Back in New York!

15 days, 2 countries, 2 canadian provinces, 12 states, and 5488 miles! That's how long our Alaska to New York road trip took. After paying $5 a gallon for gas all the way through Canada (2400 miles) we took a left turn in Seattle and headed for home. We saw moose, elk, bison, bear, deer, fox, bald eagles, red tailed hawks, and one snake. We had the most amazing campsites in the middle of nowhere on clear mountain lakes in the Yukon Territory. We wore wigs as we drove through construction zones. We listened to elk bugling while watching the sun set over the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. We never had to pay for a campsite and only stayed in 3 shady motels along the way. I never knew how amazing clean sheets and a hot shower could possibly be!! We tried to take pictures at each state line but lost our enthusiasm once we got through the "cool" states (anything west of the Mississippi). My truck performed amazingly! Even when we went off-roading in British Columbia. I was able to get some beautiful photos which I will upload onto my flickr account soon. It was a fantastic trip with my super fun brother! I highly recommend you drop whatever you're doing, quit your job, and take off for a while. For me, I'm back in Western NY for a while to hang out with my fam. Until the next adventure...

Scott eats it!

The 2400 mile drive from Anchorage to Seattle has had many great moments. But this little gem filmed in the mountains of British Columbia is by far my favorite. And its why having a younger brother is awesome...Enjoy!

Road trip!!

So in 2 days my brother and I will head out on our 7000 mile road trip from Alaska to New York, with a slight detour to California. My brother just got invited to climb Half Dome in Yosemite so at this point I think its safe to say we're throwing the itinerary out the window. But the fact that the Baird brothers even had an itinerary is a big accomplishment. Some of you have invited us to stay with you. THANK YOU!! You'll probably be hearing from us about 30 minutes before we pull into your driveway. Make no apologies for dirty dishes or unkempt homes. We're just happy to see you and have a floor to crash on and some friends to hang out with.

There's so much reflective mumbo-jumbo I could say about Alaska. Some other time perhaps. All I know is that this isn't the last time I'll be here. As for our big road trip, I think this Walt Whitman quote sums it all up nicely,

"Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road;
healthy, free, the world before me,
the long brown path leading wherever I choose.
Henceforth, I ask not good fortune;
I myself am good fortune.
Henceforth, I wimper no more, postpone no more, I need nothing.
I'm done with indoor complaints, libraries, and querulous criticisms.
Strong and content I travel the open road."

Catch you on the flip side....

Its time for me to fly

As many of you know, I was planning to go to Africa this Fall to do some volunteer work. Recently some folks have asked how my plans for that trip were shaping up. Well, actually I've postponed the trip for a while; for financial reasons (since my job at the art gallery paid much, much less than my original job on the railroad would have paid). But also because I don't feel like the timing is right. So the plan is: 3 weeks from tomorrow my brother and I will pack up our meager belongings in my truck and we'll drive from Anchorage, AK to Philadelphia, PA via California and then Buffalo, NY. That's only a 7000 mile road trip. I'll be living with my sister outside of Philly for a while; working and saving money (and running the Philly marathon in November). And figuring out what will be the next step. The second time I dropped out of college I lived outside Philly, so I'm looking forward to being there again AND living with my sis. So we'll see what tomfoolery unfolds.

How come I don't have a job where I need a shotgun?

Right now my brother is working up on the North slope (that's Alaskan terminology for way, way up north on the coast of the Arctic Ocean). He has to take a helicopter to the job site each day. They got fogged in two days ago and were told by radio to camp overnight out on the tundra. With visibility of only 200 feet they used a GPS unit to guide them four miles to a truck. Armed with a shotgun to ward off grizzly and polar bears, they made it back to the truck safely, even after crossing raging thigh deep glacial run off. Man, Scott gets to have all the fun. All I did this weekend was go hiking. Lame!

Run Forrest Run!!

Well, the marathon is done! Woo hoo! The weather was perfect; about 60 degrees and cloudy. I finished in about 4 hours and 15 minutes.

As the race started I made some friends quickly so I'd have some people to run with therefore distracting me from the fact I was running farther than I've ever run before. As I chatted with Jim and Veronica in the first couple miles, I learned that Jim had run about 15 marathons, including 2 or 3 Boston marathons and that Veronica was in fact an ultramarathoner. Gre-e-e-eat. Of all the people I could run with!! We ran a 9 minute mile pace for the first 16 miles. At that point I told Jim and Veronica to keep going, that I was going to slow down a bit. Miles 16-19 were the hardest. But then I got some sort of second wind and the final 7 miles weren't too bad.

The funniest part about this race was the vast difference from the half-marathon I ran in Indianapolis back in May. That race had 35,000 runners. This one had 2 or 3 hundred. The half marathon course ran through downtown Indy, and even onto the track of the Indy 500. This race was only 1 mile of road and the rest was on trails. Unfortunately there were no moose sightings.

But at any rate, I've caught the marathon bug and am already considering when and where I'll do the next one!

