Photo Credit: Paul Votaw
It was an early rise to catch a plane out of Peoria. All for naught when the service check discovered bird guts near critical parts of the exterior. A small town airport would make no haste toward a speedy resolution. And so we wait...
I'd never been to Alaska. Having had a deep breath of Hawaii and how gorgeous it is, I was surprised to hear another claim he liked Alaska better. Could it be so? I would have to discover this for myself.
The delay was an hour plus. Some discovered discouragement as they found out they'd be missing their connecting flight. I too was on the verge. And it's not as though there's a slew of planes flying into Alaska from Chicago every day. This could be costly.
Touched down at O'Hare International. Had a small suitcase to retrieve on the ramp up to the terminal. Five minutes feels like forever when you're already late. "There are those who have it worse" I counseled myself. Finally grabbed my case and made off like a time traveler cracking the code into the quantum realm. I guess I succeeded. Made it to my gate just as they were closing shop. "Mr. Brooks?" the attendant asked. "Yep! Appreciate you waiting." And on the plane, I went. Hot. Sweaty. Exhausted.
Dazed and confused, I bumped an older lady in the face with my backpack while attempting to remove it. She accepted my apology, sincerely. I later discovered that she and some of the others around me were from central Wisconsin. It was their first time to the Final Frontier as well - had an extensive tour lined up. Sounded like they were in for some fun!
Air time was something like six hours and forty minutes. I've got the window. The man in the middle seat sounded like he was going to hack up a lung for the better part of the flight. His idiosyncracies, further reaching. But never mind all that. "I'm going to Alaska!"
Over Canada, there were pockets where one could see the tops of snowy mountains that seemed to sweep into eternity. I was able to snap a few photos that definitely didn't do it justice. Watched the latest rendition of the movie 'Dune' to speed the dial. Solid flick! If you like that kind of stuff.
Touchdown Alaska! I've got a few hours before the extraction team is due to arrive, so I go ahead and grab some... lunch. The Time zone is three hours behind and by this point, I'm pretty hungry. Fish restaurants are in abundance and so I sit down at one but they fail to notice. Took another swing a few doors down. No trouble here. My hopes were high given the location - Alaska being famous for fish and all. Apparently, Illinois has good fish too, because I couldn't taste the difference. In hindsight, I'd obviously set the bar too tall. It was just an airport after all. "Hey, I'm in Alaska!"
A few hours became four before my rescue finally arrived. Seemed like everybody hit a little turbulence that day. Fortunately, I had a good book to tide me over. Found myself mentally wrestling through the situation. "The flight was expensive. I only have a few days here. I don't want to spend it in the airport." My mood was understandable, but not helpful if this was going to be a good trip. "I'M. IN. ALASKA!"
Connected with Jeff from Louisiana, via group text. We'd never met. I discovered this was his first trip to Alaska as well. Solid guy! I'm guessing somewhere between 55-65 years of age. Jeff is into dream interpretation and was hoping there'd be time to minister during the Summit. Not sure if that happened. I would get to know him better at the event and was grateful for the 30-minute primer at the airport. "I cannot wait to leave this airport..."
Alas, our ride! Zack has his hands on the steering wheel. A Texas native, he and his family live in Alaska part-time, training people to fly helicopters. 'Free Burma Rangers' is the organization he is a part of, and one the group would get to go deeper with during the Summit.
From the airport to our lodging was just under an hour in a town called 'Palmer'. Terence, whom I'd met in Carolina the year before; and Hunter, who was new to all, were already on board. Both guys had flown in on the early, early and had some time to hit the town long before their retrieval. Both guys, from what I can tell, possess a depth that at some point I hope to discover more fully. Lord, let it be so.
This is Anchorage! I'm getting my first official street peek at the Frontier. The aerial was certainly no disappointment. Fun fact, Alaska's population is 800,000. Three hundred of which live right here in Anchorage. The atmosphere is a bit offbeat from the lower 48 states. There are a lot of the same stores, but an older style architecture struck a few of us with the likes of the late 80s, early 1990s. Perhaps my sprint through the airport traveled me back further than I intended. My favorite element was the mountain view on every side. "I'm in Alaska!"
