Last Minute Details

Driving around like maniacs today making last minute purchases, tending to bank accounts, making final decisions on gear and arguing about whether we will be able to purchase nuts and parmeasan cheese in Petropavlovsk - we are in the throws of pre-trip chaos. (The photos: Gear worksheet and the gear with McGyver.) A quick check of http://www.weather.com/ shows Yelizovo (near Petropavlovsk) is expecting snow next week and temps are hovering at 40 degrees. This causes me more stress and calls into question my packing strategy and my worse case scenario for staying warm - jumping in the sleeping bag.

I did make time to enjoy a few last minute luxury pursuits like a long, hot shower, a blow dryer and a soy latte. Of course, this led back to our debate on what exactly we can expect of Petropavlovsk. Scott thinks I will be surprised at the sparsity of the place. I counter that we will not lack for anything - a port city with a population of 200,000 will provide us with more than enough supplies for our ski objectives and probably some amazing delights we can't even imagine. Although, I do admit I would love to be free of my soy latte addiction and secretly hope we do not happen upon anything palatable in the nature of coffee.

Despite our minor arguments and debates, Scott and I travel well together and we are excited to actually get on the plane, look at each other and exclaim, "we're on va-ca-tion, we're on va-ca-tion" while stupidly 'stirring the pot.'

Biking with the girls.

Had a chance to enjoy our first-of-the-season-early-morning ride with the girls this past Wednesday. We took our chances on Grout Bay and found the trail mostly clear with long sections where we had to hike-a-bike through snow. Last year’s fire burned much of the foliage and a good deal of the trail is now more exposed. It's in good shape and we weren’t the first to ride it this year. Check out the fire devastation in the photo. There is also a fair amount of water this year and I would even venture to say some of the creeks had rapids.

I love biking with the girls. It’s really cool to hang out with some awesome women riders who don’t mind getting a little dirty and beat up before the day begins. Box Back!

The Russian Banya and Vodka

The Banya, or Russian steam bath, was the one thing I truly missed when I returned from Siberia the last time. We were so infatuated with this tradition we made plans to build our own Russian-style Banya at home.

The Banya’s we experienced were the simplest of designs: A stove was used to heat stones and water. Water was poured over the stones to create the warmth and humidity but not a huge amount of steam. Cold water was available and we used it to mix with the hot water to find a comfortable temperature for washing. Getting a good sweat first before washing was preferable. Whilst you can go it alone in the Banya, it is much easier and more fun to have a buddy along to help in pouring the water over your head and for rinsing. Wood slat floors allowed the used water to soak into the ground. The Banya seemed to always be located adjacent to a garden.

One other thing: We used white birch branches with the leaves left on to beat each other because it was said to stimulate circulation. The leaves did take the sting away of from being hit by a raw branch.

This trip we are hoping to visit a commercial banya while in Petropavolsk. I have read you alternate between the heat and steam of the sauna – getting a good sweat on – and a shower or bath of cold water, or even a naked roll in the snow. I’ve also read about a style of Banya used by mountaineers known as a Hike Banya. Picture a tent filled with a pile of rocks spaced so there is a fire within them. Once the rocks are heated, water is poured over them to produce steam and, I suspect, put the fire out. I can picture using a Mountain Hardwear Kiva tent. That could be very cool.

Ahhh and then there is Vodka. I am not much of a shot drinker but there is something about opening a bottle of Russian-made Vodka and chasing shots with a bit of bread and smoked fish. Actually, the way it goes is toast to something, eat a chunk of bread, drink and follow it down with a bite of smoked fish. At least that is the way a father and son from Ekaterineburg showed us how to do it.

The photo above was taken in Khuzir - a tourist town on Olkon Island. The Banya is in the far back of the garden.

Yoga, Spinning, Packing and Patrolling

This week my life is pretty much about yoga, spinning, packing and patrolling. Last day of patrol was today. Yoga and spinning will end soon and my packing deadline is fast approaching.

It’s hard to leave. When the final days come and the trip becomes more of realty then a plan, there is this point where I think “it is way more difficult to go than it is to stay.” The point at which I am so exhausted from tying up loose ends that I just want to sit and relax rather than finish figuring out what truly will be a necessity in Russia. And, unfortunately, it is also the time I start to freak out and think about the dangers of travel. What if I get sick? Hurt? Maimed?

No doublt there are objective hazards we could face on this expedition. Perhaps our number one hazard is the remoteness of our backcountry ski objectives. Other hazards include weather, avalanches, route-finding, river crossings, grizzly bears, grizzly bear hunters, and Russian military detainment and interrogation. From what we can tell weather should be similar to conditions found in south central Alaska, with perhaps more marine influence. We hope to find stable, spring snow conditions but realize we will be climbing and skiing volcanoes and they tend to have constant 30-40 degree slopes for thousands of feet – prime avalanche terrain. Navigating will be challenging – we can’t bring a GPS into Russia. River crossings may be different from the time we enter to the time we exit an area. We were told we could use a ‘puffed’ boat (we assumed this to mean a boat we blow up) or vodka as a bribe to locals with boats. Grizzly bears will be waking from hibernation. The largest in the world, Kamchatka bears – we believe - should not be a threat and may even be scared of us because of over-hunting. Grizzly bear hunters are an unknown but April is their season. Finally, we have heard other expeditions have been detained for not having proper papers. We think we have the proper permissions...

But, these are not the things to focus on, right? So as the days drift by – 7 more until we leave – I am not going to think about mitigating risks but rather the cool reality that once again we are fortunate enough to experience Siberia's beauty and incredible culture.

“Aggressive hospitality, international conversation and sweet Russian vodka.”

This was articulated to me late one evening on the shores of Central Siberia’s Lake Baikal. I was asleep in my tent when three drunken kayakers approached. A bit hazy myself from the similarly sweet Georgian wine I had consumed, I was barely awake and able to respond. It was only the next morning when I discovered their butt prints not five inches from my head that I realized we had missed a terrific opportunity. So, with this I pledge not to turn down such aggressive hospitality on my upcoming trip back to Siberia. This time we head to the Kamchatka Peninsula for some backcountry skiing and touring and we leave in 10 days.

Kamchatka is a fascinating destination. Known as the land of fire and ice – it is a narrow peninsula separating the Pacific Ocean from the Sea of Okhotsk. Most interesting, it has only been open to foreigners in recent years. Geographically remote, the coastline has seen little development. Even in Russia’s Far East, backcountry skiing is gaining popularity. This is particularly cool since there is interest to use the sport to facilitate the development of a sustainable, eco-adventure-driven economy where the footprint left behind is minimal and a way better alternative than logging and mining. Plus, people attracted to backcountry skiing tend toward experiencing local culture at its most authentic level and would be more likely to support a regional economy by utilizing local lodging, transportation, and guide services.

Okay, jumping off the soap box for now.

An Icon

Why Airstream Nomad? Airstream represents a long tradition of aesthetic design, and Nomad defines a carefree yet deeply present lifestyle. For me the two together symbolize a visual life by design. Well, a visual life by design five years in the making. In short the last five years go something like this: Quit corporate job in Big City. Move to small mountain town. Took lame, low-paying professional job in small mountain town. Quit lame job. Started own business with a partner. Sold business to partner. Commuted to corporate gig in Big City. Quit corporate gig. Gave up, stopped fighting and followed passion - became a freelance writer and photographer. Ahhhhhhh. Well, sort of, I also ski patrol part-time.