1. The Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan is the only school in the world offering a Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing.

2. New York City has 722 miles of subway track.

3. In 1807 The Clermont made its maiden voyage from New York City to Albany making the vessel the first successful steamboat.

4. The “New York Post” established in 1803 by Alexander Hamilton is the oldest running newspaper in the United States.

5. The first capital of the United States was New York City. In 1789 George Washington took his oath as president on the balcony at Federal Hall.

6. The first presentation of 3D films before a paying audience took place at Manhattan’s Astor Theater on June 10, 1915.

7. Gennaro Lombardi opened the first United States pizzeria in 1895 in New York City.

8. On July 28, 1945 an Army Air Corps B-25 crashed into the Empire State Building at the 79th floor level.

9. The Big Apple is a term coined by musicians meaning to play the big time.

10. New York was the first state to require license plates on cars.

The reason for this discussion about the largest city populous in the United States is my brother and I had the privilege of visiting our sister Naomi a few weeks ago in New Jersey. She lives  just a stones throw from the Manhattan skyline. Ok, maybe a long stones throw, but it’s close by. The fall season was moving in, causing crisp evenings, but gorgeous sunny days with mild temps. It was a perfect walking and commuting weather. Abbie, another sister, (we have five) joined up with us for the weekend of our stay, allowing for a generous amount of family city experiences that tend to get less and less as our ages advance.

Since we had visited before, we were able to take less of a touristy approach to our daily activities. So rather than visting the Top of the Rock we were escorted to the upper floors of the New York Times Building by a cousins’, husband’s, college buddy. A different perspective of the city skyline. We spent a day in Central Park, but not peddling one of the many two wheeled vehicles, but rather rock climbing and free running on the large expanse of rocks and play grounds near Columbus Circle. We had many strange looks. We traversed the High Line Park, although it was a short jaunt, it was gorgeous. Anytime I could get a break from the busy city I was grateful. An afternoon spent with creative director of City Bible Church NY NJ Bryan Bettis was one of the highlights. It’s not so much what your get to see, but it’s the people you meet and grow relationships with. Visiting Ground Zero, and the World Trade Center Memorial was amazing. It was a moving experience, and brought to rememberance that tragic day ten years ago, but in a good way. We did of course do some touristy things, I mean you cannot go without bargaining for wares at China Town, which we did, gaining an odd satisfaction from being the “Name Your Own price” guy from commercials.

Not only did we have a splendid city experience, but we also were able to capture the vibrance and action with video and photos. Some of those things are included in this post. Others we will have to wait a bit longer for. We used the Canon 7D for most of the filming, but we also used the Go Pro Hero, for some of the travel and Time lapse stuff. All in all it was a successful trip, with results in epic camera shots captured, and a positive family travel experience endured. A great growth for all.

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The benefits of Idaho outweighed the losses however. I got to spend a lot more time with my family. Did things with friends, and was involved at church. I got to do various summer outdoor adventures that I had not been involved in for so many years. Over all, it was almost like it was before Alaska. But not. You can never get Alaska out of your blood once you have been here, and I was no exception. I missed it a lot, and yearned to be back in the wilderness, away from all the busyness of city life and work. I actually wanted the simple life at times, even though in Alaska that involved a lot more work for water, electricity, food, transportation etc. But after spending so many years with that ingrained in my blood, it was hard to be away from it.  So needless to say, when I was on my way back to Alaska, I was really excited. It took me a while though to get my mind off of Idaho, and switched to Alaska mode, but once we arrived in Anchorage with its crisp clean air, and long shopping lists, I was back in gear.

My stay in Anchorage was prolonged a bit longer due to the increasing amount of needed items, but it made for more time to get acquainted with some old and new friends, and also get some last city life things out of the way before heading to the bush. The real thrill officially arrived when I boarded that plane, and we took off heading for the mountains. It was a gorgeous day, not all that typical for Alaska, so I was extremely thankful for the blessing of good weather. The views were once again breathtaking. It felt like the first time, and like coming home, all mixed up into one great experience. We flew over the mountains filled with pure white snow, and enormous glaciers, that fed the numerous rivers and waterfalls so far below. The sun was nearly blinding us, but we did not care, it was the perfect day for entering the beauty of Lake Clark. After a quick stop in the village of Nondalton, we landed at Port Alsworth, and I stepped off the plane and soaked up the beauty and freshness all around and the familiar faces that I had missed so much.