I am my own worst enemy

Last Tuesday my brother called me at work and asked if I wanted to go for a mountain bike ride when I got home. Of course I said yes. So I got home, went running, and then we left to go ride. We planned to ride Powerline Pass; which is a 6 mile uphill and then a fantastic 6 mile return downhill. After skirting some moose on the trail, we were 3 miles into the ride when I had to quit. I had worked all day, gone running, skipped dinner, and then just bonked on this ride.

We got home and I was expressing my surprise at having to cut our ride short due to having no more gas in the tank. My brother asked, "Do you think maybe you've overtrained for your marathon and this is your body telling you to slow down?" I said no. He gave me a look that said you-aren't-the-brightest-crayon-in-the-box and replied, "You really don't think so? Because the day before your 20 mile run you hiked 18 miles. And the day after your 15 mile run we hiked all day. All the extra hiking and bike rides and stuff seems like overtraining to me." I sat there stunned. The more I thought about it, obviously my brother was right (as usual).

So at that point I had 2 weeks until my marathon. So I decided to cut out all activity except for my training runs. Ri-i-i-ight. That was last Tuesday night. So Wednesday night we went for a short hike. Thursday night we went for a longer hike. Friday night I climbed a mountain. Saturday was a long run. And Sunday started out innocently enough but turned into a 6 1/2 hour death march off the trail through chest-high undergrowth and climbing the same mountain twice.

So much for taking it easy. This would explain why I've lost 20 pounds this summer.

driver's licenses and cell phones

When I moved from New York to Kentucky, I kept my NY driver's license for four years because I didn't want to give it up. (It's a NY thing) But alas, my last year in Kentucky I bought the sweet car infamously known as Kenny. So I had to get a Kentucky driver's license. Which basically meant I went to the DMV, handed them my NY license, they took my picture, and handed me a Kentucky driver's license. No problemo. Easy Squeezy.

Being here in Alaska, I want an Alaskan driver's license and plates. You would think Alaska would be a pretty easy place to get a license. But I've been to the DMV three times now. They've asked for everything short of a DNA sample and a binding contract giving them custody of any first born child I might ever have. I finally jumped through all the hoops and had to take the (computerized) written test. AND I FAILED!!! And the worst part is that when I went back up the the information desk and told the lady I failed (in front of a line full of people), she looked at me incredulously and exclaimed, "HOW?!?" I can't believe the DMV lady gave me grief for failing! So when I left I took one of the manuals to study. I of course, haven't studied it but am considering writing all sorts of subversive messages in it and sneaking it back on the rack.

p.s.-regarding my cell phone:
1) yes, saying i dropped my cell phone into a glacial crevasse would have sounded better than saying i dropped it in the toilet. unfortunately i didn't think of that at the time of my last posting. no, i wasn't using the cell phone at the time of said drop.
2) yes, it will still be the same phone number. I got that question a lot.
3) my cell phone provider today informed me they are revoking my cell phone insurance since this is my third cell phone in a year. I am too amused to be mad. I wanted to tell the lady that, statistically speaking, we'll probably be having this same conversation in about 4 months.

Highs and Lows

Yesterday Scott and I hiked 18 miles in the Chugach State Park. Woo hoo! And we both got stung by bees. Boo! I'm seriously allergic, never carry an Epipen, and didn't have a life-threatening reaction. Woo hoo! But we got our butts kicked by the trail and didn't summit the mountain we were trying to get to. Boo! Today I ran 20 miles to train for my marathon August 19. Woo hoo! And tonight I dropped my cell phone in the toilet. Boo! (That makes 3 phones in less than 1 year) I've got phone insurance. Woo hoo!

p.s. - if we've talked on the phone in the last 6 months, please send me your phone number!

Quotable quotes for $200

I love a good quote. Here's a few I came across while reading "Ultra-marathon Man: Confessions of an all night runner" by Dean Karnazes (which is a great read, by the way)...

"That which does not kill you makes you stronger." -Friedrich Nietzsche

"What counts in battle is what you do when the pain sets in." -John Short

"When you're going through hell, keep going." -Winston Churchill

"You only live once, but if you work it right, once is enough." -Joe Louis

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: 'WOW! What a ride!'" -Unknown

Baird brother Alaskan adventure #1

Well folks, having my brother up here in Alaska has been a breath of fresh air. We are having a blast. Yesterday after I ran 15 miles for my upcoming marathon and my brother got evicted from his bedroom by the screwball ex-missionaries whom we share a house with (long story), we threw our gear in the back of my truck and headed south to Girdwood. We parked at the Crow Pass trailhead and hiked 4 miles to some old mine sites. After scouting out some potential mines to explore we started climbing. First we climbed up Barnes Mountain, with a vertical gain of about 800 feet. The first mine we found was a good one. My brother wisely pointed out that gold is often found in quartz. While the first mine only went back about 200 feet, the vein of quartz and gold apparently also went upward. We were able to climb up old ladders and hundred year old posts wedged into the shaft. These posts held beams which miners probably sat on while they dug for gold. The above photo is of Scott as we were leaving that mine to climb to the summit of Barnes. The second mine we found was also a good one, with several passages off the main path. The third and final mine we found was the one I mentioned several weeks ago. It was large, dark, and full of icy glacial water. My brother wasn't too keen on entering this one. So wearing nothing but my water shoes, a bathing suit, a winter hat, and a headlamp, I started wading into the icy water. Have you ever been in water so cold it actually hurts? Ya, I only made it about 5 feet and about thigh deep in the water before I turned back. Click on my flickr link on the right hand side of the blog to see photos.
Anyway, after about 4 hours we were pretty tired so we hiked back to the truck and set up camp. Over a tasty dinner of cheddar bratz, corn, and beefaroni, washed down with Long Board Ale, we relaxed and enjoyed a day well spent. You'll probably hear me say this a lot over the next 2 months but I freakin' love my brother. He is fun and smart and sarcastic. Plus I don't know anyone else crazy enough to go on these type of adventures!!

