Lucas Will

Take Me Away

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:53:00 +0000

I'm sitting in a recliner starring at a computer screen. Outside the window is a dreary White Bear Lake. But a short time ago I was many miles straight south, bobbing in the warm pacific on a surf board. Oh My! Take me away...

...to right Here.

It was a bright sun, not dissatisfaction.

It's All Good- A Canoe Country Sojourn

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:08:00 +0000

Here's a story I wrote for Northern Wilds this past summer, which I just discovered was online. It was the first portion of a 15 day trip, with just Zeb and Tischer.

"As my brother and I lowered my father’s aluminum canoe onto the surface of Sawbill Lake, I felt my heart begin to beat in rhythm with the gentle lapping waves. Standing at the launch on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, our daydreams of the paddle strokes ahead were tempered by the three bulging Duluth packs waiting to fill the canoe.

Our hope was for a campsite after a quick portage, but just we crossed over the invisible wilderness line we eyed a rocky point with an empty site. And so with the sun teasing the treetops, we guided our craft onto dry land."

Click HERE for the whole story and a photo of Zeb.

Another Campfire and the Aromas of Home

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:55:00 +0000

My October column for The Mountain Times:

"Tonight I stood around a slow burning fire with my brother and our dad. The backyard in which I grew up in was quiet. Looking up, following the swirling smoke, the sky was aglow from the big city lights to the south. The burning wood scraps offered a subtle heat, the rest of me being warmed by my down vest with one cold hand from holding an iced beverage.

I thought back to the fires I would have on decent fall nights outside the cabin in Govy. The freshly split fir from stacked rows in the basement burned quickly on an overturned garbage can lid in the driveway. On those nights, the neighborhood was quiet too but the only brightness in the sky came naturally."

Click HERE to read the rest...(and scroll down past the first column-which isn't actually mine)

My last 5 days

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:32:00 +0000

A favorites from the summer

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:39:00 +0000

Nate Petry captures my arrival at Fox Island

Cut and Paste

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:45:00 +0000

Glissading up near Mount Alice

KTUU Channel 2 Anchorage - Day Trippin'

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:01:00 +0000

In May I had the opportunity to guide a reporter and photographer from the Anchorage NBC affiliate into Bear Glacier. I was sitting on the couch when the call came for the trip, only 30 minutes from departure, with freshly shaven handle bars and a rice burrito in my hands. About as ready as I'll ever be for a television appearance.

Watch the video below...

Or go to the Day Trippin' section of KTUU's website for the link to the video, read the verbage from the segment, and watch what they deem as a "Web exclusive: preparing and safety tips for glacier kayaking" showing me talking with Leyla, the reporter.

August Mountain Times Column

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:41:00 +0000

(*The MT website incorrectly lists the column "Your Liver or Your Life - You Are Forewarned" as mine. It isn't. Though I probably can qualify as someone capable of writing such a piece. Scroll down the page to find my latest.)

A Cold - but Quickly Getting Old - Learning Experience

"Being in the grip of summer heaven, the words that follow might seem as unfamiliar to your eyes right now as the sound of thunder was to my ears during three years at my cabin on The Mountain.

The weather has finally, almost as though I really expected it to, turned here in Seward. It was like, as my boss likes to suggest (when referring to potential work in the sea kayak guiding world), someone flipped a switch.

Soft tan lines and salt stained T-shirts..."

To read the rest of this column click HERE.

Appreciating the Bay from ‘see’ level

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:03:00 +0000

"As the wind flings raindrops against the window just above my head, I strain to watch blurry treetops on the rising hill heading up toward Mount Marathon, dancing in the forceful gusts coming off the bay. The gray outside is broken by the occasional brightly colored poncho staggering by, heads tucked and pockets filled with wet fingers.

Draped next to me my raincoat — a constant companion the last few days — is feeding a growing pool of water on the hardwood floor. My hands are wrapped around a wide mug of hot tea, and my neoprene boots feel like cozy slippers on a blustery day meant for daydreaming.

On any other day..."

To read the rest of this story click HERE.

