I'm going to move to Mongolia!

As many have read I have debated for some time about what I will be doing post-Alaska. I had dreamed for years of doing the classic vagabonding around the world all through college, and now, here I am, doing it. I ran into a link on daveseslcafe.com for teaching English in Mongolia. After debating in my mind, I let my heart (and a facebook status question) lead the way. I belong in Mongolia. Wild places in this world, they are for me. I was born to travel, to adventure, to explore. Mongolia is still so very rugged, so very, well, Mongolian. Its the land of nomads and shamans, adventures and conquerers. Its my kinda place. I cant forget my first experiences there. How amazing the country was, the people, the landscape. Hell I can even wear a del (Mongolian robe) to work if I want and believe me my friend, I will.

Those that know me well will remember National Geographic declined my grant last year when I originally proposed to ride a horse across Mongolia and document nomadic culture. Now I have a better opportunity to do it. I will be moving to Mongolia in January to teach English for six months, by which time I will leave the comforts of the city to ride into the sunset. I will live with nomads, and with my six months in the country, I will have learned a descent amount of the lingo. I know that I was meant for great things and as far as I'm concerned, this is a step in the right direction. I will ride into the sunset in the land of the great blue sky. I will live out the stories I love so dearly of explorers and adventurers from a by-gone 19th century era of expolaration. I will not study anthropology any longer as I did in college. I will live it. On the saddle with the wind in my hair and the smell of unfettered lands in my nostrels, I will know the satisfaction of a life worth living. It is my destiny, my calling, my very love of life that draws me to such places.

I've only gotten started. This is going to be grand. Afterall, life is an epic adventure or nothing at all.

Joining the Polar bear club in the Arctic Ocean

Been a good last couple of weeks. I went on a trip to Barrow, AK this week. Northernmost city in North America. Jumped into the Arctic Ocean and did several swim strokes. It was cold. Very cold. Ice had just washed on shore from out to sea. Ah it was refreshing, and creepy that for over an hour afterward, I couldn't feel my feet. I wasn't cold though after a few minutes after drying off. Well I joined the club, it was 34 degrees outside at the time of my plunge, I don't know about the water itself. Okay, well did that, now I've swam in every ocean, but from now on I'll avoid the Arctic ones.

Went to the State Fair in Fairbanks, it was a good time. Ate weird stuff like fried pizza which is completely unhealthy. Not as bad as the fried twinkies or snickersbars... I declined those altogether.

A month and a half to go. Cant lie, as much as I'd enjoy teaching in Korea... Living here in Alaska has been so much nicer. Its the being close to nature that I love, the mountains all around me. I may very well not go to Korea, instead opting for Mongolia. Ah to ride a horse from my ger everyday to work. I could live that way. Still want to spend some time with friends and family in the coming days when I get home, so that'll delay me a bit. It strikes me odd that I will be away for so very long after this trip, I want to see everyone that I can.

Naked river crossings to celebrate my time in Alaska

With August beginning, it is only now dawning on me that I have now been in Alaska a little over two months. What a time it has been! Life was in such a rush as I left Kansas in such a hurry the night of my graduation to first hike with Craig, a quick return to attend Steve-O's wedding, and bam I was up here. Life has slowed down alot for me, although a bit too much in many regards. I realized I'd been rather lazy when it came to my hiking here. Sure I've gone on lots of jaunts into the woods, climbed a bit, and overnighted a few times... but this is what I've dreamed of for years! I gotta get out and explore it!!!

Realistically I've not been hiking enough here, I fixed that today by climbing Coldfoot Mountain which has loomed right over me all summer. It was a great hike, I summited in 2 hours 45 minutes after crossing the Koyukuk River. Doing it alone and not wanting to soak my clothes, I crossed the river naked save for my hat and shirt hiked up like a bikini. I must have been a sight to anyone that might have seen, although I doubt anybody did. Its the wilderness afterall. I've had some cold stream crossings here before, but man o man that was icy! I kept thinking as I did it of the weird nudists that have been hiking across Europe naked lately that I read about on the BBC. I crossed quickly, dried off, and hurried up getting my clothes on. Dont want to chance someone seeing that... I'm not a weirdo nudist. I just think its something funny to blog about at 2 am.