I am now writing inside of our cabin, across the lake from Port Alsworth, in the fading light of long summer days, and realizing the correlation of my renewed experience in Alaska, and what should be taking place every day in my own life. Just as my vigor and amazement of my home in Alaska had almost faded into familiarity, I can see how I have allowed my love for God, and the amazing life he has blessed me with, begin to become commonplace, and no longer full of wonder and thankfulness. I have been given so much, and He has placed upon my shoulders such a big calling that I can never just take it for granted and go on living like its no big deal. Being saved from death, given eternal life with him, and a message that brings love and hope to broken hearts is such a privilege that I should never forget nor get used to. I need to go through every day, with a renewed passion and desire to serve God, love People, and be a light. Just as I am going to change my perspective on the natural things I have, I am going to start to see every new day as a fresh one, appreciating the small things, and love God as though it is the first time, and as though I am home, all mixed up into one. (Written this summer while in Alaska).

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But then you go even further, across the lake 4 miles to a small bay, with the population ranging from 0-25 seasonally. This is where our lodge is situated, and it’s also in a part of Alaska called “The Bush”. Now this term and scenario is not uncommon, and in fact a large portion of Alaska has no road access at all. Although it is common place in Alaska to be “off the grid”, some people do not understand what that means. So in this post I am seeking to make that clear.

When it comes to travel, many people in the US have it easy. If you desire to go somewhere, you can hop in your car and go. If you need something from the store, you can walk, drive, or bike down and purchase the item that you need. Along with the incredible number of cafe’s, diners and fast food restaurants, food and almost anything can be obtained fairly quickly. It is easy to take for granted all of the things we have and how easy it is to obtain such comforts and delicacies. Now, lets take a look at what it’s like when all of those things are removed. It’s called living in the bush of Alaska, or any extremely remote location that is cut off from roads and or not easily accessible. Now not everyone that lives in the bush of Alaska lives this way. There are many remote villages that do not have any road access, and yet have grocery stores, full size schools and clinics. They may have it easier than, say, a cabin out in the mountains with nothing but a dirt runway nearby. So there are many different scenarios that people may find themselves in, when considered out in the Bush. No matter which way you look at it, all of the scenarios pose some level of difficulty, and they all have their own ways of making do with the situation.

Man and Boy Fishing in Port Alsworth, Author Unknown

Our lodge is located in The Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, with the only mode of transportation in or out by plane or boat. Although, this location that I have made my home is neither one of the previously mentioned village or cabin scenarios, it is a happy medium between the two. The nearest town to our lodge is Port Alsworth. Founded by Babe Alsworth, a missionary bush-pilot, and his family, Port Alsworth has a population of about 170, which varies based on the season. It is the home base for several businesses, including rural flight services, Lake Clark Air, and Lake and Pen Air, along with several different hunting and fishing lodges. The community is very tight knit, where everyone knows everyone, and has a special atmosphere about it that is hard to match. All that being said, there are many large city amenities missing in the community. Such as, a cafe, grocery store or clinic/hospital. Although it does have a strong church, and plenty of people to lend a helping hand when needed, many of the typical town fancies are non-existent.

So, you may ask, how does everyone survive in such a place with difficult access, and no local store? Well the answer is simple, planes. Planes are the mainstay of Alaska, and allow for transportation that would otherwise be impossible. Although the water system does allow for limited barge and boat access, it is a long process that adds much difficulty, unless extremely heavy machinery requires it. The planes that access the area come in all shapes and sizes. From a two-seater Supercub, to a four engine  DC-6 cargo and fuel plane. At one time they were even able to land a C-130 Hercules on the one mile long gravel runway, but certain restrictions made it impossible to continue. Standing on the end of that runway and watching that huge plane take off and land, truly makes your heart skip a few beats. The planes that fly into Port Alsworth typically originate from Anchorage, or Kenai, where they load up on passengers and freight, not necessarily in that order, and haul their loads back and forth, many times a day. The trips average about an hour, depending on the route and plane, and offers breathtaking views on good weather days, which in Alaska, tend to come and go quickly. The planes offer connectivity to the outside world, and also allow everything from building supplies, tools and boats, to bags of groceries, mail, and dog food, to be transported to the remote residents. It is the air taxi or moving van, to carry what you need, but it all comes at a hefty price tag.

In order to build a cabin or lodge out in Lake Clark, such as what we began to do back in 2007, takes a lot of planning, and a lot of transportation. The typical process looks something like this.

Items are purchased in Anchorage, ordered from Seattle, or just rounded up and packaged for shipping

Then these items are loaded into one of the many cargo planes, big or small.

Next the plane transports the cargo to the destination, either over the mountains or through the pass, depending on the weather.