"Adventure is worthwhile in itself." -Amelia Earhart

the fam-damily

The annual Baird family camping trip was a blast. Everyone was there except two brother-in-laws. You'd think with such a big group that 2 people wouldn't be missed. But Steve and Todd, it wasn't the same without you!! Even the return trip to Anchorage was great because A) my brother came back with me for the duration of the summer and B) I got to see Eddie and Brianne during my layover at the Seattle airport.

S'mores!

Meet my neice, Madison. She is 3 years old and one of nine reasons why being an uncle ROCKS!! Before moving to Alaska in May, I drove home to Buffalo, NY in April to say goodbye to my family since I wouldn't see them again until November. My sister told me that afterwards, on their drive back to Pittsburgh, Madison gave a sob from the back seat and tearfully said, "Mom, I miss Uncle Rob already and I don't think I can make it 'till November." Geez! I'm not one to get teary-eyed but that one got me!!

Every summer the entire Baird clan (that's 22 and counting) comes together for our annual family camping trip in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. The fam is pretty bummed that I'm all the way up here in Alaska and can't make it back for what I like the call "the best week of my entire year." What they don't know is that months ago I bought a plane ticket to Philadelphia where I will meet up with my sister Kristen and we'll drive up to the 'Dacks together. I CAN NOT WAIT to see the faces on my parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews when I step out of the car. It will be a week of hiking, eating, canoeing, eating, swimming, eating, card games, bonding, enjoying God's beautiful creation, laughter, and yes, eating! While everything we do this week will be a blast; from the euchre and dart tournaments to the canoe trips and the hikes, my favorite moments will be at night around the campfire. The sun will have gone down, the busy-ness of the day will have settled, and the call of the loons will echo across the lake. And while laughing and reminiscing and telling stories that we've all told and heard a million times before, I'll have a neice or nephew or two snuggled in my lap, wrap my arms around them, and ask God for the millionth time why I was blessed with such an amazing, loving family.

power napping on raven glacier

So yesterday I drove 30 miles southeast of Anchorage, near the town of Girdwood, and parked at the Crow Pass Trail head. I hiked up the historic Iditarod trail to Raven Glacier; right next to Crow Pass. I left the trail and hiked along the south side of the glacier, making sure to hug the wall since walking on a glacier isn't the smartest thing to do (those crevasses will getcha every time!). I found a rocky outcropping and ventured out onto it. The weather up until this point had been about 50 degrees and rainy. But suddenly the clouds parted and the sun was shining. I laid down on the rocks, closed my eyes, and just listened. Glaciers actually make a lot of noise. There was the sound of water gurgling under the glacier, the sound of rocks clattering down the valley walls, and deep pops and groans as tons and tons of ice unperceivably inched forward, grinding rock into silt. It was so peaceful that I actually ended up taking a 30 minute power nap. When I woke up, cloud cover had moved in, the temperature had dropped, and visibility was terrible. I headed back the way I came and had little difficulty retracing my route. Unfortunately one part of my route had been quite precarious due to a very steep scree field that caused mini-avalanches on my ascent. And since its always harder to climb down than up, I wasn't too keen on trying that route again. Also unfortunate was the ever thickening cloud cover which had reduced my visibility to about 50 feet. So there I was, stuck on a cliff, unable to see in any direction. What is the best course of action in a situation like this? Sit and wait. Instead of panicking I decided this was an ideal time to inventory the snacks in my pack and have a little picnic while I waited for the cloud cover to thin out. And to take the photo posted above. Sure enough, about 30 minutes later, I could see well enough to pick a less hazardous route down. I'm sure there's some significant life lessons to be gleaned from all of this. And I'm sure you, the reader, are smart enough to pick out those little nuggets of wisdom.

On the hike back to my truck I also found an abandoned gold mine. The entrance was hidden by a giant boulder. But by squeezing around it I was able to get in. It was filled with water but by the sound of distant running water I could tell the mine went pretty far back. I toyed with the idea of swimming through the mine with my keychain flashlight but I'll admit that swimming alone in an unfamiliar pitch black mine was a little too adventurous for me! Luckily my brother will be moving out here in about 2 weeks, so I know exactly where our first adventure will be!!

