Comm-Unity

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Historic Kennecott Copper Mining Town, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska (July 2021)

I’ll never forget that day. I was at the gym early, getting in my workout before heading to the lab. My graduate school schedule was quite demanding so I often had to exercise in the early morning or late at night. As I was finishing up the last few sets of biceps curls, carefully watching my form in the mirror, the song on the radio ended. Then a news flash announced that a plane flew into the World Trade Center. “What?!? That’s weird,” I thought. No other information was given. I finished the rest of my workout and hurried over to the lab. As usual, I had a busy day of work ahead of me.

Per my usual routine, I made some oatmeal and a protein powder drink to fuel up after my workout in the communal kitchen at work. As I hurriedly chomped down my breakfast one of my buddies came into the kitchen and informed me that there might be a terrorist attack in New York. That plane crash wasn’t just an accident after all. So we walked over to the lecture room to join a small group who had been watching the news on the big projection screen. Soon after I sat down I watched in disbelief as a second commercial airliner flew like a missile into the other tower of the World Trade Center. That was the morning of September 11, 2001. My life changed forever from that moment.

Fast forward almost three years to the date. I finally graduated and was preparing to ship off to officer school. Following the attack on the World Trade Center I had decided that I would do my part, as an American, to help in any way that I could. And I remember everyone in the country feeling the same way. There was a collective sense of patriotism and duty that I had never seen in my life.

As fate would have it, I later met some Navy recruiters at a job fair who informed me of the huge demand for biochemists in combating the War on Terror. That was it. My mind was made up on the spot. So I joined the Navy immediately after earning my doctoral degree in biochemistry in 2004.

I completed one tour in the Navy and then left to eventually pursue my own business as a guide, illustrator and photographer. Every year on Veteran’s Day I think back to my days in the Navy and I’m reminded of just how thankful I am to have had that experience. There are so many positive benefits to gain from a career in the military. But the one that shines most brightly in my mind is the sense of Unity.

Finding a true sense of unity, community and family like that which exists in the military is difficult at best. Ask any veteran or service member and they will tell you. In fact, I found that the biggest struggle that I had after leaving the military was finding a similar sense of collective unity. Then I went to Alaska to start guiding a few years later and I found that true community again. I’ve been guiding there for twelve years and I can honestly say that it’s the only place that really feels like home to me. Sure I love the beauty of the mountains, glaciers and wildlife but it’s the people that keep me coming back. The community of the little remote bush town of McCarthy is like a family to me. That’s what I look forward to the most every year. Seeing my family again.

So here I am again on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2021, fondly thinking back on my Navy days. And more than any other year I am also remembering the collective sense of family and unity that we all felt as fellow Americans on September 11, 2001. All politics aside, I have never felt such a sense of divisiveness in our great nation as I do now. A big wedge seems to have split the country down the middle and I’m deeply saddened by all of the fighting and finger-pointing. I long for the same feeling of caring and pride that we Americans displayed following September 11, 2001 in putting our differences aside to come together as a nation, as a family during difficult times. We are now faced with the difficult-est of times as we continue to battle the COVID pandemic and growing mistrust of government, the media, science and most troubling, each other.

So on this Veteran’s Day I have simple ask. Yes, please remember show your appreciation for Veterans by thanking them for their service. They all deserve our gratitude. But also take the time to appreciate and thank your neighbors. Regardless of politics, religion, skin color, gender, sexual preference, immigration status, level of education, how much money a person has, iPhone or Android, etc., etc., etc., we’re all Americans, we’re a family. It’s time to put our differences aside and Unite as a nation of United States again. We need each other.

Silence Do Good

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My buddy Brian enjoying a quiet evening deep in the remote wilderness of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska (July 2021)

Try not to hear anything. Seriously, give it a try. Try to hear absolutely nothing. Pure Silence. Not a single sound. It’s difficult, right? In fact, it’s so difficult that it’s nearly impossible.

A few days ago I was working hard at my computer editing videos for a client, then I heard the familiar churgling sounds in my stomach. It was time to take a break and eat lunch.

Normally I put one of my bluetooth earbuds into one ear and listen to a podcast or grab my iPad to watch a documentary while I prepare a meal. But this time, for whatever reason, I just walked into the kitchen and started making my lunch without grabbling any form of entertainment. Immediately I noticed sounds that I had muted for so long that I had almost forgotten them. The beep of the oven, the “thwang” of the pan, the “swoosh” of my socks across the hardwood floor, the crinkle of the cheese wrapper, the creak of the house and the list goes on. That’s when I realized that was the quietest it had been for me in a while. And then I realized that was the quietest it could get in my everyday life.

