This is incredible, both the trips and the writing. I have so many questions about logistics, such as....doesn’t your iPhone freeze (and hand too if you have to remove a glove to use it) when you take pics? How do you recharge electronics with so few hours of sunlight, making solar chargers unworkable? Who breaks the trail that you were on--snow mobiles? Do you have to reserve the huts ahead of time or do you just show up & hope they’re available? Have you and Beat competed in the 6633 Arctic ultra? (My guess is yes!)
I relate vividly to your dreams--my parents visit me in mine, and I grasp those moments of being with them again, not wanting to wake and then feeling loss and disorientation when I do.
I’m thinking I will write a logistics / gear post soon. It’s always fun to discuss and get ideas from others. But to quickly answer your questions.
1. I take pictures with both my phone (an Android Pixel 8) and my Sony RX100 camera. The camera has proven great in cold temperatures. Even if I keep it in an exterior pocket, it often keeps working in temps down to -20. The few times it does freeze and stop working, I can warm up the battery in my hand and it will start working again. However, I’ve grown lazier about my photography in recent years and like many people have deemed the phone good enough because it’s so easy and reliable. I keep my phone in a front pocket of my soft-shell pants, which are insulated by the primaloft shorts I nearly always wear. I’ve had no issues with it freezing, even at -30, since I take a quick snap and immediately put it back in my pocket.
2. I carry a power bank in my hydration pack, which I wear over my base layer but beneath my jacket(s). Anything I want to keep relatively warm, I try to stuff in this hydration pack, or in an interior pocket. My headlamp and GPS unit both run on AA batteries. Lithium AA batteries often are all that will work in subzero temperatures (at least on their usual battery run times.)
3. The BLM maintains this entire recreation area, and they do “groom” the trails once or twice a month. The grooming is fairly rudimentary (a single snowmobile dragging a flat trailer with a plow-like edge), and they don’t always get to all the trails. General traffic also keeps the trails in shape, but traffic is fairly light to nonexistent, especially in the outlying areas. It’s understood in the White Mountains that you are on your own, so you need to come prepared to break your own trail if necessary.
4. The cabins must be reserved ahead of time, and they only open up 30 days in advance at recreation.gov. Reserving the cabins is its own stressor, like trying to being the first to click on a first-come, first-served race entry. (Of course these cabins are not that popular and often aren’t even reserved.)
5. We’ve not raced the 6633 Arctic Ultra. I admit I only have a rudimentary understanding of that race — that it’s on the Dempster Highway in Canada and it’s very cold. The road aspect of the race makes it less appealing for us. It’s not a closed road. Big trucks travel by at regular intervals, which sounds terrifying. Also, so much wind! But I would love any opportunity to travel through the Arctic, and would not turn down the opportunity if it presented itself.
Jill your extreme word smith writing is absolutely wonderful. Reading is totally wonderful the way you make it all come together so perfectly. Sorry for feeling so dull trying to correspond with you. Rich.
Jill, I really like your writing. I am ready to embark on a journey of creating my own post in Substack under the “intrepid traveler.“
I am inspired and will be visiting Alaska for the first time this August with my wife and hope to encounter the beautiful nature you describe when we visit Denali and on Kodiak Island. I’ll do my best to describe it in my own voice and sprinkle it with some humor.
There is a perverse delight to living in extreme cold for a while. That's one of the reasons I like living up here. I call it "vigorous living!" Glad to share that with you and Beat.
I've been checking my Substack feed wondering if I had missed a post of yours but told myself you were probably adventuring---and you certainly were. We lead very different lives but I always relate to your self reflections and envy your tenacity to tackle these remote trails.
Around the time you were pulling sleds through the tundra, I was thinking I'd be fine if I never saw another snowflake as long as I lived. I was wondering about next winter; where will it be: Noosa? Mission Bay? Cuzco? All good places that I've been, but doesn't sound like I'll be seeing you there!
I mean, just because I like cold places does not mean I’m averse to warm coastal destinations or any other interesting and beautiful place in this world. Your good places sound wonderful.
Will you write a post about how you layer/adjust your layers in these conditions? I wanna learn! Also, the waterproof size-too-large hoka speedgoat mids u recommended to me in 2020 are still my favorite winter shoes! :)
I have only visited a few of the cabins in the region of the White Mountains. Possibly similar to you the extreme cold is an added excitement to the traverses themselves. Your descriptions leave me yearning to return to the state where I might travel in your shadow on a VERY FEW of your focused trails. Acknowledging my mediocrity even in your distant silhouette.
I fear that my lack of ability to write an interesting comment, dilutes my personal, Highest Praise for your fascinating tales. You are indeed first of all an Adventurer, and second an Author. Adventurer includes a deep appreciation for nature, even the big dipper at 35 Below. All of nature that you describe, is my draw to you and your mesmerizing writings.
You are a savant at writing! Please, please keep it going....as some of us hang on every word.
