A few Wednesday evenings ago, I spent an hour with Doug McClure, a resident advisor at Ptarmigan Hall, and the rest of the Sled Shop gang. I went to the shop thinking I would be wrenching for an hour, then Doug said, “Get warmer clothes, we’re going for a ride.”

My face lit up with excitement. I ran back to the dorms to get my warm stuff ready for an hour of riding “Maverick and Iger.” Sled Shop members call the side-by-side Maverick, and the four wheeler Eiger.

We went out towards the river, where there was a pile of old wood covered with snow forming a circle-like track. Original Sled Shop boys and GILA students Terrance and Chris showed us where to drive and what is acceptable and what isn’t according to the boys. In sled shop you have certain limitations on what you can do on a vehicle and responsibilities you need to keep in my mind.

At the beginning of sled shop this quarter, Terrence said every time we take out vehicles we can’t do things that can get us hurt because once we get hurt sled shop will be done for the rest of the year.

Time flew by as we took turns driving the vehicles. It was nice to get out of the dorms and do something outside.

I am from Kotzebue, Alaska, 33 miles above the Arctic Circle. What reminded me of home was the freedom of driving vehicles and being away from campus.

I felt at home when we went out. It is always nice to get a break from a place you’ve been for a long period of time while doing the same things over and over again, it gets old. The weather outside was a little windy but it was clear skies, no snow fall that night.