I tried for the next 10 minutes to be completely silent to see if it was possible to hear no sounds at all. I didn’t move. I heard a car go by the house. Then another. And another and another. The heater kicked off during its cycling process. The house creaked again. The hot baking sheet “thwanged” as it was cooling (good ol’ physics). Then I noticed my heartbeat. Then my breathing. My ears “crinkled” as I swallowed. This felt good. I may have failed in my experiment to find true silence by reducing all noises to zero. But I dialed down any external noises as much as I was able to control and found it to be pleasantly calming.

My mind started scrolling through memories of the many days and hours that I have spent in the mountains in Alaska. This little experiment reminded of one of the most greatest gifts that anyone can get in remote wilderness areas…..silence. Our modern world has lost nearly all of what would be considered true wilderness. By this I mean getting off the grid, so far away from roads, towns and cell phone towers that nobody can hear you tweet. The only sounds are naturally occurring ones. There’s nothing man-made creating any noise whatsoever.

I remember the first time I was dropped off in the Alaska wilderness. As the hum of the bush plane faded into the distance the first thing I noticed was the deafening lack of noise. It was honestly pretty unsettling at first. Up until that point my brain had never experienced that level of silence. I realized how vulnerable I was. But then I quickly felt a wave of relief crashing over me. I never knew how noisy my life had been.

Now fast forward 13 years since I first stepped foot in Alaska and I can honestly say that experiencing multiple consecutive days of silence is one of the main reasons I spend so much time in the wilds of the Last Frontier every year. My normal, modern American life is filled with noises all day long. There are so many noises all around us and it’s not even possible to turn them off. Even in the smallest of rural towns, we still largely live in communities with lots of machinery and many forms of digital technology. Our neighbors are just as busy as we are each and every day running the rat race with cars, phones, garbage trucks, airplanes and everything else that makes sound. Not even a trip to a designated wilderness area like a national park or a local hiking trail can guarantee a break from urban noise. Most of our outdoor spaces are often filled with people trying to escape their own hustle and bustle.

But there are a few truly remote places left on Earth that aren’t filled with noise pollution. The vast wilderness of Alaska is not only filled with some of the most stunning scenery in the world but it is home to one of the most rare and precious gems…..Silence with a capital ‘S’. Of course it isn’t completely quiet. The birds chirp, the wind whirls, the creeks babble. The sounds of nature are all around you but they are all that you will hear (and possibly the occasional hum of a bush plane overhead). But that’s it. No industrial sounds, no vehicle sounds, no smartphone notification pings. It’s a nice break from the constant bombardment of disruptive, arrhythmic noises that fill our tech-fueled daily lives.

On a final note, it’s worth mentioning that the more recent noise of social media is not only escalating but it’s becoming a serious problem. No, I’m not suggesting that we all delete our social media accounts. I use social media and enjoy the positive attributes of sharing my work to help promote my business and see what my friends are posting. But it’s the darker side of social media that has become quite problematic. I’m talking about the constant noise of partisan finger-pointing, echo chamber soap-boxing and cancel culture torch-bearing that fills our feeds every single day. This behavior is appalling and destructive. It’s nothing but noise and it’s worth avoiding. So whenever you find yourself getting sucked too far down the social media rabbit hole, I recommend that you just stop, turn off your phone and sit in silence. Better yet, go outside and go for a walk or run. Find the least noisy place that you can. You’ll always feel better for it.

Silence is necessary for a healthy brain and there is science to support this. Our minds are in a constant state of alert from the continuous onslaught of daily urban noise. We need a noise-free break every so often to recharge our batteries. Sitting in silence, particularly the quiet of nature, has a calming effect on the brain. Obviously, the more you do it the better. However, spending even a few quiet days in wilderness just once each year can have lasting positive effects on our mental and physical health.

I know what some of you are probably thinking, “Won’t I be bored?”. How could a life without Netflix, YouTube or Instagram not be boring, right? Trust me, once you are sitting on the ground, sipping hot coffee in the cool, crisp mountain air while watching the sun rise above the horizon, you won’t even think or care about anything else. Silence is the loudest sound you’ll hear and you’ll be happy for it.

Whatever Doesn't Kill you, Doesn't Kill You

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My buddy Brian Sachs “celebrating” another finished backpacking trip in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska (July 2021)

One of the things I love so much about Alaska is that nothing is guaranteed here. There are so many variables involved in planning any trip that a lot of things can go wrong. As much as I want to be in control, Alaska always faithfully reminds that I’m not. Sure, I plan every detail of my trips meticulously. But once the plane lands and I step out into the wilderness I am quickly reminded that I can’t control everything. This is very humbling. And that’s a good thing.

