 Expedition JournalPeter Nestor's account, July 18-23Thursday, July 18, 1996 Day 1--NOLS Farm, Palmer, Alaska
For my first full day here, I would be satisfied if I left tomorrow; however, this day has given me the spark of adventure, the yearn for the wilderness, and the reminder of the importance of teamwork, solidarity, and friendship that contribute to a successful adventure. I am tired right now, and for good reason. We escaped the night very early this morning, only to be awaken by the fantastic smells of breakfast. After introductions were made, Deb (our main guide from NOLS) went over all our equipment--by afternoon she had almost everything we were missing. Very impressive. After lunch, we worked with Cree Howell in the rations room. The system of packing food seems to be very efficient and plentiful. I have been quite impressed with the NOLS instructors and staff. As of now, I can say that they are making this adventure more than a trip. They are making it an experience. I would be honored to return to this place at a later date. I am more than excited. I am ecstatic! The more I see, the more I do, the more I know, the more I learn, the more I anticipate our trek. Right now I have many expectations--one of them being that what I experience will be more than I ever expected! Most of all, thought, I feel privileged. But I also feel like I belong here, like this place has been waiting for me.
Saturday, July 20 "The Brooks Range is God's country." -Anonymous When I heard this quote a shot of adrenaline raced throughout my spine. Although I tend not to be too religious and spiritual about these types of adventures, everything I have heard and have read concerning the Brooks Range seems to be summed up nicely in this quote. And this only peaks my excitement and need to explore this extremely pristine and raw wilderness. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to return to the water today. Most of this beautiful and rainless day was spent sorting out and organizing our vast array of equipment. We also discussed first aid and how to handle an emergency situation. The first aid kits that we will be using are simple for things like cuts and breaks, yet quite extensive when dealing with medicine. An interesting kit, and one that I have a great deal of faith in. Deb also went through a "packing the backpack" class. In general, the day was not so much fun as it was informational, which was what this group needed. Every day not only provides me with more feelings of excitement and anxiousness, but also more and more confidence in the group. I am still generally very happy with this elite conglomeration of people. Our communication and teamwork skills seem to be growing stronger as more challenges present themselves before us. Religion has always been a challenge to me, but I feel that if God will lend us his country, I am with the right group of people to overcome this challenge--and, of course, have a lot of fun doing it.
Sunday, July 21, 1996 Although the seven hour bus ride from Palmer to Fairbanks was generally pretty fun (dancing in the seats, joking around, eating other people's gum) the one aspect that I will remember form the bus ride is Don, our bus driver. He is one of the most caring, thoughtful, and responsible people I have met. Though his job may seem quite simple in comparison to other jobs and NOLS, he considers it very important, therefore he does his job very well. He also is quite a character. After telling us that his four food groups were "chicken, beef, pork, and fish," he was asked the question, "Where would your three-pound bag of M&M's fit in?" He quickly replied, "pork." I did not stop laughing for quite a while and it was then that I noted that although he may not be famous, have a lot of money, or a job that many people envy, he has character. To me, that is more important than any of the other things above. After we pulled into Fairbanks and checked out the Fred Meyer store we all ate some dinner at this apartment that NOLS rents out for expeditions going into the Brooks Range. We discussed some different things, about logistics, about ourselves, and about our goals. However, the main conversation that night was concerning the most important decision we will have to make as a group. Gates of the Arctic only allows hiking groups of a maximum of seven people. We have a party of nine. The decision was made on Friday night that we should split the six of us kids into two separate groups. The deed, which turned more nasty than productive as the conversation progressed, fell upon our shoulders this Sunday evening. Like all of our backpacks, all of our gear, and all of the weight of the world crashing down at once. The easiest way to decide would have been to simply draw names out of a hat. But to me, that was like playing Russian roulette with people as the bullets. I thought certain group dynamics and comfortableness around certain people needed to figure into the decision. Other people thought that the five days we are going to be separated should be spent getting to know other members of the group we didn't know as well. These conflicting ideas continued to divide the group even more until midnight. It was obvious that the group I proposed was not going to work. We all went to bed in mixed moods, but one thing is for sure: it was a necessary conversation that needed to happen. Hopefully it was successful.
Monday, July 22
The plane ride was really, really, really, entertaining. I love flying in little bush planes to begin with, but the lady sitting next to me made it like watching a stand-up comic on fire. The best comparison that I can think of to describe this delightful person is Sophia from the show "Golden Girls."
She had a very dry sense of humor and never laughed at her own jokes. She gave me a very interesting and somewhat unexpected taste of what life in Bettles was like. Some of her observations: Words cannot describe the tone and cynicism in her voice, yet the love of her home that she projected through her words. She was an extraordinary character on this trip--one I will never forget. This town of Bettles is like Sicily from the television show "Northern Exposure". Only much, much, much smaller with roughly 20 to 30 year-round residents and 50 in the summer. When we arrived, the population went up 5 percent! The town is really out there. Nothing is around. After talking to the woman on the plane, and some less entertaining, but very informational guys that run the power house in town, we've found that there are some very deep-rooted tensions between the local tribes and the white people. The town revolves around the air strip, and the white people control the air strip. The natives believe that it is their town because of the history and heritage of the area. However, the town keeps plugging along and life probably hasn't changed too much since this place sprung up during W.W.II. The locals are generally nice and seem to care about their town. I guess when it all plays out in the end, that is all that really matters. Bettles, Alaska is a place I may never return to, but it is a place I will never forget. In general, the town seems to project a way of life that many towns, communities, and cities should learn to respect.
Tuesday, July 23
"The Brooks Range is God's country." All right, I now know exactly what this means--but I still can't really explain what it is. This place is very strange. Very strange. The ground is like walking on a waterbed with many bumps and strange forms. I am in awe of the vastness and openness, and bareness that the land projects. This leads to misconstrued depth perception for what looks like 100 feet is actually about two miles. The barren landscape and the massive mountains overpower me and make me feel insignificant--very small and unnecessary. I guess I don't really mind that feeling. It is just very strange when it is coming from the wilderness. I have never experienced anything like it before--I thought I had myself prepared for what to expect, but this place will blow away any preparations. The float plane dropped us off around 5 p.m. We hit the trail about 6:45 p.m. and hiked for about an hour and a half. The ground is very mulchy and incredibly difficult to walk on, especially with a heavy pack. We crossed one river that came up to my thighs and, of course, my feet were drenched. It's odd though because it didn't really bother me. I guess one just plans to have wet feet every day and accepts that there is no other option. Let me tell you though, the dry pair at night feel very, very, very good.
After setting up camp we ate dinner. Our kitchen is about 150 yards away down by a river. We went to bed about midnight, but as expected it looked like 5 p.m. It did not get dark all night. That's right, at all.
|
As I embark on this trip, this adventure, and this expedition, I must take a moment to write that this really is a dream come true. To work with very talented people within my party, I feel nothing but privileged. 
The group's much needed sleep was cut short because the next leg of the trip had to be completed. We had scheduled two flights for the team to be transported form Fairbanks to Bettles--one of these flights left at 8 a.m. (Luckily I was on the later flight and got more sleep in the apartment.) I returned to the "Mecca" of Fairbanks--the Fred Meyer store--and got a quick haircut by a member of the Cali drug cartel. Oh well, at least I'm still alive. I left a very interesting and bustling Fairbanks at 1:15 p.m.