Hagen Visits, we do Fox Island

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:21:00 +0000

Reunion on the water. Been a long time.

Nate in search of the horizon, leaving Fox Island

Smooth water entices our full breakfast bellies

Sunset! from our camp on Fox Island Spit

My solo paddle to meet my friends escorted by a fine sunset

Stuffed Sunday

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:39:00 +0000

Tischer wanting in...

We feasted on a meal with each component matching the "stuffed" theme. Green peppers filled with spicy sausage, cheese and onion. Mushroom caps with garlic, crab and cheese replacing the stems. Portions of bacon wrapped around water chestnuts and drizzled with BBQ sauce.

And to top it off: A dark Porter filling a frosty mug with one or two scoops of vanilla ice cream. Consumed in a hot tub out back with full bellies and and big eyes.

Yum yum in our tum tum.

Snow River to Kenai Lake

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:56:00 +0000

The day: hot and all too tempting to spend in the shade strung between two trees, a thin layer of hammock holding me above the dog shit laden grass. Talk formed of hitting the river with some white water boats for a teaching session for Erin and Nate and some wave playing for Greggy and I, instead I opted to bail and spend the day with my words and a computer screen, in addition to letting Tischer get hers.

Temporarily. Instead we formed a compromise plan and threw two short kayaks and a canoe on the van and shuttled up to Primrose Campground. Left the truck and travelled back down the Seward Highway for a railroad bridge put-in on the Snow River.

With Tischer running along the rivers edge much of the way, swimming some of the other, and occasionally hitching a ride between Greg and I, we spent the remainder of the hot afternoon floating back to my truck. Greeted the nude bathers with surprise and overlook. Starred at large bear prints while I peed a few feet away.

Good day that almost got away.

Seward Pheonix Log Story

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 02:27:00 +0000

Van Williams of the Seward newspaper wrote this story after interviewing both Erik and I following our finish in the Mayor's Marathon and Half Marathon last weekend up in Anchorage.

Find the story on The Seward Pheonix Log website.

Happy Solstice!

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:47:00 +0000

Heli kayaking into Bear Glacier

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:17:00 +0000

I've had a few half day trips into Bear Glacier so far this season. We take a flight from the Seward airport and land on the gravel bar near the outflow from the lake where gigantic icebergs bob in frigid waters.

A few photos from these trips.

Co-pilot in the air edging the Harding Icefield.

White Bear Lake Represents

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:03:00 +0000

I discovered this sign mingling with a mix of thousands in the Sign Forest, an attraction along the Alaska Highway affectionately claimed by Watson Lake. The Yukon Territory had many surprises, but standing next to the marker of my hometown - where one identical to this still stands to this day along at the edge of town not far from my parents home (I think?) - brought a big smile to my face. A slice of home in a land far away.

Paddling in Alaska

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:50:00 +0000

So after 2 months of no contact, at least via this blog, I have some updates. You may have guessed that I made it to Alaska by now. Living down on the Kenai Peninsula in Seward leaves little to the imagination. This place is beautiful and powerful. The weather has been fantastic and hopefully will continue. The days haven't been full of work so I have tried to mix in paddling, running, racquetball, hiking, biking, and most recently some long-boarding.

Hopefully guiding will pick up soon. Otherwise I have another half marathon up in Anchorage in a few weeks. Moose Pass which is just a little up the road from us here hosts a pretty stellar solstice celebration and a regional celebrity by the name of Hobo Jim entertains us all on Sundays at the Yukon Bar.

Been meeting lots of local folks and getting a grasp of where exactly I am. I have bounced around between restlessness in not being settled and then comfort in exactly that. It's a weird mix.

Tischer is doing well. She gets to swim regularly at Bear Lake and even in Resurrection Bay now and again. I don't want to spend too much time here (even though I haven't spent any at all in a while) because it's near 70 degrees and sunny out there, and that isn't normal for here. I need some time on the water. And a trail run.

Gazing around the fire at Bear Glacier Lagoon.