As humans our brains are programmed to seek comfort as a means of survival. It makes sense. And through so many amazing advances in technology our modern lives are very comfortable. In fact, we’re so comfortable that we don’t need to struggle to survive on a daily basis the way that our ancestors did. All of these modern comforts and conveniences make survival much more certain so it should make us happier, right? Well, not exactly. The reason is that we humans have not only evolved to survive through seeking comfort, but we also paradoxically crave adventure. Why? Simply put, comfort feels nice but it is boring. We need excitement in our lives. With adventure comes uncertainty and discomfort. This challenges us to break out of our predictable behavioral patterns and try something new. We’re deliberately doing an about face and walking away from the protective environment that we’ve so carefully constructed to ensure our survival. It’s scary and that’s exciting!

To be blunt, we Westerners are living in a ‘Crisis of Comfort’. All of our technological advances have made life so much easier for us. Not that this is a bad thing. I’m so thankful for modern medicine, vehicles, airplanes, computers, phones and, most of all, my camera. Technology improves the quality of our lives, increases life expectancy and boosts our creative potential. But the negative consequence of technology making our lives so much easier is that it makes our too easy.

I have such fond memories of growing up as a kid in the ‘80s. Sure, I had technology for entertainment but nothing nearly as complex and advanced as what I have today. We had a tv and even got cable when I was about ten or eleven (which was pathetic by today’s standards). I eventually got an Atari and then the first version of Nintendo (both were embarrassingly pathetic compared to modern video games). And I even had a cassette tape player (remember those?). None of these devices was portable and the quality, although quite revolutionary for the time, was nowhere near as impressive as the little desktop and pocket-sized powerhouses that we have today. Don’t get me wrong, I looked forward to weekly sitcoms like Seinfeld, reveled in cracking the Contra game code “Up-Up-Down-Down-…..” on my Nintendo and played “Little Red Corvette” until the tape literally broke. <Sorry Gen Zers, you’ll have to Google those references> But my machine-based entertainment options were very limited compared to today. Heck, most of them were even analog. Digital technology was just starting to come onto the scene. Almost nobody had a computer yet. The internet was still being developed and wasn’t a thing yet. And smartphones were as futuristic as a hoverboard. Even cell phones were the size of a big black brick that only Gordon Gekko could afford. <Start Googling GenZers!>

As nostalgic as it is to take a walk down memory lane, I actually do have a point to make about all of this so let’s get to it. When I was a kid in the 80’s I had entertainment-based technology and I really enjoyed them. But options were very limited, devices were largely not portable and gratification was not so instantaneous. There was no streaming on Netflix or binge watching your favorite series. Want to make a music playist for your next roadtrip? Ha! That’s funny. You had to buy full cassette tapes (later DVDs) and then record or burn each individual song. This took a lot of time and effort and money. So I remember having to be a lot more creative back then. The limited technology I had for entertainment purposes was really fun to use but it wasn’t so effortless and endless as it seems to be today. I didn’t have a lot of options to choose from so I did a lot more reading than I do now (by that I mean books, with actual paper, and not swiping a digital screen). I actually built things to accessorize my G.I. Joe figurines and Matchbox cars. And I played outside and rode my bike a lot! Today, there are so many options that are readily available for relatively cheap prices. And the most important and powerful device that we all have fits right in our pockets. It takes almost no effort at all to find entertainment at all hours of the day no matter who you are or where you are in the world. And we never even have to leave our houses to find entertainment if we don’t want to.

Today we are all always connected to the digital world. The problem with this is that it requires us to disconnect from the physical world. And that’s not a good thing.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my technology as much as anyone. I love my camera and my computer. I love my smartphone. I love streaming movies. I love listening to music and podcasts. I love bluetoothing. My iPad doesn’t suck. My wireless ear buds are a godsend. These are all really good things that I enjoy. But I inevitably find myself getting too much of these good things. I start feeling anxious and overwhelmed by constant digital stimulation. It’s so easy to be entertained whenever I want. There’s no challenge in it. It’s so darn easy, in fact, it becomes boring after a while. When I eventually catch myself picking up my phone and mindlessly swiping just for the swipe of it, I know it’s time. What time you ask? It’s time to go.

We all love nature. Why do you think so many tax dollars are spent on making city parks? For centuries cities have always carved out space for some green among the grey. Concrete certainly provides a more efficient surface for a sidewalk and bricks houses are much stronger than mud huts. But nothing beats a stroll through a green park full of trees and flowers for relaxing and clearing your head.

Whether it is simple hike on your neighborhood trail, a weekend camping trip or a a multi-day backpacking trip in the remote Alaska mountains, spending time in the outdoors is a fundamental part of being a human. We all love it. We all want it regardless of how advanced our technology gets. But the funny part of this is that going into the outdoors means inherently sacrificing some level of modernly fabricated comfort. It’s paradoxical that we would actively seek discomfort for pleasure. You can’t just tap and swipe your phone to get it. Actually spending time in nature means leaving your cozy house and stepping outside into the elements. It means walking on an uneven trail. It means unexpectedly running into a wild animal. This goes directly against any basic human survival instinct. As bizarre as it may seem, we all know that we enjoy being in the outdoors among the mountains, rivers, trees and wildlife. And we always feel better after spending time in nature.

