Wilderness Philosophy

Jared deep in thought on the Guide Training trip, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Thoughtful essays and reflections on guiding, wilderness, and Alaska’s backcountry. From the history of frontier guiding to modern considerations of what it means to lead people into wild places, these pieces explore the deeper questions behind backcountry travel.

A guide’s perspective on all things wilderness.

Floating the Noatak River, Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska.

The River From Deep Within: History and Ecology of the Noatak

Where does the name Noatak come from.

The Noatak begins on the north flank of Mt. Igikpak and flows 400 miles to the Chukchi Sea. Its entire course lies above the Arctic Circle. Its entire watershed lies within protected wilderness. No other major river in North America can make both claims.

Foothills of the Brooks Range and the Arctic Coastal Plain, ANWR, Alaska.

Designating Wilderness: Your Choice

Reflections from a public hearing on wilderness designation in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The coastal plain is undeniably wild—the caribou know it, the bears know it, the land knows it. Why do we struggle to acknowledge what is plainly real about this magnificent place?

Snow covered ridges and hills, winter, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Meditation on American Guiding: Frontier Era to Now

The history of wilderness guiding from frontier scouts like Kit Carson to modern Alaska backcountry guides. Skills have changed, technology has advanced, but the fundamentals remain: weather, terrain, fitness, and finding the way through wild country.

Alaska hiking tours Mt Jarvis at sunrise, from the Jarvis plateau, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Mountains Piled Upon Mountains

Hey Folks We got a new one coming soon. Real soon. This one you’ll LOVE. Keep your eyes posted Alaska-ward and we’ll have details on the site before too long. Happiest Holidays and all the best to you and yours for the coming year. Cheers Everyone at EA The Mountains A jumble of mountains. A […]

Black bear in the forest, Smokey Mountains National Park.

What is the Wild

“Challenge yourself to experience the world beyond the models we’ve built—sit quietly in the forest, and glimpse life through the eyes of the wild.”

The Tao

When her work is done, she forgets it.

A silhouetted polar bear on the Coastal plain of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, ANWR.

Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Passes the US Senate

Hey Folks Tonight we have some rather ugly news. Sadly, I present to you that portion of the US Tax Bill passed by the US Senate tonight that seriously threatens a place very dear to me. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or ANWR, as it’s casually called. Click to read it and weep. “The Secretary […]

Hiking and rafting trips in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, ANWR, Alaska.

Protect the Arctic

Hey folks, A nice short video of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from We Are The Arctic a grassroots coalition whose mission is to raise awareness for and protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Excellent cinematography that highlights the beauty and the wildness of this special place. It’s always a treat to return to […]

Katmai National Park Pebble Mine article bears fishing brooks Falls, Alaska.

Pebble Mine and Protecting Pebble Creek

Proposed Pebble Mine potentially affects all of us who visit the Alaska Peninsula and watch and photograph the coastal brown bears of Katmai National Park and Lake Clark and even Kodiak.

ANWR trips Hiker playing American Native flute on coastal plain Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.

ANWR Photos – 50 photos for 50 years.

50 photos for 50 years! Dec 6, 2010, marks the 50th anniversary of the Arctic National Wildlife refuge, or ANWR. Over 19 million acres of wild lands, the refuge is a treasure, home to thousands of creatures and features; the caribou herds, the Brooks Mountains, the broad coastal plain, migratory birds and countless other gifts to this world. Video of photos and music.