The one thing that I did not expect before coming to Alaska was how physically demanding it was going to be. I knew beforehand that we were going to do some hiking and that we were going to bike around a lake and that we were going to climb a glacier, but I honestly thought that it would be a piece of cake…boy was I wrong!
Being on the tennis team for OWU, I definitely thought that I would be in good enough shape to be able to easily do all of the activities we had planned. The team had just gotten a new tennis coach this year and he had us in the weight room doing things that I had never done before. I thought surely that if I am able to complete the weight room routines that Alaska would be a breeze. After being in Alaska for over a week now and having completed all of our outdoor activities I can admit that I was wrong. I was way wrong.
I got my first taste of my physical weakness when we started to hike the path along Exit Glacier in Seward toward the ice field. If we made it all the way to the top, our round trip would have been around 8 miles. We started the trail at a fairly swift pace and after going just a short ways I knew I would not be able to keep that up for long. I stayed in the back and just sort of huffed and puffed my way, not stopping but definitely not going the same pace as the others. I thought I was the only one that was struggling so I just kept hiking, not saying anything, but also not going fast by any means. After we had been hiking for what seemed like quite some time, we decided that it was probably best if we stopped our upward ascent. I was very relieved to say the least, but the view from the side of the mountain was totally worth it. In the end, I think we ended up only going about a mile up the mountain, but it definitely seemed a lot longer.
Jenna and I at the height of our hike
After we left Seward, we went to Eklutna Glacier where I faced my biggest challenge…mountain biking. Like every other kid, I loved to ride my bike up and down my street for hours. The rush of wind in your hair, the excitement of being able to ride in the street, the joy at trying to peddle with no hands, these were the thrills of riding a bike that I enjoyed when I was younger. All that being said, I was really looking forward to biking around Eklutna Lake and I was up for the adventure. As soon as we got our bikes and started heading out on the trail, I quickly realized that this would be no easy feat. Not soon after we started, it became clear that I was the slow poke of the group and they would get quite a bit ahead of me and then would have to stop to wait for me to catch up. This continued for pretty much the whole ride and I quickly became frustrated that I was the one holding everyone up. I was timid on the bike and wary of letting go of the breaks anytime there was a small incline to go down. Some parts of the path were extremely narrow and we had to walk our bikes in order to not fall off a small ledge and other parts of the trail were just covered in rocks. I’m pretty sure I was better at riding over every big rock than I was at avoiding them.
After riding 11 miles one way we finally came to our stopping point to eat our lunch. We headed down to eat next to a small river that had beautiful mountain views. I think the scenery made the trip all worth it, but in the back of my head I knew we still had 11 miles to make it back to where we started. These 11 miles back definitely pushed me to my limit and I was feeling pretty defeated. My legs were sore and starting to cramp, my back hurt from bending forward, and my butt was definitely getting the worst of it. Even though I had to walk at some points, I knew I just had to keep going and there was no other way to get back. Once we reached the home stretch, I had Jenna take my picture with my bike to prove that I had made it because I probably would not be doing anything like it ever again.
Me with my bike at the end of the trip
Overall, I am really glad that I had these two experiences because when would I ever get to do something like this ever again. I have so much more respect for avid mountain climbers and avid mountain bikers. The physical and mental strength it takes to do these two things is exponential and I applaud anyone that does these two activities on a regular basis or even just attempts them once like I did.
If you plan on traveling to Alaska to do any of these outdoor activities, I have one piece of advice for you…do lots of squats beforehand!