Aside for the obviously beautiful scenery, I think the reason that nature is so therapeutic at relieving stress is that it revives a different kind of stress. This is a much more ancient, primal type of stress that is ignited by a heightened sense of survival. Consciously and deliberately leaving a protective technological cocoon tells the brain that it is no longer permitted to be on holiday anymore. The brain must actively engage with the outside environment at all times. No more mindless twitter scrolling. You are forced to be aware of every footstep. You’re constantly scanning your surroundings for signs of danger. You’re in state of stress but it’s a different kind of stress than being disappointed with how many likes you got on your last Instagram post. It’s a good kind of stress.

Disconnecting from the digital world forces us to reconnect with our natural world. And at the end of the day, whether you realize it or not, nature reminds you deep down that whatever doesn’t kill you, doesn’t kill you. And that’s way more gratifying than “Up-Up-Down-Down-…..” ever was.

Masks Aren't Just for Pandemics

Brian Sachs eating breakfast while being eaten by a swarm of mosquitos, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska (2020)

Not wearing a mask anymore? Trust me, fully vaccinated or not you will be begging to wear one if you dare backpack in Alaska.

We’ve all become accustomed to wearing a facemask over the past year during the COVID pandemic. As a protective measure to prevent the spread of the virus, masks were quickly mandated for those entering any public space. Businesses, government buildings and public transportation denied entry to anyone refusing to wear one. In fact, grabbing your mask as you left the front door soon became as commonplace as grabbing your keys and wallet.

Although many people viewed masks as little more than an inconvenience, others felt strongly that the requirement to wear one was a impinging on their freedom to make their own choices. Luckily, due to an aggressive vaccination program in the United States, the requirement to wear a mask in public is becoming less common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of late June 2021 over 152 million Americans have been fully vaccinated. This represents nearly half of the US population. So we can now breathe a sigh of relief as we can finally ditch those pesky masks and fill our lungs with fresh air in public again. Not to mention we get to greet one another with a visible smile again!

Starting to see a light at the end of this COVID gauntlet sure does feel good. And not having to choke on my own breath behind a cloth mask anymore feels downright liberating. But nothing feels so freeing as escaping the noise and stressors of daily urban life to get outside for a little dose of nature. Now that travel restrictions are easing more and more every month it’s time to dig out that backpack and hiking boots and immerse yourself in Alaska’s legendary wilderness. You know, that bucket list trip you’ve always dreamed of taking?

I highly recommend visiting Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in southeast Alaska. Although it is America’s largest national park, few people have ever even heard of it. So that means you can avoid the big crowds regularly seen at the more popular parks like Yosemite, Yellowstone and Denali. That means that once the bushplane drops you off in the middle of nowhere, the first thing you will notice as the hum of the plane fades in the distance is the quiet. You will here utter silence, save the random bird chirping, leaves rustling in the wind or creek babbling. All of your senses will heighten as the tension in your shoulders relaxes. I’ll admit, although it can be quite unnerving at first, you will quickly become aware of a really rare experience in our modern times. I promise that you will smile in delight at the realization that you are truly alone. Or are you?

Flipping up the mosquito head net to take bites of food, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska (2020)

Just as you start to settle into your new blissful environment you may just be greeted by the camp host. Or more likely hundreds of little camp hosts. Depending on where you are and the time of year the mosquitos can quite bad. To say that they are legendary in Alaska would be an understatement. After all, mossies aren’t affectionately referred to as the Alaska State Bird for nothing.

I have been guiding and exploring the wilderness of Wrangell-St. Elias for over a decade and have always included a mosquito head net in my backpack. While hiking and moving around they typically aren’t a problem. As soon as you stop, however, they will attack immediately. So the most essential piece of gear that you can bring to ensure a relaxing, enjoyable campsite at the end of a long day is a mesh head net that weighs less than 2 ounces and stuffs down to the size of toddler’s fist.

Because I’m so used to carrying a head net on my Alaska trips I don’t typically give it much thought beyond it being a necessary item to bring like my tent or sleeping bag. But things were different last year. In the summer of 2020 the world had only recently been thrust into a global pandemic. Aside from the risk of becoming ill or dying, we were forced to make sacrifices necessary to prevent the spread and mitigate the damage caused by this virus. One of the simplest and effective strategies was to enforce the wearing of an approved face mask in public spaces. I was certainly happy to do my part by wearing one but breathing into a mask for long periods of time is not enjoyable. It becomes hot and uncomfortable and downright annoying after a while.

