Of course you all remember Patricia right? Dave's girlfriend and my Spirit Guide through southern Alaska. Well true to form, Patricia offered me a ride BACK to Anchorage after I covered my ground in Seward and Kenai Fjords. The timing worked perfectly with her plans to drive back up to visit Dave. Three cheers for Fate! Hip hip...
So Patricia picked me up on the side of the road and what followed was a merry truck ride back to Anchorage full of tales of adventure and mutual spoken admiration for the beauty contained in this great state's landscape and people. We arrived back to Dave's house not too long before midnight. Plans were conspired and calls were made to ensure Patricia's friend Sarah would join our late evening plans of welcoming and merriment...to include libations, salmon burgers, and foose ball with some of the kindest people in the whole damn state...Dave, Patricia, Job, and Sarah. Miss you guys!
True to form, Sarah's personality, character, and presence mirrored that of her home state...wild beauty. The four of us burned the night oil (do these Alaskan's EVER go to sleep?!) until I was socially exhausted beyond compare. After the house woke up the next morning/afternoon, Sarah offered to take me into town but not before we enjoyed a deep conversation about life and happiness and how best to pursue them. And I'm sure she'll agree with me...I am probably NOT the best person to seek relationship advice from (uh oh, Angela, I ended with a preposition!) While engaged in this open conversation that covered just about anything only BFFs would talk about (keep in mind I met this person probably 10 hours ago) Sarah drove me and my journal back to her place where she effortlessly whipped up the most insanely delicious breakfast burrito my digestive organs have e'er enjoyed (tough competition Casey and Angela!) This all reminds me...I wonder if Sarah ever bought that land up there...hmm I'll have to call her.
Anywho, we left her place and she kindly dropped me off at a coffee shop where I intended to spend much of my day catching up on my writing. Trying not to die takes up a surprising amount of my daily schedule.
I realized it was Sunday and I was actually not in the woods and since I'd been cheating death on a now common occasion, I needed to find a Church and get my prayer on. After leaving St. Nicholas' I found myself at a crossroads. Literally. At the intersection of two streets I was standing and waiting for the light to turn when across the road I saw a familiar face. No not Dave, Patricia, Job, or Marie...but one of my ferry-mates. I couldn't believe it. Devon. The hipster bicyclist guy. The one who just came back home to Anchorage after a badass bike trip across the perimeter of the states. Yeah! Probably one of the only other people I'd even recognize in the entire city. Finding a needle in a stack of 200,000 pieces of hay? Long story short... we recognized each other, he told me about his plans to go to Australia, I told him about my plans to go to Wrangell - St. Elias, and then the guy bought me a beer. Funny how even the least approachable folks in this state will brush their plans aside to take the time and help someone out. And yes...buying me a beer is considered help! To our surprise, the bar also was giving away free food! WHERE AM I!?
I parted ways with Devon and had no where to go. I considered the best choice available was for me to just start walking. I could see downtown Anchorage on the horizon so I made my way down yonder. Traveling through a few local parks and along the water. A remarkably relaxing experience! Why take a cab when walking is free, healthy, and leads you on side memorable side adventures. Piecing together familiar landmarks, I was able to regain my urban bearings and eventually found myself at Dave's front door. Of course he wasn't home so I took the opportunity to explore the Anchorage night scene. As interesting a city Anchorage is, it certainly not the "wild" Alaska that I'd grown accustomed to in the state's backcountry. Needless to say, culture shock hit me in waves.
Eventually I remet up with Dave and Job. Plans were devised and ultimately we decided on meeting up with a friend of Dave's. My exhaustion was getting the best of me from an early stage so my mission switched from social hoopla to taking some time to figure out where the hell I was going to go next...and more importantly...HOW I was going to get there.
Well it was decided. I sadly had to turn down a group dinner with my new Alaskan crew, planned a few days from then, and instead make moves going east towards Wrangell - St. Elias National Park. Hitchhiking was out of the question...NOBODY goes out that way evidently. And I'd soon realize why.
As luck would have it, I found the ONE car rental company in Anchorage that would lend me a vehicle to traverse the infamous McCarthy road. You'll see where the road gets its reputation in a future post. In addition to the car guy handing me over the keys he also offered me his shotgun (I don't think I'm in DC anymore, Toto!) and bear spray after I told him where I was headed...alone. Oh good! More ways to make me feel confident in my surely foolish future endeavors! Well since I was packing my own heat, I turned down the shotgun but graciously accepted his bearspray.
With the turn of the ignition I was off towards scenic and VERY remote eastern Alaska...
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