Since we couldn't fish for money, we decided to drop a subsistence net off the back of the boat where we were tied up in front of the South Naknek cannery. Even though the commercial fishery was shut down, we were still able to fill our freezers with fresh salmon. The Lord will provide. Many years ago a man named Abraham- a man God tells us is the 'father' of our faith- was given a difficult test....  Read More

I was crew-handing on a salmon drift boat in Bristol Bay. Because of a lack of fish making it up the river to spawn, we were shut down. As a crewhand my entire pay was a percentage of our total harvest. I actually earned less money that summer than it cost me to buy gear and fly to Bristol Bay. You see, if you're aren't fishing, you can't catch fish. If you don't catch fish, there's no reward. Jes...  Read More

Our goal was simply getting to the machines. We had our caribou and with the meat divided three ways, each pack was 'comfortable.' Add to that the highly unusual benefit of getting to walk out on a game trail. This was HUGE. Not having to fight 'tundra walking' and brush made this a very easy pack. We didn't even have to look where we were going. All we had to do was STAY ON THE PATH.One of my par...  Read More

Jesus said, "Come to me, you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Jesus never pretended that this life would be easy for us. He never painted a picture of a rosie Christian life that is always trouble-free and happy. But God DID say, "Be joyful always." God DID say, "Pray continually." He DID say, "Give thanks in all circumstances."I had an unbelievably heavy pack- ...  Read More

People sometimes ask me, "Have you ever had a close bear encounter?" I had one climb the tree I was sitting in, and another was panting with his nose pressed against my mosquito screen tent door. I had a huge sow grizzly with two 'football sized' cubs pass about 15 feet from me when I was sitting on the ground. Why do bear stories interest people? Because bears are dangerous. They could kill you.S...  Read More

I won't have an untrained dog. "Come," "Sit," and, "Stay" are non-negotiable. And I don't mean, "Come if you feel like it," or, "Come when you get around to it." When I say, "Come!" I expect to see a dog running for me. This requires time and intentional training. But the payoff is huge. I NEVER have a dog who runs off. I NEVER have to be concerned about hiking with my dogs off-leash. And I NEVER ...  Read More

I had looked at this climb for several years, but was too intimidated to start. It wasn't that I couldn't carry my pack and rifle to the top, it was the thought of packing a moose back. Hunting solo offers its challenges. While I have no idea how many moose I've harvested in my life (and it's a lot), I know exactly how many I've cut up and packed out by myself- seven. Some jobs are so big that you...  Read More

I can't really explain it. It took a lot of preparation and a whole day to get to where I wanted to start hunting. I was deep in the mountains in a place I've gone for years. I was uneasy as I set up my tent. This was strange for me as I am accustomed to being in the wilderness by myself. A little over an hour before dark, a sense of foreboding almost overwhelmed me. For some reason I knew that I ...  Read More

When I tell you that I like climbing mountains, what exactly am I saying? It's a battle both mentally and physically. In the dry heat and sunshine of our southern mountain states, I love every part of it. Climbing on packed trails in the sunshine with no bugs- I can spend days- even weeks- pushing my body to the limit. Now let's talk about Alaska. Sunny summer days on good trails are few and far b...  Read More

When it comes to success, many people want to BE where few people are willing to GO. Vision, focus, hard work, sacrifice and endurance are all essential ingredients. Some have learned the satisfaction of pouring years into a difficult project and reaping the rewards. Others tend to quit when things get hard. To always choose the path of least resistance is a recipe for disappointment. Many battles...  Read More

It was a short pack in, a little over an hour. We were carrying packrafts to float a short stretch of the Eagle River. Though it was May, we were still walking on patches of snow and ice. When we reached our launch point, we inflated our rafts and slid off an ice shelf into the river. And just like that- in a moment in time- everything got peaceful. The sound of flowing water is soothing. Somethin...  Read More

My dad was not accustomed to packing meat, so I gave him a big front shoulder and those giant antlers to pack. I had 2 hind quarters, a front, the backstrap and all of the boned out meat in mine. I'd done this many times, but I was pleased that my dad had the 'full' Alaska experience of packing meat a long distance. He left those antlers with me in Alaska, and years later a friend of mine offered ...  Read More