Matanuska Valley Outing

I went out to the Bench on Thanksgiving to help Bill finish up some work on the yurt platform floor.  We put in 3 good days of work, with help from Adam and Vern, and now you can walk on the yurt without negotiating slippery, frost covered joists.  This was my last trip up to the property before I take off for Thailand and Nepal.

On Sunday, the Ahonen's and I spent the remaining daylight doing some laps at Caribou Creek.  A great holiday weekend, and with school work finished for the semester I can relax and start thinking about heading west.

              

"THE BENCH"

"The Bench" is my bro and sis in law's land near Hicks Creek in the Matanuska Valley of south-central Alaska.  Depending on the season, it takes a packraft ferry across the Matanuska River, a rapid climb of about 5-600 feet, and a hike of about 1 mile to get there.  In the winter, the river freezes so it becomes easier, and a newly purchased snow machine will almost seem like cheating - once there is some snow.  

The picture below is of the yurt building site, looking SE, with more snaps to come including digging post and outhouse holes, clearing trees, chopping wood, shooting guns, some helicopter action, being awesome, and living it up in a rustic lakeside cabin - just like you read about in the guide books, only its plywood and sort of desolate. Living the dream!

              

   

Caribou Creek

Aaron Ahonen, a.k.a "Vern," a.k.a "V-Bone" and I made our way out to Caribou Creek on Sunday (11.08.08) and climbed Kids Around the Corner.  It was nice and calm in the canyon, and the river was frozen enough for us to make it to the base of the climb on foot.  We followed some wolf tracks in, treading lightly on the thin ice.  The first pitch was mine, and after thrashing through I made it up for my first pitch of 2008.  After an obligatory stop at the Long Rifle, we crawled back to urban life....