Sled-Dragging is Mind-Numbing

As I begin to write, I immediately get stuck on whether to use sled-pulling or sled-dragging in the title. Sled-pulling seems too positive, too purposeful. Today's 4.5 hour sled-drag was an exercise in the ridiculous. I broke new trail from Spenard to Kincaid through Earthquake Park, down the Coastal Trail to Kincaid. By the time I got to Kincaid, I jumped in the road and made my own lane, I was done with dragging the sled in the fresh, melting snow. I lucked out coming out of the park as the sidewalk was newly plowed and very runnable, but after 3 hours of trail breaking, I was pretty fried and so runnable is a loose term. All hopes of running were dashed upon returning to Spenard, as melting snow and unplowed sidewalks twisted my ankles with every other step.

Like a young child acquiring language, I couldn't quite get past the labeling stage of thought. All my mental energy was being utilized for sticking with the task at hand, so my thoughts bounced around to and from whatever I observed. Moose eating sticks. Moose walking in open space. Raven squawking. Three magpies in tree. Weird light on inlet. Squirrel tracks. Bigger tracks.  Moose sleeping just off trail. Bright yellow lichen (?) on tree stump. Moose sleeping further off trail. Big hill ahead.

I did have a few thoughts. I'm like a truck driver hauling all this shit around. There's my sled tracks behind me. (I had this thought like 8-10 times while looking over my shoulder.) I want a mint, but I don't feel like getting it. Mmmmm, McDonalds actually smells kinda good. I wonder what Fig Newtons would taste like with bacon in it.

This is what my sled sounded like:

Ba boom ba boom ba boom 
Ratta tat ratta tat ratta tat
Splosh splosh splosh splosh
Kxaxaxaxaxaxaxaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ( like radio static)

All sounds must be uttered simultaneously for authentic effect. I think I may have tried to make more than one sound at once for awhile. I spent MANY minutes trying to replicate the sounds out loud.

So I figured I covered 12-14 physical miles, but based on my mind numbing experience, I'm calling it 30-40 mental miles.