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

After climbing the wrong mountain, my dad and I were only 20 feet from cresting the flat top of mountain number 2. We knew that there were several cow caribou and that they would be in easy shooting range. Just as we were cresting, a cow caribou spotted us and the small herd took off running. At the same time, I noticed enormous tines from a bull's antlers. He was laying down, so I couldn't even s...  Read More

We had a decision to make. This was the last day of our hunt and we were standing on top of a mountain... the wrong mountain. We could see the caribou, but they were still one 'small' mountain away. There was a high valley between us, which meant we would only lose about half of our elevation. We decided to go for it. We made a quick hike down into the valley and began to climb again. We knew that...  Read More

Other than a few grayling, this hunting trip had been a bust. It was my dad's one and only hunting trip to Alaska, and I was trying to get him a caribou. On day four, we finally spotted a few cows on the very top of a distant mountain. 30 years ago my dad was used to hunting hard all day, but he wasn't used to climbing in tundra. I was very surprised when he said, "Let's go try to get one."It was ...  Read More

How many times can you get back up? Life will trip you up. Sometimes it will knock you down. Sometimes the burden weighs you down. At other times you fall because of your own sin. Come to Jesus. Confess your sin, pour out your troubles. Lift up your hands and worship. HE will lift you up. Proverbs 24:16 "A righteous man may fall seven times, yet he will rise again." James 4:10 says, "Humble yourse...  Read More

For me, one of the best parts of a successful hunt was still in front of me. My sheep and my camp were loaded on my 4 wheeler, but I was still miles deep into the mountains. One of my favorite parts is coming home, because Laura has always been my biggest fan.. She cheers when I get something, helps me process the meat, and cooks delicious meals with whatever I bring home. Ladies, are you your hus...  Read More

I spent a long time skinning the sheep. I took the entire hide and hooves and made sure that my job was taxidermy quality. I knew a guy who bought my sheep hides for $1,500. Along the way, I carefully boned out the meat, laying it on a tarp to keep it clean. By the time I added the hide, meat, and skull with horns to a pack that already had a rifle, ammo, spotting scope, rain gear, warm gear, wate...  Read More

An exhale... holding steady... a moment of intense focus... and my ram was down. After a flash of exultation and giving thanks to God, this is where the real work began. Climbing is hard work. Packing a Dall sheep off of mountain by yourself is harder. Perhaps you've heard the old saying, "Anything worth having is worth working for." The Bible talks about the positive payoff of diligence and hard ...  Read More

It was one of those days. Not 1 in a million, but maybe 1 in 100. As I lay on my belly peaking over the top of a mountain, there was a legal ram right beneath me. It was a beautiful, clear morning an hour after daylight, and only an hour from my camp. Win- win- win. Sometimes everything goes our way, doesn't it? Some days are just that good. When everything is going right- when you are in the midd...  Read More