Alien Visitors and Ice Fishing

Days Walking - 13

Hoo Nelly, Unlucky 13.
Nothing happened.

So yeah, it was a pretty uneventful day. I stowed my iPod and just listened to the wind and my walking peeps. Ugh. I'm so very ready for a real bed.

Feeling pretty blah today, sameness is setting in and feeling oh so familiar... Ummmm.

Alaskan AP Wire informs us: The Atka Island (of the Aleutian Island chain) volcano is acting up. There's supposed to be quite an ash cloud going on, but we can't see it from here. It's pretty damned far away, but still. Not that I want ash raining on my parade, but I wanted to see it, from my safe distance...

...Let me just check the actual distance, here wait a sec... Ah, it's over 1500 miles away. No wonder I didna feel the rumblin. Damn this is a big state. More than half a million square miles, biggest effing state of them all.

As for yesterday's 'Missing Caffeine' reference - oh, I can have it, I just didn't bring any. I'm a caffeine-aholic, and decided to abstain during the trip. It's not like I need to be energetic and alert for school or work. I wanted to have a pristine hiking experience, unblurred by the edgy irritation caffeine can bring. So I left it off my list of Stuff to Bring, and now I'm sorry.

- - In an email, someone asked about crossing frozen bodies of water. Yeah, it's technically dangerous. There are some steps you can take to check and see if it's safe. You poke it.

I know that Mommy taught you that poking is impolite and crass.
- But ah - the ice, she don't mind.

Sorright? Sorright!

So you jab with your spiked walking stick, an ice axe, etc. You're driving the poking device of choice into the ice to check for thickness. 2 inches thickness or more will hold one average person, and once you reach around 8 inches, you can drive cars around on the ice. People do it, and it looks freaky.

So when you reach the edge of the frozen water body in question, you hack, chop, or poke poke poke until you verify that you've got two inches or more. So you begin crossing, and check the thickness every so often as you go.

As we cross the ice, we make sure we're spaced about 20 feet apart, and we're connected to a partner with a 20 foot line. Keeping the line pretty taut reminds you that your distance is propah.

Depending on your region, you can't assume that because one area of the ice is solid, the rest of it is. There could be all sorts of factors that weaken the ice, up to and including a hydrothermal vent / hot spring. (Gee, is Alaska volcanically active? Ask the folks on Atka Isle). Gotta keep peepers peeled and stay sharp.

Also, when you fall in (gotta assume that it's gonna happen, for preparedness) drop your backpack immediately, the gear has got to go. If we were really really smart, we'd be wearing personal flotation devices. We're not that smart. But, all the air trapped in our insulated parka's will provide some buoyancy.

Getting tired of the arctic lecture? Me too, sorry to be a bore. I don't know about you, but I come here for sexy tidbits about Jake and Anneli. No new sexcapades to report, sorry. They have been much chattier though. Glad the friction is lessened.

I have to say, there was surprisingly little condemnation from you guys about my wicked, wicked watching of their secret macking. Hee hee, you guys are as bad as I am.

Tomorrow will be more exciting, I promise. Even if I have to concoct an alien invasion. - - "They came for the ice fishing, but stayed for Love." - - Yikes!

Sigh.
I'm supposed to ask if anyone misses Marina's Wacky Espanol Phrase of the Day. I've stopped posting them, cause I don't find them very funny, really. But she's positive that her fans are out there. If you guys want them back, speak up. You'd think she'd get her own blog, but noooo.

Litany Webb, signing off

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