Skiing and the Pre-Race Meeting

Eklutna Lake rests high above Cook Inlet in the Chugach Mountains.  Much of Anchorage’s city water drains through here on the way to the faucet.   

 Chauffeur Mattie, requesting that only premium fuel fill her gas tank.

Mattie and Kluane, Mike’s two dogs were wild with excitement.  We were going on an adventure and they knew it.  Trying to keep them quiet on the drive up the mountain was impossible.   Just as they began to settle down, a moose in the road created a panic frenzy.  Suddenly, I found both of them on top of me, fighting for the best view across my lap and out the window.  Mike pushed them to the back seat and Mattie whined a disappointed moan.  She looked up at me in the passenger seat, “Why can’t I go out to play with him?”

Surrounded by some of the highest peaks in the Chugach Mountains, we skied along the shore of the lake.  Obscured by this large white cloud, one couldn’t tell where the mountain ended and the clouds began.  

Not having skied in over two years, I realized “This sure isn’t like riding a bike”.  Matt seemed to agree.  My arms and shoulders protested like rusty gears.  I remembered how to ski, but couldn’t achieve the fluid motions necessary to glide well.  Fresh powder from Monday’s snowfall provided a nice kick to my stride.  Eventually I got the moves down.

Mattie ran between Mike and me.  When I stopped for a photo, she came back to check if I was okay.  Kluane though?  Who knows where that crazy dog went .  Moments later, a snowmobile passed going 45mph across the lake, a small black speck gaining on it.  Kluane.  Holy crap he can run fast.

A brisk wind blew through to the Mat-Su Valley below.  At 30F, it felt perfect.  Just enough to keep me from over-heating.  I started off at a leisurely effort.  Something told me that skiing for the first time in years, all day long, would only result in soreness the next morning.  But I sure don’t plan on spending half of my time here in rest mode, so off we went.

 Mike, Mattie, and Kluane: the best Alaska hosts ever!

“Is this going to be one of those vacations that send you home wrecked for a week afterward?” Matt asked, referring to our last trip in November.  “Only if I do it right!” I replied, not the least bit joking.

We turned back to ski with the wind.  It was so easy!  Part of the trail was wide enough to skate ski.   

 Never any good at it before, the effort was overwhelming and I only lasted a minute at a time.  The dogs soon got tired from all their mini side trips that they rested during our photo and snack stops, slumped over in the snow.  They stuck nearby, tailing Mike as he moved along.  Mike cruised along atop all but an inch of snow.  The dogs sunk up to their bellies, sometimes getting stuck deeply enough that they had to wiggle across the snow to get to a firmer spot.  It was so much fun to watch!

 Nine miles of skiing with little protest from my left arm= awesome. 

The dogs didn’t as much as notice the three moose snuggled in the trees on our drive back to Anchorage.  Yup, it was safe to say we were all tired out.

 Matt and Kluane snuggled in the back seat.

That night, we hit the pre-race meeting.  I enjoyed the race director’s frank and dry sense of humor.  “If you go off the course, dude, you’re probably going to regret it.”  All things are basic common sense, but it is rare that someone is so direct about it.  “Inside your race packet, you won’t find flyers for junk you don’t want to buy; you won’t find flyers for races you don’t want to go to; what you find inside is what you need to know, the important stuff.  READ IT.”  I enjoyed the fact that the race pack contained a reusable shopping bag, a metal water bottle, a race shirt, a luggage tag, and an instruction that I shouldn’t use pee bottles inside at checkpoints.  A lot of the rules are completely ridiculous sounding, but I’m sure they’ve had every one of those things happen and added rules accordingly.  You all should sign up for this race for the fabulous race packet if nothing else.

After the meeting, I got the chance to finally meet a couple fellow bloggers, here for the 100 miler.  Although I’m not as insane as them and had nothing to add to the pre-race gear chats, it was fun to meet Jill and Danni in person.  Danni embodies who I want to be when I grow up.  Completely chill and just into enjoying life, I always enjoy reading about her adventures.  Some posts go something like this: “Yeah, I just went out for a fun run with my friend, just to see if she could do it.  We went 36 miles, no biggie.  Then we ate pizza and had a few beers.”  Sometimes I have trouble finding a balance between being too serious and too lax.  This chick has it all figured out.

Two Dairy Queen days until the race.
((no photo....nom nom nom...you understand why, right?))