At play where the midnight sun holds court
Day by day winter slowly envelops the land. The last of the leaves drop off the trees, snow slowly accumulates and temperatures drop while darkness takes over. Each day we lose 7 minutes of light, nearly an hour per week. It feels like just yesterday that I was walking outside in the light near 11 … Read more
After moving to Fairbanks in late 2017, I struggled to find something that I actually wanted to do. During the winter, I intermittently helped with small aspects of research projects at the University and also returned to guiding tours, spending long days driving guests up to the Arctic Circle. As I settled into Fairbanks, I … Read more
There’s a saying in Alaska for any woman hoping to find a partner, “the odds are good, but the goods are odd.” Throughout history, many have flocked to Alaska from all corners of the world for all kinds of worldly treasures. People have come in search of furs, whales, gold and oil to name a … Read more
Building a Home Part 1: Background and Framing As summer transitioned into fall, the rains continued. I tried to cover the site as best as I could, but plenty of water managed to pour down from the tarps and onto the floor inside. I would need dry weather to begin work on the roof and … Read more
One idea from native peoples across the world that has stuck with me over the years, having read a number of anthropological works, is knowing your environment and how it functions. They are familiar with all aspects of their world and how everything interacts, ranging from the tools they use to the things they interact … Read more
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
In August, Alana and I participated in the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic. I for the second time and Alana for her first. It was the first time in all of these events that I set out to go with someone else. The experience would be and was far different than when I first participated in … Read more
During the summer of 2019, our forestry work regularly brought us over the vast mountain ranges of Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park. Based in Glenallen, we regularly worked field plots north of the mountains near the border. This brought about long helicopter rides, flying over volcanic mountains, across large drainages and past dozens and dozens of … Read more
For the past 3 summers, my friend Asa flew out of Port Alsworth for Lake Clark Air. During his first summer there in 2019, he invited me out to spend a few days exploring the area. This offer was like a dream come true and I eagerly accepted it, having been inspired to begin my … Read more