Oh, Alaska how you've taken me into your arms to keep me with with the beauty you present for me. Your icy mountain tops are covered into snow trying to hang on to it's very existence as it melts into various shades of waterfalls filling the lakes with fresh drinking water. Every twist of the roads hugging the hips of your mountains sends me into a cerebral shock letting me know, as if I've never seen it, what true beauty is. Lucky am I to have found your charm, Yet I know that beneath your brilliant cover lies an unknown danger of the land. The land which sometimes brings you in with it's glory and sucks you up leaving you left for dead. This land is clever and knows how to survive the outside threat of oncomers. It has to fight to stay alive and remain intact as if it never aged. I bow my head in respect to you, in awe and appreciation of what you have to offer, Thank you for accepting me as I am Alaska. In a world where acceptance is all to small. Forever a piece of you will be in my heart.
Well the bus ride was followed by a ten hour train ride making sure the guest had an enjoyable taste of Alaska. After we dropped them off in Denali we made our way up to Healy about 30 minutes away and among the cleanup we came to a stop. Now I don't know if anyone of you has ever ridden a train, but it's stops for many a reason, to drop someone off in the middle of nowhere to survive in the wilderness, brake lines need checking, wildlife to be seen.. So after a couple of moments of sitting I decided to see if maybe the conductor saw some Dall sheep that we could take admire upon. After searching the rocky mountain sides, i realized that there weren't any guests on board therefore no reason to stop, so I knew something was off. Moments later I found out that there just happened to be a rock slide in front of the train, which I suppose happens from time to time, i just never really had the chance to think about it happening to me. We couldn't back up the train for some reason and just had to sit there and wait. Finally there was a sign of release for the cliffs of the mountain when a small bobcat wheeled its way up to the slide and started removing the debres, a scoop of rocks at a time. Unfortunately we could hear over the radio that the rocks were still falling and warning the man in the yellow machinery to watch out. It was pretty surreal to watch this man balance on the tracks as he shoveled our way to freedom, as rocks hit the top of his little vehicle. Finally 2 hours later we were beginning to back our way to Denali and while sitting on the caboose we watched as we crept away fro the danger zone. Suddenly again we hear over the walky that there was another rock slide.." STOP ! STOP! WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE!", and low and behold the limbs of a dead tree and rocks were again in our way. I watched as heaps of rock fell to the tracks along with my stomach. We were stuck in between two slides on the cliff of a mountain that only a few feet kept us from the rapid river down below. Every found as way to remain calm but there was a subtle panic in the air. Thoughts kept sifting through my head about the various options that could take place in the next moments. So I prayed silently to myself that we could return safe while others talked nonchalantly of the events in their lives. Then I remembered that little piece of paper that I scratched down thoughts on earlier in the morning and laughed a little. It was true, no matter how beauty something is, there is always a possibility of danger followed behind. Needless to say, being that I am writing to you now, we made it through 4 hours later than scheduled, but we made it through.
And that was just one day, ha ha ha. I tell you what, this job is tough and easy all in the same instance.You have to always be on the edge of your seat waiting for the unexpected to happen. I just got back from a run where I thought was going to Fairbanks and a large hand full of us ended up back in Denali. We met up back with the rest of the crew last night to hear how well they did, and how much money was made, and after a long day of making no money I was slightly frustrated. Then I quickly remembered the night before, and I wouldn't have taken the money to give up the experience.
When we all got to Denali, a group of us went to grab a bite to eat at the 49th state bar. Which considering the population of the city and lack of people, was a very very tasty bite to eat. We then walked down the road to the Totum, and some played pool, but I my friends discovered the game of shuffle board. It is such a simple game, but so enjoyable and challenging at the same time. The Totum also has this lovely little trinkets to offer which consists of a mechanical bear.Much like a bull, but I am pretty sure that this bear was once alive. It was covered in fur so real it sent a chill down my spine, and the face was on point with it's grizzly nature. I have to admit it was tempting to mount up and try it on for size but after watching a co-worker ride the bear, I quickly turned my head on the idea. She grabbed on with one hand as she held the other in the air, then the sexual tension amongst the bar patrons grew as she slowly rode the bear, she help on for an impressive 56 seconds before she was slung onto the inflatable bounce pad. I just know that there wasn't alcohol in my system to endure the ride. Ha so many inside jokes with that sentence....
After the totum we began a hike to a bonfire place I've heard so much about and still wasn't sure what exactly to expect. It was beautiful a beautiful 15 minute walk to the site, houses hidden behind the trees, horses walking through their fenced land and of course the mosquitos taking every chance to suck on my fair skin, which hurt like a small bee sting each time. but as the trees opened up their in front of me was a vast dried up river bed. We walked a minute more to arrive to a smoked out fire pit left for dead. As the others began to rekindle it's fire I walked to the sound of running water by myself. I walked my way through the bed full of every kind of rock that Alaska had to offer and as I approached the water a sudden peace filled by body. There I was in the middle of this beautiful landscape where I was standing once was full of rushing water. There were about four small streams flowing along side each other cut up from the variation of land all flowing in the same direction towards a giant scape of mountains. I couldn't believe that I was there in this hidden landscape. I sat down and thanked God for his beauty once again. The sound of the water running along side me and the sight, well, I was filled with thousands of emotions coming from every direction. I really am not sure how to explain the experience in words, it was almost outer body. I thought about a lot of things in those minutes, how I got here, my family and friends and where I was going. I realized then that what I had been thinking was true," I am here in Alaska, miles from home, for a reason." " In this moment I am truly happy, I am truly alive!".
After a couple of torched marshmallows it was time to head back, although the sun still lingering in the sky contradicted even time. It was on that walk back to slumber,down a dirt filled road, that I found butterflies again that I haven't felt in a long while, it was exciting and frightening at the same time. But I pushed on and made it to my night's home in time to have a 5 hour sleep.
So the unexpected was worth it, it doesn't matter how much money I make here, as long as I continue to find moments like the last. I am finally at ease with my placement in life. The future is sure to come and I might not know what in entails, but I don't need to know. As long as life keeps offering me the beautiful experiences I am sure I will find my way......
I love and miss you all, and hope that you get a chance to take advantage of the world's offerings as I have.
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