Northern exposure

Today we caned the cards shopping in the Northern Lights district of downtown Anchorage, stocking up with enough supplies for four hungry lads to last 3 weeks out in the wilderness.  The taxi ride back from the supermarket was more like a stormy crossing of the English Channel rather than an easy drive back to 12th avenue. The clapped out motor's suspension was clearly shot - being packed to the gunnels with hire-skis, bagels and granola probably didn't help matters.

For the moment Alaska looks grey. The weather is fairly benign, but we've heard there has been a record winter here this year. A thousand inches of snowfall has been recorded in Valdez. Unphased by these big numbers and the numerous tales of cold conditions up high, Jon and Matt have been busy in the lounge of the B&B where they have transformed an avalanche of Black Diamond gear into well organised duffles. We are pretty much sorted now, just waiting for Greg to turn up with the sat-phone and Adrian's lap top which should now be fully configured to upload posts and photos from our planned base camp deep in the Ruth Gorge.

Tomorrow we head out to Talkeetna.

Johnny Baker

Matt and Jon demonstrate their affinity with nature