Pooh's Corner Honey Hive Check July 1, 2015

Group Class in the Park with Alaska Dog Works

30 Days About Me. Day 26: Favorite Clothing Store

This month I am participating in a blog challenge. It is 30 Days About Me from the blog a Daily Dose of Toni.

Today’s topic is favorite clothing store

Let me first say, and I have said it all month, that I am the only guy participating in this challenge. That being said. I love to shop. I have spent enough money at the Mall of America that I could have put at least one of my kids thru college. Maybe two.

I don’t really have a favorite clothing store per say. I love REI and L.L. Bean and Cabella’s. But not necessarily for just clothing but gear for dog sledding and other outdoor adventures.

My favorite clothing store is not a store at all but an online retailer. I think they may have one of two locations but only in Wisconsin.

It is Duluth Trading Company

They make some of the coolest, most comfortable work wear on the planet. They even give Carhartt a run for their money. I wear a pair of Duluth’s overall’s every day in the dog yard. They are made out of fire-hose material. Yes, the same material. It is extra tough but very comfortable.

Duluth also has a unique product called BallRoom Jeans. If you are a guy you know exactly what I am talking about and it is not a formal dance…

You guys have to understand that up here in Alaska we dress a bit different than you do. Our wardrobe consists of Carhartt’s (or Duluth Trading in my case), Alaskan Sneakers and trapper hats in the winter. I don’t see too many skinny jeans or tank tops and I have only worn shorts a few times in the year I have lived her.

What is your favorite clothing store? 

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30 Days About Me. Day 29: Who has gotten you through the most?

I am participating in a blog challenge this month. It is 30 Days about Me from a Daily Dose of Toni

Today’s topic is Who Has gotten you through the most?

That is simple it is my wife Michele.

Michele is my biggest supporter and my number one fan. She has been by my side during the good times and the bad. She is my constant defender and my biggest advocate. She has allowed me to pursue my dreams and even makes me chicken soup when I am sick.

Follow my news and updates on Twitter, my whereabouts on Foursquare and  relationship status on Facebook. Or send me a telegram.

30 Days About Me. Day 30: Future Dreams

I am participating in a blog challenge this month. It is 30 Days about Me from a Daily Dose of Toni

“You don’t have life if you don’t have a dream. You have to have something to aim for.” ~Morgan Freeman 

This is it folks. The last day of the challenge. I feel that I know a little bit about the bloggers that have participated and I want to thank every one of you for sharing. It has been a great exercise for not only me to get my butt in a chair and write every day but also learn so many things about other bloggers and what they have going on in their neck of the woods.

While I know I was the only guy participating I hope that my posts at least brought a smile every once in a while with my off-collar sarcastic humor and the way that I think outside the icebox up here in the Great White North.

I will continue to follow all of your blogs and continue reading your posts. I hope you will do the same. Thank you all for your comments over the last month.

It has been fun.

For the topic today it is: a dream for the future beyond the next year.

That is simple. It can be summed up in just one sentence

Follow Team Ineka on the trail as we chase our dream towards Nome!

If there is ever another challenge let me know, as I would love to participate.

Follow my news and updates on Twitter, my whereabouts on Foursquare and relationship status on Facebook. Or send me a telegram.

Sea Kayak Class at UAA

As part of my Outdoor Leadership degree program at UAA we are required to take six, one credit outdoor classes during our program.

This spring I enrolled in the Beginning Sea Kayaking class. All the outdoor classes are set up in the same way; a couple sessions in the classroom to go over trip planning, introduction to gear, and signing countless forms and waivers. A couple days of practice. In this course we spent two nights in the pool practicing paddling skills and self/team rescues, and then a field trip. We were supposed to go down to Seward to paddle to Caines Head but the weather was bad and we changed our plans at the last minute and went to Kenai Lake for the weekend.

 While I had a great time, it was a learning experience. Here is an assignment that I had to submit for the class called 'self appraisal journal'. It is a college class, for a grade, so I did have to some homework! Here are some photos of our trip:

 Self-Appraisal Journal This past weekend was an eye opening experience for me. Going into the class I thought I was very comfortable on the water, with spending many trips on the white water in Colorado kayaking. But what I soon realized is it has been more than 12 years since I have been in a kayak and it took some getting used to again. During the pool sessions it was obvious that age is catching up to me and I was not the spry young man that I used to be. That is disheartening.

Spending hours and days out on the trail mushing dogs, I am totally comfortable in that environment. When I entered the pool I suddenly felt like the proverbial fish out of the water. I was comfortable with my swimming skills, both with the PFD and without and felt no discomfort in the deep water and even playing the polo game. I felt comfortable with the paddle work in the pool in both the single and double boats. Where things started to go badly was when I attempted a self-rescue. I just could not get up in the boat. This became extremely frustrating to me and I started to push myself too hard trying to get into the boat and knocked a front tooth loose on the boat. I vowed at that point that I would do everything in my power not to flip the boat on the trip.

