Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you.
Posted on 06/08/2026 4:26:35 AM PDT by Red Badger
At last, it’s beginning to feel like summer! We’ve had a week of sunshine and warm days here in the Susitna Valley, and much as we love the peaceful, lovely winters here, it’s always nice to have a few sunny, t-shirt days in the summertime.
On to some interesting stuff from the Great Land and beyond: It’s always great to see the nation’s two biggest states working together in a good cause.
A group of 39 students at the University of Texas at Austin, split into two smaller teams, are currently seventeen days into a 70-day odyssey from Austin to Anchorage.
They are the 2026 standard-bearers of the Texas 4000, a yearly journey started in 2004, aimed at raising money for cancer research.
Each rider is required to raise at least $7,500 to participate, with many clearing that amount by a significant margin. The total raised, according to rider Aishwarya Kothalanka, is in the neighborhood of $350,000.
“And the idea is that we will be granting out this money along the route,” she said.
That’s a significant boost in research funding for one of the nastiest diseases humans can suffer from. Having lost several friends and one sister to cancer, I’m particularly glad to see this.
The cyclists aren’t the only ones pitching in:
Kothalanka, along with the eighteen other members of the Sierra team, were in Lake Tahoe, California, as of Tuesday night, staying with one of many hosts along the way.
“Typically, we are provided a space to sleep,” rider Nadia Toh said. “Sometimes it’s beds. Oftentimes it’s just space on the floor, which we appreciate just the same.”
The group has already encountered flat prairies, hot deserts, and steep inclines, with more challenges still to come.
“We’re already in bear country in the eastern Sierra, so every evening when we arrive at our place to stay, we need to move all of our food out of our vehicles,” Sierra route ride director Katie Chang said. “Later up in Canada, this is going to continue to be an issue.”
Oh, they’ll be in bigger bear country in the Great Land, but with a little foresight and all due caution, they should be all right.
Alaska Man score: 5 happy cyclists, dodging the Alaska moose nuggets on the road.
=================================================================================
Speaking of big critters: Stay away from moose with calves!
Five people were injured by moose in Anchorage this past weekend in five separate incidents, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Biologist Cory Stantorf said the attacks occurred in different parts of town, but they all involved mother moose protecting calves.
In one incident, Stantorf said, a person was attacked on the trails behind Bartlett High School. The person was able to call the police on a cellphone, who responded. Stantorf said they ended up putting the mother moose down to protect the victim.
“They’re adorable but deadly,” he said, referring to the calves. “Because behind that cute baby moose is a mom who is very protective of her calves. Especially the first week of life, their defense mechanism is mom. She will be aggressive towards anything that she perceives as a threat to those calves.”
The sad thing is that people get hurt every year because they are dumb around a big animal. It’s entirely avoidable with just a dash of common sense, but the problem often is, as my Old Man used to say, that “common sense… isn’t.”
Alaska Man score: No score for this one. Use your heads, folks, and avoid half-ton beasts with babies.
Now, let’s talk about some mysterious appearances.
VIDEO AT LINK....................
|
|
Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
As long as they stay out of "Darktown" they should be safe.
>The sad thing is that people get hurt every year because they are dumb around a big animal.
I blame Disney and the anthropomorphization of wild animals, viewed by city/suburb folks.
Me too, but Warner Brothers has some responsibility in that as well...............
The trouble is city people.
People raised on a farm know big animals are dangerous
I blame sisters who get close enough to be bitten.
That’s a good ride. My kid’s about half-way into riding across CONUS. Presently in Wisconsin.
I was hoping to read how a cyclist got stomped, kicked, and flung 10 feet by a moose.
I was hoping to read how a cyclist got stomped, kicked, and flung 10 feet by a moose.
Moose probably injure more idiots than bears. I have lived around moose for years. Sometimes they take naps in the yard. I have always been very respectful of them. I know how fast they can move when they want to. Twice I have seen large cow moose stand on their hind legs and box each other with their front hooves. A cow moose with a calf is one of the most dangerous critters you can encounter. They always are given a wide berth. After a number of years, you can sort of develop an understanding of moose body language. Never crowd them. Never tease them, and never, ever go anywhere near a cow moose with a calf. They can move faster than you would believe. The hooves are sharp and propelled by a half a ton of muscle. Enjoy them and all other wildliofe from a respectful distance.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.