Sunday afternoonwhen when I first passed you two smoking cigarettes in the forest on the Resurrection Pass trail while carrying multiple firearms and wearing multiple Go-Pro cameras, I thought to myself "these are the types of morons that start wildland fires". A few miles ahead, I was surprised to find a brand new bright yellow made in China Friday Harbor inflatable raft along with the pump, plastic paddle, repair kit and other assorted plastic trash lying alongside the trail near Caribou Creek. Not exactly known for it's raft-able water, I surmised that the boat may belong to a hunter needing to float something across Resurrection Creek. Wrong!!
So later in the day, as I pass you again on my return, we talk briefly about the raft on the trail, and you admit that it was yours! With guns hanging and Go-Pros mounted in various locations on yourselves and your gear, you explain how you are not from around here, and you have come from Massachusetts and the survivalist experience you planned to have on Resurrection Pass trail was nothing like what you had read it would be on the internet! You apologize for leaving the raft behind on the side of the trail, explaining that you had been carrying 112 pounds of gear in your pack and there was absolutely no way that you would have ever made it out without leaving it behind. It was a matter of survival! And for that matter, the rugged Alaskan wilderness was unlike anything you had ever experienced or expected it would be! You had been expecting to survive off all of the fish in Resurrection Creek and you had not seen a single one! All you 2 had to eat for the last 5 days were 3 sparrows! You had planned to float out but were so intimidated by the creek that you never even inflated it.These waters were nothing like you had back home. You did, however, so kindly offer that anyone who wanted the raft that you had abandoned near the Caribou cabin was welcome to it!
I have to say, with tattoos up to your neck, gauged earings, guns dangling, all the GoPro cameras and the huge packs overloaded with unnecessary survivalist gear, you boys looked a bit out of your element. Maybe you were trying to get on to a reality tv show? I guess survival in the wilderness is just that....whatever it takes to survive! And if that means violating the wilderness ethics code of "leave no trace" and littering a large yellow pvc plastic made in China raft on the side of one of the most beautiful and well used National Forest trails in the state of Alaska, well then thank God you have survived!
So later in the day, as I pass you again on my return, we talk briefly about the raft on the trail, and you admit that it was yours! With guns hanging and Go-Pros mounted in various locations on yourselves and your gear, you explain how you are not from around here, and you have come from Massachusetts and the survivalist experience you planned to have on Resurrection Pass trail was nothing like what you had read it would be on the internet! You apologize for leaving the raft behind on the side of the trail, explaining that you had been carrying 112 pounds of gear in your pack and there was absolutely no way that you would have ever made it out without leaving it behind. It was a matter of survival! And for that matter, the rugged Alaskan wilderness was unlike anything you had ever experienced or expected it would be! You had been expecting to survive off all of the fish in Resurrection Creek and you had not seen a single one! All you 2 had to eat for the last 5 days were 3 sparrows! You had planned to float out but were so intimidated by the creek that you never even inflated it.These waters were nothing like you had back home. You did, however, so kindly offer that anyone who wanted the raft that you had abandoned near the Caribou cabin was welcome to it!
I have to say, with tattoos up to your neck, gauged earings, guns dangling, all the GoPro cameras and the huge packs overloaded with unnecessary survivalist gear, you boys looked a bit out of your element. Maybe you were trying to get on to a reality tv show? I guess survival in the wilderness is just that....whatever it takes to survive! And if that means violating the wilderness ethics code of "leave no trace" and littering a large yellow pvc plastic made in China raft on the side of one of the most beautiful and well used National Forest trails in the state of Alaska, well then thank God you have survived!
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