Smug and proud

so, yesterday one of my former coworkers from the railroad job came into the art gallery to say hi. she also told me that everyone was quitting. joe, vicky, and a bunch of others that I trained with and worked with have had it with Holland America and are all throwing in the towel. They are sick of working themselves to the bone, never knowing when their next day off will be, and Holland America's general disorganization. Her direct quote was, "At the time we all thought you were crazy for quitting, but now we all realize what a wise decision you made." Ah, music to my ears!! See, everyone out there thinks I'm a big slacker when in fact I'm just pretty damn smart. Speaking of which, I'm kinda looking for a new job...

ten minutes less

So, Saturday here in Anchorage I participated in my second 1/2 marathon. I had to run 13 miles anyway for my training schedule for August's marathon so I figured "why not do a race?" My friend Kristine (whose group just successfully summitted Denali last Tuesday) ran with me. Yes, that's right. She just climbed a 20,320 foot mountain complete with a 24 hour hike toward the bottom where they had to dodge dangerous crevasse fields and which got them back into town on Thursday AND STILL she had the energy and motivation to run in the 1/2 with me. I don't think this girl is human. Anyway, running together was great! Literally the miles flew by. I finished in 2 hours and 3 minutes; about 10 minutes faster than the 1/2 marathon I ran 6 weeks ago. So I've been asking myself "don't two 1/2 marathons count as running one full marathon?" Mathematically it works. But I'm not sure that would really count.

This is where I'll die

This is a photo of the trail that will most likely claim my life later this summer. See I've always had a certain weakness when it comes to mountain biking. And by weakness I mean I can't get enough of it, especially the descents. So maybe addiction is a better word? Anywho, today I rode my bike up Powerline Pass in Chugach State Park. The pass still had some snow blocking it so I ditched my bike and proceeded on foot. Once over the pass I continued following the powerline and came over a ridge only to find A) this amazing view (that you can't see so well in this photo but check my Flickr account for better shots) and B) the most amazing descent I've ever seen. The trail just...drops. Several thousand feet. In just a couple of miles. And it is just this sort of trail that I can see myself fah-lying down and missing a turn or hitting a rock and doing a spectacular endo where I cartwheel through the air ever so gracefully and then splat everywhere. So I'm just saying in advance that it was well worth it and I enjoyed the ride. I guess that goes for both the ride that day and life in general.

random looks good on me

ya know, i gotta say, it ceases to amaze me how flippin' random my life can be sometimes. if you'd told me this morning when i woke up that i was going to spend the night at a non-profit fundraiser i would have said, "okay." but if you'd told me that the "fund raiser" seemed more like a "we need to scrape some rent money together so let's throw together two kegs of beer and a band where the drummer doesn't wear a shirt and writes all over himself with black marker and the keyboard player is 9 months pregnant and call it a fund raiser" i would still say "sure, whatev". but if you told me this would all take place on the roof of a building while hanging out with a Ukranian, a dairy farmer from vermont, and some guy named travis from portland (oh, did i mention there was a real coyote hanging out on the roof with us?), i think i would have thought you were on drugs. turns out, you're not on drugs. and if you don't even know me, you're probably thinking right about now that i'm on drugs.

the day just kept getting stranger

Today has been a weird day. I woke up to two moose bathing in the coy pond in my backyard. Then I ran a difficult eight miles through the Chugach Mtns. Then as I walked from my truck to work, 2 kamikaze seagulls were dive bombing my head. I literally had to cover my head with my library book and sprint through the park!

Then things really got weird. While at work, one of my coworkers and I heard shouting on the street outside the art gallery. We looked out the front window and there was a couple yelling at each other. They were both probably about 20 years old and it was immediately obvious that they were both under the influence of alcohol or drugs. And they were absolutely screaming at the top of their lungs at each other, calling each other every name in the book. And I knew that we were probably going to have to break up a fist fight if things got any worse. The really scary part is that the guy had 2 buddies with him. I'm not going to lie, I was scared. At one point the girl ran at the guy and pushed him away. And I thought, "Oh $#@% here we go." But instead the guy walked right out into the street into oncoming traffic. How he didn't get hit or cause an accident, I don't know. A few minutes later he (and his buddies) left.

Another onlooker went up the girl and asked her if she was okay, if she needed help, if she wanted someone to escort her somewhere safe. She looked at this onlooker and told him in no uncertain terms where he could go. She was as abusive toward him as she was to her boyfriend. And my coworker said to me, "Well, now she deserves whatever she gets, since she won't even accept help."

I've been replaying this event in my head all night. That girl is someone's daughter, someone's sister, someone's friend. That guy is someone's son, someone's nephew, someone's brother. What series of events unfolded in each of their lives to bring them to this point; being strung out on some substance and screaming and swearing and abusing each other in the middle of the street? They couldn't always have been this way. What pain did they experience, what insults did they absorb, what lies did they buy into, what poor decisions did they make that brought them today to the sidewalk in front of where I work? All I can think of is my nieces and nephews and how heart-broken I'd be if they were homeless and strung out on drugs.

My coworker seemed to think that this girl deserved whatever treatment she might incur because she didn't accept help. But maybe she couldn't. Maybe she's been wounded or tricked or hurt so many times that when a genuine hand of concern is extended to her, she can't even recognize it. Maybe her only defense mechanism is to lash out.