This is incredible, both the trips and the writing. I have so many questions about logistics, such as....doesn’t your iPhone freeze (and hand too if you have to remove a glove to use it) when you take pics? How do you recharge electronics with so few hours of sunlight, making solar chargers unworkable? Who breaks the trail that you were on--snow mobiles? Do you have to reserve the huts ahead of time or do you just show up & hope they’re available? Have you and Beat competed in the 6633 Arctic ultra? (My guess is yes!)
I relate vividly to your dreams--my parents visit me in mine, and I grasp those moments of being with them again, not wanting to wake and then feeling loss and disorientation when I do.
I’m thinking I will write a logistics / gear post soon. It’s always fun to discuss and get ideas from others. But to quickly answer your questions.
1. I take pictures with both my phone (an Android Pixel 8) and my Sony RX100 camera. The camera has proven great in cold temperatures. Even if I keep it in an exterior pocket, it often keeps working in temps down to -20. The few times it does freeze and stop working, I can warm up the battery in my hand and it will start working again. However, I’ve grown lazier about my photography in recent years and like many people have deemed the phone good enough because it’s so easy and reliable. I keep my phone in a front pocket of my soft-shell pants, which are insulated by the primaloft shorts I nearly always wear. I’ve had no issues with it freezing, even at -30, since I take a quick snap and immediately put it back in my pocket.
2. I carry a power bank in my hydration pack, which I wear over my base layer but beneath my jacket(s). Anything I want to keep relatively warm, I try to stuff in this hydration pack, or in an interior pocket. My headlamp and GPS unit both run on AA batteries. Lithium AA batteries often are all that will work in subzero temperatures (at least on their usual battery run times.)
3. The BLM maintains this entire recreation area, and they do “groom” the trails once or twice a month. The grooming is fairly rudimentary (a single snowmobile dragging a flat trailer with a plow-like edge), and they don’t always get to all the trails. General traffic also keeps the trails in shape, but traffic is fairly light to nonexistent, especially in the outlying areas. It’s understood in the White Mountains that you are on your own, so you need to come prepared to break your own trail if necessary.
4. The cabins must be reserved ahead of time, and they only open up 30 days in advance at recreation.gov. Reserving the cabins is its own stressor, like trying to being the first to click on a first-come, first-served race entry. (Of course these cabins are not that popular and often aren’t even reserved.)
5. We’ve not raced the 6633 Arctic Ultra. I admit I only have a rudimentary understanding of that race — that it’s on the Dempster Highway in Canada and it’s very cold. The road aspect of the race makes it less appealing for us. It’s not a closed road. Big trucks travel by at regular intervals, which sounds terrifying. Also, so much wind! But I would love any opportunity to travel through the Arctic, and would not turn down the opportunity if it presented itself.
Thank you!
Jill your extreme word smith writing is absolutely wonderful. Reading is totally wonderful the way you make it all come together so perfectly. Sorry for feeling so dull trying to correspond with you. Rich.
I appreciate you, Rich. Thank you.
Jill, I really like your writing. I am ready to embark on a journey of creating my own post in Substack under the “intrepid traveler.“
I am inspired and will be visiting Alaska for the first time this August with my wife and hope to encounter the beautiful nature you describe when we visit Denali and on Kodiak Island. I’ll do my best to describe it in my own voice and sprinkle it with some humor.
Jill, you are a fantasy in surreal writing.
There is a perverse delight to living in extreme cold for a while. That's one of the reasons I like living up here. I call it "vigorous living!" Glad to share that with you and Beat.
I truly hate being cold, but when you write about the extreme cold it still tantalizes me.
I've been checking my Substack feed wondering if I had missed a post of yours but told myself you were probably adventuring---and you certainly were. We lead very different lives but I always relate to your self reflections and envy your tenacity to tackle these remote trails.
Thanks for your compliments. You Misti are the introspective and alert lady. Rich
Just wonderful. The dream with your dad sounded so comforting.
Incredible trip, commentary, and photos!
You could give David Coggins some lessons.
Around the time you were pulling sleds through the tundra, I was thinking I'd be fine if I never saw another snowflake as long as I lived. I was wondering about next winter; where will it be: Noosa? Mission Bay? Cuzco? All good places that I've been, but doesn't sound like I'll be seeing you there!
I mean, just because I like cold places does not mean I’m averse to warm coastal destinations or any other interesting and beautiful place in this world. Your good places sound wonderful.
Will you write a post about how you layer/adjust your layers in these conditions? I wanna learn! Also, the waterproof size-too-large hoka speedgoat mids u recommended to me in 2020 are still my favorite winter shoes! :)
This is a great idea! I’m glad you like the shoes.
This is so beautiful I cried 🥲
Thank you!
I have only visited a few of the cabins in the region of the White Mountains. Possibly similar to you the extreme cold is an added excitement to the traverses themselves. Your descriptions leave me yearning to return to the state where I might travel in your shadow on a VERY FEW of your focused trails. Acknowledging my mediocrity even in your distant silhouette.
I fear that my lack of ability to write an interesting comment, dilutes my personal, Highest Praise for your fascinating tales. You are indeed first of all an Adventurer, and second an Author. Adventurer includes a deep appreciation for nature, even the big dipper at 35 Below. All of nature that you describe, is my draw to you and your mesmerizing writings.