Finally Out to Cross Country Ski

Don Chan came up to Anchorage to work as hospitality coordinator for the Anchorage International Film Festival.  All the film makers I know were more than pleased with how well he looked after them.

(Learning to turn around.)

  He worked so hard he never really got a chance to see much of Anchorage except the routes between the venues and places where people were staying.

 

I'd invited him to go cross country skiing earlier this week when everything was so covered in ice and snow, but the temperature was near 0˚F (-17˚C).  But it's warmed up (about 30˚F/-1˚C) and I offered to take him out this morning.  I decided to not even look at my computer this morning before I left.  I got to the B&B he's staying at and rang the bell.  No one around.  I walked to the back, but everything was locked and dark inside. 

Just before deciding to leave (he wasn't answering his cell either) I heard someone say she'd be down.  She let me in and I ended up waking him up.  Turns out he'd sent me an email this morning canceling because he'd been up all night working on the Palm Springs Film Festival.  But he said, "Well I'm up now so let's go."

It was his first time on cross country skis and he did fine.  We did about two miles on the beautiful - and mostly flat - Campbell Airstrip trails.  Then I dropped him off downtown on the way to a lunch meeting.  

 

This government vehicle was parked at the trailhead with its motor on when we arrived.  An hour or so later, the motor was still running.  We didn't see anyone around.  There may have been some logical explanation.  It was plugged into the solar panel on the pole, so given the distinct lack of sun, perhaps it was charging something up.  What do I know?