I'm told Anchorage actually has both a pretty serious gang problem as well as a large population of homeless people. A lot of them, both street kids and the homeless, congregate in front of the bus station a couple blocks from where I work. And I'll admit, I changed the route I walk from my truck to work so I wouldn't have to walk by them. But that only served to compound the brick-in-the-gut feeling I have. This issue has been on my mind for a couple of weeks now. I want to do something...but what? How can I help? I'm just an aimless outdoorsy dude from the lower 48 who's housesitting for the summer. But at the same time how can I sit in church on the weekend singing about the love of Jesus and then turn a blind eye toward such suffering all week long? Its a scary thing, because its just so easy NOT to get involved. Its easy to rationalize it all away; that homeless people are freeloaders, that street kids are just punks who need some discipline. But I think those are hollow answers.

I don't know. I guess my next step is to see if the new church I started going to has a ministry for the homeless. But at any rate, I feel like today's events have hit me hard and I'm still processing it all. If you've made it through all my ramblings, thanks for reading.

Almost 24 hours a day of sunlight is good for the soul

Some of you have asked recently if I felt that quitting my job on the railroad was the right decision. After this past week I am 100% sure that yes indeed, it was! My new job at the Stephens Fine Art gallery in downtown Anchorage is a blast. I work with great people and I get to do all sorts of different tasks.

But even better was this past weekend. After helping my friends get ready for their trek to Denali, on Saturday evening I went to church and then hung out with some new friends till all hours of the night. This new church I've found, Change Point, is great. The worship is amazing. It feels like water being poured out on parched land; I can't seem to soak it in enough. And the pastor's sermon on allowing God to illuminate even the dark places in our lives was inspiring.

But the best was Sunday. I slept in until 9, mowed the lawn, cleaned the house, did laundry, and still had time for a 7 hour, 13 mile hike up into Chugach State Park. My goal was to climb the Wedge. But once I started hiking I realized that the Wedge looked pretty wimpy so instead I climbed the Ramp, which afforded me a 360 degree of snow covered peaks and the Pacific Ocean. I sat up there for probably 2 hours, allowing myself to tune into the quiet tranquility that can only be found in remote, wild places. I even took a power nap before heading down by a different route.

That's the beauty of Alaska summers. There's no real darkness, so there's no pressure to get a hike done before dark. I feel like the focus of my summer up here has shifted from "working my tail off to make some money" to "slow down and get in tune with God." All the light-ness and rugged nature up here seems to be therapeutic in helping me reconnect with God. And after all, isn't that what its all about anyway?

"...God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin...If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanuse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:5-9

A little help?

I'm sitting here writing surrounded by mountains of...well, mountain gear. Three new friends of mine arrived early yesterday morning and just left today in an attempt to summit Denali. Also known as Mt. McKinley, it is the highest point in North America at 20, 320 feet; with a daunting three miles of vertical elevation. Brandon, Jay, and Kristine (and their friend Sean) will be facing many obstacles including extreme weather, dangerous terrain, and high elevation in their month long quest. Even though they've only been here 24 hours they have already become good friends of mine. Those of you of the religious persuasion, please take a moment and pray for good weather and their safe return. Thanks! (and don't worry Mom, I'm not going with them)

If you care to check their progress or send them an encouraging text message, you can do so at the following link:

http://www.seanswarner.com/

Workin' 9 to 5 - well, not really...

I start a new job today. I will be working at an art gallery in downtown Anchorage; doing framing design as well as packing and shipping of sold pieces. And a little bit of sales on the side. While the pay isn't quite what my old job would have been, I think it will be a fun summer job. I'll be working 1:30-9:00 PM Monday through Friday. I'm not sure how I feel about those hours. But whatev.

Exercise in Alaska - hazardous to my health!

For the approximate 2 of you who actually read this blog (thanks Mom and Dad), you probably know that I'm training for a marathon in August. Now that I'm getting settled in I finally committed to a training schedule that required me to run 14 miles today. I found my missing $100 gift card to REI (thank you Chappy) yesterday and bought all sorts of shiny new running gear; bright red running shirt, snazzy moisture wicking hat, Camelbak fanny pack, and yummy sport beans. I also decided to try some raspberry flavored energy gels.

So today I took off and headed for some trails a couple miles from my house. I reached the trail head only to find bright neon colored signs everywhere with yesterday's date warning of a grizzly bear that was prone to approaching people! I know, a normal person would have turned around and just ran somewhere else. (There was also a smaller sign that said something about an aggressive female moose with 2 babies wandering near the trail.) But I of course decided that the best course of action would be to: A) turn off my iPod so that Gwen Stephani would't drown out any telltale signs of a grizzly or moose creeping up on me and B) stick to wide open multi-use trails. Of course I meant to buy a couple bear bells yesterday at REI but forgot. Of the research I've done on hiking/running/camping in bear country, every source said that creating noise is the best way to prevent a bear attack. Simply talking to your hiking buddies alerts the bear to your presence. 9 times out of 10 the bear will move away before you even know its there. Even when you're in the woods by yourself experts recommend talking, singing, whistling, etc.