So when I could finally go out into a public space for a whole week but not be around any people except for my backpacking client I was elated. We had both been tested and confirmed negative for contracting the virus right before the trip so we could safely enjoy the Alaska wilderness without wearing our masks. Ironically, on the very first day of our 7-day trip the mosquitos were so bad that we eventually had to wear our head nets during the last couple of hours hiking. I can’t remember one other time in all my years of backpacking in the Wrangells that I had to do that! Really? So you mean to tell me I can finally take off my mask but now I need to wear another one?

These were some of the worst mosquito conditions I had ever seen. Anytime we would stop to take a drink of water we our heads were immediately engulfed by a massive swarm of those little bloodsuckers. So that meant we had to quickly lift the head net to take an even quicker gulp of water before too many mosquitos could attack our faces. As we continued toward our camp destination they relentlessly bit our bare arms and even managed to pierce through our clothing. Thwack. Slap. Ouch. Swat. Dammit!!! We repeated this little mantra for a couple of hours. All we knew was that the mosquitos were so vicious that they were maddening.

As we set up camp we realized that we would have to eat dinner as quickly as possible and then retreat to the safety of our tents. The bugs were just too bad to sit outside and enjoy the evening. We were ravenously hungry after 11 hours of hiking with heavy packs over a really steep, rocky mountain pass so we honestly didn’t care. But our hours long battle with trying to drink water through the mosquito cloud meant that eating our dinner without simultaneously becoming dinner was going to be a challenge. I’d like to say that we fought the good fight and enjoyed our meal but that would be a lie. As I recall, we ate so fast that I barely remember eating at all. And not only did I continue to collect more mosquito bites I’m pretty sure I bit into a few as well.

Prepared for mosquitos on the last night of our trip, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska (2020)

We continued to battle the mosquitos for the rest of the week but never were they even close in numbers as that first day. So I still wonder what was it about that day? Why were they so bad then but not any other day? Why were they so bad this year versus any of the other years? I simply don’t know the answers. But there is one thing that I do know. It’s a lesson that I’ve learned over and over in this wild place. Alaska always gives you exactly what you need. I thought that I needed to get away from the madness of the pandemic. I thought that I would find a freedom that was stolen from me and the rest of the world by a tiny virus. But there is no true escape from our hardships. In trying you will only trade one problem for another. In this case, one tiny virus for one tiny mosquito. One mask for another. All you can do is accept the situation and make the most of it.

Thwack! Damn mosquitos.

UPDATE: I wrote this article in the Spring of 2021 just before leaving for Alaska to guide for the summer. And to my surprise, I found that the bugs were much worse than than the previous summer (2020). Summer of 2021 was definitely the worst bug year that I have experienced my 12 year guiding career. Not only were the mosquitoes vicious but the little flies were even worse. Those flies relentlessly tried to enter the eyes, ears and nose. They didn’t bite, they just targeted the most sensitive and vulnerable areas of the face. I’m pleased to say that I really wasn’t even bothered by them. “Whatever”, I thought. After living through a pandemic for over a year I had definitely developed a new sense of gratitude. I was just happy to be in the most beautiful wilderness in the world. Besides, I brought my trusty headnet and it protected me from being eaten alive. What more could I want? Thwack, dammit!

Brian and I marveling at the swarm of mosquitoes and flies behind the protection of our headnets, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska (July 2021)

2021 Will Be the Best Year to Visit Alaska

Backpacking in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (July 2020)

Have you ever dreamed of traveling to Alaska? Is it one of those places that has been on your bucket list your whole life? Well, if the answer is ‘yes’ (and I know it is) then you SHOULD go this summer. Trust me, 2021 is going to be the best year to visit Alaska in our lifetime.

How could I possibly know this? We’ll get that. But first let me ask you another question. What do you see in the photo above?

Roads? Nope

Trails? Nope

Trash? Nope

Crowds? Nope

Influencers? Definitely Not

Alaska consists of mostly true wilderness. In fact, it’s one of the last truly wild places on earth. Sure, it has more wildlife than you’ve ever seen anywhere else. And the mountains and glaciers are breathtakingly beautiful. But I think that it’s what Alaska doesn’t have that makes it truly special. The past year has been incredibly stressful for all of us due to the impacts of the COVID pandemic. So if you’re like me, you’re ready to get outside away from people and simply relax in nature. And there’s no place like Alaska to destress in the outdoors without having to compete with mobs of people.

