nature
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Wild Place to Wild Place
The last day in Alaska arrived with the long drive back to Anchorage waiting for us, but we weren’t about to leave without one more ski. We stopped by the ranger station and ran into Tucker, who years ago had… Continue reading
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Skiing the Big River
While the forest trails were delightful, there was something about skiing up the Susitna River that captured what we love most about Alaska: a vast riverbed winding toward an epic mountain range. Traveling up the river on the foray a… Continue reading
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Skiing Through It
Valentine’s Day has always mattered to Elaine and I. At this point it feels like superstition, but more than that it’s a way of marking time. Doing something together. Something intentional. And if there is a better way to spend… Continue reading
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Greenland Crossing Day 21 – Fire and Light
September 4 – 21 km, camped at 7,169 feet It rained through the morning. Not the dramatic sideways storms of previous days. Just steady soaking rain. The kind nobody loves skiing in, especially twenty-one days into a Greenland Ice Sheet… Continue reading
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Greenland Crossing Day 18 – Sunshine on the Plateau
September 1 – 24 km Happy September 1st. The sun has been a rare commodity lately, and when it finally appeared this morning it lifted the entire icecap with it. The day still began bitter cold, as the summit area… Continue reading
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Greenland Crossing Day 15 – When Systems Fail
August 29. 13 km. Camped early in severe wind. The day began badly and never recovered. A strong east wind hammered the icecap the moment we stepped outside the tents. Snow streamed sideways and visibility collapsed. Early on, my sled… Continue reading
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Greenland Crossing Day 14 – Under Pressure
August 28. 21 km, 274 feet of climbing. Camped at 7,686 feet. The day opened already in motion. Wind pressed at our backs, snow streamed low across the surface, and visibility shifted minute by minute. It wasn’t a sudden change… Continue reading
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Greenland Crossing Day 13 – Into the Light
August 27. 18.7 km, nearly 500 feet of climbing. The day began in white. Not dramatic whiteout, not storm-driven, just the familiar absence of contrast that has come to define travel out here. Elaine and I took the first lead… Continue reading
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Greenland Crossing Day 12 – White Space
August 26. 19.4 km, ~200 feet of climbing. Camped just under 7,000 feet. The day started well enough. We marked Arjen’s birthday in the morning with small cakes pulled from sleds, a brief pause for something sweet and human before… Continue reading
Alta Backcountry 