Race for the Roses Photos

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:36:00 +0000

Just as Drew and I were making our way over the Steele Bridge towards the finish line of our Half Marathon run, I spotted Kirk, Julia, and Erin. They had come out to cheer us on, and their location couldn't have been more perfect. The last little incline up onto the bridge was with about .1 left in the race, and familiar faces in the crowd is what I wanted to see at that point.

These are pictures Kirk took from the bridge, and a couple just after crossing the finishing. Medals and roses for all! Check out my post on the race a little down the page with details of my effort.

Feeling good entering the final sprint.

Drew and I smelling the roses.

A solid running partner and a "shout out" to Cup'n'Cone

Photos are coming!

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:24:00 +0000

I have a new digital camera on its merry way.

First an experiment: After 3 years of living at the ski cabin, I am going to find out if UPS will actually deliver to "my residence." PO Boxes are out and I've always had stuff shipped to friends in Ptown because I was hesitant to use my rural physical address. I might have to go down to the main loop road to meet the driver, but that is still success in my eyes (assuming I'm around when he/she comes).

Of course this means an onslaught of pictures once I get it in my hands. Beware. But also be excited. I know I am!

Race for the Roses Half Marathon

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:44:00 +0000

This past Sunday morning I ran my first half marathon through downtown Portland. Nearly 4,000 runners participated between the half and 5k. I ran with my friend Drew. We enjoyed the course which brought us over the Steele Bridge twice, weaving through downtown, and along the Willamette River. The sunrise was stunning and led into a brilliant day.

As an ode to Cup'n'Cone back in good ole White Bear Lake, I wore their shirt before going shirtless halfway through. My final time was 1 hour and 42 minutes, which means I ran under an eight minute mile. I placed 285 out of 2,131 half marathon finishers. My only goal was to finish in under 2 hours.

I am very pleased to say that I am thrilled with the results. In fact, almost surprised.

A few not so great photos are up, taken by the official race photographers. Kirk was nice enough to snap a few goodies on the bridge with .1 left in the race, so when I get them I'll put them up too.

Bring on the races.

After the Deschutes: The promise of beer

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 03:37:00 +0000

My April column for The Mountain Times.

"It was a year ago that I took Tischer up the Gorge for a few nights at Deschutes River State Park. For the cost of two micro beers in Govy I pitched a tent on a green manicured lawn next to the swift river just before it joins the Columbia River."

To read the rest of this story click HERE.

Bill willing, some Crater photos are posted

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:26:00 +0000

Check out his postjock blog for some photos from our Crater Lake circumnavigation and a really well written post about his thoughts leading into the trip and subsequent reaction afterwards.

Photo by Bill Amos

Is it really March 28th?!

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:38:00 +0000

Where has this month - this season - gone? Already the end of March, even though sitting at my window seeing the snow whip down outside, a sunburn on my face, and cold toes it doesn't much feel like April is right around the corner.

And again it has happened. My last post was a few weeks ago. Partly because I've been having a sweet month and not sitting around the computer as much. So, my approach this time is to go back and post according (or as close as I can get) to the dates things happened. This means you'll have to scroll down to see previous entries even though you've been checking daily (I take a swig of dark while typing this word) and nothing has been there since the 12th. Or was it the 12th? You'd better check...

Crater Lake Ski Circumnavigation

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:43:00 +0000

I just typed and deleted no fewer than 14 intros for this post. This trip was so fantastic I don't know how to lead into it. Nothing would do it justice.

From the beginning: Last Saturday I woke up completely surprised by a nasty head cold. Somewhere in the middle of the night I was awakened mid-dream with a funky nasal taste (graphic? it should be) and immediately rolled over in hopes that sleeping on my left side would ward off pre-trip illness. Turns out my left side only breeds it.

I packed deliberately in between huddling under my covers while my body exchanged sweating for shivering as if I were jumping from sauna to snow and back. But this wasn't the enjoyable kind. Because of this I was forced to shift our departure time back on Sunday, and thus Bill had to wait around for my sick ass to show up - clutching his skis and wearing his pack probably with his eyes closed picturing us cruising down I-5 and far away from Ptown.

