Devin H

Alaska Is

Alaska is vast, expansive, and desolate. You can drive for hours and see few signs of life beyond a few caribou off in the distance. Over each snow-capped mountain, ten more appear on the horizon. Dry riverbeds thread the landscape to divide the tundra, taiga and mountains as a patchwork quilt.
Alaska is small, isolated, a microorganism of environment and culture. It is a place where you can travel from tundra to taiga to boreal forests in a matter of hours.11 distinct native cultures developed and continue to exist here. Mountains are torn down slowly by lichens and glaciers retreat inch by inch.
Alaska is a paradox. On top of Mt. Healy you feel as tall as a giant, yet as insignificant as an atom in the universe. Alaska is the last frontier but the first place settled in the Americas over 10,000 years ago. It is a place where students learn to become independent and rely on one another.

Final Reflections

I am surprised at how tired I am at the end of this trip. We’ve been
moving constantly, even on easy days. The one page itinerary is
extremely deceiving, and stories from my sisters and those who have
been here before are not enough to demonstrate the energy it takes to
experience this place. Even today, essentially our last day, we
stopped at Hatcher Pass. The mountain we hiked looked so close, until
I noticed the small dots on the path as people. Once I had a point of
comparison, I realized the true size and breadth of everything around
me. The same idea is true for everything about this trip, from the
very beginning, before we left, I never truly understood what this
trip really was.. Mt. Marathon seemed so close and easy to climb from
the base, but 2 ½ hours and a huge shot to the ego later we were at
the top. Even then, it seemed the trip down would be an easy climb.
Again, I was wrong.
        The funny thing about this trip is that everyone understands that
they have gone through a great and unique experience. What we don’t
understand is how great and how unique that experience is until its
completely over. I don’t imagine it will take us too long to get back
to our routines and forget how we made it the last 3 ½ weeks. But the
next time I unzip my tent, I will feel a pang of sorrow because there
are no misty mountains to hike, or an ocean view outside my door, or a
van full of kids ready to sing Katy Perry songs.