The 49W one-liner poll : Recharging

With the last spots of ash-dusted snow giving way to 40 degree temps (and very messy trails), we initiate a new feature here at 49 writers: the one-liner poll. Here is what three well-known Alaska authors say in response to this question:

What Alaska activity helps you recharge after a long or difficult day writing?

Melissa DeVaughn, outdoors writer and author of The Unofficial Guide to Adventure Travel in Alaska

Depends on the time of year and my mood. In winter, it is running the dogs. Getting outside and being on the trails by myself with those guys lets me unwind like nothing else. I especially like the days when I don’t see another soul on the trails.

In the summer, it’s riding my road bike. I especially like finding long, steep, winding hills in and around Eagle River where I can ride without cars whizzing by.

If my mood doesn’t include anything physical, then I prefer a really nice glass of red wine by the fireplace or deck (depending on the weather, again) and hanging out with my kids doing things they like.

Jill Fredston, avalanche expert and the author of Snowstruck: In the Grip of Avalanches.

Nearly every time I leave my desk in defeat and head outdoors for a hike, ski, row, or simple walk, I return to work with ideas crowding my head. Spending time outside is more some way that I am than something I do.

Sherry Simpson, essayist and author of The Accidental Explorer: Wayfinding in Alaska.

I’m with Henry:

“When we walk we naturally go to the fields and woods; what would become of us if we walked only in a garden or a mall?….I am alarmed when it happens that I have walked a mile into the woods bodily, without getting there in spirit.”