After a 7 hour long drive and some wintry conditions we eventually rolled into the Rim Village at Crater Lake. A quick bowl of chili and a frigid piss outside the van led us to warm sleeping bags in Bill's built-to-live-in soccer mom van (look for the sticker on the back window).

The next morning was cold, but clear. With sun creeping over the elevation to our east we stepped inside the Ranger Station for our backcountry permit. And then we were off.

For this trip, our two objectives were to ski around the entire lake along the Rim Drive and to try for some turns in an area called Mount Scott. For these purposes we chose to use our Alpine Touring skis with skins, not the best for cross country travel but would offer us the chance at claiming some higher viewing points (with the descent in mind). The distance is approximately 31 miles by the road, and the elevation at the highest is almost 9,000 feet. The road itself hovers around 6,500 feet and the the highest we slept at was 7,700, on a day when we knew Mount Scott lingered just beyond our limited visibility.

We travelled clockwise around. On day two we crossed one other group of 5 heading the opposite direction, the only other people we would see until back in the parking lot (only to find out after we had finished that they needed the assistance of a satellite phone and the ski patrol to find their way home).

Later that day during a break from slogging along I sat on top of my pack with no shirt on. The sun was lowering but still powerful and warm and my sweaty shoulders and back were thankful. That night we set up camp while the sun was still out to dry our tent and bags, and Bill and I sat around the pot of melting snow writing in our journals and stretching our legs, ski bootless (felt so nice!).

We fell asleep that night with a slight fear of an expectant cold because of the clear evening. However we opened our eyes to snow and somewhat high winds. Or so we thought high winds, turns out the breeze at camp was nothing compared to the gusts along exposed areas of the eastern rim that we would cross later in the day.

When the Rim Drive isn't running directly along the upper contour of the caldera (like it does on the north side) it does a fairly good job of meandering back to overlook the rim whenever features allow. Such was the case on the east side and it was at these points that Bill and I braced ourselves against some of the highest winds I've ever had to endure on skis and with a pack. At points I would just stop in a four point stance and simply try to maintain my position.

It came in waves, and made me feel like an awkward drunk. I had little control, except when short lulls allowed for hasty movement forward towards anything that blocked the full force of mother nature building strength across the entire openness of Crater Lake. It blew me over twice. I screamed into it, my voice lost in the noise from the moment it left my lips.

Visibility was so poor from there on out that when we reached a point where we knew the road existed we decided to hole up for the night on the solace of knowing the road would indeed be near us in the morning. We were right at the base of Mount Scott. No turns for us.

The next two days were blue, sunny, and warm. More stunning views and landscapes. More slogging along with skins on. More triumph at each days end. More delicious hot dinners. More time for journal writing. More avalanche bypass routes. And more miles to put under our belt.

The last, from the park Headquarters back up to the Rim Village where we had parked was probably the toughest. Because we knew it was the last and because it was getting hot and the trees were literally raining down on us with widow-maker residue.

Waiting for us in the parking lot was the van with two 24oz PBR's and a half bag of crackers. Again, warm sun on our bare shoulders and conversation, we relished in the accomplishment of the previous five days. I had managed to lose a head cold in the backcountry. We had managed not to have an epic, though the trip will rank high in my book of adventure.

For some really amazing pictures from this trip, check out Bill's postjock blog. He does some good work with the camera and keyboard alike.

My Winter Love Story

lucas.f.will@gmail.com (Lucas) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:05:00 +0000

The Mt Hood Magazine blog is finally up and running, as far as I can tell at least, and with it is my winter love story that I wrote for their "Straight from the Heart" section a few months back. I think it reads better than the short blurb on the main mag's site.

"Once when I was in college I took a girlfriend up the shore of Lake Superior to a lodge for a romantic night during a cold winter. Wrapped up on a rug next to the fireplace, we cuddled and nibbled on homemade cookies that she had decorated for our getaway.

Later, dozens of candles illuminated the water of the hot tub and our voices whispered softly for hours. It was comfortable and cozy despite the frigid waves crashing out the front window, and looking into her eyes late that night I knew I loved her."

To read the rest of this story, click HERE.