Mount Alveska

Mount Alyeska

"Over 7 feet of snow has fallen in the small town of Girdwood, Alaska," said Channel 9 reporter Evan Nickelson. This has been one of the most violent winters in Alaskan history, with record amounts of snowfall and hail. Local snowplow man Tyron Brown told reporters, " This is by far the busiest winter I've had in over twenty years. I have to clear snow off the roads constantly as this snow is relentless!" This year, winter has come much earlier than usual, and it's the coldest it's ever been since recorded history. The temperature has dropped into the negatives and the weather has been quite unpredictable. The clouds are dark and ominous and what lies ahead is unknown. The town's people know, however, that this winter will be a time that will never be forgotten.

Max and Paul have always been best friends. They grew up together in their small town suburb and were practically brothers. Year by year, they went to school and lived full lives, learning new concepts, experiencing different things, and maturing as individuals. Max and Paul were always interested in the exact same things. In the fourth grade, the two of them joined the boy scouts with their dads. Everything was going well and it seemed as if nothing could go wrong. They continued going to the meetings and functions week after week, until one rainy day in April when Max found himself at the boy scouts' annual camping trip alone without his friend Paul. At first, he was confused and wondered what had happened to his best friend. Later that night as he sat in the camp dining hall, his dad nudged him and signaled him to come outside. After opening the oak doors, they stepped out into a light drizzle. His dad said, "I just got a call from Paul's dad… He said that he was getting a divorce, and that Paul was sorry that he couldn't make it to the trip… I'm sorry sport." And from that day on, Paul never returned to the boy scouts, but after some time Max and Paul's friendship resumed. They continued to go through school and life went on. They continued to have fun and they learned how to ski in the process of doing so. But an unmistakable fear had seized Paul the year his parents got divorced; he seemed to be scared… scared of life… scared of what life could do to him after his dad had moved away. During the seventh grade ski trip to Mount Alyeska, Paul was going down a fairly easy course when he lost control of his skis and veered off the course. He then found himself in very deep and soft snow. And while he was trying to free himself from the slushy mess, the snow gave way and he fell into a dark crevasse. From the surface, fearful weeping could be heard for over an hour before the fire department was able to rescue him. Luckily, he only fell about 8 feet and sustained no physical injuries. Mentally, he was quite traumatized from his near death experience.


As time passed, it seemed as if he had overcome his fears. Before Paul and Max knew it, eighth grade, full of skiing and meeting new people, was over. Max, being the adventurous type, felt a strong urge to culminate the end of middle school and celebrate the beginning of high school with a perilous ski trip down the snow-bat country—a feat that not even his father had accomplished. As always, he invited Paul to embark on this dangerous, shenanigans-filled journey. Paul, the archetype of apprehension, had to be persuaded to come. Paul, feeling that he needed to settle a score with the mountain that almost took his life, agreed to come along. They planned to begin their trip early Friday morning, and return late Sunday afternoon. As the morning was readily approaching, Paul and Max stared at their alarm clocks, watching the minutes pass from 5:12AM to 5:13AM… waiting for 6:00AM to arrive. They were going to tackle the most dangerous and difficult runs Mount Alyeska had to offer, but Max was confident that he, as well as the better half of the magnificent duo, would have a great time.

