“We call Denali the ‘Great Humbler.” The words landed in the room probably exactly as they intended to. As we sat there with maps, pizza boxes, and a thousand tabs open on the computer, the Backcountry Orientation video gave us just as much to think about as anything laid out in front of us. The Great Humbler is sitting there in Alaska and we have signed up to go and experience it.
This meeting was all about training. How do you prepare for something like backpacking in Denali National Park’s backcountry? What over the next 7 years do we have to do to get ourselves ready for something that humbles experts on the regular. While none of us are complete novices, in fact we are experienced Eagle Scouts, when a backcountry ranger tells you that you the Denali demands your best it begs the question: how do we get to be our best? What does that even look like? What is the best version of us that Denali is going to demand?
Well. It took 5 hours, 2 Pizzas, A 2 liter of coke, a pot of coffee, 300 chrome tabs, and a new TV, but here is what we worked out: It is going to require a lot of work. Earthshattering right? I guess I can be more specific. We determined that we are going to need to build endurance physically, sharpen our skills mentally, and learn things we have never had to do before. We will need to backpack, practice using equipment, set up camp, identify wildlife, and work out to be physically capable of dealing with the terrain. Our to-do list is pretty extensive.
To accomplish this, we have some goals for 2024 ready to go. We have our sights set for Acadia National Park’s Mt. Cadillac. We have trails picked out for hiking on weekends and a trail picked out to test our endurance. We have plans for a winter camping trip to make sure we prepare for the drastically changing weather of an Alaskan trek. As we prepare to roll into a new year, our agenda is packed with things to do. And honestly, nothing I love more. Can’t wait to be humbled. And guys, if you are reading, no one I’d rather be humbled with. I can’t wait to see us at our best.
UnBEARable Adventures 
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