Once the plane arrives in Port Alsworth, it is unloaded either by hand or heavy machinery, and stacked for sorting and temporary storage.

It is at this stage that every item must be transported across the lake, either on the ice in the winter time, or by barge or boat in the summer time.

Once the equipment or supplies has reached the other side of the lake, weather permitting, then it is unloaded by hand into a 4 wheeler for distribution. No heavy machinery exists on that side of the lake to haul big pieces of lumber or metal, only manual labor.

It is by this process that we built our lodge, from the ground up. Cleared the ground, poured the footings, and built the house, and every piece, small or big had to follow that entire process to arrive on the site. So when you find out you forgot an important piece of equipment or part, it can take days, or even weeks, to get the item you were needing. You get really good at making do with what you have. Thankfully we have the strong community all around us, on both sides of the lake, that help us out whenever we need it.

Not only can you not go down to the store and buy what you want, you also have to produce your own electricity. Although Port Alsworth has a community electric coop, it is still all run on generators. That is what we have at our lodge, a generator system, along with a battery bank system for non generator power. Many other alternative resources have also been considered as a replacements, including solar power, Wind, and hydro power.

These extra processes required to maintain a fairly modern wilderness experience are costly, but they add enjoyment for those that seek a less extreme take on living in the remote areas. However, nothing is easy when it comes to living in the Bush, but seeing the rewards of being off the grid are huge. Self dependence is not for everyone, but I am privileged to be a part of it.

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New York Adventure from Micah Ness on Vimeo.

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I was privileged to have an opportunity to spend five days in the Big Apple, and really enjoyed the time, but also realized a few things about it.

First – It would be extremely difficult for me to abide in a place such as that for a long period of time. Although don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the city, and the hustle and bustle of business and busyness. But there is a strong desire inside of myself to get out, and away from it all, and go climb a mountain, or breathe fresh clean air. I was surprised, however, that the air in the city was not as dirty and bad as I had expected, but i guess it is just the common misconception of the City, to always be dirty and unclean, but it was in pretty good shape.

Second – How much things become common place when around them so much, and how you hardly get to slow down and realize the things you have around you, when you see them every day. Living in Alaska I find this very true as well. It is also a big tourist destination, but living there and spending a lot of time there has caused me to become used to all that majesty and amazing sights that there are, and I tend to get used to seeing all the mountains and rivers and take for granted what is all around. So when I was in New York, at first I was looking up at all the tall buildings that were all around me, and got lost in the hugeness of everything, but by the time I was Leaving, I found myself getting used the hustle and bustle, and the greats sights. Not that I ever actually got used to all of the people, it was almost suffocating.

Third – You can find adventure anywhere, even in a big city. Although the big touristy attractions were great, I actually enjoyed the adventure of finding the small, hardly noticed things and exploring rather than the typical locations. One of my highlights from the trip was bouldering, i.e. rock climbing with out a rope. Met some really cool people, and got to borrow some chalk and crash pads. My Sister was gracious enough to take some pictures and video of me ascending the rock slab. There were some decent intermediate routes, but i had not packed my climbing shoes, so my feet had to endure the brunt of the pain, but it was well worth it. Through the people there, I found that there were several rock gyms in the city, and that even in the midst of so many people, there were some little known treasures to be discovered to satisfy even the outdoor adventurers.

It was these things that made the trip interesting, and kept it different at every turn. If it was not for my sister living nearby to the city, I do not know that I would have made the trip. But now that I have been there, I can look and say that it was worth while. The time went by very quickly, and by the end we were both pretty tired from all of the many miles that were trekked. Although we had purchased bus passes, and train passes, we actually rarely used them, and actually spent most of our time walking. My sister, Naomi, was able to get a four day weekend off of work, so we were able to spend the entire time together. Her knowledge of the City and how to get around was a huge help, and I was very grateful to have her with me. All in all it was a great trip, and It was alot of fun, and I learned alot from the experience. More pictures can be viewed on flickr in my photostream. The sights, the sounds, the people, the various cultures that seem to change on every street corner, created a unique and exilerating experience. Look for the Video coming soon that give you a look into my point of view of New York.

The principles in this post can be applied to many different locations and trips. So next time you are traveling, don’t just go down the tourist path, try the adventurous one instead.

