Multi-Sport, Multi-Style.

Normally, my basepack weight of gear for hiking is 12 lbs (everything, including what I wear in clothes, except food & fuel).
In Alaska, that's really light. If I'm packrafting, tack on another 7 or 8. But, apparently, if I'm riding a fatbike into a cabin beside a glacier in Wrangell-St Elias National Park for 4 days, my basepack weight is 43 lbs, not including the 30 lb bike. When there's 43 lbs on a 30 lb bike, I have to man-handle it all to even keep it upright. But, that also means once I have it moving, it wants to keep moving!

The 43 lbs of fun & comfort includes:
-18 lbs in stuff to be comfortable at a backcountry cabin in huge mountains for 3 days & nights
-20 in all the gear needed to go ice climbing on the face of the Kuskulana Glacier for a day
-stuff for biking it all in & out a total of 30 miles
-photographing the whole experience with my heavy DSLR
-and enjoying a little top-shelf Irish whiskey beside a campfire or wood stove
but I guess that last part falls under being 'comfortable at a backcountry cabin.'
Maybe, too, the 12 lbs of food for my dog & I.

It's quite the change of pace from my recent adventures in the Alaska Range & White Mountains, as this trip should have lots of relaxing, wood stove heat, campfires, big mountain & glacier views, old mining ruins, bears, glacial ice climbing (testing out new tools!), changing fall colors, and frost, plus one of my dogs is coming and, of course, the always present quality time with friends.
I'm looking forward to the change of pace & style of adventure. I think it goes well with the rapidly changing season.
Winter is almost here!