Reflection by Mason Galemore (he/him). Photos by Cory Johnson (he/him). The third member of this community this year is Jake Keyes (he/him). Mason is pictured with the starfish. Jake is pictured laughing in the cabin. Cory is not pictured, because, well, he was behind the camera. Many thanks to the Moose Haus community for sharing this experience with us.
Family is not just the people you share common blood with but they are also the people you choose to call brother or sister. That’s something that we have all learned while serving with JVC Northwest. There is a beauty in taking individuals who, on the outside, can seem really different and have them serve in a place they’ve probably never visited.
The Anchorage JV House or ‘Moose Haus’ for the 2024-2025 service year has been deemed by many as a rarity. This year’s Anchorage community consists of all men. During orientation we quickly became known as the ‘Anchorage Bros’. We wish it had the same ring as the ‘Sitka Sisters’ but that’s another story.
A year ago, I would have never thought to have been trekking along with such good-hearted men. We came from different places just like all JV volunteers. Jake Keyes hales from Washington State, Cory Johnson is from Ohio and I was born and raised in Missouri. We came as strangers and now, here we were, hauling our gear along the Southern Alaskan coast on our way to a cabin for our Magis Retreat.
We had different personalities, different ways of thinking, different backgrounds and experiences. But we were totally united in our sense of adventure. Our love for the outdoors became a common ground for all of us. Hikes like this were nothing new to us. We would constantly research trails in and around Anchorage and on a whim we’d go forth to see what that landscape had to offer.
This hike seemed different. For starters the trail ran primarily along the coast of Resurrection Bay just outside of Seward. We were given an amazing view of the water and the towering mountains on the other side of the bay. The tide had rolled back giving us plenty of rocky beach to walk on.
There were a plethora of sea shells and jelly fish that washed up on the shore. It was tempting to just stop and look at every single one. As soon as we reached the coast a fog had rolled in and large snowflakes started to land on us. We were soon covered head to toe in white and the wind blew against us like a hurricane.
We were determined to reach the cabin by sundown and with daylight increasing as Spring approached we were afforded just enough time to take in the views. We made plenty of friends along the way.
Four seals poked their heads above the water perhaps 30 yards from where we were standing. They continued to follow us all the way to the cabin which was four miles further along the coast at a place called Caines Head.
Gear and supplies were crucial on this retreat. We each carried our own packs with bedding, clothes and food. We had borrowed a water filter from a former JV and Anchorage resident Michael Jones. We also hauled firewood using a sled. It isn’t always a guarantee that there will be firewood at public use cabins – so, when in doubt, it’s best just to bring your own .
For Magis Retreat we wanted to be disconnected from the outside world more than anything. We had to go somewhere with no internet or cell service to prevent any distractions. This was a time for deep reflection and intentionality as well as having fun.
By the time we reached the cabin it was like we were swallowed by darkness and the only light came from our harsh headlamps and flashlights. We didn’t waste any time starting a fire. While Cory and I threw wood into the furnace Jake and Nick ventured down to a nearby stream to collect water.
The overwhelming sense of ‘we made it’ washed over us. A handful of trail mix and being able to sit down without our boots on seemed like immeasurable comfort. We cooked up some reindeer sausage, played some card games at the table and got in our bunks to sleep.
The next day we awoke to clear skies. After breakfast, Our friend Nick Jenson organized a community activity for us. He collected random items such as a beaded necklace, a paint brush and a tiny bottle of tabasco sauce. He placed them in an empty plastic bag and we had to blindly pick an item and explain what that item symbolized to us in terms of values and beliefs.
I recall picking out a coaster and to me it symbolized that just as a cup or mug belongs on a coaster we all belong somewhere. We all have a place that we call home. JVC Northwest became a home to me. Sitting at the cabin table I realized that this organization that I found out about through my email inbox had become something greater to me. I was thousands of miles away from Missouri sitting with people who were no longer strangers but brothers.
Ever since I arrived in Alaska in August of 2024 I always waited for the feeling of homesickness to hit me. I thought it was something that was inevitable but the more I waited the more I realized that this place and this community had just become another home.
The rest of the day we hiked to the abandoned Fort Mcgilvray at the end of the trail. We seemed to master the art of trail conversations gracefully bouncing between subjects. We talked about what we were going to do after the service year ended and how our families were doing. Something as small as talking about what food we were going to eat when we got back home put smiles on our faces.
On Sunday morning we broke camp and headed North back to the trailhead. It was bittersweet to leave such a striking landscape– but we were going home.
Once again we saw the seals that visited just two days before. The wildlife seemed to bid us farewell as we slugged along the beach.
We approached a short treeline that had two bald eagles perched at the top. We felt it fitting to stop there to take one last break before we finished the last leg. I sat on a log and watched the water roll back and forth. Silence seems to be another finite resource that is leaving our planet so anytime I can find that silence I like to reflect on everything.
I thought about where I was a year ago. I was finishing school and thinking of where I was going to go next. Alaska hadn’t even entered my mind. Now I am here, I have made friends who I will cherish for the rest of my days even if I may never see them again. I looked back on all the fear and struggles and discovered that the fear was unnecessary and the struggles were only brief moments where I needed to grow.
Surrendering to the unpredictable was something that introduced me to experiences I don’t think I could live without. From the moment I stepped off the bus at orientation to us hiking our way back from the cabin – it all relied on me putting one foot in front of the other. Now, I had to get up from that log and get moving because there was a bed and shower waiting for me back at the Moose Haus.
What a beautiful story! I am so thankful that Mason was able to experience these amazing adventures and find such joy and peace!! He is a fantastic writer and storyteller! Love him so much!