John,
You asked if my heart attack
recovery was complete. I have done really well and feel great. But HA
recovery is pretty much a lifetime thing. Each new day you're happy to be here
and it brings things to do -- especially take your drugs, get some exercise and
eat heart-healthy, or at least mostly.
It has worked out well. Hey, I can
still drink some wine and even a couple ounces of spirits now and then.
Still reffing youth soccer, but just
kids 9-12 on smaller fields, where I can walk. Not so good at running anymore,
but that's due to my artificial hips and arthritis in my real joints rather
than heart. I volunteer 2 afternoons a week helping my friends on the staff of
the City Hospital Cardiac Rehab Lab, who conduct classes and get folks started
on an exercise program after their "cardiac event," an Official
Medical Term that covers a lot besides HA.
You asked about traveling. Just got
back from the trip I had planned for 2012 when the HA intervened -- 43 days on
the road driving to and from....Alaska. My 4th trip to The Great Land.
 |
| Charles Montague |
Had not driven in US west of
Billings, Mont., and the rest of I-90 to Seattle is just gorgeous. Drove 75
miles north to Bellingham, Wash., and car and I got on Alaska Marine Highway
car ferry for the 3-day, 1,080-mile trip up the Inside Passage of Southeast
Alaska past Juneau to Skagway.
Drove north into Whitehorse, Yukon,
and headed west. Had always wanted to see western Yukon and eastern Alaska that
I had been flying over on way to Anchorage.
Spent
a week on Denali Highway in Denali State Park, which Alaskans like better than
Denali National Park to the west. Now I see why.
Was
ferried in a van the 488 miles north from Fairbanks to Deadhorse Camp and
Prudhoe Bay oilfields and back south to see the sights, and saw plenty,
including rare blond bear cubs -- that color because mom, who was with them, is
brown bear, but dad is polar bear.
Spent
a couple days at Talkeetna Roadhouse and Restaurant. Town, people and
restaurant were the inspiration for the TV dramedy “Northern Exposure.” Also
now see why on that.
Flew
in a 52-year-old deHavilland Otter airplane around the high parts of The
Mountain and landed and got out and walked around the Root Glacier at
5,600 feet. (People in Canton say Mount McKinley; people in Alaska say Denali
or The Mountain. I'm with the Alaskans. I think most people think the mountain
was named for him because he was assassinated. Wrong-o. Powerful Republicans back
then, of the ilk of today's, got mountain named for him simply because he got
Republican nomination for president -- not even for winning the job.
Shameful.)
Spent
a week each on the islands of Sitka in the Southeast, home to the amazing
Alaska Raptor Center and Fortress of the Bears, which treat injured eagles and
other birds of prey and injured bears, respectively, and Kodiak, where I fished
and drove 26 miles, with guide, on a hugely rocky trail in an ATV to the
incredibly beautiful Saltery Cove, after The Mountain my new favorite place in
Alaska.
Rafted
the Kenai River. For last week, sister of my younger daughter-in-law flew out.
Showed her Seward and best day boat tour in Alaska, with breeching whales and
calving oceanside glaciers.
Stopped
at summer training camp of sled dogs of the Seavey family of Iditarod fame.
Mitch won for 2nd time this year. His son, 26, who won 2 years ago, was
3rd. But my hero is Mitch's dad, who this year at the age of 74 ran his 21st
Iditarod. The race is 1,049 miles behind a team of 16 sled dogs in temperatures
of minus 20 to minus 40. Amazing.
We
went down to Homer and flew 159 miles each way on small plane to Hallo Bay on
Katmai Coast to walk, with guides, for three hours among wild bears; had total
of 15 of them within 100 yards of us at one point. Guides know what they
are doing; the service I used has never had to hurt a bear, and never had
customer injured.
When
we pulled out of motel parking lot next morning, it was only 5,411 miles to
home. All told, 10,400 miles on the car.
Had
no qualms about starting trip in an 11-year- old Accord with 173,400 miles on
it. No car problems; hey, it's an Ohio-built Honda.
Came
home gloriously exhausted and hugely broke. Latter is reason I've gone on a
bit. My story is a plug for consulting. I do help people make the most of
what likely be their only trip to Alaska. For a small fee, I
recommend an itinerary based on time they have, money they have and their
interests and how adventurous they are. I will save them, for example, much
more than cost of my fee with my tips on safe, clean and comfortable housing in
Anchorage and Fairbanks, where, because of summer demand, a "cheap"
motel is $200 a night. Would be happy to work with anybody planning on
Alaska by plane, ship or car. Just call or email.
Chuck
Montague
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