Alaska Off-Road Adventure: Mountains, Friends, and UFC Fight Night

Planning the Alaskan Expedition

• 💡 Ben, Jamie, and Steve embarked on a three-day off-road adventure into the interior of Alaska, aiming to explore more than previous trips.
• 🗺️ Unlike prior journeys, this trip had no detailed plan, focusing on spontaneous exploration and enjoying the wilderness.
• 📡 A key objective was to use their Starlink system to watch a UFC fight, specifically the Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier main card, at their remote camping spot.

Off-Road Journey and Camp Setup

• ⛰️ The team traveled on scenic mining trails in a beautiful part of Alaska, noting that many trails in the region are accessible due to past and present mining operations.
• 🚗 They aired down their tires to 25 PSI for the non-technical trail, making good time towards their lake destination.
• 🏕️ Upon arrival, they found their usual spot occupied and kitty-cornered their camp into a creek area, setting up swags and a sleeping platform.

UFC Fight Night in the Wilderness

• 🥊 The group successfully set up Starlink to watch UFC 318, featuring the main event between Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier.
• 🏆 After a close fight, Max Holloway won, though without a knockout, marking Poirier's retirement fight.
• 🚿 Following the fight, they used a Jula hot tap for showers before retiring for the night, anticipating more exploration the next day.

Day Two: Hiking and Exploration

• 🚶 The next morning, after coffee with protein powder and creatine, they packed up camp and began hiking around the lake.
• 🌲 They followed game trails and bushwhacked towards a large mountain, appreciating the freedom of off-trail exploration in Alaska's wide-open areas.
• 📱 During their hike, Steve lost his phone from his gym shorts pocket, leading to a search that was initially unsuccessful.

Unexpected Finds and Departures

• ✅ Miraculously, Steve's phone was found later in a bush during their return, much to everyone's relief.
• 🍽️ After the hike, they made a short drive to a more open beachfront spot to have lunch, enjoying DIY Lunchables.
• 🌧️ As a light drizzle began, they concluded Part 1 of the adventure, hinting at finding one of the coolest camping spots ever in Part 2.