Sun Screen My Ass!
September 2, 2010
I spent a lot of hours researching the technical aspects of this adventure. Out of all the personal accounts and related websites that listed necessary items to bring along I have to say they ALL included sun screen. After the last three days above 6,000 feet for the better part of 8 hours each day… I’m toast. Really I mean it toast! My forearms and legs are a nice fire burnt red, my neck and face are about the same!
Needless to say I did NOT bring any sun screen, nor did I bring a ball cap.
This burn is about the same as my last trip to Hawaii or better yet my trip to Bonaire, oh this is going to hurt!
I’m in Linthal Switzerland now and I am going to take few days to “cool off” and see about finding some lotion for sun burns and a nice cap to keep the sun off of my face!
Not the best serial killer photo I could take but after ascending and descending 12,000 feet on a cloudless hot day in the Alps, it’s the best you get for now.
D.
“Must Ride” ~ A Close One!
August 23, 2010
Must Ride
it’s 11:00pm, I’m just back to my hotel room after spending almost all day at the airport trying to locate my one and only bag, my expedition pack that has all my gear for the Alps trek. I left Unalaska / Dutch Harbor on time at 8:30pm I had a dog going to the vets, a harbor seal going to the Sealife Center and I had a backpack coming with me to Seattle. At check-in ‘Must Ride’ stickers were placed on my pack because my connecting flight was an international flight.
When we got to Anchorage, I noticed that Blue (the dog) was there, Antigua (the seal) was there and I figured that my pack was checked all the way through to Seattle.
Imagine my surprise, anger, shock, disbelief and pre panic feeling when at 4:40am no bags were left on the baggage carousel and I was left standing there wondering… and wondering.
I went to the baggage help and asked if they knew where it was. They looked it up and said no, it’s not in the system yet. I figured that our turn around in Anchorage was too quick for the bag to get on the other plane.
However not in the system started to make me worry. I spent the morning downtown checking on a few things, hoping that in the few hours my bag would show up on a flight from Anchorage. I went back to the airport to check. Nothing. I got there at 5:00 and started get upset. Changing my flight to Geneva was too costly, buying all new gear was just as costly, and I can’t figure out what is so hard to understand about MUST RIDE.
But come to find out, the bag didn’t even leave Unalaska. Aaaarrrrgh! What happened to Must Ride? the stickers didn’t say Should Ride, Can I ride, Maybe Ride, Dont Ride, they said MUST RIDE!
Well I do have my bag now, my trekking poles were taken out though. I’ll be claiming them when I get back. yep you guessed it too – the must ride stickers are still on the bag.
See you in September.
Via Alpina.. and then some
August 14, 2010
New Alps Route
After reviewing the endless route choices and trail systems in the Alps I became so overwhelmed with options that I would plan to follow the traditional well published Via Alpina route and if alternate routes seemed better, I would just deviate on the fly. So sticking with my original start in Feldkirch Austria, passing through Vaduz and connecting with the start of the Via Alpina in Sargans Switzerland. Following the Via Alpina through to Rochers de Naye and from there altering the route, heading south so that I end up in Saint Gingolph France instead of Montreux Switzerland.
Although not really excited that each day takes me through a town or village, I am happy that it will allow me to carry less since I can resupply daily. It seems most people who hike this route don’t take camping gear (camping in the Alps is frowned upon) but instead make arrangements at each town for lodging. I suppose that is an option but for now, I’m still planning on camping either in the mountains or by making arrangements with local farmers. It’s said that often approaching the farmers and asking to buy food items from them, that they will usually let you camp on the edge of their property. I’ll let you know how that goes…
I will be taking my SPOT again this year, so live satellite tracking will be available for you to follow along. I’ll be posting a new page just before I leave for your to bookmark and to follow along. The only time during the trek I think I might post an update is if I take rest days in a town. Other than that, there wont be any action on the site.
Here are the sections of the route.
- Feldkirch, Austria ~ Vaduz, Liechtenstein
- Vaduz ~ Sargans, Switzerland
- Sargans ~ Weisstannen
- Weisstannen ~ Elm
- Elm ~ Linthal
- Linthal ~ Urner Boden
- Urner Boden ~ Altdorf
- Altdorf ~ Engleberg
- Engleberg ~ Engstlenalp
- Engstlenalp ~ Meiringen
- Meiringen ~ Grindewald
- Grindewalk ~ Laurterbrunnen
- Laurterbrunnen ~ Griesalp
- Griesalp ~ Kandersteg
- Kandersteg ~ Adelboden
- Adelboden ~ Lenk
- Lenk ~ Gstaad
- Gstaad ~ L’etivaz
- L’etivaz ~ Rochers de Naye
- Rochers de Naye ~ Villeneuve
- Villeneuve ~ Saint Gingolph, France
A Change In Adventures
July 22, 2010
An opportunity to trek the Swiss Alps has presented it self and I took it. I was supposed to trek across the island again, then a short seven day trek in the Cascades followed by a week on a beach on the Big Island of Hawaii – BUT the calling of an international trip was too much to resist.
I’m really excited, although short notice in regards to planning and logistics I”ve already got plane, train and bus tickets and the logistics and route are all in place.
Alps Trek
Leaving in late August I’ll be making my way to Geneva Switzerland where after a day or so I travel by train and bus to a little Austrian town called Feldkirch in the foot hills of the Austrian Alps. I’ll follow an old smugglers route up and over into the very small country of Liechtenstein. Descending into the capital of Vaduz. Continuing along the river Rhine, I’ll cross over into Switzerland again near the town of Sargans.
From there I’ll spend the next 18 to 22 days trekking through the Swiss Alps occasionally coming down to resupply and check in with the locals.
