At play where the midnight sun holds court
In 1967 at the age of 51, Dick Proenneke decided to leave the industrialized world behind and take to the wilderness, with the aim to test himself in the harsh environment of Alaska. After scouring the state to find an ideal location for a home, he settled on a plot on Twin Lakes, in what … Read more
In the 1960s, oil was discovered in seemingly endless quantities in Alaska. The state had it made and perhaps there were many that thought that this would be the end of any energy worries for the state. Yet, somehow the opposite occurred. Far from freeing Alaska from its dependency on fuel sources, oil strengthened the … Read more
I wrote the following essay for the January 2019 edition of Alaska Magazine. Each paw is carefully placed atop the snow, allowing silent movement as he prowls around willow thickets or narrow trails through the forest. While his eyes scan the surrounding vegetation, his ear’s stand above his head, ready to pick up the slightest … Read more
I wrote this article for the May 2018 edition of Alaska Magazine about the evolution of the town of Wiseman, Alaska over the past 100 years. Here is the full version. Sixty-three miles north of the Arctic Circle lies a cluster of log cabins that form the town of Wiseman. The town sits beneath towering … Read more
Last week I returned to Wiseman for the first time in three years, only the second time since I left indefinitely when I moved south to Fairbanks. I was driven out primarily by loneliness, a lacking sense of community and a lacking of meaning in my day to day life. The experience started out with … Read more
I push past the cottonwood and willow shoots. It’s been about three years since I’ve been here. A little over four since I had cleared the area. When I first moved into the cabin, it was hidden amidst a jungle of both willows and cottonwoods after years of neglect. Trash was strewn across the lawn … Read more
This is my most recent article for Alaska Magazine, printed in their September 2020 issue. Here is an excerpt from the essay: “ Growing up in suburbanChicago, I had few opportunities for hunting. The metropolitan area is filled with human activity and development. Even though there are small parcels of forest, those are off limits to … Read more
As I made my way into the headwaters, the snow became deeper and deeper. With mountains engulfing the valley, the area’s snow was not impacted by winds. The deep, sugar-like snow required tremendous exertion to move forward with each stride. A ski slides forward atop the snow. I transfer my weight and then sink a … Read more
Bears, wolves, wolverines and lynx. All rank high on the lists of animals that people wish to see when coming to Alaska. However in a state located so far north, population densities remain small. The coupling of minimal vegetative diversity and a harsh climate make for an environment that is unfriendly to large populations. Despite … Read more
In 1925, the first airplane to land above the Arctic Circle set down on the gravel bar along the Middle Fork of the Koyukuk River near Wiseman. Residents had anticipated the plane’s arrival and a young boy was the first to spot it far off in the distance. As the plane rolled to a stop, … Read more