Pass it on

In the aftermath of recent earthquakes plaguing Southcentral Alaska, my thoughts turn back to 1964 when I was just nine years old and the largest earthquake to ever hit the US devastated Anchorage where I lived. That quake registered 9.2 and lasted more than four minutes. We lost our home. We lost our way of life. But most important, we survived.

I learned much during that time and over the next 50 plus years about the importance of sharing life lessons. I call it ‘Passing it on.’ I don’t want other people to have to experience some of the preventable tragedies I’ve been through so I have been working with the Mat Su Borough Emergency Services for more than a decade to host Preparedness Expo’s to help people prepare for emergencies and disasters. I hope some of that effort is proving valuable and helpful for all of those who survived this period of upheaval from the recent earthquakes.

In 1986 I survived another tragedy when my husband was buried under snow, ice and dirt while at work. In hindsight I realized that tragedy could have been prevented with education and adjustments to his plan. I have been on a mission to ensure others can be spared from a similar fate by passing on those lessons.

Chris Olds, three-time Iron Dog Champion, and Tyler Aklestad, 2016 Iron Dog and five-time Arctic Man Champion, have also offered to ‘Pass it on’ by sharing their life lessons. They support the Alaska Avalanche Information Center by helping others who ride and recreate in the backcountry of Alaska by attending and participating in special events.

Aklestad was the Keynote address at the 2018 Alaska Snow Safety Summit and featured speaker at the Snowfest sharing tales of his race experiences and harrowing adventures. He encourages others to take the time to get educated and learn ways to stay safe in the backcountry of Alaska.

Olds was featured at the 2012 Snowfest and has joined AAIC instructors during training courses over the years to share his life lessons to help others.

Now you can benefit from Olds’ experiences by joining the AAIC team on December 15th at Eureka Lodge for a special workshop made possible with support from AARP Alaska. Olds and AAIC instructor Kyle Sobek will be on hand to pass on the five critical components all riders should know before heading out to recreate.

Get the training; Learn to recognize the red flags nature provides to help us avoid trouble. Get the gear; Make sure you have the tools necessary in the event you do run into trouble. And know how to use them. Get the forecast; learn to check and understand the snow forecast so you’ll know what to expect. Get the picture; Learn to see and recognize dangerous terrain and conditions. And finally, Get out of harm’s way; Learn to avoid getting caught in terrain traps by understanding where you should and should not be when recreating.

Spend the day with Chris Olds and AAIC team instructor Kyle Sobek to take your riding to the next level for just $125 per person. AARP members can use code AKSNOW18 and get $50 off. Not an AARP member? Use code SNOW18 and get $10 off. Space is limited and you must pre-register at https://Alaskasnow.org/learn to secure your spot.

Don’t head out to ride without taking the time to get educated. Your family will thank you.