Has it been a month??

Yes, it seems more than a month has passed since the Ice Run came to an official end with the Incredable Wallabies, myself and Ural Crazy dragging in at 2 a.m. Officially the last three teams of this incredible journey. Now if you hadn't noticed I've added pictures to the gallery;"And so it begins". it's the teams and the days up to launch. I'm posting the remainder of the pics after this post and will get the infamous "tank video" posted to our video section soon.

 

Over the past few weeks everyone seems to have settled back into "the world" without major trauma. Though it does seem that there are more than a couple of us who find ourselves scanning ebay seeking out Urals of our own. We know they are the devil incarnate BUT it was such a good time and hell as well. A known devil is always better than the unknown kind. As the weather warms and finances begin to recover don't be surprised if my next ridiculous vehicle is a Ural. Hell, it seats 3, that's one up on the Smart and it's been proved a Ural IS a 4 season vehicle unlike my VW convertible Thing. Though they both are fun in their own ways as well.  

I thought I would take a moment or two and fill you in on the final days of the Pioneer Run.

As you know the Incred. Wallabies started having trouble a few days into the run and by the end of the first week we began to figure out how to get to Salekhard when (not IF) they would no longer be able to limp along. I could have continued on my own but being solo and having already buried Eva in a 6 foot ditch I was nervous about not having another team nearby. That and I didn't feel it was right to just bail on them and leave them with even fewer options. We knew that my bike was capable of towing them if need be. If that failed to be a option my bike could carry 3 and we could rig or acquire a sled to pull with the gear. The Russians in the area often had sled loaded up behind their snowmobiles and horses so it was an option. If we found a secure place to leave their bike along the route a truck could be secured to get it to Salekhard or Irbit. That would be a last ditch move.

As luck would have it as we sat in the town 400km from Salekhard Ural Crazy happened by. We were very surprised because with all of our troubles we were sure everyone else was either at or very close to the finish. With a second fully functioning bike able to share the towing we decided to make the push. Ural Crazy wasn't without problems they had changed generators more than once and periodically lost power if they traveled with their headlight on. Additionally they had 2 men and all their gear towing for them would be slow going. The advantage was being able to switch off occasionally meant there was less of a chance of burning Eva out and leaving us all stranded. Thus began the 400km tow. 

 

In a perfect world we knew it would be no less than 10hrs and this was NOT a perfect world. In fact we would discover that the last 150k would be the worst road of them all and would bring us to a dead stop over a dozen times before finding someone kind enough to tow the dead bike the last 60km. Fisch drove the bike and Avi got in the van to keep an eye on Fisch and be able to stop the driver if there was an problem. Urals can flip easier than you would think. I had to be towed from the ice track back to the hanger on training day and ended up flipped onto the side at a very low speed. The van was towing Fisch at over 50kph most of the time until Avi was able to explain that there were 2 other bikes following. From that point the driver kept it under 50 so we could keep up in the dark. Despite the speed and no stops the last 60km still took over 3hrs.

I had learned while driving through Russia and Kazakhstan during the Mongol Rally when there are signs the distances  between towns is often "as the crow flies" not necessarily the distance the road covers. It turns out this is true up north as well. The worst moment though was passing the lights of Salekhard and seeing them fade away behind us. Seems you have to make a HUGE loop west of the city to get to the road going into the city. We did have the passing thought that the guy in the van was taking us to some remote spot to kill us and feed us to his pet Polar bears...ok...maybe it was just me... besides how much more remote could it be from where he picked us up,eh??