Well, I'm already running 14 miles and sucking wind hard, so I'm not exactly in the best condition to belt out my favorite show tunes. And while I do fully intend on buying a bear bell, I inwardly chuckle and think a bear in the woods hearing the merry tinkle of a distant bell would have much the same reaction as young kids playing in the front yard on a beautiful summer's eve hearing the distant tinkle of an ice cream truck; ears perk up, eyes widen, and an evil, skull crushing smile begins to form on their face. (Well, maybe more so the bears than the kids)...

Anyway, back to me in the woods. I decided that clapping would be my best course of action. Yes, I decided that slapping my hands together would be my best (and only) protection against an aggressive and potentially deadly animal many times faster, meaner, and bigger than myself. Besides, it was like having someone cheer for me. Every hundred feet or so I'd clap four times rapidly. I realize this might seem like folly to any other outdoor enthusiasts I may come across. But I'd rather their first impression of me be some wacko clapping and running in the woods than some mangled carcass being munched on by a grizz or trampled by a moose.

And so I ran. And clapped. Every couple of miles I drank some water and ate some sport beans or raspberry energy gel. The gel was kinda gross. And syrupy and sticky. Enough so that I soon had it all over my fingers. Which was ju-u-ust great. Now I looked AND smelled like a giant raspberry bouncing down the trail.

Earlier, when I'd reached the trailhead, I had looked at a map and noted a military base of some sort adjacent to the trails. So when I saw a sign notifying me I'd cross onto the base, I wasn't concerned. However, several miles later I was concerned when I saw a giant sign that announced, "UNEXPLODED AMMUNICATION!! PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!" Coincidentally, the sign also marked my 1/2 way point. So I readily turned around and began running home. I mean seriously folks, grizzlies and momma mooses are one thing, but landmines?!

My return trip through the woods went rather smoothly. Only one wrong turn. And I did see the mother moose and calves as well as a bull moose. Not as dramatic as you'd think. Soon enough I was back on the road and back to relative safety. And amazingly enough 14 miles passed by quicker and easier than I'd anticipated. Apparently the miles just roll by when you're more concerned with being torn limb from limb than you are about your running pace. Who knew?

Unemployment rocks!

So, this is my to-do list from today:

1. apply for and/or interview for a job
2. climb a mountain

I think this will be my new daily. I know what you're thinking. "Rob, how can any one man tackle such an ambitious, grueling juggernaut-of-a-schedule day after day?!?" Well, I am no ordinary man. (I'm sure anyone who knows me would agree with that statement, but for different reasons) So now my only worry is not to get eaten by a grizzly bear or fall off a mountain. Or worse, become employed!!

50 ways to leave your lover

So, I'm still in Fairbanks, Alaska. Yes we were supposed to take the train back to Anchorage today. But our manager here completely messed up our itinerary so we are stuck here all day. We are staying at the very lovely Best Value Inn, which is conveniently located among the gentlemen's clubs and adult video stores in the area. And Holland America isn't paying for our meals while we are here "training", so we're spending money we don't have. The past 5 days have been quite like a missions trip: never knowing what's next, being told to hurry up and then wait, having no idea where we are or how to get anywhere else.

The highlight for me was yesterday driving back from Chena Hot Springs after an awful day of a totally screwed up itinerary by our less-than-competent manager. She was driving and kept falling asleep at the wheel. For my coworker Vikki and I, it was the breaking point. We just started laughing. And I'm not talking about a quick little chuckle. I am talking about church giggles; where you attempt to keep quiet and your body is shaking with tears streaming down our faces. And just when one of us would compose ourselves, the other would snort or sniffle or do something to cause the other person to lose it all over again.

My brother's now infamous quote comes to mind, "It's only an adventure if you wish you were home in bed at least part of the time." This is officially an adventure and will provide me with stories for a lo-o-o-o-ong time. :-)

The "Rob, Vikki, and Joe" Tour?

Hello from Denali National Park and Preserve!

Well, well, well, where to begin...I reported to work in Anchorage yesterday at 6:30 AM along with my fellow TSRs (Train Sales Reps), a 60 year old Texan named Vikki and a 20 year old Connecticut guy named Joe. No one really knew what to do with us. So they stuck us on a train and said, "Someone will meet you in Denali." So we spent 8 hours riding on the train, soaking in the scenery, and basically doing nothing while our fellow employees busted their tails working and giving us the evil eye. And unbeknownst to us, we began what we have now dubbed the "Robert, Vikki, and Joe" tour. Because when we finally figure out where we're supposed to be we get there late, and someone in charge will say, "Are you Robert, Vikki, and Joe?"

Anyway, we arrive in Denali and surprise, no one is there to greet us. Luckily one of the tour guides lumped us in with his group and took us to the Chalet. There I managed to find a manager who seemed surprised by our arrival but quickly found us housing and whipped up an intinery for our stay in Denali. See, the whole point of our "training" is to experience the extra tour options so we can better sell them to the customers on the train.

