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Stocking Up
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 1:48PM This is our inbetween season. That block of time that comes every fall when the leaves are gone, the ground is frozen, the wind howls, and we're waiting for snow to make travel easier.
Our main cabin is only a mile from the nearest dirt road, but its all uphill... and the longest commute between truck and porch took over 4 hours. You'd think it would never take that long to hike a mile if you have two working legs... but think again.
I was working in town that fall of 1999, and between the time when I left for work and when I got home, we'd received almost 4 feet of snow. I was using foot power to go back and forth... it was too cold for my four-wheeler to start and these were the days before I owned a snowmachine. So the only way to get up the mountain was to walk.
Without snowshoes, the last quarter mile was climbed on my knees to spread out my body weight. By this time the snow was switching to rain, and I arrived dog-tired at my cabin door at 6:30 in the morning.
Fast forward a decade... and you'll find me at the same ever-expanding homestead. Now married and with a toddler and satellite internet access- but life is much the same. Yeah, we have snowmachines and the dogteam has dwindled to 4. But the inbetween season is here again.
Yesterday found me working hard to get the four wheeler started, so I could haul those last precious loads up the mountain before we play the waiting game. Waiting for snow to make the snowmachines go. Praying for trail padding to slick up the skis and provide braking for the dogs. Wondering when it will come.
So I did manage, with much ado, to add 240 pounds of livestock feed and 80 gallons of water to our stash. And I really hope it tides us over until sleds travel easily up and down the mountain...
Reader Comments (3)
Good Grief, you make me tired just reading about what you hauled up the mountain. I too used to have all that "wonder women" energy, but have slowed down considerably in the last few years. Get some rest and enjoy that little one.
Whew, what a job! I bet you want those supplies to last! I had a few moments, when I was pregnant with James and we were hauling in our water and firewood by sled that i felt like we must be nuts- but we only has a short 1/4 mile to traverse! We very much want to come visit you and your homestead one of these day.! Hooray for the new blog :)
Your Mother in law is some kind of "WOMAN" my hat goes off to her, and to YOU! The other day when you mentioned some of "THOSE" people that were talking down about being a modern pioneer, I too seen red. But then I remembered the book "The Celestine Prophecy" and the Fourth Insight. It deals with energy and how others try to take ours from us, by manipulating and forcing us/others to give attention to them, thus energy. Keep up the good work, us older "girls" love hearing about your life and send you energy to accomplish what you want in your chosen lifestyle. Wished I could have come to Alaska many years before I did, love the "Last Frontier" and all it stands for.