Ice Road Truckin' - Ruark Style

Thus far, I have been able to turn everything into a positive about Alaska. And what I believe is true: my pipes freezing showed me I have what it takes to survive out here when that happens again (which, of course, it will). I fully believe that we grow when we overcome challenges. There is a learning experience in everything.

Even today's adventure: I rode down the ice road from Akiak to Bethel. And it sucked. It sucked big time. For me anyways.

So I went with a handful of teachers to get snacks for the extended day program. We took the suburban, kinda like a big station wagon. I sat in the third row in the back (any of you thinking uh oh just at that statement?) where none of the seatbelts worked. I didn't really need to go shopping since my bush order had come in a couple of weeks ago, but I wanted the adventure of going and i wanted to do some fun shopping. Plus, my snow pants are hard to walk in and I wanted a second pair of not so heavy duty snow pants.

But as I've learned in life, nothing runs smoothly. There are always some bumps in the road. So I was kinda excited & nervous: what would happen to us? Would we hit an air pocket and fall through the ice (but you land on ice) OR would we hit "open water" (a hole in the ice) and fall through (landing in freezing water)? What was going to be the "big problem"...because every excursion has one that I normally laugh off.

So we head out onto the ice and it felt weird...in my head because we were on an ice road! Under us was the river. It was a wild sensation...but I thought it was so cool. We start on the trail....so far so good. With us were Owen (language arts teacher), Diane (counselor), Jared (3rd grade), Jamie (Jared's wife), and their 2 year old baby.

And I thought traveling with a two year was gonna be rough! Silly me!! Here's what happened: the road was extremely bumpy. Jamie turns to me and says "Do you get motion sick?" I start to say "No, but I get carsick unless I can roll down a window." When it hits me....I can't roll down a window! Two reasons: 1) It's negative 12 degrees outside and 2) I'm not sitting by a window anyways. But I figure I'll be okay because it's mostly claustraphobia that I battle. And if I don't get sick in a bush plane, I was sure I would be fine.

And maybe I would have been if it had not been so bumpy. At one point I became airborne and hit my head on the roof. I felt every bump, every fishtail....and twice the car slid, spun 90 degrees (to the side) and continued to slide across the ice. I was holding on for dear life. My stomach had started lurching while we were still in sight of Akiak, so I was in bad shape. I was trying so hard not to throw up...I realized that if I felt cold, I wouldn't feel so sick to my stomach....so towards the end, I had stripped down to my socks, sweatpants, and a thin tee-shirt. I was trying not to be sick and trying not to cry. (I hate crying in front of people, remember?)

It took us an hour and a half to get to Bethel. Once we were off the ice road I had put on my boots because I knew what was going to happen once we stopped the car. I was half a block from the parking lot when I said, "You need to pull over." Owen stopped the car and both Jared & Jamie jumped out of the car as quick as lightening so I could get out.

I rushed out still in a thin tee shirt and it was 12 degrees below zero. Once the cold hit me, I didn't have to throw up anymore. I burst into tears instead. Jamie was standing there to make sure I was okay and I had to admit the truth: I didn't think I could get back in the car. I was debating buying myself a ticket to fly home for $80.

We went to lunch (I couldn't eat) and I tried to calm down. I knew I would have to confront this ice road again on the way home and that was just the way it was gonna be. We went shopping after lunch. My tummy was still iffy but I didn't want it to ruin my time. I wanted to pretend that nothing was wrong but I felt a cloud over me....the ride home was going to be hell....they were going to move me up to the front on the way home...but I just didn't know if that would help.

I was walking through my favorite store in Bethel, Swanson's, where I had found a pair of snow pants when Owen called me from somewhere inside the store. The basketball team was here in Bethel too and one of the students had hurt his ankle and had to be taken to the ER. The girls had no chaperone to get them home. Would I mind flying back with the girls (for free by the way)?

Oh hell no, I don't mind. And that's just what I did.

Would I go on the ice road again? Yes, I would go on a snow mobile, dog sled, or even a different vechicle....but not in that car again!!! No way!!!

By the way: the toddler fell asleep on the ice road and was fine....turns out the real baby was the 34 year old in the back.