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15 pts!

@ Alaskan Brown Bear

A new morning in Alaska! What was in store for the next part of their Odyssey? The seven friends pack­ed up their kit, thorough­ly rested after an un­forgettable night on the beach. They had roast­ed marsh­mallows on sticks over the bonfire, while potatoes baked in the embers.

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12 pts!

@ Aerial View of Alaskan Valley

Using their alter ego names of Josh, Dotty, Suzanne, Dash, Lidia and Drive (Jօlie preferred keep­ing her real name) they had made up stories about their supposed past lives, reaching the heights of absurd­ity, whether it was Dotty in her altern­ate persona of an inter­national fashion buyer, Lidia, as a famous Italian-American TV chef, or tiny Dash, with her exploits at a top-secret Bletchley Park type crypto­logical establish­ment.

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13 pts!

@ Denali National Park

Now it was time for a new adventure. Soon they were board­ing a helicopter—which Josh claimed to have designed, and for which he out­lined for their amuse­ment several novel features, including individual eject buttons—for a breath-taking tour of the remote wilderness.

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10 pts!

@ Juneau Glacier

They soared over vast expanses of untouched snow, the wind whipping the pure white­ness into troughs and peaks.

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13 pts!

@ Mount Foraker

Below, they spotted caribou herds moving grace­fully across the tundra, their antlers cast­ing shadows on the pristine white land­scape. The pilot, Larry, pointed out the majestic peaks of the Chugach Mountains, their jagged sil­houettes a stark contrast against the azure sky.

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14 pts!

@ Siberian Sled Dog

The helicopter ride ended at a glacial lake, where they were met by a team of sled dogs eager to show them the ancient art of mushing. Jօlie, her heart swell­ing with love for the energetic pups, helped harness them to the sled.

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70 pts!

@ Dall Sheep, Alaska

The group climbed into sleds for the ride, the wind ruffling their fur, feathers or scales as they sped across the icy surface. The dogs' panting, occasion­al bark­ing and the crunch of the sled's runners on the snow were the only sounds that broke the serenity.

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12 pts!

@ Alaskan Wilderness

Kerr y the bear, using his alter ego name Drive, feeling a pang of longing for his beloved train, was thrilled to learn of the historic Copper River and North­western Rail­way that once connect­ed Cordova to the rest of Alaska.

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66 pts!

@ Chugach National Forest

The group decided to embark on a hike to uncover the remnants of the old track. The trail was steep and treacherous, but the promise of history fueled their determination.

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13 pts!

@ Reflections in Lake

The journey was fraught with obstacles, but each challenge only brought them closer together. They navigat­ed through dense forests of spruce and birch, their eyes peel­ed for any signs of the long-abandoned railway.

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15 pts!

@ Lakeside Fir Trees

The air grew colder, and the ground grew spongier under­foot as they approach­ed the muskeg, a boggy area where the trees grew sparse.

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13 pts!

@ Purple Iris

Finally, they stumbled upon the first signs of the railway—rusted spikes and rotting wooden ties poking through the mossy earth. The sight was both exhilarat­ing and bitter­sweet, a testa­ment to the fleet­ing nature of human ambition in the face of the un­yielding wilderness.

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11 pts!

@ Moose, Denali

As they continued their trek, they encountered a mother moose and her calf, grazing peace­fully by the trail. The group froze, awed by the creature's grand­eur. The look on Drive's face was one of pure admiration. He knew the import­ance of respect­ing the wild­life that called this land home.

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15 pts!

@ Ferns, Alaskan Forest

The moose looked up, sensing their presence, and for a tense moment, no one moved. Then, with a grace­ful nod, she led her calf away, dis­appear­ing into the foliage. The friends watched them go, feel­ing both humbled and invigorated by the encounter.

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11 pts!

@ Conifers in Denali

The trail grew steeper, the trees more scattered, until they reach­ed the edge of the muskeg. There, they found the skeletal remains of an old train bridge, spanning a deep ravine. The metal was twist­ed and worn, a silent sentinel to the passage of time.

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13 pts!

@ Tracy Arm Fjord

Dotty, her curiosity piqued, suggested they explore further. "Who knows what secrets this old bridge holds?" she said, her eyes gleam­ing with excite­ment. The others agreed, eager to delve deeper into the story of the lost railway.

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14 pts!

@ Remote Alaska

They approached cautiously, the planks groan­ing under their weight. The view from the bridge was dizzy­ing, the ravine a yawn­ing chasm that seem­ed to swallow the light. Dash's song grew softer, a hush­ed melody of respect for the power of the land.