Arriving at 2am means the chances of anyone being around to greet you or explain the arrangements at the hotel. It had been a day or being on the road for over 16hrs after camping on the Zimnick for 14 or so hours and only getting 2.5 hrs sleep. We thought there was a truck on it's way to pick us up so 2 kept the fire going and 1 slept. Needless to say, we were beat. Once we sorted out the room situation we went out to bring the gear in. At that moment the teams began to return from the night out. These boys were pissed. (Amer translation ; blind, tanked, 3 sheets to the wind, get it?) There is nothing like getting hugged by a giant english man to make the crap parts of the day fade away. :-) Antics pursued and the other teams rolled in  and the long day from hell ended as the best day ever. The next evening it was out on the town with the teams that remained. The adventure was over and we reveled in our success. Everyone had made it in one piece though there were many tales of close calls and blistering cold we had done something that all of us at one point wondered IF we could. Bravado will carry you pretty far but often reality will prove you wrong. This time though, our little group talked the talk and walked the walk. Others will now follow our lead, some will go faster, some will not finish, some may just give up and some may even get hurt along the way but we will always be the first.  It's an honor we will wear like a badge of honor and brag to anyone who will listen for years to come. I mean really, how often in your life can you do something really awesome and be able to honestly say you were the first!? Bragging rights for life? OH, I think so. 

 

Done and Done

I actually wrote this a few days after I returned from the Ice Run but forgot to post it. It's a bit of a rant and may be a bit nonsensical at times but it was the thought of the moment  and I figure why not run with it??

Hey there kiddies the ice run has now entered the history books and we, the pioneers, are all home and adjusting to life back in the world. Once again I am little confused, tho I've been away for a month and been living the life of an Ice Run Pioneer, everything is just the same here as when I left. All my travels ,be they a week or 12 (my longest yet), are usually a bit more than a step away from everyday activities. They take on a life and reality of their own. A microcosm built around a single event or place that is so complete and enveloping that one assumes that the "world" you left behind must be evolving and changing at the same pace as this microcosm. Instead you return and it seems as if time stopped or slowed down considerably during your absence making the reentry like hitting the breaks after cruising at 80mph. Things at home seem less urgent than when you left, and the things that filled your day while you lived in your alternate reality, packing up and starting the day, making time to eat, sorting out where to sleep, just making to the end of each day,are now non-factors. Nothing to pack up in the morning the day begins by just rolling out of bed, there's food in the fridge and cupboards grab something at your leisure and making it to the end of the day is a matter of a hot shower and clean sheets.

It's almost amusing, ok, maybe more than a little, hearing folks back in the world complain about things that are really non issues. "It's so cold"...go inside ya twit!, "I can't decide what to eat", guess what, it's all food just eat it! "The roads are such crap", really!!? try a Zimnik (or driving across Kazahkstan) sometime you'll beg for you piddly pot holes! Every-time I come back to the world and I listen to what things folks think are important and hear them complain about the most mundane things I have the same thought,"You really need to get some perspective, dude!" Life here "in the world" is neither as awful or as hard as you make out. I don't blame them for their take on the things in their life. I realize it's because most people never step outside their comfort zone. Very few intentionally put themselves in situations and environments that are drastically different than the place they live. The majority if the world is comforted by the fact that their world is "safe", "predictable", excitement is (watching) sporting events and accomplishments are tallied by not falling asleep at work and making it to work on Monday after binging on the weekend. I'm sure I'll catch hell for these broad generalizations, so be it, but they are metafores for what our modern world has become.

Luckily there are those that, like myself, find all this "safety" and "predictability" a bit ....a...er.. BOREING! and a tad restrictive. We're the ones who when questioned about some of the "less than clever" things we've done in our lives usually respond with "it seemed like a good idea at the time."or "seriously, it was awesome..." and despite the outcome of those events, broken bits, blood shed, interaction with law officials, ect we wear them like badges of honor. Proudly boasting,"Then there was the time when....", "Me and the boys were tipping a few and..." or showing off the scars from some ill planned adventure. These are the things of a life lived not merely getting by. Everyday we are one step closer to the grave, like it or not and if given the choice I think I want my last words to be, "Damn, it has been one hell of a ride!" And when folks come past to pay their respects I don't want to look"peaceful or rested" I want to look exhausted and have a ridiculous smile on my face. Everyone has the potential to be immortal. I'll never be rich and have a building or foundation named for me. My accomplishments won't be found in the history books. The best most of us can ever hope for once we are gone is to have someone remember us as "this cool old guy" they once knew and tell the tales of our adventures. For some they will be stories heard in a pub BUT for others they will see them as inspiration to step outside their comfort zone and seek out life beyond the safety and predictability of the modern world

Rant over...we now return you to your regular programming. 