The rest of the summer I need to get out there, I love how the "typical view" changed as soon as I was up a few thousand feet. Its good to reflect like that and see the beauty around oneself in a new light. Gotta use up my daylight now... only got about 21 hours of sun a day now. Honestly its been a bit depressing... 24 hours of sun is so invigorating! I will miss that about Alaska for a long time to come I think.

I did think of a few good friends on this hike, reflected on those I miss back home. I look forward to raising a pint with them in the fall and straping on a backpack by their sides as I jaunt back into familiar territory. Chances are if you're reading this, that includes you. Cheers!

Chillaxin in the Arctic

I've been lazy of late to blog as well as to keep my journals up. Life has slowed down alot around here, the tour season has been down, so I've been working less and thus taking longer weekends for fun stuff.

I went into Gates of the Arctic National Park just outside of Anaktuvik Pass, hiking out of a native Eskimo village and meeting up with my pilot buddy Jason along one of the creeks. We had radios and GPS to coordinate our meeting up as he'd already been hiking out there. In poor visibility and compasses that are thrown off heavily by being so close to the North Pole, it still proved difficult to find one another in the rain. It was well worth it despite the rough boggy terrain that slowed me to a mile an hour. The scenery around there was epic, as well as the company we enjoyed... Mosquitos. I counted around 50 on each shoulder of mine, just at the angle I could see. I estimate I had around 500 swarming my body, thus making my bug netting jacket worth its weight in gold.

I also took another weekend in Fairbanks, doing the "city" thing. It was fine, enjoyed a good beer festival in the true German style, and had a little float trip with my urban Alaskan friends. It was rather bland to me though, as we passed houses and hotels all along the Chena river through downtown Fairbanks. I'd rather be up here in the North where seeing anyone else is basically impossible. Isolation can be quite wonderful at times, then again, I do enjoy the ability that towns provide for me to bike to get Asian food. Thats always nice.

I have also started flying a bit up here. I've decided to get my pilots license. On the 4th of July I zipped a plane through a tight mountain pass hitting tons of typical mountain turbulence. It was exhilirating to say the least. I felt sooo very alive in that moment as I approached for landing, that I knew it was something I had to do. Well land the plane of course... but also become a pilot. Maybe I'll even do that for a career someday. Afterall, not alot of Anthropology factories are opening up in this economy.

Still have to figure out what I'm doing post-Alaska. I know it'll involve spearfishing. I need some beach bumming time. Really thinking about Papua New Guinea. Who knows? Such a big world, and only one life to explore it. Pity. I'll still never quit staring into that new horizon.

Considering the heart of Asia

After conversing with a fellow traveler that I work with, I discovered his amazing ability to travel far cheaper than even I have in the past. By living out of old grocery bags, Willy the surfer has been able to work as a part time fisherman in Mexico and surf his days away on the beach, for next to nothing. Never traveling with a guidebook, rather dressing bummy and living like the locals, he has been able to travel for extended periods of time on next to nothing. His advice has been similar towards me. Live in total poverty.

The advice is legit. Most explorers through the 19th and 20th centuries did it to blend in, disappear, and gain access to the areas that were off limits.

Granted I have always traveled on the cheap. I only spent 5 grand the summer that I went to 8 countries in Asia, several thousand miles by rail. I keep thinking to myself as of late, that the working holiday visas in Australia aren't for me right now. I've already done that sorta thing, I want to really dive into a world that I can somewhat blend into, and yet get a true adventure out of. Central Asia seems to be calling me. Who goes to Uzbekistan for vacation? Turkmenistan? What about Kyrgyzstan? Can most people even find those countries on the map? They are in the old route of Marco Polo, so truthfully it cant be all that bad. Ah how I'd love to return to Mongolia!

