As much as I love to ski, the relentless dark & below zero exact a punishment. Jack London sympathizes with this destructive codependency; the brutality is displayed in full character in “To Build a Fire”. After reading, I am able to subjugate these feelings as being almost normal.
Refuge can be found in the example of the Kohola (Humpback Whale). They have migrated to the warm waters off Maui. My journey is less complicated, a direct flight from Anchorage completes the 3,000 mile journey in 6 hours.
The abundance of whales at this locale inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick. Whalers stopped here where they could anchor in safety and replenish supplies. More than 10,000 whales return to breed each year.
The Honu (sea turtle) also proves to be a capable mentor. They can be found patiently chomping algae off the coral. Some are as long as 4-feet and 300 pounds. They have no fear of us northern intruders, but can accelerate rapidly upon the appearance of a shark.
Cliff Diving brings an exhilaration to the menu.
NorthRim Engineering 