And now it begins

Travel, travel,travel and I'm still not there.

Flight to London ALMOST went off without a hitch. I say Almost because at the last minute, while leaving for the airport, I had to do massive repack. reason being is in an attempt to "make things easier" I actually boned myself on my final pack. Details unimportant but a repack was necessary. Soooo I switched things out in record time and off to the airport I went nearly 3 hours in advance. ( I had a feeling some of my items may cause security concerns.) Checked bags no hitch, kinda surprised, then came security check point. 4 trays worth of gear and boots. computer,clear, boots,clear, cameras and such, clear, carry bag.....not so much. Hand warmers have iron and block xrays,expected, no problem. TSA does hand inspection, hand warmers,ok,special tool for motorbike,ok, magnets,odd but ok, 6" scuba knife AKA the "butter knife" oddly NOT OK. Seems that in my rush to repack I had forgotten about things I had stuffed into other things when I had them packed in my checked bag. I had just pulled stuff and repacked, Ooops. Lucky for me I was very early. Over an hour waiting for forms to be filled and the Chicago Police to make a report and check to see if I had any warrants. When they asked me about the knife I explained the repack and for getting about the butter knife, the refused to label it as such in the report, obviously they did not notice how dull it is. They were actually OK with the explanation of the emergency repack. It was when the asked why I thought I might need said butter knife and I explained all about the Ice Run, Siberia, Polar Bears, wolves, camping in subzero temps, That was when they began to wonder weather they should let me go or perhaps make a call to some mental health professionals.

Since I'm making this update from Moscow, they did let me go. I tried to do all this web stuff while waiting for my flight in London but after signing on to the pay service, BOINGO, they were not able to connect me to the internet. Strange they didn't have any problem taking my CC# and charging me 10GBP! BASTARDS. I used a pay by the minute kiosk to book my Moscow hostel, kinda slipped my mind, 5 pounds for 40 minutes at least the boingo, had it worked was good for 30 days and I would be able to use it on the way back.

Enough ranting. So a lesson for all: if you repack at the last minute be sure to take everything out of whatever you stuck it in and make sure you don't accidentally have a six inch knife stashed inside a boot. Because they may let you go after a bit but they will keep your butter knife!

New update on Facebook Team Page

MAde it london off to Mocba in @an hour. BTW Boingo Acess sucks having to use pay terminal after they cahrged me 10£ for access then couldn't connect.So far so good. Will drop a note and test spot once in Moscow. 2 min on 4£ charge gotta go.

The Gear

Okay time for show and tell. There has bee much discussion "What kind of gear do you need for what you're doing?" The answer is; "I don't really know since I've never done ANYTHING like this before BUT I can tell you what is in my kit. Some is old some is new and some stuff is kinda outta place but has a purpose. Let's start at the ground and work up. Coolmax combat book sock liners,wick away sweat and fit snug, then depending on weather -30F socks *OR* -50F socks w/option to use toe warmers as well.Currently testing boots, Will update on final decision. Must be warm AND be able to shift a motorbike.

Base layer is a Body Glove dive shirt and cycling spandex sleeves. Compression layer to trap heat. Next, "Old School" long johns w/ a high tech twist. 2 layers, inner is wicking "polar"synthetic and outer is waffle weave cotton. For extra chilly days; heavy weave one piece "Union Suit" RED, yup gotta trap door and everything. Pants are lined jeans. Top?? I don't own ANY long sleeved anything still shopping. Outer layer one of the coolest things I've bought. ARCTIC ARMOR. Designed for N. Atlantic oil rig workers. Windproof, waterproof, petro chemical resistant and it floats (I hope I never ave to try this feature out). A single layer of the material is rated to -20, the suit is made with 3 layers yet very thin. Bibs and jacket men 6 layers covering my core. Neoprene cuffs to keep the wind out. This thing is SOOOOCOOL! For the hands, subzero 3 finger mittes with windproof liners. Liners have a pocket for disposable hand warmers, I have 25 pair, only taking 14 good for 10 hrs each. Trying to cut down on weight. Night time when we are camping will mean a whole new level of cold. Sleeping on ice in sub zero temps now THAT'S a good time! I have a 2 man 4 season tent that is narrow so not a lot of extra space to keep warm. I plan on buying an Elk or Reindeer hide to use as a ground cloth inside the tent very warm. My new sleeping pad has an R5 rating, better than insulation in a