Ok, now let’s get back to the question, “How could I possibly know that 2021 is going to be the best year to visit Alaska?” Well, I’ve been guiding there for 12 years. I’ve taken hundreds (probably thousands at this point) of people into the remotest of mountains and glaciers in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. My clients have been from everywhere around the world. But this year there will be far fewer visitors compared to a normal year. Sure, tourist numbers will certainly be noticeably higher than last year. But the total tourist count will pale in comparison to any “normal” year, including next year and the following years.

The COVID pandemic has been devastating for so many reasons. But I’ve never been one to dwell on the negative. I try to find the positive in any situation. And one such positive is that the pandemic has created sort of a ‘sweet spot’ so-to-speak for Alaska travel in summer 2021. This year travel restrictions will certainly be fewer and less of a hassle than last year. And with more and more people being vaccinated daily travel will simply be safer. Travel will start to sound more appealing in the coming months. Heck, it already does! We’re certainly not out of the woods yet with the pandemic but more people will likely feel comfortable traveling this year. And I’ll bet you’re one of them.

So I’ll say it again, 2021 is going to be the best year to take that dream vacation to Alaska. Traveling to Alaska will be easier than 2020 for three important reasons:

1) There are already fewer travel restrictions and that is likely to continue to improve throughout the summer.

2) There will be more tourists than last year but certainly far fewer than any normal summer. The biggest reason is that international travel restrictions will likely limit the number of foreign travelers that would typically vacation in Alaska. Fewer visitors means more of that pristine wilderness to yourself.

3) Most, if not all, businesses will be open and running at full capacity. The same could not be said for the summer of 2020. So there will likely be no restrictions on any places that you want to go or activities that you want to experience.

The stress and strain of the COVID pandemic has left many of us feeling stir crazy. There’s no better remedy for stress than getting outside in nature. And there’s no better place to experience nature than Alaska in my humble opinion. It’s called the Last Frontier for a reason. So I urge you to take that dream trip to Alaska this summer. Not only will it be a once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully!) opportunity to visit with fewer tourist numbers, but you will also be helping to kickstart the Alaska travel industry that suffered a severe blow by the pandemic in 2020.

Now go book that Alaska vacation! You won’t regret it.

Get Me Outta Here!

Bushwhacking in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

When is this going to end?!? This sucks! Dammit, why are we doing this? Is this really the best way? This is stupid. Can’t we just go around? I’m so sick of this crap. We’ve been suffering through this so long, it feels like forever. Are you absolutely sure this is the right way? I can’t even see two feet in front of my face. I can’t even see the sky. And I’m pretty sure I haven’t even touched the ground since we started. How much longer? Please tell me that we never have to do this again. SHWAK!!! Owwwww, that freaking hurt. Right in the f-ing face. Plaaahhh, cough, cough, spit. Guess I need to cover my mouth.

Wait, I think I see light. Holy cow I think I see light!!! Is that the end? Can that really be the end?!? Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, it is the end. Yes, yes, YES!!! Whew, we finally made it. Wow, that was the absolute WORST thing that I have ever experienced. How long did that last, like three months? Oh, it was only 40 minutes. Well it felt like an eternity. How far did we go? A quarter mile, that’s it?!? Felt like seventeen miles. I never thought we would make it. I never, ever want to do that again.

Although that may sound oddly similar to how many of us are feeling during the COVID-19 pandemic, this is actually a very accurate portrayal of what it’s like to bushwhack in Alaska. I assure you that my words are not an exaggeration.

Anyone who has ever experienced a Grade 5 Bushwhack in Alaska will back me up. It’s no joke. The brush is so thick it is nearly impossible to move at times. The willows are so closely spaced that you can’t even touch the ground. You just kind of have to push your body over them and roll, fall or leap forward. The air is suffocating because there is barely room for light to enter your space much less allow anything but brushy bits into your mouth while breathing. Your clothes and backpack get stuck in the branches with every step and you’re constantly getting whacked in the face. It’s difficult, it’s painful and it’s definitely not fun.

Even if you begin your shwak with optimistic determination, within about five minutes you are over it. All you want is to be done with it but you are quickly reminded that Alaska doesn’t care what you want. You just have to keep pushing through knowing that it will eventually end. And you will be a stronger and better person for it.

So this whole pandemic has got me thinking about bushwhacking all of a sudden. Normally I try to avoid it at all costs unless it is absolutely necessary. But now I have a whole new attitude about shwakking. When I finally get up to Alaska again this summer I am going to seek out the brushiest, nastiest place I can find and dive right in. Why would I do such a thing? Well, it’s simple. Knowing what I know about Alaska, I’m confident that a good dose of shwakking gnar will make me look back at this pandemic and think, “Things can always be worse!”

Alaska 01: Solitude

Click, Like, Tweet, #Hashtag, Post, Follow, Stream, Comment, Meme, Selfie, Selfie, Selfie, Hustle, Hustle, HUSTLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whoa there, Slow Down. STOP. Breathe. Relax.

