Don

Blog 8.23.09
Don is the young man who helped me get the most recent pictures on my blog. He’s a really nice kid. Today he’s lost – again. He headed back out to the bus last Thursday – with a friend. They both work in the kitchen here at the homestead. Don was lost earlier in the year. I don’t remember if I wrote about it or not – the internet is down – of course and I can’t check what I’ve written. It’s Sunday. Don and his friend were due back by yesterday. They had asked to get a ride out on the Stampede Road as far as the trail – they were heading to the bus featured in the book, Into the Wild. Don and I had talked about the earlier problem – being lost – I didn’t think he’d get lost again – and he’s little better prepared than last time.
The kitchen manager is on the phone with the state troopers. Others have been in contact too. The general manager of the lodge is involved. A few hours ago the troopers began the search on 4-wheelers. Don is such a nice young man. He plans to return to community college after this season. He seemed embarrassed to tell me he’s in community college – I told him I work for a community college and really believe in the students who can get through their programs. Many of the folks here are terribly well educated. One of the bus driver guides works as a professor of Russian Lit at UCLA all winter but comes up each year because his heart requires the atmosphere up here. Many of the people I have met and work with carry at least one college degree – all are driven here by something that quickly gets in the blood. When Don and his friend left, they requested four box lunches from the dining room. Each of the therefore had four sandwiches, four pieces of fruit, four small bags of chips and four bottles of water. Don has a sleeping bag. It’s been as low as 25 degrees Farenheit during the nights. It’s raining today – it has been beautiful weather for the past three days – but a storm is approaching.
Even before the storm arrives, my friend Marilyn and I tried to hike this morning. It’s not terribly cold in the middle of the day – but it’s very, very wet. We decided to take a ride in her car instead and later today we’ll go on the covered wagon adventure (for tourists – but it’ll be fun and dry and interesting and we’ll have dinner in a bunkhouse)
If this gets to the internet today, prayers for Don and his friend would be in order. Thank you
I had planned to write about the hike I took with Shirley – a woman who works in housekeeping – whose responsibility is Buildings 10 & 11. She was very patient with me. She frequently stopped along the trail to check out the wildflowers – while I puffed and panted and caught up. We hiked the Alpine trail above Eielson Center. It was very, very steep. The hike was only 1.1 miles but we climbed more than 1,000 feet in that distance. The ranger said it was the equivalent of climbing 77 stories in a building. It was absolutely beautiful. I haven’t included the pictures – Don was going to help me do that.