lot of houses. Thanks to my friend AL I have a -30F sleeping bag and I'm taking a fleece liner to add another 5 to 10 degrees warmth. The -50F socks can double as booties and I have a pair of down filled slippers. To keep things balmy, 12 hour MEGA warmers (135 degrees) to toss in the bag with me. In the morning I'll put them inside the suit as extra warmth till they burn themselves out

. Them's the basics. I also have a multifuel stove to cook and mlt snow/ice for water. and as I pointed out to my friend Kevin I have 5 other ways to make fire should the stove fail. (pics in the Gallery)I'm taking a few head lamps/flashlights/ glow sticks along. Cuz it's gonna be DARK when the sun goes down! And who knows we may happen upon a RAVE out in the wilderness. I've got 2 first aid kits one is minor stuff the "boo boo"kit the other has a blood clot pack, trauma kit as well as a 1 use surgical stapler. I hope I never have to take this one out of my bag. There are more pics in the Gallery and I'll post more of the gear as I finalize the pack. We will be passing through small towns for the first part of the trip so I'll have the chance to add to my kit if needed but I think I've got a pretty good start. (At least that's what Im telling myself)

The Kit

I though you fine folks might like to know what one packs for an adventure like this considering they have no real idea what they will be up against. Here is what I've gathered together, hopefully it'll all fit in a pack and somehow be under 50lbs (fat chance!).

The bulky stuff 

**1-4 season****(or so they say)**** 2 man ****tent****(quite narrow, they better like each other)  7lbs**

**1- Neg.30 Degree F sleeping bag (thank you Al for gifting it to me) 7 lbs **

**1-Arctic Armor suite sub zero rating 7 lbs (quite light for what it is)**

**1-Sleeping pad R-5 insulation rating 2 lbs (ish)**

** (Already this is not looking good)**

**-Not sure of the weighs on the rest-**

**Backpacker multifuel stove**

**Mess kit**

**hydration bladder w/back pack**

**first aid kit(s)**

**misc. food- MRE's, jerky, instant oatmeal,energy bars 5lbs(ish) **

**Chemical sleeping bag/toe/hand warmers 4 lbs(ish)  **

**additional clothing-thermals, gloves/liners, -50 socks,-30 socks, perhaps a fresh pair of briefs?**

Gadgets(these will be carry on) 

**Netbook/charger**

**Portable hard drive **

**POGO(pocket printer for pics)/charger**

**Phone(s) a good one I'll use and a "disposable" one for show, less chance of being mistaken for a "gift" **

**gopro camera w/ accessories**

**video camera & ****"flip" type backup video camera**

**Still camera & ****backup still camera **

**Small tripod & ****mono-pod (doubles as a flag pole for my Chicago flag)**

** batteries/charger(s) **

 Most of the gadgets I've been carrying since the Mongol Rally. Seems like overkill but life sucks when your camera or video fails without back up or something disappears or becomes a "gift". The net book is mostly for notes and to transfer pics and vids to the hard drive. The hard drive gets buried deep out of sight in case I loose everything else, trust me it could happen.

When I get to Irbit I plan on buying Siberian boots, an elk or reindeer hide for my tent, a furry Russian hat and the usual tools, jerry can,fix it stuff one needs for these things. Much of this will not come back aside from the boots, hat and hide. We will hit small towns in the first week or so of the trip so if my "layering" comes up short I'll pick things up as I go. The food and hand-warmers will be gone so I should be able to bring the extra stuff home for use in the "tame" Chicago winter.