Imagine a place where there is no Social Media, no Influencers, no mobs of people taking Selfies, no Internet, no 4G. In fact, your phone just won’t work outside of airplane mode. Sounds like a fantasy world, right?

I assure you this place is very real. It DOES exist. This is Alaska. It is a land so big, so vast, so wild, so remote, that most of it is undeveloped wilderness. We live in an age of constant chatter and noise. Our smartphones are always on, the internet is consuming much of our daily lives and we’re seeing more and more of the world through a digital lens in a maddening hustle to maintain our online presence.

One of my favorite things about Alaska is that I have the opportunity to disconnect from my phone. My digital self if forced to take a break when I am exploring the mountains and glaciers in America’s Last Frontier. Don’t worry, there is internet and you can use your phone in Alaska! Nearly all of the most popular tourist destinations have a cellular signal of some sort that allows you to navigate, search for lodging or restaurants and, yes, even post your latest and greatest masterpiece on social media. However, many of the most sought after recreational areas have limited or no online access. You can hike on a glacier, backpack through the mountains, float a river or take a scenic flight through scenes that look otherworldly. In fact, you have probably only seen places like this in movies, while flipping through the pages of National Geographic or while surfing through your favorite social media platform. But here’s the catch. You may not be able to take a photo and post it to social media immediately. Sorry Influencers!!! You may even have to wait several days depending on where you are or what you are doing. But that’s ok. I’ll bet you won’t even care. You will be so thrilled to simply be there and enjoy this impressive landscape that you will actually be relieved to have no pressure to do anything but smile.

Alaska is one of the few truly wild places left on this Earth. As the world population continues to climb and urban sprawl extends further and further, we are losing more and more of our wilderness areas every year. Fortunately, we still do have places of natural beauty that force us to disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with the earthly one. We are animals, not digital avatars. We need to step on a 2000 foot deep block of ice, hop across giant car-sized boulders, walk barefoot on the sandy shores of a river or hike miles through a kaleidoscope of brilliantly colored wildflowers. And we need to watch a thousand pound grizzly bear chomping on wild berries (from a distance!), walk among a herd of dall sheep grazing high in the mountains or witness the magical grace of a herd of caribou prancing through the tundra.

Solitude is becoming a rare thing in the ever increasing hustle and bustle of our everyday lives. Sure, we are social animals and need to connect with other members of our tribe. But we need to step off the grid once in awhile to reconnect with our planet. Reconnect with ourselves. We’re spending more time looking down at our phones than looking out at the real world around us. We’re investing more time in our digital lives than actually exploring the riches of our natural world around us. And simply put, this is stressing us out and making us less happy humans.

Go to Alaska just once in your lifetime. I promise it will change your outlook on life. It will change your life!

There's a Place for Wild Spaces

Taking a break while backpacking through Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

I’m back!!! The past two months have been so busy that I haven’t been able to pick up my camera much or even get outside and enjoy the mountains as I normally do. But now the smoke is finally clearing and I am gearing up for Spring and Summer travels. As my excitement is brewing I thought I would start by spotlighting Alaska since it has been such an integral part of my life for the last decade.

As I am planning my next Alaska adventure I realized I have only revealed a handful of my photos from last summer. So I am going to start finally showing off the many reasons why I think that 1) Alaska is one of the most special and incredible places on planet Earth and 2) why I think that you should visit Alaska at least once in your lifetime.

To accomplish this task I will be publishing new photos every week and highlighting different yet unique features of Alaska. It is truly one of the most wild places you could imagine. Although it’s becoming more and more difficult to find “true wilderness” for various reasons, mighty Alaska is a bastion of freedom in the form of places so remote that you can go for days or weeks without seeing another person. These places are so beautiful and hostile that they will take your breath away and force you to confront the thoughts and feelings stirring in the deepest confines of your primitive brain. Simply put, Alaska is the place where you WILL lose yourself and find yourself at the same time.

We as human beings need wild places like this to exist. Join me over the next several weeks as I guide you through America’s Last Frontier and hopefully inspire you to finally buy that plane ticket to Alaska!!!

“Sunset” behind Mt. Blackburn as viewed from the Kennicott Glacier, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Where Do You Want to Go?

Backpackers on a glacier in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska (Summer 2019).

Where do you want to go? Where have you always dreamed of traveling? What are those things and places that you have seen in books, photos, movies, etc. and always wanted to see?

I know that you all have an answer to those questions. We all have that dream vacation that we’ve been wanting to take. Well, we are at the very beginning of a whole new decade: 2020. I hope to encourage you to travel this year and start the new 20’s off with a bang. Make it epic. Make it that once-in-a-lifetime trip. Make it that trip that makes you want to quit your job!