So last night we rode ATVs with 3 Bulgarian guides who would say things like, "We are now at ree-ver. You stop and take peek-chores." The highlight was when my fellow TSR Joe, who had been talking about what an expert ATV driver he was and then proceeded to fishtail constantly kicking up clouds of dust through which the rest of us had to drive, tried to do a donut and lost control of his ATV. He was thrown off but jumped up and pretended to walk it off. It gets better. Joe's ATV kept moving and was about to go off a cliff. Until our Bulgarian guides, in an attempt to save the ATV, t-boned it at about 20 mph with their giant 6-wheeled ATV. They did manage to save the ATV from hurtling off a cliff. But they also smashed the hell out of it. I had to pretend to go take pictures of the view somewhere else because I was laughing so hard. After that we went on a horse drawn covered wagon tour into the woods and had a dinner of ribs, salmon, and steak.

Today we took a plane ride around Denali (a.k.a. Mount McKinley) which is the tallest mountain in North America at 20,230 feet-ish. We also got a tour of the Husky Homestead where they train dogs for the Iditarod. We then went on a jet boat tour up the Nenana River to an old gold panning camp and heard a lecture on trapping and then got to do some panning. I even got some gold. About four cents worth.

Man, I am so tired. But tomorrow we are going horse back riding before heading to Fairbanks to do a buttload of more tour stuff. And through all of this I've learned many things, but 2 that I'll share here:

1. Let's do some quick math. Rob + train + food = Rob + motion sickness - food. 'Nuf said.

2. I don't think I'm going to keep this job. I know, you're probably thinking I'm an idiot. But see, I drove up here without much communication about what my job would be like. And after being with people for 48 hours straingt and now I've seen that my job will be to ride a train for 14 hours a day selling tour packages, that is already driving me batty. And I'll do that six days a week. Again, with people for 14 hours a day for six days a week. Is there a job out there that sounds any LESS like me?

But I'm stuck on this "Robert, Vikki, and Joe" tour until Sunday. So I'm not going to quit until I get back to Anchorage. Otherwise they'll probably kick me off the train somewhere in the literal middle of nowhere!!

A "Dukes Of Hazzard" welcome to Alaska!

Well, I'm here. Six days of driving, over 4000 miles (including my little side trip to Jasper National Park), many visits to Tim Horton's, all sorts of wildlife sightings (including bear, mountain goat, elk, buffalo, moose) and lots of car karaoke I made it safely to Anchorage. The road trip out here was exhausting but amazing. And having no cell phone for the majority of the trip was surprisingly pleasant. It afforded me long stretches of quiet times of reflection and prayer. As well as time to work on my solo career. I won't quit my day job.

I did learn three things while driving through northern Canada:

First, I now have an appreciation for country music. Weird, I know. But there's something about being on the road for days and days that makes country music actually make sense.

Second, when they post a speed limit in northern Canada, they are just kidding. You can go as fast as you want.

Third, when they post a sign that reads "REDUCE SPEED! ROUGH ROAD AHEAD!", they are serious as a heart attack. I learned this one the hard way (after truly embracing lesson #2). See, up here the winters are so harsh that they reek havoc on the roads. The road will actually buckle, causing a depression followed by a giant speed bump. The distance in height between the two can actually be up to two feet. So imagine my surprise when I hit the first of many of these "rough road" sections at 85 mph. I know for certain that all four tires of my truck left terra firma for at least a 2 second period. It was exactly like the Dukes of Hazzard. Except for the fact that unlike Bo and Luke Duke, I was trying to take a sip from my Nalgene bottle and ended up taking a second bath. Also, unlike those crazy Duke boys, I was unaware of my impending jump and therefore yelled something entirely different than their trademark rebel "Yeeeee-ha!"

But I'm here and alive and my truck is intact. I'm staying with my friend Courtney's relatives. They are great people and have offered to let me house sit for them for the summer. Which is very generous and kind of them! And they have a beautiful house too.

I start my job training as a train sales rep on Monday. I don't know when I have to don my outfit of black pleated pants, white tuxedo shirt, and gold vest. But rest assured, I will take photos and post them as soon as I am able! I know everyone in the Admissions office at Asbury is greatly anticipating that!

Speaking of photos, I'm going to start uploading photos to my flickr site now so you should be able to click on the link to the right and check them out. Enjoy!

Drive to Alaska - Day 5, Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Greetings from White Horse, British Columbia. Drove 586 miles today. Stopped at Liard Mineral Hot Springs for a soak. As I was walking up the trail toward the springs I happened to look up and what was coming toward me on the trail but a bear! He was a little guy, probably about 2-300 pounds. I got a few photos of him before he saw me and took off into the woods. The Mineral Springs were pretty cool. But like any hot spring, there was a lot of sulfur. So I've had a sneaking suspicion all day that I smell like a big fart.

Later on while driving I saw two more bears, some more buffalo, a ton of elk, and another moose. Since its wide open country I've been able to drive VERY fast. At one point I was going 85 mph and drove through a flock of small birds. Unlike the Canadian Rockies all around me, that was NOT a pretty picture.

Hoping to hit the Alaska border tomorrow!! Woo hoo, cell phone coverage again!

What are the chances??

Oh ya, I forgot one more thing. So I was driving through the literal middle of nowhere in British Columbia today. And since there are no cops anywhere I was cruising along at top speed. And I came upon a car that had what else but a Miguel's sticker on the back. A MIGUEL'S STICKER!!! For those of you outside of the state of Kentucky, this means nothing. But Miguel's is a pizza/climbing shop nestled in the foothills of Eastern Kentucky's Red River Gorge. Its tiny and in the middle of the woods and has the best pizza on earth. And apparently Miguel's has international fame. Who knew?