Arrived. Rolled up the driveway with great expectations. It's been many months since I last saw some of these guys in person. It's also, I discovered, the underlying rationale for why I couldn't wait to escape the airport. Paul and Scott are long-time friends. Hard to say how satisfying it felt to finally be among them. Now here we are! Adding to my discovery, they'd already had an adventure of their own. Pics on social media suggested they were up to something. But what? The Pan-American Highway travels basically from the top of Alaska (the Arctic Circle), all the way down to the bottom of South America. These guys, along with Garrett, another great guy I met the previous year, had just traveled the Alaskan portion. I marveled as I sat, listening to them tell their tales.
More guys were rolling in. Eventually, we gave thanks and cracked open the boxes of pizza that flooded the kitchen island. The pile was two levels high. It was delicious! By late evening, population was around 20 guys. Figured I'd find a place to crash before it was too late. After a thorough investigation on the main level, coming up short, I discovered a 6 x 12-foot spot in the nicely finished basement. It had a futon for hire. Waking up with back pain was now in the realm of possibility. Adding insult, the room's doors had been removed so as to make it more of a reading nook. Peace and privacy are now minimal. It was the only "bed" left in the house. But hey, "I'm in Alaska!" And I awoke the following day with zero back pain. I also discovered that a few guys were left to sleep on couches in the main living area. I imagined having to wait off the night owls for a bit of shut-eye. Ouch!
Seemed I was the first to rise and shine. Eager to explore, I hopped up and threw on the same clothes I might on a cool, fall, midwest evening. Laced up my hiking boots and headed outdoors. Hadn't planned on going far. Just wanted to be out there. In Alaska. Appreciating the moment. And with a loaded mountain range in full view, it was easy to do.
Back inside a few others had come to life. Rusty, an avid fishing, hockey-playing, hard-working husband/dad/granddad was reading on the couch. Zack had two pots of coffee on the brew. Sitting down to enjoy a cup, Scott has just joined the fold. Here now is Jeff and a man named Matt. More on him in a moment. This scene though. I can only aim at describing it. A handful of guys having coffee in the early A.M. Gravelly voices over masculine conversation. A mountain to behold from a lodge with a giant picture window. What to say? If you have a spot for it, it hits that spot. It was hitting mine big time.
Matt is a US Marshall. He's tall with a gorilla build and a dark, bushy beard. His expression offers no emotion except when he laughs. Thank God he did a good bit. It was mentioned how he'd be the guy you'd want beside you in a bar fight. No kidding! His handshake was one that made your toes curl - a fact I know firsthand. His behavior was consistent though and that bought some runway toward familiarization. By the end, I discovered Matt was probably a really, great guy!
Garrett was a major in the breakfast-making army. I cannot recall the animals we ate in sausage form. Boar? Goat? Got me. It was better than good, though! The whole spread was. Big thanks to Mr. Ohm for not just one, but the many meals on which he performed his magic.
While the ship was smooth sailing, there was yet a mountain waiting to be climbed. Literally. And climb the mountain we did! There were a few slippery slopes along the way. Nothing major. The view from the top was something to be discovered! And the wind raced like a Formula 1 car vying for pole position. Add to that, a little bit of rain. It felt as though needles were flashing through the air. Wherever they found bare flesh, they were sure to bite down. Fortunately for us, that rain would be brief.
That view though! The landscape was lush with green fields. Farming appeared plentiful. In the far, far off, we spied a glacier. Oh, what a time not to bring binoculars! Clearly, I need to step up my packing game. There were houses. There were towns. And not only were there the range upon which we stood but mountains as far as we would discover. It was awesome!
Downrange, we met up with Luke. Hadn't seen him since 2016. A young pup then. Luke and his family are American missionaries who have resided in Nicaragua for decades. Luke, on the other hand, had moved to the States some time back. After many years in Montana, he decided to head up to the Final Frontier where he's been transporting jet fuel by big rig for the last few months. I rode shotgun in his truck to the lodge as we got caught up on life. Along the way, our caravan began to pull off the road, one by one. Car trouble, we presumed. Paul got out and started taking pictures of the woods. Passing time until whatever was wrong got fixed? Then I saw it. A moose! Just standing there. Posing. Patiently waiting to be discovered.
