Comments on: Things I’ve learned about winter in Alaska.

By: Keba

Keba — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 02:06:12 +0000

Keba would like you to know that 1) he is very happy that you have hearth again and 2) no yellow snow is not lemon but it does bring news of various sorts to the discerning snout and 3) watch out for the rabbid wolf pack currently in the news…..

By: Guy

Guy — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 22:21:53 +0000

Hey Carl… it’s not winter yet; it’s late fall at best. Brace yourself.

Guy

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 22:46:36 +0000

Like Guy said, I have a feeling in a couple months you will publish another list - starting with “Remember that last list - it ain’t nothin now!!”

By: Ron Niebrugge

Ron Niebrugge — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 04:41:07 +0000

Hey Carl,

I was wondering how your trip was going. O man, that is tough! Sorry to hear about the vehicle troubles. I can’t believe you drove to McCarthy this time of year. Good thing you didn’t get snowed in!

Guy and Mark are right - come March, these same temperatures are going to almost feel warm.

I was thinking of you when I saw a great sunrise over the Wrangells on the Gulkana webcam. I didn’t think you would be in the shop. Hang in there man!

Ron

By: Janine Niebrugge

Janine Niebrugge — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:09:50 +0000

Hey Carl,

Forget all the other stuff you wrote and just remember “It’s Beautiful Here!” And everyone is correct, come February you will begin to understand why we leave Welcome to Alaska!

Stay warm,

Janine

By: Pete

Pete — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:07:43 +0000

Whoa Carl … that van breaking down sucks. But hey, how many people can say they’ve spent a week in Glenallan during the late fall (that’s right Dude, late fall at best … winter is still a month away!). You should’ve played some 80s to pass the time … stuff like Madonna & Paula Abdul.

By: Carl Donohue

Carl Donohue — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 22:15:30 +0000

Hey Folks,

Thanks for all the support.

Contrary to all your collective wisdom (which I very much appreciate), it IS indeed winter here. If I’m cold, and there’s snow around, it’s winter. This is my blog, afterall, so I make the rules.

I do agree, the weather can be worse. Folks here are all telling me last year at this time here in Glennallen, it was 40 below. Today it’s 37deg. That’s nearly 80 degrees warmer. Woo hoo!

Still waiting for a PCM board for my van. I have turkey dinners offered to me in Anchorage on thursday, IF I can get there. Looks like I’ll be putting my hiking boots back on again, one more time.

What’s funny, as I was saying to a friend of mine on the phone last week, is that it’s all about incidentals. If my van hadn’t gone crazy, I’d be saying “man, I had the BEST trip”. As it is, that’s not what I’m saying. It’s still pretty cool though, just frustrating.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Kuskalana Bridge (i.e., most people), it’s this crazy single lane bridge over this huge gorge in the Wrangells, along the road to McCarthy. My van died smack on the middle of the bridge. I mustered myself, crampons and all, and pushed the van across to the far end of the bridge. Had I known it would lead to this mess, I’m thinking I’d have done better simply to push the darn thing over the edge instead. The snow would cover it up, and no one would ever know.

Pete, there shall be NO Paula Abdul on my iPod. Not now, not never.

Cheers

Carl

By: MaryBeth Lunsford

MaryBeth Lunsford — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:21:48 +0000

I hate the car troubles. Of course, it always happens at the worst times. But we’re all rooting for you!!! P.S. That bridge sounded scary as hell!! Glad you’re o.k.

By: Carl Donohue

Carl Donohue — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 00:55:22 +0000

Hey MaryBeth,

Thanks.

the bridge isn’t too scary, it’s got a nice little fence along it, so there’s not much danger or anything. It’s an awesome bridge though, very cool. Here’s a picture of it:

Kuskalana Bridge

I’ll write an updated post soon.

Cheers

Carl