Into the Wild

The following is from Wednesday when I got to Denali National Park:

I successfully got all my crap loaded onto the camper bus and we have started the 6.5 hour drive to Wonder Lake. I'm a bit anxious about doing 8 nights back here but I figure I can always catch a bus back out if it gets too hairy. I admire the backcountry campers. I'm not yet enough of a woodsman to trust myself out there, especially alone.

The weather was excellent driving up from Anchorage but it's going to rain pretty soon. I'm glad I made it onto the bus before it starts. I hope it'll be done by the time we get to Wonder Lake.

I'm so glad I decided to do this. "Life is too short. Eat dessert first."

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The only element that distinguishes this area from pure wilderness is the road that cuts through it. This blood vessel of civilization carries me into the wild and is my way back home. Without the road, I'd have to figure out how to sustain myself apart from society.

I can't remeber when I first had this thought, but I'm often in awe of roads when I go on a trip. We have adapted our lifestyles around them and have abandon skills that were previously essential for travel. What amazes me the most is that there is a clear unbroken path from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to the tip of Argentina. When I'm sitting by the side of the road, sometimes I look down at its surface and take a journey along it in my mind through the countless miles and turns.

Brian