Category Archives: Arrigetch Odyssey 1986

My injured pointer finger taped to my index finger – stained by all the blueberry picking I did to atone for my woeful cheese procurement. Love this close up of the intricate ground cover that was everywhere. “Today was an even more perfect day. A day to relax. I picked an extra large pail ofContinue reading “August 25, 1986”

The West Sister (or Maiden depending on who you ask) from the East Sister. “We got up when the sun hit our tent about 10 am or so. We had a quick 2 oatmeals [sic] with blueberries (I’m the official blueberry picker). We went off up the valley about 11am. The vistas as we traveledContinue reading “August 24, 1986”

This was a rest day. Craig enjoys a book in the warm sun. Books turn out to be important gear later on. “Today was designated ‘lazy day’ from the word go.” – Journal August 23, 1986 It was a great camp for a little rest and relaxation – compete with hot tub. We had zipContinue reading “August 23, 1986”

Looking back on upper Arrigetch Creek as we leave the watershed to hop over to the next canyon. L to R: The Tusk, Xanadu, Ariel and Caliban. “We tried to get up early but because it was cold we waited for the sun. Blueberries and oatmeal. Dave and I washed our hair. Yeah! We wereContinue reading “August 22, 1986”

Even though we didn’t succeed in climbing Caliban, these two good friends remain undaunted. In between the “kitty” ears on Caliban. “We awoke to rain falling off and on. It had rained hard during the night and my sleeping bag was wet at the toes… The sun dappled the hills. The Alaskans decided to goContinue reading “August 21, 1986”

I’ve heard this called the Aquarius Valley, but by any name the upper Arrigetch Creek is awe inspiring. That is Xanadu in the background. “We woke this morning to a wet snow falling in our valley. We dozed until noon… [Our shelter] is just a tarp set up with ice axes and bivi sacks underneath.Continue reading “August 20, 1986”

Jim and Steve split off from the group for a few days and took this shot of The Tusk above unnamed lakes. Dave, Craig and I climbed The Tusk (Also called “The Elephant’s Tooth) on this day. Photo by Steve Sharpe. “A great day! For once we weren’t “The Crack of Noon Club.” We mustContinue reading “August 19, 1986”

“I got up around 10 or 11 and gathered a cup or more of blueberries for our pancakes. We sat around and pigged. The Alaskans had expresso!” – Journal August 18, 1986 After the previous day’s march, it was nice to leave the packs off for a day. It was a sunny day with onlyContinue reading “August 18, 1986”

“‘The crack of noon club’ had made it’s debut. We packed up quickly because of the dreaded haul… …the pace at the beginning of the day was set by maniac Tony. I thought I would drop. The mosquitos were awful. I had serious doubts. The tussocks thinned out but the pace was intense. I feltContinue reading “August 17, 1986”

Jim, Tony, Mark, Sharon and Steve picked me up at Fairbanks International about 1:30 AM after getting pizza. We grabbed some beer at a 711 and went to the Regency Hotel and met up with Dave, Craig and “The Christians” as they became to be known. We happily adopted “The Pagans” as our designation. “Dave,Continue reading “August 16, 1986”