These are the Chronicles of Famous Surf Writer Ben Marcus and his trip into the Wilds of the Alaskan Frontier.
Latest Update: October 7, 2000

15:23 ALASKA TIME THE TV ROOM OF THE DRIFTWOOD INN

The bad news is, the Giants just lost to the Mets, victims of a one-hit shutout.

The Giants are out. No high ground by nightfall. Crud.

That's the bad news.

The good news is, I am free to leave Homer now, and return to the road.

The consolation is, the 49ers are playing like the 49ers again. Right now I'm watching the 49ers and the Raiders. They're in overtime, tied 28-28 and the Raiders just missed a field goal. I'd like to see the 49ers win, but I'm still depressed about the Giants.

After all that, the Giants got smoked. Shut down. They didn't hit well at all, and nearly were the victims of a perfect game. Eight of nine innings were three-up, three-down. And that was the name of that tune.

Oh well. It's only a baseball game. It's only vicarious emotion.

I am out of here after the Niners game. I'm going to drive out of Homer, maybe fish on the way out, and drive as far as I can tonight. Maybe to Anchorage, which is about six hours from here, although I was just told to drive carefully because of ice and moose.

Not sure where I'm going, exactly, but I need to start thinking about heading south. Driving out of Alaska in late October/early November can be gnarly in a two-wheel-drive vehicle with no chains or studded tires. Ice and moose and snow and all kinds of stuff.

The weather was freaky coming in here. It could get really freaky on the way out.

I'm going to look into ferry service out of Valdez or Haines, and maybe take the ferry back down.

For now I'm going to aim for Denali and see if I can make it there.

That's about it for now.

We'll get them next year.

Crud.

Go Niners. High ground by nightfall.

Ben