I’m going to do my part in helping you to make that dream trip come true. I have been fortunate to have traveled to a lot of other-worldly places that most people have probably only seen in the pages of National Geographic. I quit my job a long time ago so that I could see all of the epic places on my list and I have even been a mountain guide in Alaska for ten years. So I am going to use my travel knowledge to help you plan your adventures by writing weekly blog posts about various topics.

I will start things off by highlighting my favorite place on this planet: Alaska. Join me for the next several weeks as I guide you on a tour of America’s Last Frontier!

Calling an Audible

2019 has been a very big year for me. Although it feels like the year has flown by at lightning-like speed I am actually really amazed (and impressed!) with how much I have accomplished. When I think about the reason why I have been even more productive than normal, I am reminded by this photo that I took in Alaska back in July. I was guiding a backpacking trip and had an ironclad plan that was sure to blow my clients’ minds. Then, the night before our trip, a once in a year event, called a jokulhlaup, happened that caused a beautiful display of nature’s power. A large lake on the side of a glacier drained leaving skyscraper-sized icebergs beached next it (as seen in the photo). So I made the decision to change our plans so my clients could witness this relatively rare event. Needless to say they were not disappointed! So the one difference that I noticed this past year is that I learned the value in calling an audible every now and then.

I have always been a very motivated person, a really hard worker who is always trying to learn new things. As an independent freelance Illustrator I hustle a lot. In fact, I am always doing something. If I am not working on art, I am trying to find new clients or working on any number of the things that are necessary to run a small business. I never really relax in the traditional sense because I tend to get bored very quickly and feel an overwhelming urge to move. In fact, I struggle to even sit through an entire movie that I am “watching” on Netflix as I am working on photo editing, illustration projects or other business things. So I seem to be ideally suited for the stress and strain of the freelance lifestyle. However, despite my penchant for thriving in an ever changing environment, I came to the realization a year ago that I am not immune to the soul draining effects of every freelancer’s nemesis: BURNOUT.

Honestly, I had never truly experienced burnout before so I didn’t even know what was happening at first. I just knew that I had lost my passion for art. I had been a working Illustrator for a few years and always had a burning to desire create art, create more art and then still create more art over and over every single day. I love drawing and painting and always have as far as I can remember. But then one day in October 2018 that fire in my belly suddenly just fizzled out. It happened so suddenly that I was taken aback. What the hell just happened?!? Why do I not want to make art anymore? Why do I dread the mere thought of picking up a pencil, pen or brush? And more importantly, how do I get my passion back? Oh crap, what do I do now?

As one might expect I just tried to power through and write off my feelings (or lack thereof) in hopes that somehow things would change back to normal. But surprise, surprise things only got worse! And besides, Albert Einstein said it best, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”. So it was at that pivotal moment that I realized that I needed a change.

Early in November 2019 I bought my first “real” camera. I had been thinking about learning photography for years but was never quite ready to commit to it. After all, committing my life to one artistic medium was surely enough. Or so I thought. I then realized I had (over)worked myself to the point of being wholly dissatisfied with any drawing, painting or illustration that I created. Everything I made sucked (at least it did to me) and I felt like my energy had been sucked dry. I clearly needed to step away from illustration and take a break. But I also needed to do art. I NEEDED to make something damn it!!! Creating art is like breathing air for me. I can’t just stop. I can’t survive without it because it’s woven into my DNA.

So I had an epiphany just as immediately as I was smacked down with burnout. I had a grand plan for continuing with my illustration career. I was fully committed and following the playbook, steadily advancing down the field. But then I suddenly realized that the game simply wasn’t working for me anymore. My perfect playbook just wasn’t doing what I wanted it to do anymore. So I finally said screw it, I’m calling an audible.

That day in November just one year ago represents a sort of rebirth for me as an artist. I now have two artistic mediums, illustration and photography, that feed off of and inform one another. And following a three month break from illustration to focus on photography I was inspired to not only start drawing and painting again, but I had discovered a passion for making illustrated maps. My burnout had been my subconscious brain telling me that I was on the wrong path. So in taking a break from illustration and picking up a camera I was able to still create art but look at the world through a different lens (pun completely intended!). Learning to create art through photography helped me to advance and grow as an illustrator. And I suspect that the reverse will also be true in the coming years.

So I will say it again, this past year has been a big one. I started to learn photography and I have already started to make some money with it. This second creative medium reignited my passion for illustration and allowed me to evolve as an artist. My entire vision for my professional career has been forever altered by this experience. I am so excited for 2020 to see what I accomplish in the next year. But whatever the future has in store for me, I know that from now on, when I feel stuck, frustrated, bored or burned out, I am definitely going to call an audible!