ALASKA EXPEDITION 2010

“Thanks Fridge! Got it.

I have a Moment on order that I'm bringing. Nice and light!”

“grrg Just read a glowing review of the Moment.”

“Seems like it has been on back order for months... Don't think I'm the only one waiting.

Hopefully I'll get it in time to be able to take it out a few times before July. Don't feel like lugging around my Hubba Hubba. Nice tent but big and bulky.

Found some cool videos here of Wrangell - St. Elias NP including a fly over: http://www.alaskahdtv.com/tag/mccarthy/”

“enjoyed the video, thanks grrrg.”

“Tango, was that the one report on Thelightweightbackpacker?”

“Yes HD.”

“:)”

“for the record, american said for $150 they would refund my miles for my first-class ticket to anchorage. damn reasonable of them considering it was a non-refundable ticket.”

“That is good news! You will be missed!”

“any body having trouble getting all your food in your Bear canister let me know. I know a few tips and tricks.”

“I can get my food in, but will have problems with my cosmetics.”

“sunnydaze/ Are you talking about MakeUp? If so don't use it out there. only will attract skeeters. If your talking about sunscreen etc,... carry in a bag and I will secure in my Electric Bear Bag.”

“Where's the sarcasm font?”

“Fridge, I was talking about my lipgloss, nailpolish, etc. If I'm going to be dinner for a grizzly I want to look decent for the postmortem pics.”

“You got me sunny!”

“Fridge, I thought I saw lipgloss on your packing list you sent me? Now you're saying to leave it home? I wish you would make up your mind, really!
:p”

“yea I also mentioned Mary Kay creme too!”

“Deposits are mailed out and you have mail. Team member list with e mails.”

“Booked my flight, yooohoooo!! Fridge, YGM”

“YES”

“SPINN UL tarp 12x15 (Cat cut) by Brian McMillin Outdoor Equipement Supplier LLC

This baby weighs in at 20oz. Bringing this along for use on those drizzle evenings.”

“You're a good leader!!”

“Picked up a new Iridium Sat phone today. We use this to contact our Bush Pilot and the Park Rangers. Emergency rescue.”

“We have 9 confirmed Team members that have purchased there tickets to Anchorage. We have room for 3 more. E mail me for specific information if your interested in going on this trip. Refrigeratorfridge@gmail.com”

“Who's going? There are still 12 names on the trip page as going on the trip.”

“MarkO is out, Nogranola is out, I have no status on Jcb, and calves is a maybe.”

“I am OUT.”

“Darn it!”

“You in?”

“I'm out too.”

“"Team members"? Y'all gonna "team up" on the bears? God, I hope no bears have to die...

What happened to "TTers"?

I honestly believe the griz I encountered in Idaho could have gotten the drop on the best of marksmen. He had more moves than an eight day clock. Unbelievably quick and agile - top-tier athleticism!”

“No grizz is gonna die gojo......with a group this size GRIZZ will no us before we see grizz. Since you don't have too much experience with Grizz why don't you go with us? Cost is about 40 percent cheaper than a local guide service.”

“i see you fridge!”

“I have enough griz experience to last a lifetime - more than all I'm akin, and most I know. Thank you, but no. I'll keep it lower 48 - where the hiking is great and the bears are sedate - and the firearms have elbows...”

“Don't worry about the bears, Gojo....I have a zen with animals, you know. No animals or humans will be harmed on this trip, I am sure. :)

whoohoo....cannot wait!!”

“I do worry about the bears, though. I really and truly do. Packing heat into bear country is a potential and hi-anus violation of Leave No Trace ethics. Why not hike elsewhere, where the scenery is comparable, the company just as enjoyable, and the likelyhood of having to kill animals is much much unlikely....”

“I'm hanging out with Ms G. Those SILVERBACK GRIZZ are very fast.

Last years trip when we finally made it to the Jacksina creek, Tumble creek confluence after crossing a mile long Tussock field, we all were so tired we took a lay down break for 45 minutes or more. When we did finally moved out still trying to recover from the long day Backpacking and moving very slowly... approx 2 minutes into our approach to the Tumble Creek we realized that all the willow bush was now becoming a tunnel like path and 20 seconds later we realized we were walking into a Bear path with willow bush shrouding over head making a tunnel. We come upon and I am in no way exagerating here....ask any one who went last year....we came upon at least a dozen different piles of GRIZZ !@#$ all within a 25 foot X 10 foot area, like it was a GRIZZ !@#$ LATRINE some of those piles were like the biggest ever pile of !@#$ ever and I am not exagerating just ask last years team..... we all moved quickly and I realized we all were moving faster than anytime ever that day.”

“Been there, done that. I was bushwhacking in Cohutta Wilderness, GA. I came across a baby bear lying in the leaves. Turned out to be a pile of scat the size of a cow pie. There were three more within arms reach. I had found his latrine. I quietly returned to the trail, feeling his stare the whole time.”

“Fridge, remember Jeremy got a little more nervous than the rest of us after seeing those piles? I knew I could run faster than them young welps.:)”

“Yea I remember him saying look another pile , over here another......let's get out of here.”

“That was some scary stuff, glad we got out of there. And Duane I fight dirty, if a griz was gonna get me I figure I'd just shoot one of the old fast guys in the leg to get away ;-)”

“Why do you think i packed a pistol too small for griz anyway? ;-)”

“I hear ya dub.”

“Saving weight was ya? I'd take my chances with you hitting me over the griz.:)”

“Dub is a Gangsta man. One of the pics taken he holds his piece like an outlaw.”

“i remember when an older scouter took us on a hike to find an ancient apple tree on a scout camp. he had us on a bear path! i kept trying to point this out. i was nervous as it was dusk and we had two young scouts with us. he didn't seem to think it a problem. even when i found two fresh piles of bear scat he didn't think we were in danger. one pile seemed to be within the hour, the other within 30 minutes. it took me another 20 minutes to convince him to turn around. i know i'm a woman, i know i'm young comparatively. but goddamnit i know how to track and he really pissed me off.”

“I agree with you woman, and I believe you too.”

“we had bear in that meadow almost every morning. the jays would alert on them for me. but i kept my "kitchen" very clean, my trash double bagged and hung about 40ft up a tree and 75ft outside of camp. we used a bear box for all of our food and smellables. and i shook down the scouts before bed for goodies, wrappers, chapsticks, toothpaste, etc. the bears never bothered us at all. i miss that camp.”

“We need you to go with us DB.”

“Yep, we need her to pat down us older guys for contraband.:)”