Mountain Sledding and Ramez

Like many tourism companies, we are feeling the effects of America’s newfound frugality as tourists opt for cheaper excursions rather than spending thousands on a couple hours of dogsledding with the family. In fact, for the past couple of weeks, it seems as if both the economy and the weather have teamed up. On days of bluebird skies, balmy temperatures, and magnificent views, very few, if any, tourists sign up for a dog sled ride. When we are finally booked full, the weather decides to engulf us in a cloud and prevent the helicopters from reaching our remote dog camp. The good news is that this leaves me with ample time to partake in one of my favorite activities: reading. Over the past month, I’ve had the opportunity to blaze through multiple books including Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende, The Runaway Jury by John Grisham, Fire by Sebastian Junger, The Voice of My Heart by Gilbert Tuhabonye, Addicted to Danger by Jim Wickwire and Dorothy Bullit, and Alaska’s Wolf Man by Jim Rearden just to name a few. Of course after awhile, I just don’t idle well. Days of minimal activity finally led Seth, another musher, and I to venture to the top of one of the surrounding ridges for a little sledding.
The rest of the day’s tours had just been cancelled. Seth, Matt, and I were moseying about and tinkering in the dog yard in an effort to pass the time. I proposed that we take one of the sleds up the one avalanche-free slope for a bit of sledding. Next thing I know, Matt has the sled hooked up to the snowmachine (I would call it a snowmobile like the rest of the country, but Alaskans are quick to ostracize a person for being “unalaskan”, which includes calling a snowmachine a snowmobile), and we’re racing up the mountainside. Due to the steepness of the slope and the gutlessness of the snowmachine, we make it barely a quarter of the way up before the snowmachine starts to slide back down. We unhook the sled, and with Seth sitting and me driving, we cruise back down to dog camp. Thrilling, yes, but not as satisfying as I’d hoped. We had to go farther. Matt again tugged us up as far as he could with us running next to the sled, trying to assist the snowmachine. When we unhooked the sled, Seth and I began pushing and pulling the sled farther up. I must admit, I wasn’t intending on going all the way to the top, but once we surpassed the cloud ceiling, we really had no idea how far we had gone. We just kept trudging up the slope, resting every 20 feet or so. At the time, I was reading a mountaineering novel about K2, Everest, and other challenging peaks called Addicted to Danger, so as we slowly lugged the sled up, I was imagining the expeditions of the crazy climbers of the Himalayas. I have a new appreciation for their stamina and toughness. Finally, in a cloud, we reach the top. Careful not to step out on cornices, we briefly looked over the other side (just more cloud), and then prepared the sled for our return. With me videoing from the seat and Seth driving, we hurled down the slope, slicing through the clouds and arrived back at dog camp. For our long and arduous climb, we were rewarded with a very thrilling, minute and half long ride. It was definitely worth it. The video to the right filmed the entire trip, although it is mostly just voices and a white abyss. Our sledding venture is a highlight. One of the pictures shows the slope we came down, but does little to show the size.
The next day, the weather and tourism finally cooperated, and an Egyptian film crew arrived to film an episode for the popular reality TV show, Ramez Around the World, which will be aired in Egypt during Ramadan. It was my big break into show biz. I showed Ramez around the camp (quickly tidying up my tent as the camera crew came barging in), introduced him to the dogs, took him dog sledding, and then had a mock race against him (of which I won). The entire time, he would translate all I’d say and explain it to his fans in Egypt. I’m sure I looked pretty ridiculous as I stood awkwardly next to him with a microphone stuffed in my sports bra (my third boob as it was called) and wearing week-old dog clothes. We’ll just say I looked authentic. Overall it was an incredibly fun experience and a good change of pace. I loved working with the crew, and Ramez was quite a character. The pictures are of Ramez and I and the camera crew.