Escapees March-April 2024

unexpected joys, tackling new activities we never dreamed we would experience in this lifetime. From getting out in this weather to drive our friend’s 10-dog sled team along one hundred-year-old trapper trails in the snowy bush country, to skiing on frozen lakes under the winter solstice moon and cross country running in the shadow of Denali, pushing the boundaries of our comfort zones is paying off. With every drop in the daily temperature, we are getting stronger and more con fi dent in our abilities to handle life as a whole. Never in a million years did I imagine how drastically different our de fi nition of “cold weather” would change in just a few months. And only now have I been able to understand the profound sense of discovery and wonder that’s there for the taking, as long as we are brave enough to gear up and step out of our comfort zone.

and three fl at tires, our second journey went off without a hitch. We have our new lightweight rig to thank for it. Navigating over the Alcan’s endless frost heaves, gravel roads and wildlife encounters with our nimble truck topper camper invigorated us with a freedom that had all but disap peared during our years of towing a fi fth wheel. We had no worries about fi nding a place to camp. We pulled into the back country without wondering about tight turnarounds, low trees or small campsites. The downsizing challenges we struggled with weeks earlier all but disappeared when we experienced the total freedom of leaving our full-hookup lifestyle behind. Unexpected Joy By the time we arrived, we had a narrow window of opportunity to explore a few wild places before winter came on hard and fast in October. Today as I write this, it’s minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit and the snow rarely stops falling. Our Project M is in hibernation for now, but as we descend further into winter, we are fi nding

Boondocking in the Yukon. PHOTO BY JIM NELSON.

RENE AGREDANO AND JIM NELSON #103274 are enjoying their 17th year as full-time RVers and location-independent entrepreneurs. They enjoy sharing the lifestyle

with others at www.LiveWorkDream.com.

56

ESCAPEES Magazine March/April 2024