The day before, Paul had run into a girl he really liked from school and invited her to come along. When Max went to Paul's house to pick him up, he was surprised to see that Paul had brought company. Kelly greeted Max as the two entered the car. Kelly was by far the cutest girl in school and boys were always interested in her. Paul had always possessed a certain charm with the girls, and he had convinced her to come along. Max's dad drove the three up the frosted-over highway, through the snowy woods, and finally to the lodge at the bottom of Mount Alyeska. He was troubled. The snow, which had barely covered his windshield minutes ago, had now blanketed the entire vehicle. Arriving at the lodge, they walked through the double doors, feeling the warm embrace of an internal heating system, and a fireplace crackling nearby. Saying goodbye, the three adventurers rode on the gondola to the very top of the mountain. Max would never forget peering at the sunrise over the snow-capped peaks. Each of them had twenty-pound mountaineering packs full of supplies and camping equipment. And as the three of them sat at what seemed to be the top of the world, they looked down the near-vertical slopes below and reminisced about memories from the past year. Then, as the sun appeared almost fully over the horizon, Paul stood up in silence, brushing the snow off his ski pants. He then looked at the slope and decided that he would be the first to tackle the new feat, hoping to impress Kelly in the process. He proceeded by slowly inching himself closer to the beginning of the run until he jolted forward and disappeared, the slush of snow being heard as he attempted the moguls. Max and Kelly followed, officially beginning their ski trip. They continued skiing along the mountain, coming to a fork in the trails about halfway down. They needed to decide which to continue on with. After the first run of the day, Paul felt empowered with confidence and decided for the group. Rather than ski along either path, they would go off the trail, down the treacherous mountainside, and over the tracks of previous skiers that gave them an eerie warning to turn back. Apprehensive at first, Max refuses to go down that makeshift trail because it seems too dangerous. However, he finally agrees to do so and the three begin to trek down the mountainside, neither keeping track of where they were going nor knowing how they would return.
As Max, Kelly, and Paul slowly maneuver their way down the mountain, they hear a thousand jet engines roaring at full throttle, reverberating across the mountain. A terrifying sound that becomes louder and louder as an ocean of snow comes tumbling down the mountain. In great panic, they ski down the mountain as fast as humanly possible, but are swept away by the avalanche of snow blistering down the mountain. After all of the havoc, about 100 meters further down the mountain, Paul arises along with Kelly. In great disbelief at being unharmed, Paul sees Kelly in the rubble of trees and fears the worst. They instantly meet eyes and Paul is euphoric to see that Kelly is okay, but then realizes that Max has not surfaced. Shock comes over Paul; he fears that he may have lost his best friend because of his reckless decision. In horror and panic Paul shouts, "Max! Max can you hear me?" without even a whisper of a response in return. In the midst of the avalanche, Kelly said that she saw a blue blur about 50 m in front of her before she was buried in snow and she believed that blur was Max. Slightly relieved, Paul and the two continue to ski down the mountainside in search of their friend. And again, they scream his name at the top of their lungs, with no response. Just as they are about to lose hope, they hear a faint, "Help! Help! Can anyone hear me?" It's Max, crouched over near a tree, waving his friends over.
"Hey buddy, are you okay?" Paul exclaimed.
"Ugh, I'm in so much damn pain." Max replied." I think I may have broken my leg and it really hurts to breathe. I've tried to stand up but I can't."
At this moment, fear overwhelms Paul, Kelly, and Max because they realize the direness of their situation; they are lost, the sun had all but set, it looked as if a storm was coming, their good friend with the only mountaineering experience was very badly injured, and as Paul flipped open his phone… that there is no signal to be found.
Horrified, the three realize that they could very well die out here in the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness. Especially Max, who had received serious injuries. Moreover, he had started to develop the beginning stages of frostbite. Numbness spread all throughout his extremities as he shivered in the stinging cold. They had brought some supplies with them, but had lost two mountaineering packs to the avalanche. The remaining pack contained one sleeping bag and a two-man tent. Max, channeling his inner boy scout, instructs Paul and Kelly to pitch the tent nearby and on solid snow. They had been swept down the mountainside, and with the enveloping darkness of night, would have to wait until morning and hope for rescue.
