Heinz Camp

Very short day. We didn't pack up until 10, since we were all wet, cold, with colds, and it was raining. But we crossed a freezing glacial flow to start the morning, then crossed the Gakona glacier without having to cross much of any ice, and then pretty shortly after we got off it, we hit a decent road/trail that made what would have been awful bushwhacking quite easy. Then we walked through an old camp, and I had the door of the cabin pried open before J and D caught up.

Do I know how to use one of these? Do you mean can I light a fire? Uh, yes. And that was all it took. Our gear is strung on lines by a roaring fire. Hot meals. A lantern with gas to spare. It's all good. We're only seven miles from the highway, but we'd be camping next to it in the rain if we'd continued on.

I normally would feel dumb for doing only a 10-mile day, but, getting my ass kicked by glacier crossings and 40 degree rain for half the day (5th day in a row) then spending half the day roasting in someone else's old JC Penney jacket by a fire is a fine way to experience Alaska for me.