The drive to Alaska - Day 3, wait, no its Day 4

Greetings from Fort Nelson, British Columbia.

Well, where to begin? I left Wilmore, KY on Saturday morning and drove 900 miles to Sauk City, Minnesota. I put a sign in my truck window that said "Alaska or bust!" and its been very entertaining to see people's reactions when they read it, as well as a great conversation starter at rest stops and gas stations. My favorite so far was just west of Chicago when this huge Lincoln Towncar came flying up next to me. I thought I was about to encounter some road rage but when I looked over, there was the sweetest little old lady waving and smiling and giving me a big thumbs up!

Sunday I drove 800 miles to Saskatoona, Saskatcheqan. The lady at the campground told me that there was a tornado there the night before. I made sure to REALLY stake my tent down that night. :-)

Monday I drove another bazillion miles to Jasper National Park in Alberta. Saw elk, buffalo, a moose, red tailed hawks, and loons (the bird, not persons of questionable psychiatric integrity). Took a ton of photos that I'll upload onto my flickr account soon.

In addition to the scenery and the great daily gift bags my Mom and niece Madison put together for me, its been so fun meeting all sorts of random, weird, and interesting people. When they hear that I'm driving to Alaska for the summer, they offer all sorts of encouragement and advice. But one tag line that keeps popping up is, "...might as well do it when you're young before you settle down." That strikes me as odd because the thing is, I'm not so young. Granted, thanks to genetics I look less than my 34 years of age. But if in 30 years I'm holding the same hand of cards so to speak: good health, a family that loves me, a truck with a load of outdoor gear in the back, and nothing more - but I've got a few more adventures under my belt, I've seen a bit more of the world, had my world view challenged and reshaped, and perhaps loved a few folks along the way - if that's where I'm at in 30 years without climbing even a single rung on the socioeconomic ladder then I will crack open a beer, kick back, and heave a deep sigh of contentment.

Venturing out...

Last night while waiting for my CB radio to be installed in my truck I was reading through the intro of Donald Miller's Through Painted Deserts (which my buddy Brent so thoughtfully sent to me). It had some good stuff related to the adventure I'm about to embark upon:

"It's a living book, this life; it folds out in a million settings, cast with a billion beautiful characters, and it is almost over for you. It doesn't matter how old you are; it is coming to a close quickly, and soon the credits will roll and all your friends will fold out of your funeral and drive back to their homes in cold and still and silence. And they will make a fire and pour some wine and think about how you once were...and feel a kind of sickness at the idea you never again will be.
And so my prayer is that your story will have involved some leaving and some coming home, some summer and some winter, some roses blooming out like children in a play. My hope is your story will be about changing, about getting something beautiful born inside of you, about learning to love a woman or a man, about learning to love a child, about moving yourself around water, around mountains, around friends, about learning to love others more than we love ourselves, about learning oneness as a way of understanding God. We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn't it?"

And on that note, my friends, until you hear from me in Alaska, I say goodbye. Go venture out.

3956 miles? no worries!

Below you'll (hopefully) find a link that shows my route to Alaska. I'm figuring it will take about six days of driving 12 hours a day. But I'm ready! I've got 5293 songs on my ipod to keep me rocking out. And I just bought a CB radio to install in my truck, which ought to be interesting. And of course I'll probably be calling every person in my phone, twice. I think the conversations will go something like this, "Hey its Rob. I'm driving through Horse's Buttcheek, North Dakota and I'm bored. Tell me your whole life store. Start at age 2. Go!"

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=143+Lowry+Lane,+wilmore,+ky&daddr=7200+Huffman+Rd,+Anchorage,+AK+99516&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=51.222969,81.738281&ie=UTF8&ll=60.802064,-122.34375&spn=32.67146,81.738281&z=4&om=1

4 days and counting...

Ah crap. I've become one of THOSE people. One of those people who think their thoughts are impressive enough to post for the world to read. I'm doing this under the pretense of inviting people to follow me along my journey from Kentucky to Alaska to New York to Africa over the next six months. So this blog is more a venue to tell you about the lastest stupid potential-neck-breaking adventure I've survived. So if its deep philosophy or passionate politics you want to read, head somewhere else. But if you're sitting at your desk in your monochromatic little cubicle and need a glimmer of hope that someday you'll get outside and do some exploring, TA DA. Here you go:

So in 4 days I will be leaving Wilmore, KY (my home for the past 5 years) where I'm graduating from Asbury Theological Seminary with a Masters degree in Youth Ministry to drive 3956 miles to Anchorage, Alaska to work on a tourist train for the summer. I just bought a 97 Toyota Tacoma with big knobby tires and 4 wheel drive to get me there. My job as a train sales rep will be to sell extra tour packages to tourists on the train from Anchorage to Denali National Park to Fairbanks and back again. The best part of this whole adventure is that my brother Scott will be joining me in a month or so. Two Baird brothers and the wilderness of Alaska - God help us all.