Two days had past and no rescue had come. Their supplies were beginning to dwindle and Max's condition was obviously worsening. He had begun to cough up blood and complained of stabbing pain in his chest; he had punctured his lung. Taking his friend's dire condition into account, Paul came up with a plan that would either save them or kill them. He decides they would pack up, and try to make the journey back to the lodge—a distance of eleven miles that would take about a day and a half to traverse. Paul created a makeshift sled out of branches and rope from the surrounding trees and his daypack. They begin to make the arduous journey up the mountain. With Paul pulling the sled, the three friends make impressive progress at first. Unaware they are going in the complete opposite direction, they travel further away from the lodge and deeper into the Alaskan wilderness.
Back in town, Max, Paul, and Kelly's parents are at the local police station filing a missing persons' report to the police. And to their terror, they discover that the worst blizzard in over 70 years is expected to hit the small town of Girdwood, Alaska in approximately sixteen hours. Realizing the three teenagers would certainly die in the blizzard, the parents huddle together like mice sharing a large slice of cheese.
"We have breaking news this morning. Three students attending Dante's High school—Paul Jonson, Max Meredith, and Kelly Anderson—have been reported as missing during a weekend long ski trip on Mount Alyeska. Possibly the largest search in Girdwood history is being mounted to save them. With an imminent blizzard predicted to hit Girdwood, the efforts of the many men, women, and children who are out on Mount Alyeska with search dogs, flares, and people actively skiing down the trails in search of them are greatly appreciated. We hope for their safe return," reported Evan Nickelson, a channel 9 newscaster. The three teenagers' parents gathered around the television, watching the broadcast. Right after the newscast, the phone rang and Ms. Jonson answered. It was her ex-husband—Paul's dad. He had heard about the commotion in Girdwood, and he was driving down to find his son.
"Okay, okay, men, three teenagers are lost on this mountain. We have a window of approximately fourteen hours to get them the hell out of there before the storm comes. Look high and look low; I don’t want one goddamn inch of this mountain unsearched. Do you understand?" said Captain Hansen as briefed the squad of firefighters. On the other side of the mountain, Paul's dad sipped contemplatively from a canteen. All he could think about was all of the years he hadn't been there for Paul. His son, lost somewhere on a goddamn mountain in the freezing cold, with no one there to help him? "No way. I am not going to let this happen," said Paul's dad as he put on skis. He was about to start skiing down to search for his son when he thought that maybe the rescuers were searching in the wrong area. Most likely, they were searching on trails already established by the resort. Knowing his son would want to try something harder, Paul's dad immediately knew his son would be in the bat-county. Paul's father had once tried this feat as well, which resulted in a broken leg and fractured ribs. Trembling at the sheer thought, he alerted the coast guard as well as the coordinator of the volunteer search effort. With that, he began skiing down the back-county, determined to find his son. "I'm coming from you son; I won't lose you… not this time."
Meanwhile Paul, Max, and Kelly's pace had come to a screeching halt. No matter how much determination Paul had, he was physically exhausted. They trudged through the deep snow when they heard a small rumbling noise. Was it another snowstorm? They grew concerned. Suddenly the snow gave way underneath the sled and Max fell through. Dangling over what seemed to be a never-ending hole of darkness, it was up to Paul to get Max out. Previously having a bad experience, Max had a flash back that distracted him for a second. "Is this really happening all over again?" he asked himself. The ropes that Paul had attached to Kelly as an anchor to secure Max had turned into a harness of death that would pull Kelly to her demise. Paul pulled with all his might, but they were sliding closer and closer to the edge. Four feet, three feet, and then one foot away from the entrance of the crevasse, Paul thought to himself, "I wish I could see my dad just one last time." He slipped and just when Kelly, Paul, and Max were about to fall to their deaths, a stranger's hand reached out to Paul and with incredible strength pulled him, then Kelly, and then slowly Max out of the abyss. The owner of the hand was no stranger; this man was Paul's dad.
Resting just twelve feet away from the dark hole, Max, Kelly, and especially Paul sat there in disbelief. Paul stared at his estranged father glimmering in the bright reflection of the sun off the snow-capped peaks. And in a way he looked unearthly, like the statue of David, or some famed hero from Greek myth.
