Summer 2005-- It was my dream of all dreams, my adventure of all adventures to drive to Alaska. In the summer of '05 I finally did this when I drove up to Coldfoot, AK to work as a lodge cleaner with my friend Paul.
May '06 - May '07-- I moved back up to Coldfoot to work as a cook and tour guide to begin to pay off my 32K student debt.
Summer '08-- First season as a backcountry ranger in the Gates of the Arctic National Park
Summer '09-- Second season as a backcountry ranger in the Gates of the Arctic National Park
The following stories were written in 2009 about my second season as a ranger.
6/1/09- Training week for us rangers.
6/12/09- Reflections on mosquitoes.
6/22/09- Some fairly close encounters with beaver and wolf.
7/3/09- I see James' Suburban. One of my inspirations behind vandwelling.
7/4/09- My beard is 65 days old.
7/31/09- I patrol the Arrigetch Peaks.
8/6/09- I get stalked by a black bear.
8/25/09- I canoe down the Noatak River. Grizzly and caribou encounters.
6/12/09- Reflections on mosquitoes.
6/22/09- Some fairly close encounters with beaver and wolf.
7/3/09- I see James' Suburban. One of my inspirations behind vandwelling.
7/4/09- My beard is 65 days old.
7/31/09- I patrol the Arrigetch Peaks.
8/6/09- I get stalked by a black bear.
8/25/09- I canoe down the Noatak River. Grizzly and caribou encounters.
8/30/09- I packraft down the Charley River and visit the site of a famous plane crash. [This story was added in January of 2011.]
I moved back to Coldfoot, Alaska in June 2011 to write my book.
6/4/11- I arrive in AK
6/9/11- A tour of my new home.
6/13/11- Sightings of fox and porcupine
6/25/11- Pictures of my 2-day hike up Slate Creek Trail
7/5/11- Pictures from the Continental Divide in the Brooks Range
7/19/11- Thoughts on being the "Writer in Resident"
7/25/11- My best friend Josh is involved in a National Scandal
8/4/11- My friend Josh Spice and me take an exploratory trip up Nuterwik Creek
8/6/11- Some more reflections on Josh's national scandal
8/7/11- I get paid well for writing for the first time. Plus some reflections on campus farms and sustainability education.
8/8/11- I take some odd jobs in the arctic to save a little money.
8/13/11- The owner of the camp asks me if I can fill in and work at Deadhorse for a couple weeks
8/15/11- First impressions of my new home, Deadhorse
8/21/11- I'm washing spoons now. Existential crisis, here I come.
8/30/11- I packraft the Sag River for three days
9/12/11- I try to packraft to the Arctic Ocean, but run out of time. Must, then, sneak through the hyper secure Prudhoe Bay oilfields.
10/5/11- A pina colada almost kills me. I leave Deadhorse.
7/5/11- Pictures from the Continental Divide in the Brooks Range
7/19/11- Thoughts on being the "Writer in Resident"
7/25/11- My best friend Josh is involved in a National Scandal
8/4/11- My friend Josh Spice and me take an exploratory trip up Nuterwik Creek
8/6/11- Some more reflections on Josh's national scandal
8/7/11- I get paid well for writing for the first time. Plus some reflections on campus farms and sustainability education.
8/8/11- I take some odd jobs in the arctic to save a little money.
8/13/11- The owner of the camp asks me if I can fill in and work at Deadhorse for a couple weeks
8/15/11- First impressions of my new home, Deadhorse
8/21/11- I'm washing spoons now. Existential crisis, here I come.
8/30/11- I packraft the Sag River for three days
9/12/11- I try to packraft to the Arctic Ocean, but run out of time. Must, then, sneak through the hyper secure Prudhoe Bay oilfields.
10/5/11- A pina colada almost kills me. I leave Deadhorse.
