on your MARK, get set, go!: CLOSE CALL UP HERE IN THE FINAL FRONTIER!

Hello all,

I was 25 hours into my 26.2 mile trek through the mountains and glaciers of Southeastern Alaska. The Iditarod National Historic Trail! I came across a river crossing situation at mile 20. Like many before, I took every necessary measure before beginning to cross. I secured my knife, emergency kit, map, and a liter of water to my body. I loosened my 45 pounds of gear significantly too. Unbuckling my waste strap as well. All like I had trained to do in survival camp. I tested out the log/limb built foot bridge and it held my weight by the river bank. Then I proceeded to make my crossing. The next thing I knew, the bridge gave way! For a moment, I didn't know where I was or how I got there. I was in a glacier river which fed the much larger and faster moving, Eagle River. Face down with a 45 pound pack on my back. A split second later it hit me. I thought, "Chops, you are in some real sh*t right now. First thought, no time for a pity party. I got myself into this mess now I need to get out. 1., get this pack off my back and surface from under the water. 2., get the hell out of the freezing river. In a matter of a minute or two, I managed to do both. It felt like hours. I got myself to shore! Adrenaline pumping, but freezing. I saw that my pack was caught by the river bank and thought I NEED to get it back if possible. I am as cold as I have ever been in my life. My limbs are beyond numb and my soaking wet clothes are cemented to my body. I run to the bank and grab my pack. Yank it to shore. I strip down to nothing as my clothes soaked are doing me no good. I must get warm, and fast. Time, I didn't have. The weather where I was could change in a second and although it wasn't currently freezing out, getting dry and raising my core temperature back up were my top priorities. I tossed my pack back on, naked, and started jogging with it back to the trail. My quads were numb and my fingers/hands/feet were frozen too. After about a half mile of moving as fast as I could with what was now about a 75 pound pack as everything was soaked, I was significantly drier, and much warmer. I had 7 miles to go to get out of the mountains. Needless to say, I don't recall much about this part of my trek. In just under 3 hours, I made it to the trail head where luckily, a nice young woman named Laura, from Michigan picked me up and took me to the bus station 12 miles away. Bless her heart. I took the bus back to Anchorage. I am here in one piece now. Took a hot shower. Gosh, it was the best shower of my life.

No doubt this situation could have turned out much differently, but as I shared with my family, I was incredibly proud of my planning, execution, and toughness. There are always risk when doing something like this, but I had prepared and had a plan. No doubt, I used up one of my nine lives today. August 15th, 2012.

The last two days in the back country, just as I had imagined, were a challenge. In just over 30 hours, the last few I'd care to forget, I made it 26.2 miles on a solo trek across some of the most magnificent and challenging landscape in the world. My first ever marathon! That, is something I am very proud of.

Love,

Mark/Chops

PS. a big thanks to two strangers, Laura and Terry who helped me when I got out of the mountains at the Eagle River Trail Head. THANK YOU.

PPS. I lost both of my cameras to the river today, but all things considered, who cares. Some pics were saved. Enjoy them, but they don't do this place any justice. Alaska is INCREDIBLE.

PPPS. I have absolutely no idea how The Iditarod dog race takes place on the terrain I just covered. I'm baffled.

HITCHHIKING OUT OF ANCHORAGE ALONG THE ALASKAN RAILWAY TO THE CROW PASS TRAIL HEAD

MILE 1 OF 26.2! HEADING THAT WAY!

MILE 2

TIME FOR A BREATHER

GLACIER WATER CREATING A CANYON OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS!

WORKED MY WAY UP THOSE SWITCHBACKS. SERIOUS ELEVATION GAIN. THINKING ABOUT THROWING MY 45LBS OF GEAR OFF THE CLIFF.

THE TIGER PAW IS SIDEWAYS BECAUSE I AM SIDEWAYS MOUTAIN GOATIN' IT UP THE MOUNTAIN.

HELLO ALASKA!

I DESPERATELY WANTED TO SLEEP. COULDN'T. NEED TO ALWAYS BE ALERT IN BEAR COUNTRY!

GLACIER LAKE

SUPERMAN IS ALMOST WALKING ON WATER. MOUNTAINTOP LAKE. THE COLOR OF THE WATER WAS INDESCRIBABLE.

ALMOST LOST MY LUNCH THE FIRST TIME I SAW THESE!

STOPPED FOR LUNCH SHORTLY AFTER SEEING THESE FOR THE 100TH TIME. BEAR TRACKS AND SCAT WERE EVERYWHERE! HIKED WITH MY KNIFE IN ONE HAND AND BEAR MACE IN THE OTHER!

IN A MATTER OF 5 MINUTES, TEMPERATURES DROPPED +/- 30* WHILE CROSSING THE GLACIER FIELDS!

KEEPING 4 POINTS OF CONTACT WHILE CROSSING! SLOW AND STEADY!

TRYING TO STAY OUT OF SOME OF THE WIND. IT WAS C O L D!

CROSSING JEWEL GLACIER!

YOU DON'T SEE A SIGN LIKE THIS EVERYDAY! TIME TO KEEP MOVING!

IF I FELL OFF THAT ROCK, SEE YOU LATER ALIGATOR!

NEEDED TO WORK MY WAY DOWN ALONG THAT RIVER

BREATHTAKING

RIVER/WATERFALLS COMING FROM THE ALASKAN SKY!

RIVERBED TREKKING. PRIME BEAR TERRITORY!

GEARING UP FOR RIVER CROSSING WITH MY FORDING STICK! 5 SECONDS IN THE WATER FEELS LIKE AN HOUR

GLAD I CROSSED WHERE I DID. THE RIVER TURNED TO THIS!

HACKING THROUGH THE BUSH!

KNEES ARE BIGGER THAN MY THIGHS. FROWN :( AT LEAST I HAVE SWEET SOCKS!

WHAT'S UP ALASKA!

SUN WASN'T COOPERATING. ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR SIGHTS I HAVE EVER SEEN.

10PM AND APPROXIMATELY 14+ MILES IN. MORE THAN HALF WAY! CALLING IT QUITS FOR THE NIGHT AFTER 10 HOURS OF HIKING. WHO WANTS TO SET UP CAMP FOR ME?

COME AND GET ME BEAR. KNOW THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGHT A TIGER, WITH A KNIFE AND BEAR MACE!

I HAVE TO CROSS THIS? SERIOUSLY? EAGLE RIVER, ALASKA!

EAGLE RIVER

SURVEYING THE RIVER AND WHERE TO CROSS!

DOUBLE FILTERING MY WATER THROUGH MY SUPERMAN T-SHIRT TO FIRST REMOVE THE SILT CONTENT. THEN ADDING IODINE TABLETS.

BLESSED! I HAD NOT SEEN A SOUL IN A DAY AND THEN ROB AND TAMARA SHOW UP OUT OF NOWHERE FOR THAT EAGLE RIVER CROSSING TWO PICTURES BACK! WE USED THE TRIANGLE TECHNIQUE AND FORDED THE RIVER! I'D HAVE DONE IT SOLO BUT WAS THRILLED TO HAVE A FEW TEAMMATES! GREAT FOLKS!