Some people grow up expecting others to do everything for them- to solve all of their problems- to meet all of their needs. Sadly, these wrong expectations are often learned in childhood. It's actually GOOD for people to be a part of the solutions that they need. Years ago my young granddaughter Harper wanted me to fill a small swimming pool with water so the kids could 'swim.' I told her that if ...  Read More

One of the reasons young children learn and grow so fast is that they 'believe' that they can do almost anything. Ask a kindergartner- "Can you run fast? Can you jump high? Can you draw a beautiful picture?" "Yes!  Yes! Yes!"A number of years ago as my 3 year old granddaughter Piper climbed the tiniest little 'rock wall' you've ever seen to go down a slide, I heard her say to herself, "I'm SO stro...  Read More

The statement- "It's a pretty good trail" means something entirely different in Alaska than in other states.  In Alaska it simply means that if conditions are right you will 'probably' get through.... but you might get stuck many times- your ATV may break down- you will definitely want a winch.  Even so, I am thankful for the small number of trails that we have into the wilderness. From year to ye...  Read More

Some people claim that my 'hunting ideas' aren't always the best. For example, when my wife Laura drew a lottery moose tag a few years ago, she and I and our son David rode triple on a four wheeler (Laura behind me on the seat and David on the front rack). After eight miles which seemed uneventful to me and death-defying to Laura, we hunted on foot. Now- why in the world would I have us ride tripl...  Read More

May 3 and still ice on the lakes. My yard high on Bear Mountain is down to about a foot of snow. Think about it- COLD makes things HARD. Water freezes, and if the cold continues, the ice gets thick enough to drive on. In fact, it gets thick enough to build a fire on. For me, the wilderness experience is all about the fish and game and the country I'm in. For my kids it was all about the snacks and...  Read More

Some men are just plain 'steady.' In other words, you know that you can count on them. My friend Chuck Bohling is like that. He has a great sense of humor, can recite wilderness poetry around a campfire, and has invested many years in behind-the-scenes leadership at The Crossing. As you look around your 'friend' and 'work' circles, identify those things in other people that you wish were true of y...  Read More

For many years after our Vacation Bible School I would take our youth group on a 'climb.' After a 4 hour 'Bear Mountain Loop' Laura and I would feed all of them an Alaskan meal (usually moose chili and bear roast). The climb itself was difficult for many and extremely difficult for a few, What was the most important job on this climb? The leader? No, the leader's job was much like a cowboy holding...  Read More

Sometimes danger is clear- no one could miss it. Other times it isn't so obvious. At the end of a mission trip to Uganda we spent 2 days on and along the Nile River. The riverbank was lined with large crocodiles- clear danger. But to our surprise, our native guide told us that BY FAR the most dangerous animal was the hippo. That was unexpected. Some of life's dangers are clear, and we cross those ...  Read More

If it wasn't for a good friend who is a more successful hunter, some years moose meat would be almost non-existent in my diet. The moose in my freezer right now is from a roadkill and I'm glad to have it. Perhaps the Lord has kept me focusing on being a 'meat' hunter by not giving me large moose, or perhaps it's just a combination of the country I'm hunting and my own deficiencies. But ONCE- just ...  Read More

Up at 4, off to the airport and waiting for a 6 AM flight. Travel to and from Alaska means something different than it means to most of the world. I just spoke to someone who flew RT between two nations in Europe for $39. We have villages in Alaska where the cost from Anchorage is closer to $1,000. It's simply a part of living in the last frontier. And yet- we CAN travel. We CAN buy a ticket and s...  Read More

Though we have collected an almost unbelievable amount of stuff over the years, for my wife, Laura, none of it matters. Life is about people and relationships. She is a lover of people, and the beautiful thing is that it doesn't matter who they are or how old they are. Seeing her interact with others is like a momentary glimpse of heaven. She SEES you and wants to KNOW you and BLESS you. How about...  Read More

In my experience, usually violent winds on top of a mountain blow horizontally. In other words, all you need to do is drop off the summit to find calm- the wind will be blowing above you and you won't feel it. Occasionally, however, those incredibly strong winds will blow straight down the side of a mountain like a freight train going downhill. That was our Friday morning. We were forced to look u...  Read More