I’ve patched together 18 different hiking routes that closely follow the famous Alpine Pass Route, I added the crossing of Liechtenstein in the beginning and in the end I’ll cross over into France calling the trek finished in Saint Gingolph.
With any luck I’ll have a few days to actually rest and relax – maybe by rail to a few other countries that will let me in with just a passport and expedition pack!
Take Pause, Say Thanks
March 29, 2010
The Medics - Ti and Dan @ CP 4 Borealis LeFevre
I returned to the island Sunday afternoon. I got home and immediately took Dakota out to play. I visited a few people around town, settled in on the couch without even unpacking and then fell asleep for nearly 10 hours straight.
I headed back to work this morning with renewed spirit, and a charge of being refreshed.
While getting caught up on things, I received an email from a from a friend that left the island a few years back asking if I had been in Fairbanks lately.. I replied that I had, and then asked how they knew and why they were asking.
The reply was a simple one-liner taking me to this website:
http://titaniumpersonaltraining.blogspot.com/2010/03/word-of-thanks.html
Leaving The Island
March 18, 2010
There is a fantastically scary and wonderfully special feeling when it comes to leaving the island. It’s not that kind of
Bering Sea Ice Pack Edge
feeling like you have been in prison and your finally getting out. It’s more like the feeling you get when you ask someone to marry you in a stadium with forty thousand people watching and the cameras are broadcasting it on national TV. and just before they say yes, they take a few minutes and stare blankly at you. Leaving you to wonder what their answer will be.
You never really know if your going to get out. If Vegas was looking for another event to bet on and keep odds on. I’d suggest leaving Unalaska / Dutch Harbor.
The Tordrillo Mountains
You never know what the weather is going to do. Our airport is a visual only facility. That means no flight instrument landings. The rules are very different for flying out here. If the wind is too strong, or the gusts are too high, or the visibility isn’t enough or an alternate runway is not available and don’t forget if the planes are down for mechanical. Your not getting here and your certainly not leaving.
I was lucky, yeah I say luck because really I am. Getting out, ON TIME, on my scheduled flight was lucky. With the storms we have had over the last two weeks. I woke up, the skies were clear, no wind. Oh yeah. I knew I was getting out.
I’m happy to say I’m in Fairbanks, Alaska. Its a crisp, calming 16 degrees, the skies are blue and clear. All my gear has finally arrived and I’m preparing myself for the event this weekend. Most of you know that I’m here as a volunteer for the White Mountains 100 Ultra Race.
Mt. Hunter & Mt. McKinley (Denali)
The White Mountains 100 is a 100 mile human powered race across the interior of Alaska in the White Mountains about an hour north of Fairbanks. Check out the White Mountains 100 website. There are three disciplines to choose from. You can Run, Ski and Bike. I’m going to take a snowmachine (snowmobile) and all my winter camping gear and hang out along the route keeping track of racers, maintaining the check points, assisting in emergencies and evacuations and photographing the event. Most of all I’ll be enjoying the incredible backcountry of Alaskas wilderness.
Williwaw Point, Unalaska Island
February 10, 2010
Since posting the new header image on the website yesterday I’ve received several emails and comments about the
Williwaw Point, Unalaska Island
image and where it was taken. So I figured it being a slow posting week (except for you American Picker Fans) I’d do a quick post about the picture.
If you have Google Earth (or use Google Maps), then copy & paste these coordinates in to the search box. You can also download the GE .kmz file here
http://www.danslife.net/other/WilliwawPoint.kmz
53.465365,-167.027721
This is location of about where I set the camera up with time lapse to take 10 images, 10 seconds apart as Dakota and I headed NE towards the end of the cove. If EXIF information on the image is correct it was taken the morning of September 5th. 2009
The night before Dakota and I camped a mile and a half SW back along the cove after crossing the day before from our camp in the valley of Kismaliuk Bay. We climbed up and over in to the old Aleut village of Kashega in Kashega Bay. We followed Brennen Lake straight over to the coast. This was a significant part of the trek and a great day. We had crossed from the Bering Sea side of the Island to the Pacific Ocean side.
You can see more images from that trek in the Unalaska Island Trek Gallery.
Smith Rock for Aura
January 3, 2010
When I told Aura my plans for Skiing in Bend, OR. for a holiday break she reminded me of her great times hiking around Sisters and climbing at Smith Rock. I spent a few days in Bend and passed the township of Sisters several times on my way to Hoodoo for self instruction in the sport of snowboarding. (unless your young or in great shape – take some lessons).
Smith Rock
I only got to spend an hour or so at Smith Rock just north of Redmond while waiting to pick up my friend and (snowboard self instructor extraordinaire) Rosie.
Smith Rock is a great place just from the road and trails immediately around the park. I could tell though there were hundreds of places to climb and you walk, hike and maybe even trek around there for quite a while. For sure the next time I find myself there I’ll be spending some time there.
So, for Aura who couldn’t talk enough about Smith Rock, I took some photos.
When I get home I’ll post some images from the trip.
Monte Fitz Roy
November 2, 2009
Monte Fitz Roy ~ Argentina
Well it has taken longer than I thought it would but I have added some images to the Fitz Roy gallery. February of 2007 my friend Lisa and I went to South America to trek around Fitz Roy and Tores del Paine. It was a vacation and birthday trip all in one.
We made our way to the little town of El Chalten where we spent seven days trekking and camping around the mountains and glaciers.
Using the menu bar at the top of the page, you can find more images of the adventure, under adventures.
Poor Pictures
September 13, 2009
I took nearly a thousand pictures during my trip across the island. I have to say I’m not really happy with any of them. None of them stand out or seem exceptional in any way. Of course they all remind me of the different places I’d visited, but none seem well enough to frame, or enlarge or show off.
Here is the gallery with some more photos of the trek.