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The continuation of “The Lionheart, Part 1″

We awoke to beautiful sun, yet again, and after some exploring and snorkeling, set sail for the mainland once more. It was there that we resupplied on some already low items, and also got Hanna’s bag from the airport, which had finally arrived. We stayed the night there, and ate at a really nice restaurant, and enjoyed another late night together. At the rising of the sun, I was up and at em early, as I was every day, and helped ready the vessel, and start breakfast. Our next stop was a really cool little cove, on the other side of the main island, and we spent the whole day at a beach, that was perfect for surfing, with the kayaks, and also finding coconuts to drink from. There was no limit to the fun and adventure that we got ourselves into. That night we slept under the stars, but were rudely awakened by rain, and were forced to spend the remainder of the night indoors.

Our destination the next day was the Jost Van Dyke, but on the way we stopped at Sandy Cay, a gorgeous little island, that was actually the location of Mobbsie‘s wedding. We played Bocce Ball, Kayaked, and lounged in the sand, another tough day. Continuing to Jost Van Dyke, we moored next to several other sailboats already there, and also a few larger ships that brought many other visitors. It was still never very crowded, and we managed to get some great Christmas pictures done on the beach there. Many more painkillers, (the drink) were had that day, and we ate at a place called “Pirates”, and also ventured into the famous new years day party headquarters, “Foxy’s”. Lots of history was contained in those places, and lots of good times for many people, and we were a part of it!

The next day was a long one. We started out early, set sail and moved along silently, with only the sound of the waves breaking on the bow and the wind in the rigging. So peaceful, and relaxing, even when we had to rush quickly to switch our tack, it was the rush that added to the fun. We made it through a narrow channel, with only the wind as power, and once on the other side headed to Norman Island, the place that inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to write “Treasure Island”. We moored at an awesome little place, away from all the other boats, and people, and there we had probably the best night of the entire trip. We did some diving, snorkeling, shell collecting,  and lounging. Then after a huge down pour of warm rain, a dried up pond became a mud hole, and some how we began a mud fight in the middle of it all. We felt very primal, but had way too much fun acting like little kids.

We then cleaned up back on the boat, and went to the beach for a bonfire, drinks and loud music. It was then that we got a special treat from our Captain, Mobbsie, and officially became part of the Lionheart family. It was such a great time, and we stayed up long into the night. The next day was our last full day of adventure, and it was well spent. We went beach combing, at a beach littered with junk and odds and ends that had drifted in from other countries, it was quite a sight. Then we climbed up the mountain, to the top of the Island, Explored some old ruins, and then sailed around to the bay, and spent the remainder of the day hanging at the “Pirates Bight”. It was a picturesque closing of the Sailing adventure, and we shared some great family moments that day. That night was our last upon the boat, and it was emotional.

In the morning, we sailed our last time back to the mainland of Tortola, and then said good bye to our Captain, who seemed just as a part of our family as the rest of us. It was such a privilege and an honor to sail under his flag. The rest of the day was spent readjusting to land again, and just kind of relaxed and did nothing. John and Hanna left, so we were down to eight. It was also Christmas day, and since we had done our Christmas on Thanksgiving, we ended up at a local black Baptist Church, for a Christmas service, thanks to an invite from our cab driver. It was really cool, but kind of awkward. The next day we went for a drive across the Island, experiencing some really steep, scary roads and drivers. It is amazing that we didn’t have any car problems. We found a nice beach away from town, thanks to Mobbsie once again, and spent our last day there, swimming and exploring for the last time. It was a great day.

In the morning we had to bid farewell to what had become almost a second home, and loaded our cramped car again. At the airport we had no problems, except that we were all sad to leave. We had a few hour lay over in Puerto Rico, so we took a cab into town, and traveled around the town a bit. It was a nice break in between the long travel time. Once airborne again, most of us slept or passed the time talking about our amazing trip. Back in the states we got to experience the thrill of going through customs, but thankfully it was not very busy, and we all made it through. We looked a bit out of place, with our tan skin, and shorts, since it was winter time, but we didn’t mind, it was a great feeling. Many hours later we arrived back in Idaho, recovered from Jet lag, and got back to the cold life. The experience was so amazing, and the family time spent together will never be forgotten. And we will always remember the Lionheart, Mobbsie, and the Island life that become a part of ours even if only for a short while. It was truly a time to remember.

Through this trip we learned some very valuable things. First off, traveling on a sailboat, with no one else but your own crew and captain, is much more enjoyable than other forms of vacations. You are able to totally be in control of what you want to do each day, and are not limited to a certain schedule or list of events. Second would be that when you rent a car in a British settlement, make sure you are able to adjust to driving on the left side of the road, it can be a hair raising experience. Also we learned how to make painkillers, if you would like the recipe let me know. And of course we learned how to enjoy time together, with all of our family, and to create lasting memories.

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