Alaska-Yukon Expedition: Becoming a Lean, Mean Adventuring Machine

Follow adventurer Andrew Skurka as he skis, hikes, and rafts 4,720 miles through eight national parks, two major mountain ranges, and some of North America's wildest rivers in Alaska and the Yukon from March to October. Read his blog updates here.

April 1, Day 19, Mile 500.8
Posted from Ruby, Alaska

I'm almost three weeks into this trip, and today I feel much more hardened than I did when I landed pre-dawn in Kotzebue 500 miles ago. The process of morphing from just an aspiring adventurer into a lean, mean adventuring machine has three components: physical, mechanical, and mental.

Physical. The body must become acclimated to the local conditions—in my case butt-cold temperatures, but altitude might apply in other situations. The body also must go through a period of "break-in" aches and pains, some of which need to be managed.

I've had hipbelt-caused chaffing (covered with Luekotape), a toenail blister (lanced and drained; in a few weeks I'll remove the nail), extreme soreness in my triceps and upper back from my poles (helped by regular doses of Ibuprofen), and some boot-caused bruising of my ankle bones (solved with foam padding cut from my water bottle insulators).

About two weeks into a trip I usually notice a spike in metabolism. It's both a blessing and a curse until I finish—I can eat anything (and then some) but I'm always hungry and always thinking about food.

Finally, some would assume that facial hair growth must be part of this physical morphing, but not so with yours truly. I tend to grow a patchy neck beard of coarse, curly hair that would elicit laughter from any true mountain man, so instead I try to shave about once a week.

Mechanical. It's important to have efficient routines and systems out here—otherwise time and energy is wasted on unimportant stuff. Two weeks in, I notice that I'm much better at things like pitching my shelter, melting snow for water, packing my pack and breaking camp, making micro adjustments to my clothing, choosing the right wax for my skis, sorting through a maildrop, and even taking off my shell pants in such a way that they don't get caught on my boots. If I can quickly and somewhat mindlessly handle the mechanics of a long-distance trip, I can spend more time covering miles, can focus more on demanding tasks like route-finding, and can absorb and analyze more of my surroundings.

Mental. I expect during this trip to encounter a level of adversity that will force me to dig deeper than I've ever had to, or go home. That moment has not happened yet--it's been challenging, but I've yet to have a truly epic stretch. After one of these periods of "bleeding," when I'm having to put a bunch of skin in the game, I notice I come out of it with a stronger sense of purpose, a deeper commitment, than I had before. My prediction: my first test is going to happen between Nikolai and Cantwell, when I'm attempting to ski across the western Alaska Range in variable spring conditions.

The morphing process can be eased by "pre-trip trips," i.e. practice what you're going to be doing before you actually do it. But I find that planning for a trip such as this requires extensive facetime with Excel, Google Earth, and National Geographic TOPO! so I can't say I necessarily practice what I preach (though I'll point out that this isn't the first time I've done something like this). Regardless of one's pre-hike activities though, the mental edge will not develop until you get out here and put yourself on the line.

Comments

[Authorhouse]

Seems like an adventure of a lifetime. Must be very rewarding to finish this trip.

[belstaff chaquetas]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

[tribute-credit-card]

He'll be a mountain man if he can climb Mt. Everest. Anyway, He's still a good climber.

[order cialis]

Everybody played their roles very well.

Sometimes, the film seemed naughty, in result, I thought may be I should stop wasting my time and start watching another movie. Although, the film did not meet my expectations, but still i consider the film average.

[Robwheeler06]

I'm 44, retired Navy Chief and have loved hiking and camping since Boy Scouts. I have recently got back into it and am planning a three day two night trip over the Ortega Mt. in SoCal. I've been inspired by your adventures since my sister turned me onto you two weeks before you embarked. I must say, you are awesome dude! I hope to work up to something even half as ambitious. I look forward to all your posts and wish you all the best and safe encounters. Thanks for being you Andrew and take care.
Sincerely,
Rob Wheeler (Wheelz)
PS: I love the FUBYOYO PC version. As Navy Chiefs we use the non-PC one, but it’s what not to do to your buddies, ever. I would have been there for you buddy. 8-{D=

[Account Deleted]

i always love the stry abut yukon since i was 14 thanks

[Jordan Manley]

Dude you are THE real mountain man!

[Luray va accommodations]

I would like to say you that thanks for sharing. This post is really increase my knowledge about how we can make our trip pleasurable. You define them beautifully, those all points are really important if you make your trip more enjoyable.

Best Regards,