Klondike Derby

I was living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as a young Boy Scout in February of 1983.  The Boy Scouts have an event in the winter called the Klondike Derby where the troop heads out into the woods to learn cold weather skills and have fun in the snow.  That year we headed into the mountains north of Albuquerque, a bucolic mix of pinon and ponderosa where the sweet scent of sap floated on the brisk, cool air. 

I arrived and setup our camp with my three tent mates on a fragrant bed of pine needles in a small clearing that had a commanding view of the sloping hillside and mountains beyond.  We found stones to build a fire ring and had just enough time to collect some firewood to keep warm before crawling into our sleeping bags for the night.  I remember the purple and orange hues of the pine cones burning and popping in the fire as we enjoyed a clear night sky.

The morning was a big surprise, our tent was surrounded with two feet or more of fresh snow, the inside of our tent colder than the outside air with the bright morning sun.  We dug our way out of the tent and cleared away the fire pit to try and get warm and make some warm breakfast.  Though the air was cold, the snow deep and the activities difficult in the new snow, it was only a weekend in the snow.

The landscape is beautiful but forbidding

I recently traveled to a remote COP (combat out post) here in Afghanistan that, at over 9,000 feet, is even higher in elevation than my main base.  This is a real Klondike Derby where the temperatures are below zero Farenheit during the bright, sunny day and brutally cold at night.  The heaters for the tents are simply inadequate to keep the temperature above 30 degrees inside, and the buildings where the Afghans work are even colder without working windows or doors.

A few curious boys in the local bazaar

The view from this COP is beautiful as it looks out over the frozen valley to the mountains.  But it's a frozen wasteland, devoid of enough trees to burn for the locals to keep warm.  We visited the bazaar and you could see the cold, hard and almost powdery texture of the faces of the children that were there.  It was obvious they were incredibly cold as they attempted to sell their wares.

The growing teenagers wore sandals with thin socks, their pants reaching down only to their shins as they were growing faster than their parents could provide clothes that fit.  There were several signs of frostbite and we invited a few of the children to come to the COP for medical care.  A small and inadequate gesture that would not solve the root problem, but may provide at least some temporary relief.

A young boy with some frostbite on his knuckle

I spent the nights in my tent with layers of polypro, waffle thermals, a long sleeve shirt, two pairs of wool socks, a cold weather sleeping bag, and my fleece cap - and yet I still shivered most of the night.  The Boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared," and I completely failed.  I had not been that cold in a very long time.  Thankfully, I was only there for a few days and like the Derby, I was able to head back to a warmer, more inviting place.  The fact that I think my FOB is a warm and inviting place should tell you something about life for soldiers on a mountain side COP.

One of the benefits of my job here working with the government officials is enjoying traditional Afghan meals.  While away at this COP, I had a very delicious dinner with the District Sub Governor as he hosted me and my team.  For a people that have very little themselves, they are exceedingly hospitable to their guests.  The dinner, a richly flavored rice dish with local vegetables was delicious.

Traditional Afghan meal with local fruits and vegetables

Following dinner we enjoyed the traditional Chai tea; however, the governor thought we would enjoy sugar in our tea which is very Western and not at all Afghan.  The gentleman who served us the tea must have put 4 tablespoons of sugar in each tea cup.  It was very hard to drink, but we accepted graciously.

My friends that are there will live in that harsh, cold environment through Spring when the thaw arrives.  It only continues to remind me to appreciate what I have when I have it.  You never know if you'll end up on a proverbial COP, pining for what once made you comfortable.

A remote village in the moutainns cut off from
the main roads for some of the year

An endless landscape of cold

Helicopters are sometimes the only
way around the mountainous landscape