Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Extreme Adventure: Eric Warkentin recently returned home from a 350-mile bike trek across Alaska.
WG man bikes across Alaskan snow and ice
By Melissa Matchak
For more than seven days, eating mainly high-calorie foods, such as chocolate bars, snack cakes, tuna and even Spam, and dressed for temperatures ranging from 40 degrees to -30 degrees, Eric Warkentin rode his bike 350 miles across Alaska terrain.
The Iditasport Extreme began Feb. 24, with approximately 50 men and women on bikes, snowshoes, skis and on foot. After a mandatory first-night camp out, the 30 or so racers who chose to continue began the trek from Knik, a small town outside Anchorage, to the town of McGrath.
Warkentin, who lives in Willow Glen works as a general contractor, said the race was a challenge both physically and mentally. Sleeping only two to three hours a day, riding over snow, ice and rocky terrain, and keeping his energy up by eating 500-600 or more calories per hour, Warkentin ended up placing 15th in the race.
Warkentin said he didn't have much trouble keeping himself going, even when he had to push his bike the last 130 miles, when the snow made it impossible to ride.
"You don't have much time to think, because you're dealing with other things like staying warm, eating and drinking plenty of water," Warkentin said.
Warkentin said he is always training, biking and running frequently, and participates in a 300-mile bike ride in Costa Rica each year.
Wearing long underwear, windproof tights, a fleece vest and a windbreaker, Warkentin rode and walked at speeds ranging from just two to 10 miles per hour. When he stopped, a down jacket was added to the layers of clothing for warmth. He slept on the snow, bundled in a sleeping bag inside a Gore-Tex cover.
The Iditasport Extreme differs from other racing events in that there is no official race support, except that each racer is allowed two 20-pound maximum, airdrop re-supply bags. Other than that, the racers are on their own, carrying their own gear, fending for themselves in Alaska's harsh winter.
Warkentin said he definitely plans to participate--although more competitively--in next year's race.
Warkentin was the only California resident to compete in this year's race.
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
