GGG-Alaska-2018

[DAN-Y/FANCEE FEEST]

I think I would like to spend a month on Adak during the summer, living off the land/water. Living in my Eureka Headquarters tent pitched in one of the abandoned buildings sheltered from the wind :-)

I think I would render the caribou into sausage of different seasonings. That’s the way I prefer venison.

[Ken Thompson]

The Caribou sausage that David brought to the GGG was superb. Good choice.

 

[Manfred]

First of all THANK YOU to David for organizing a GGG in Alaska. Four of us went to participate. My daughter who had just returned with me from backpacking the GR-20 across Corsica was at first hesitant to go so soon on another adventure, but in the end was very happy that she went. My two sons on the other hand couldn’t wait to go and enjoyed the whole experience start to end.

The following photos are providing only a small glimpse into our adventure, but they give you hopefully an idea of what splendid GGG David organized in Alaska.

The island Adak has some beautiful mountains 

Looking at the neighboring islands leaves no doubt about the volcanic origin of the Aleutians 

A five mile walk across a mountain pass would get us into lovely valleys

where we would set up base camp. Can you spot the Ultamid 4 in the background?

Here is a closer look at it after a successful day (see the two game bags?)

Each of these bags would weigh 75 lbs and my sons are each carrying 80 lbs on their backs in this photo after another successful day.

The wildlife

and the wild flowers that we saw were amazing

Once again THANK YOU to David for making it possible for my children and me to have such an adventure. Although – or should I say especially because – we were carrying sometimes over 80 lbs,  lightweight backpacking principles played a big role in making our trip successful. Our down quilts, alcohol stoves, cuben tent, carbon trekking poles etc. allowed us to explore larger areas and take on heavier loads when needed than we could have otherwise.

[David Gardner]

DavidT: What an amazing experience! One of the great adventures of my life! Thank you so much for organizing the event and for inviting me!

ManfredK: Great to spend time with you and get to know you and your wonderful children! They are really good people and funny as heck. You’ve done a fantastic job parenting them.

David and Manfred: I recognize those photos…who took those for you and shared them with you on AirDrop?

Here are a few more:

Fog waterfalls coming off a glacier on the flight from Portland OR to Anchorage AK

Somewhere in British Columbia

Alaskan mountains on the flight from Anchorage to Adak Island. Views like this stretching off into infinity. Saw the peak of Denali. Incredible.

Not the usual hiking hazards. Unexploded ordinance in the “Red Zone” part of the island – no trespassing!

Survival shelters placed in various locations around the island by the Navy, in case someone got caught out there in a storm.

Monday “night” with David T, after searching all day for caribou. Not even a tuft of caribou hair to be seen anywhere.

Fields of wildflowers everywhere

Just one of many rainbow trout that threw themselves onto our hooks on the first cast!

Bald eagles all over the place, sitting on a cliff I’m about to scale to get to another valley in my fruitless search for caribou…

Scaling a headwall

Manfred climbing ahead (the little black dot left of center in the middle)

Wearing my Feathered Friends Winter Wren “onesie.” Yeah, it looks ridiculous, but it’s easy to get up in the middle of the night to take care of business and it’s light and warm.

Nice caribou rack I found. Going to make a headdress out of it for Burning Man later this month.

Spectacular sunrise on the last morning.

Great people back in Anchorage airport, about to part ways after sharing a wonderful adventure!

[Author]

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