I did however feel comfortable on the assisted rescues and felt confident I could both rescue myself and come to aid of my fellow travelers if needed. The first day on the water at the lake was extremely frustrating. Less than half way in the foot peg straps came loose and I did not have a good way to steer the long double boat heading into the wind with Gabby up front. In hindsight, we did not work well together as a team and I was unsure what to do in the back of the boat with my teammate up front. When we decided to pull onto shore and adjust the foot pegs it was much better steering the boat and I became much more confident in our abilities. The hike was a great experience. Again this is my element. I feel totally comfortable walking any distance and can keep up with the pack of travel partners with no problem. The only issue I had was wearing the wrong footwear. Only having soggy Bogg boots, rather than hiking boots. The second day on the water was a much better experience and
I really enjoyed the time out. Sam and I worked well together with the only issue being mis-strokes of the two paddlers. It took a bit of getting used to in keep the cadence of my paddle partner and also controlling the rudder. I mentioned to Sam it was a bit like learning how to drive a stick shift again. I told myself at the end of day one of paddling that I was going to “master” the double boat before attempting a single. I think I am comfortable in saying that I did that, at least in the conditions that we were faced.

 I thought the second day on the water was a cool experience. I loved seeing the bald eagles on the cliffs and paddling in the rain and wind. I thought it was cool to see the snow slide. I had never seen one of those before. What I felt most uncomfortable with was staying in camp itself. Driving back, admittedly I began to second-guess my degree path. I felt extremely out of place with a group of campers that were my kids age. I am not sure how to best move forward as I know that I will be spending a lot of time outdoors with people much younger than I. My natural inclination is to become more of a teacher to these young students versus a student myself.

 Overall the experience was a decent one. At the end of the weekend I feel learned a few things and I am at least capable of handling myself in a sea kayak. I am not sure if I am ready for a solo expedition but I am comfortable enough to do it again.

Skills Journal

I will rate myself on a scale of one to five on some of the skills that we learned on the water in the pool and on the lake.
 Lest Proficient 3. Average Proficient 5. Proficient
Safety: 5 Risk management and hazards: 4 Equipment and selection: 4 Trip planning: 4 Transporting kayak: 4 Preparing to paddle: 3 Boat handling: Day 1---2, Day 2—4 Basic strokes: Day 1---2, Day 2—4 Safety skills: Pool---2, Lake---3 Environmental impact: 5

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The Future Home of Iditarod Dreams: Outhouses and Wanderlust

The Future Home of Iditarod Dreams: Outhouses and Wanderlust

Some people sing in the shower. I, on the other hand, tend to think... I know, I know. But hey, what better place to work out the problems of the day or just ask why (?) about things that come up in that gray matter upstairs.

The thought that came to mind today is how in the world, in the civilized world of the Mat-Su Valley, just an hour north of Anchorage, do people get by without indoor plumbing and have to resort to the use of an outhouse?

In the hamlet, city, village, or whatever it is called, of Houston, Alaska--just about nine miles south of here, 40% of the population still uses outhouses and haul water. That is still amazing to me.

It is 2010 and people still handle their business outdoors? I have heard stories of outhouses since my arrival here and some are works of art. In fact, my friend built one for his wife (just because) and it is equipped with the latest Cabela’s catalog and a Costco sized bottle of hand sanitizer (Did you know that Dr. Laura reported that junk only lasts for 6 seconds in its vigilant fight of the germies).

Another friend, Dave, told me a story about how he used to carry the toilet seat inside on in the blizzard cold of an Alaskan winter so his tush didn't freeze to it.

We even have two outhouses on our property, but thankfully we have plenty of water and indoor plumbing.

I remember when Michele and I started looking at property up here almost a decade ago that indoor plumbing was a must (the kids were very young then). I recall one awesome property that was a castle by musher’s standards that was advertised in Mushing magazine, I believe, did not have a “throne”.

Now, I was a Boy Scout and I love those commercials for Charmin. I could handle myself in the woods if I needed to but what I could not do is not take a hot shower.

I am one of those guys, call it my Diva moment, that has to take a looonngg, hot shower every single day. I sometimes run out of hot water on occasions.

How do these people take showers? Much less a bath? It is not the wild west anymore where you heat up water on the stove and soak in the tub? Or do you?

Maybe you use one of those shower in a bag thingys?


How do you guys do it? The 40% of you of the booming populous of Houston and surrounding areas? Inquiring minds want to know...

I welcome your comments and suggestions. Please comment below.

Robert Forto | Team Ineka | Alaska Dog Works | Mushing Radio | Dog Doctor Radio | Denver Dog Works
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Dr. Robert Forto is a musher training for his first Iditarod under the Team Ineka banner and the host of the popular radio shows, Mush! You Huskies and The Dog Doctor Radio Show