My Brother is Awesome

Not many of the people I know have ever met my brother. Since the year 2000, he's living out his dream in Alaska and rarely makes it down to the lower 48, and even then it's only to Utah to see my parents (and all the hot girls he claims live there). He spends the summers building log homes and during the falls, winters, and springs he hikes and skis with his friends and dogs (maybe that should read, "...with his friends the dogs?"). I spent two weeks with him in Alaska in the summer of 2004. While I had a blast and I loved the ratio of boys to girls (about 10:1), I was done with it after those two weeks. But not Derek. He will likely be up there forever. The dude is tough.

When I saw his Thanksgiving Day plans posted on Facebook, I had to share them. Seriously, it's just cool. I mean, who camps...at Thanksgiving...in Alaska? Why, my brother and his friends, of course. See for yourself.  [Edited for readability only.]

So here's the skinny: This is a pot-luck Thanksgiving extravaganza bonanza at [edited for his privacy] mile in the form of a progressive cabin crawl...

We begin at 4:30pm (ish) at Derek and Renee's (yes, D1, but at D. Peters' cabin) for drinks and snicky snacks, then onto Matt and Meg's for mo' drinks and appetizers, then to kitty cabin for turkey and stuffs, then chillin' at Phil and Leigh's for dessert, music improv, general tryptophan induced happenings, then camp out or....

**WHAT to bring: pot-luck item (dropped off at appropriate cabin) and a suggested backpack or sled to carry these thingies: a mess kit (bowl, utensil, goblet, you get the picture), a crazy-creek or pillow (something to sit your butt upon), skis or snowshoes for traveling between cabins, optional musical instrument, camping gear....CAMPING: winter style or platform in Derek's real cabin, or be creative with your car camping skills...MAP: use google maps, right? milepost [edited again], Richardson Hwy, Valdez, Alaska; park in pull out across from [the] lodge or on the pipeline access road....KIDS: the Wizner cabin will be available before, during party for parents and children to escape from the madness...Did I forget anything? RSVP or just show up ;-)

Okay, cool right? I mean, who of you gets an invite to a Thanksgiving feast asking you to bring your own mess kit (complete with a goblet, no less)? And who gets an invite to Thanksgiving where it's suggested you bring Crazy Creek chairs, snowshoes, musical instruments, and a sled? A sled!  Seriously. It might be worth the...let's see here...$4,500 to get me, Chuck, and Rhett there.

Like I said, my brother RULES. And just in case you aren't convinced, see the following pictures.