, but also I road a snow machine for the first time. It’s very similar to a Waverunner, but hurts much more to crash…yeah, I can say that from experience. I’ve quietly mocked snow machining (snow mobiles, to those of you in the “other 49”) as long as I’ve been up, mainly for the sideways hat wearing 22 year olds that crowd once-cool bars saying “brap” to each other. But after both riding one on my own and seeing one in practical use, I now understand.

Here’s what I learned:

1. These dogs want to pull sleds. With 16 dogs, the 8 that get left behind yelp and howl like a child left out of a game.
2. Some people and dogs consider 30 degrees (above zero) hot.
3. Abandon your instincts when riding a snow machine. If your instincts tell you to put your feet down while careening towards a grove of trees, you’re gonna regret giving into them. If your instinct would tell you to stay on a snow machine if it breaks through a frozen lake, abandon that instinct and jump away. Luckily I didn’t have to deal with the second. I promise, Mom.
4. 16 dogs make a lot of poop.
5. I can’t run fast enough to catch a dog sled.
6. There are muscles you use to handle sled dogs that may not be used for anything else a human would ever do.

There are pictures on Flickr.

Also make sure you don’t have a sucky holiday…click here. I’m gonna add a link to this on the side bar, so you can keep up with this unique outlook on the world.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is 4:02pm and our first day without MK. Boy it sucks! Have fun friend i will check in on you from time to time.

Myss.C

Anonymous said...

Hey MDK,

Coach's Daughter will do for now as other nicknames I have probably wouldn't make sense to you. Just some follow up items from Sunday:

1. The dogs were indeed born to pull, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
2. You should try jumping from a moving snowmachine to catch a moving sled if you want a real ride---we won't tell your mom if you come back to try that...
3. I hope your tailbone has recovered from the jump we went over, or as it is being referred to as somes as the "icy cliff."
4. Some people would upgrade for the tree crashing package on a snowmachine tour.

I know you understand me a bit better now and why my 8-5 is much different from my 5-8 life.

I miss you terribly. I doesn't feel right to visit your old corner office.

Take care.