Saturday, February 16, 2008

Soon the Vacation Begins ...

Yesterday afternoon Bill and I were busy unpacking and sorting drops that were mailed to us in Chickaloon. Tomorrow we will pick up the rest of the drops in Anchorage. We will check them off a list and then pack them into sturdy bags to be loaded on the plane. Monday Bill will fly them to Finger Lake, Puntilla and Rohn.

Getting on the trail will seem like a vacation after weeks actually months of planning and organizing the Iditarod Trail Invitational. Every year we want things to go as smoothly as possible for racers but there are always bumps in the road. After all, it's the Iditarod Trail and you never know what it will throw at you from one year to the next.
Winter riding is more of a lifestyle than a hobby with Bill and I . We find the peace and beauty of exploring Alaskan winter wilderness by bike takes us far from all our worries and cares. The only things that really matter are eating, sleeping, staying warm, moving up the trails and soaking it all in. It is life in it's simplest form. Bill and I (and many others) are of the opinion that adventure only happens to the unprepared and this philosophy has carried us safely and happily over hundreds of miles of winter wilderness trails.
Not that we haven't had our share of adventures and are sure to have more but it's just a small part of the whole experience. In the face of difficult situations the need to live in the moment with no time for thought of yesterday or tomorrow is both exciting and liberating. Some would dramatize what many of us find exciting in our lives but for us if we didn't enjoy and couldn't do it with a smile we wouldn't be out there.
I have heard Bill say that it is no place for tough "guys" that you go out there to work with what nature presents to you not to conquer it.
Weather forecast doesn't look so good for a while, so that is some added stress until the drops are actually in place.
Looking forward seeing everyone soon at the Speedway Party on Friday.
Kathi






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