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

View fullsize

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.

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.

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.

Burn the Past

Today is the last day of 2019. Tomorrow is the start of a brand new year.

2019 was a BIG year for me. I actually accomplished a lot both professionally and personally. I have made huge strides in building my freelance business. I ticked off a lot of things on my To Do list for the year. And I am proud of everything that I have accomplished.

However, the list of things that I didn’t accomplish is much greater than the things that I did successfully complete. I won’t go into detail because I want to keep this short and to-the-point. All I want to say about my so-called failures for 2019 is “So What?”. So I didn’t successfully achieve everything that I set out to do this year. I didn’t do this. I didn’t do that. But I do know that I worked my butt off. I worked really hard. I think that I intentionally write a To Do list for the year that I know that I can never complete. This pushes me to work hard, then work harder and then work even harder. So I know that the handful of successes that I did have this past year probably would have never had a chance to happen without the support of all of my failures. Failure is integral to success!

So my advice to all of you is to BURN THE PAST. Forget about the things you didn’t do in 2019 and celebrate the wins that you did have. 2020 is an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start over. How awesome is that!!! Reassess your goals for the coming year and forget about the last year. I know am.

2019 has been a great year. It has been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs, successes and failures. I am proud of everything that I have accomplished and frustrated (but motivated!) by the things that I have not. So here is to my New Year. 2020. I am already hitting the ground sprinting. 2019, it’s been great knowing you. But your only a memory and it’s time to go. I have a lot of work to do.

Happy New Year!!!

It's Always the Right Time

I can’t believe we almost didn’t go. My good friend Paige and I planned to go backcountry skiing today for our first outing of this new winter. Looking out the window this morning, I couldn’t even see the mountains. The sky was gray and cloudy, the air was cool and damp and the mountains were hiding behind a low fog that was sandwiched between the clouds above and the legendary Salt Lake inversion below.

After waiting until 9 am we decided to just go for it anyway. Conditions looked less than inspiring for a day in the mountains. Now you have to understand, we are spoiled. Yup, really spoiled when it comes to weather. Utah winters generally bless us with sunny days and several feet of dry, fluffy powder. Skiing here is like dancing on a cloud with the warm sun shining on your face. That’s why outdoorsy people like us move out here. That’s why we both moved here anyway.

Sooooooooo, we decided to just go anyway and enjoy our time in the mountains regardless of the conditions. We both just wanted to get outside in the fresh air and strap on our skis for the first time this season. And I have been traveling for the last month so we just wanted to hang out and catch up on life.

Barely two seconds into our day we knew that we made the right decision. We both felt noticeably out of “ski shape” but the gliding movement as we climbed up the mountain felt good, it felt right. As we settled into our rhythm of talking and climbing, climbing and talking, we suddenly found ourselves above the treeline and staring at the open slopes of the upper mountain. Much to our surprise and dismay, the snow just seemed to almost disappear. The feet of snow that we found from the parking lot all the way through the trees suddenly reduced to mere inches. Big scrubby bushes and long grasses replaced the glorious powder that we expected to find at the mountain top. The monster snow storm that ravaged much of the southwest last week was clearly no match for the punishing Wasatch winds. Nearly all of our blessed snow had literally been blown off the top of the mountain!

The funny thing is that neither of us even cared. We had had so much fun up to that point and were looking forward to finally turning around and seeing if our legs “remembered” how to ski from last year. And the scene was sort of eerie-looking so I was happy to have found some motivation to finally break out my camera. When I framed the shot I knew I had a photo that perfectly captured narrative of our day.

Although the snow conditions weren’t exactly perfect they were good enough to ski and have fun doing it. But most importantly, I was reminded of the reason that do ski in the first place. And it’s the same reason that take photographs. And it’s the same reason that I like to go into the outdoors. And it’s the same reason that I do anything in my life. Getting outside and enjoying nature, breathing fresh air and sharing my experiences with friends is the only reason that I will ever need.

My motivation as a photographer, illustrator, mountain guide, outdoor advocate, friend and human being is to explore and experience the beauty of the natural world and share it with all of you. I know that I am privileged to travel to remote and beautiful places of the world that may not be possible for many people. So my hope is that I can inspire you to get outside and explore this special place we call Earth more often. Conditions may not always be perfect but it’s always the right time get out there!