Thats why that part of the world is appealing to me now. Its dangerous yes, blah blah State Department says dont go because of terrorists, dictators, and maybe one or two are at war. Theres bears in Alaska, they eat people sometimes. Everyplace has its downfall. Kansas had country music, which is dangerous too. So what. Who seriously goes to these places? They are not on the backpacker trail, thats for sure. If I avoid using a Lonely Planet, live and dress like the locales, and ditch most of my trendy backpacking gear, nobody will know. The giant beard will make me look more local than most. I'm now seriously considering this as my next destination. I dont know yet of course, I need to think about things and plan out. Should I go right after I leave Alaska, it'll be winter in central Asia, making for a frigid trip. Perhaps thats a good thing.

My mind plays games with my heart. Unknown areas on maps, areas that I know little about, areas that arent visited... they all draw me.

Whats Bishkek like? I'd sure like to find out.

Finding myself in the books I read

The time since my last post has been great. We finally started rafting down the Koyukuk River, which had previously been too high. The areas mountains surround in a canopy of green, rocky peaks which still have a slight dusting of snow. It wont be long before thats gone too. Glimpsed a moose this week, who had a puzzled look at us as we floated by on our blue contraption.

Finally saw a grizzly bear going for a jog next to a lake as I drove by. This was cool, although not an adventure by any means. You've got to be in their environment to really appreciate it, a drive by glimpse is only the beginning.

We also have the worst mosquitos I've ever seen. When I heard the "mozzies" were bad here, I figured yeah, just like the other 19 countries I've been to. Everybody says that. Huh. Not here, I've seen swarms into the hundreds over myself, not even in tropical jungles on the equator have I seen that sorta thing. Oh well. I wear a bug headnet/jacket combo religously now, it just goes with the terriotory I suppose.

I've found myself reading alot, more than I thought I would here. It wont be long and I'll need to order more books off Amazon. Until then I've got a few more expedition story kinda books, all feeding my desire to adventure. Although Alaska is prime for many such pursuits, I already find myself desiring whatever is over that next ridge, next hill, next border. I find my own feelings written in the memoirs of the explorers and adventurers who went before me, whether in the pages of T.E. Lawrence or Sven Hedin. Tristan in "Legends of the Fall" comes to mind. This is only a subtle sign to me that I will go galivanting off once more after Alaska, that a wild heart is a truely hard thing to tame.

Where that shall be, I know not, and that is the first step in any adventure... going into the unknown.

Adapting to my new Arctic home

Its been a while since I could blog, most days my gmail and blog site time out due to the satellite internet up here.

Anyways my first two weeks have been amazing. I've been fine tuning the details of my new job, its been going quite well. I've really enjoyed the job so far, and most of my co workers have been pretty cool. Its been nice to be away from the city, so peaceful as I think it should be. I'd had a fascination with Wiseman before I came to Alaska, and now I'm fully in love with it. Its a town captured in the late 1800s in many respects, people living in log cabins doing the subsistence living thing- hunting and growing all their own food. Sourdoughs as they're called up here are the kinda people I want to hang out with. I have profound respect for them and a desire to learn their skills, if not else casually, but perhaps to use on my own one day. Who knows? (They did call me "mountain man Norris" at Washburn)

I've also gotten to go on a few little trips up to Atigun pass and Anituvik village inside Gates of the Arctic National Park. They were alot of fun, and for "touristy" things to do, alot of fun. Pictures will be up on facebook soon I hope.

I've done some hiking, seen a little game but not much. I took my shotgun along which was extra weight, but then again, had I needed it, it would have proved its worth. Naturally I will keep taking it along. The quiet satisfaction of climbing mountains around here has been profound, the area's scenery is simply epic. I cant express in words the natural beauty of this area, so free of the outside world and far removed from the hassles and business of the outside. Its great. I hadnt realized how much I enjoy, and missed camp life until I got here. Rustic Pathways in Fiji didnt count, it was so loud and packed with little retreat into the wild. Alaska is so refreshingly different, I'm in a sea of wilderness, just prime for the hiking, fishing, mountain climbing, and more importantly meditating on the deeper nature of all that there is in life. My heart is so alive in this place, just as it was meant to, simply living out the next epic story in this journey...