Even though Paul's father had found the three teenagers, they were not out of the woods just yet. They may have been saved, but they were far from being rescued. Max was deathly now and he had trouble breathing with each passing breath becoming more labored and shallow. Captured in the heat of the moment, Paul's dad completely forgot that window in which the three could be rescued was rapidly closing. The storm was imminent; they had about an hour. Paul's dad had informed the coast guard to search the back-county trails, but there were many makeshift trails. Although they were glad to be alive, they were still in a lot of danger. The most terrifying aspect of the entire ordeal was that the four would most likely have to weather out the storm, and the myriad of unknown challenges lying ahead. At that moment, they began to trek back up the mountain in order to escape the oncoming storm. Outrunning it was unlikely; they would have to survive the oncoming blizzard. Paul's dad had some experience in surviving in the wild and he immediately instructed Paul and Kelly to start digging into the snow on the mountainside in order to build a snow cave. They dug into the early night until they had built a cave roughly the size of a sedan. With shelter, they would be able to survive the night. After all of their efforts, they had a suitable shelter, fire, some warm water, and leftover granola bars from their snack packs. Life for them did not seem all that bad anymore. The only thing left to do was to talk and wait out the night. Max and Kelly drifted off into a much-needed rest while Paul and his estranged father sat in silence.
"Hey dad…can I ask you a question?" said Paul apprehensively.
"Yes, of course son." Paul's dad said in response.
"Why did you leave that one night?"
"Well son, we didn’t want you to know…I have cancer…let me make a correction…I had cancer. I was off at a clinic in New Hampshire receiving treatment. You were so young at the time. We didn't want you to have to deal with what we thought was inevitable."
Paul sat there in awe as he realized that all this time, time he spent resenting his dad for leaving, his father had been protecting him. He felt absolutely ecstatic because he knew that from that point on, he would have a fatherly figure in his life, this whole time being oblivious to the raging snowstorm outside.
At the Mount Alyeska lodge where the search headquarters was, the blizzard was taking place full force outside, but no one was giving up the fight. No matter how dangerous it was, almost everyone from the town capable or aiding in the search was present. There were groups in snowmobiles leaving every fifteen minutes and countless people on dogsled searching as well. The coast guard was also not giving up the fight and had multiple helicopters equipped with thermal cameras to identify body heat as well as trained cross-country skiers searching the terrain. Since the beginning of the search, over 100 square miles had been covered high and low, yet not one person was found. Then, the captain of the coast guard remembered what Paul's dad had said about the back trails, as well as the fact that he hadn’t returned. He then ordered his men to search the backside of the mountain as well as everything surrounding it. Over half of the entire search force was moved to the bat-county trails. The effort was so large that it even made nation wide news and made it seem as if it would be almost difficult for the rescue party not to be successful by just the sheer numbers of people participating.
Paul and his father had talked all throughout the night, about everything and anything they could think of or catch up on. It seemed to be quite a long time since they had entered the snow cave, and just as they were contemplating on whether or not to continue their trek up the mountain, they heard salvation knocking on the door of their makeshift home. The thud of helicopter blades, the bark of dogs, and multiple people yelling out their names rang throughout the snow cave, and they were ecstatic. Paul woke up Kelly and Max, who were so relieved that rescue had finally come. They exited the cave together to be greeted by familiar faces. Mr. Brown the snowplow man was there, Max and Paul's fifth grade teacher was there, and even Kelly's old track coach was present. Rescue had finally come for the three teenagers. They had escaped a cold and dark fate. Paul pondered whether chance or fate had reunited him with his father. Nevertheless, he was happy.
The four soon returned to their homes and their everyday lives, aside from the interviews. The news had brought the small town of Girdwood, Alaska much publicity and Paul, Max, and Kelly were placed in the spotlight for the first time in their lives. Max and Paul started the ninth grade with memories that will live within them forever. Kelly went a different route, and wrote a detailed account of their experiences on an unforgiving mountain one winter weekend. On a broader note, being lost in the Alaskan Wilderness gave everyone in the town a new appreciation for life. Paul finally asked Kelly out on a date, and she agreed. People say the town of Girdwood has never seen a happier couple. Paul's father made amends, sold his home in New Hampshire, and returned home. As for the town's people… well, I can't say what each person gleaned from the story, but they were definitely happy to have the precocious albeit mischievous teenagers back. The tale of bravery, determination, and strength of character will live on from generation to generation and inspire an appreciation for life. Life is a glass swan—beautiful, but ultimately fragile.

-Ron




What special trait/thing about yourself made you want to write your short story?
The reason why I wrote this type of story is mainly because I used to watch a lot of survival T.V shows on the Discovery Channel such as Man vs. Wild and Survivorman. These show's inspired me to write a story about surviving in the Alaskan Wilderness because I always found it entertaining to watch Bear Grylls from Man vs. Wild survive in many different places. So all in all, I thought that it was a good idea and that it would be fun to write about.