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A pickled toe?
Crawlers inevitably made it to the Sourdough Saloon at the Downtown Hotel, also known as the home of the Sourtoe Cocktail. Apparently the saloon has a pickled human toe behind the bar. If you’re daring enough to drink a shot of hard liquor with the toe in the glass and let the toe touch your lips, you’ll get a certificate attesting to your “bravery.”
Happily, it warmed to -22 F on Sunday and, after an adjustment to the 800’s carburetor, both of our snowmobiles started readily for a beautiful return ride to Tok.
The sun continued to shine and it was 20 above zero by the time we reached Tok. The day’s best news was that the trail to Boundary had been groomed and a flattened trail had been cut across Terrible Terrace so was more rideable.
We’d barely made it to Chicken on the first day’s ride when our friends were asking us if we’d do it again. Many make the trek an annual event; a few have completed the journey each of the 18 years. That first day I just said, “Ask me if I make it back to Tok!”
Now, the answer is definitely, “Yes.”
Sharry Miller Sives in Valdez, Alaska, where she writes, creates art, and enjoys outdoor adventures.