Sharry Miller

Big Odyssey Attempt

It's not really a hike if you don't fear for your life, right? Oh, maybe that's a better definition of a death march. Or, in my case, either. The two often seem to be one and the same. After a failed attempt to find Marshall Pass with Don several days ago due to excessive (in my opinion) vertical bushwhacking, Scout demanded a mulligan. Who am I to say no do such a sweet dog? I... Read more →

Gold Mint Trail Backpacking

When I was 13, I got a beautiful book that still inspires me, even though I haven't seen it in years. It was coffee table sized and replete with gorgeous photos. The chapters alternated technical information about camping and backpacking with essays about specific hiking areas across the U.S. I could spend hours reading, planning, and dreaming. Alas, I never brought those dreams to fruition. I have always loved the idea of backpacking, have always... Read more →

A Big Odyssey

Today was predicted to be one of the first nice days in three weeks or more, but it wouldn't have mattered. I was determined to go hiking somewhere...anywhere. I had three potential destinations picked out, each one a bit further north. I was prepared to go beyond the downpour. Under the circumstances, I was happy to take the closest of the three options: climbing Big Odyssey, a mountain in Thompson Pass. I invited Tim to... Read more →

Paddling Robe Lake

Wow, it has been forever and a day since I wrote anything here. I am sorry. Mostly for myself. I always took such pleasure in sharing a bit of my life here, and I've missed doing so this summer. And what a wonderful summer it's been. I've had many great little adventures while getting out and about in Valdez. As usual, I had grand plans for traveling around south-central Alaska to go backpacking and biking,... Read more →

Kennecott and McCarthy

I've been in a rut lately, feeling like I'm not doing anything interesting, and certainly not anything worth writing about here. Nonsense, of course, but it's a hard rut to climb out of. Anyway, I'd meant to share a bit with you after I headed north for a KCHU public radio board meeting. We decided to have our June meeting and biannual strategic planning session in McCarthy, a tiny town nestled in the Wrangell-St. Elias... Read more →

The Bear Went Over the Mountains

It's getting to be that time of year already. I decided I'd not be amiss in taking advantage of a hot, sunny day to trek up to Thompson Pass and see if the blueberries were ripe yet. If nothing else, Scout and I could find a good spot for a picnic dinner. After picking a couple of handfuls and then examining their collected nature, I determined that the berries really needed another week or two... Read more →

Just for Fun

In order to ensure that I exercise regularly and vigorously, I've made a point the past few years of signing up for something for which I need to train in order to accomplish. Last year, I rode in the Fireweed 400 and mountain biked in Montana. The year before, I trekked in Peru to Machu Picchu. This year, I set a goal of running at least one half-marathon (13.1 miles), and maybe the 100-mile part... Read more →

Fireweed 400 - Headwinds, Sidewinds, but No Tailwinds

It's been a week since the 2014 Fireweed 400, a series of 50-400 mile races and one non-race 2Day300K ride. Earlier this spring I'd decided to challenge myself by riding the last of those, what I keep calling the "tourist class" of the Fireweed: ~200 miles in two days. The first day is 110 miles from Sheep Mountain Lodge on the Glenn Highway to Tonsina Lodge on the Richardson Highway. The second day is about... Read more →

Hatcher Pass Love

It was a dark and stormy night. No, wait, that's a different story. I can see clearly now the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It's gonna be a bright (bright) bright (bright) sunshiny day. It's gonna be a bright (bright) bright (bright) sunshiny day. ~Jimmy Cliff, "I Can See Clearly Now" Yeah, that's better. That's definitely more like it was... Read more →

Pretty Pictures

Normally I like to turn my little adventures hiking or biking into stories to share with you, but I've written before about hiking the Pack Trail (here and here), and riding out of town on the Richardson Highway gets mighty redundant. So, rather than bore you, I thought I'd just share a few photos I took last week while out riding and hiking. Related articles No Need to Rewild on the Pack Trail Scrambling Like... Read more →