Paul got his pics. He also got a little too close at one point before reeling it in. Moose can be dangerous. Even the locals rate their concern for moose over bears. They aren't kidding either. I guess moose are fairly blind though. "Hide behind a tree", they say. Fortunately for us, no Pauls were harmed in the production of this pic.
Lunch. Nap. Cannot recall the order. I believe it was dinner when I finally wrapped my tastebuds around some great Alaskan fish. Hit the spot! As I remember, it was halibut along with a few other fellows. Nonetheless, it was fresh and delicious. "Now I'm REALLY in Alaska!"
Between meals, we watched 'Free Burma Rangers' the documentary. If you haven't caught this flick I highly recommend you do. Not only are there things going on in the world that don't receive the brightest of lights, but there are heroes out there who beckon us to rise up as well. Somebody out there is a hero. I'm somebody. So are you. And if you haven't cried in a while, fair warning, this documentary has a remedy for that. www.freeburmarangers.org
Following the flick, Zack, who has involvement in the FBR program, took some time for Q and A. I did my bit on being the guy who breaks the ice come question time. It was exciting for me to hear the responses from others in the group. Zack did a fabulous job unpacking it all. Well done!
We had times of worship during the Summit. Zack's son Gabe played guitar. Hunter led vocals. Terence spoke the first night. I was so exhausted after being up 21 hours that coherency had almost left me completely. Apparently, many others were rowing the same boat. He looked at us all at one point and said "I see you, tired". True statement.
DJ, an Alaskan native, and if I heard correctly, an authentic "Eskimo", shared the second evening. DJ told stark naked stories of various struggles - his very own. Some from not so long ago. Others, still lingering. His teenage son was nearby, often nodding in verification. He was up close and personal. And while many of us would feel humiliated to tell such tales, he came across as nothing but humble. I believe he is. His trust in God and evidence of how Jesus was working through his struggles, provided hope and joy to all who were willing to receive.
Scott would shore up our time in the morning after breakfast. He reminded us to be men and to be authentic. He stated how Ananias and Sapphira's folly was in trying to make themselves appear as though they were better than what they were. I've heard him say this before. I believe it. And it's something I've tried to own.
T-shirts were got. The traditional group photo was taken. And my favorite of all, the hugs/handshakes as we expressed our parting words to one another. For men, I've discovered that goodbyes are often akin to what drinkers call "liquid courage". It's when drunkenness comes upon and you finally have the guts to say things you wouldn't while sober. In this case, we were only there for two days, so I suppose a pardon is in store. In general, though... A deeper subject.
As for me, my time was not up just yet. What would have been an early arrival and another long wait at that overly familiar airport, was transformed into an extended time with Garrett, Paul, Scott, and Terrance. Ever eaten yak? We hit up this really cool restaurant in Anchorage that served just that. And let me say, one of the best burgers I've ever eaten!
'Tastee Freez' is alive and well in Alaska. And while we were not "suckin on chili dogs" as the classic Mellencamp song sings, we did suck down a tasty or "tastee" malt. Soon after, we discovered a scenic area not too far from the airport. A park. Picnic tables set up overlooking a vibrant, green field that harnessed a beautiful, blue gulf made the perfect place for our now much smaller group to converse in greater depth over coffee. I hadn't gotten to hear much from Garrett before then. Grateful I was afforded the time to do so. And then, it was goodbye...
Alaska offers a variety of flights for departure. There's the early red-eye and the late. Choosing the early, 8:30 pm was go time. It was six and a half hours back to Chicago as we time-traveled three zones into the future. A weak-eyed three-hour layover was in store before a forty-minute flight to Peoria. That 20-minute drive home. My wife at work. My dog there to greet me. I lay down and fell fast asleep. Thanks for listening!
Photo Credit: Paul Votaw