Journey to Denali

OH my goodness it has been a long 4 days, and quite the adventure so far at that! Let's just jump right in!

Thursday night I flew across the country to Fairbanks on two long flights where I didn't get any sleep really to speak of. The second flight was the real kicker though: I had just started to doze off when I had a sudden vivid dream about the northern lights. I woke up with a start and peered out my window, and right there, a pale swath of the aurora was smeared across the sky above the clouds! It was extremely faint and grey, but it had enough of its own luminescence and the classic slow-moving waviness that there was no question what it could be. Such an incredible sight!

Update

Hey guys! Just wanted to toss up a quick update since I've been slacking a little in the writing department lately. I actually made this awesome vlog a few days ago that I was going to put up in lieu of a written post, but unfortunately I got a little too ambitious and had a fight with Adobe After Effects, and, well, After Effects won. I may still try to get the video up later, but since I can't guarantee that, I'll just have to catch you up here real quick.

So, I'm finally leaving for Alaska tomorrow, and MAN has it been a long wait this time. Feels like it, anyways. I've packed my life into 2 bags and a backpack and now just have to mentally prepare myself for joys of spending 10 hours in the air tomorrow night.

After that, I'll be hosteling it up in Fairbanks for a couple days, and then heading down to the park in time to start training on Monday.

I have no idea what to expect as far as web access goes, so you may see frequent updates, or I may be MIA for who knows how long. Either way I'll try to pop in when I can, because this is sure to be an adventure and I want to share it with you whenever possible!

I think that's all for now. Let the journey begin!

14 Outdoor Job Sites to Make Life Happen

Anyone who has done seasonal work knows the frustration of trying to look for a new job every 6 months or so. Or maybe you're looking for something more permanent and just haven't quite found the right fit yet. For many of us, having a constantly changing job horizon is exciting and energizing, but it does lead to a bit to a bit of stress in the off-season as you look for new opportunities to fill in your resume and your time.

Why YOU should Find Your Park

The first time I realized how much I appreciated my country was when I set foot back on US soil after a semester abroad in the UK, sophomore year of college. Don't get me wrong, I very much loved my time in London. But four months abroad completely opened my eyes to something I had never seen before -- something that truly sets America apart from any other country in the world: Our public lands.

Yosemite, 2002 (throwback to age 12!)

Coming back to the US, I couldn't wait to be in nature again, to soak up the hot Florida sun, to summit mountains, to paddle rivers, to hike the trails. The concrete canyons of London had certainly taught me many things, not the least of which was how lucky we are in the US to have some 640 million acres of federal land at our disposal, most of which is available to the public (that's about 28% of our entire landmass). Of that, 84 million acres are managed by the National Park Service.

My Alaska 2015 Gear List

Packing RAAGGEE

Packing is probably the hardest part of any trip preparation -- especially when that trip is going to last 6 months and involve 4 seasons worth of weather conditions. What's more, when you're going to be flying with your gear, you'll likely have to figure out how to fit it into 2 checked bags (under 50lbs each) and 2 carry-ons. As many times as I've done this in the last 3 years, it's still a challenge, so I figured I would share my gear list here for others who may be interested in how one might go about accomplishing such a feat.

Discover Denali

By now, most of my close friends and family know that I'm heading back to Alaska this summer, and certainly you do, if you're reading this blog. But I have been surprised to find out how many people have either never heard of Denali, or don't know what it is. Now, I fully realize that my idolization of the park is completely due to my NPS geekery, and I didn't know that much about Denali before I joined the park service either, but that being said, I feel it is now my duty to enlighten you to its splendor and to the reason why it is undeniably awesome.

Map modified from NPS AK Region map

First, you should know where it is. See map above. It's kind of in the middle of the state, but the entrance is on the north side, closer to Fairbanks. Most of its 6 million acres are designated or eligible wilderness, meaning that the land is mostly untouched and undeveloped, is accessible only on foot or by non-motorized vehicles, and with back country permits. That is to say, it's pretty wild.

Trekking Alaska's Trekking back to Alaska!

For the last 6 months, I've been fending off the trepidation that this past summer might have been my last in Alaska for a while. Thank goodness for good fortune, good friends, good family, and good thoughts: I will in fact be returning to the Last Frontier this summer for another season with the National Park Service!

And this time, it's a big one. Ever heard of Denali National Park and Preserve? You know, that 6 million acre park in the heart of Alaska, home to Mt. McKinley (North America's tallest peak), epic scenery, cool archaeological sites, and a ton of wicked awesome wildlife? Yeah, that's the one. :)

I know it's going to be an entirely different challenge than anything I've ever faced before, but I've never been so sure of anything I wanted to do in my life. I will be leading programs for bigger groups than I've ever led, living in a different part of Alaska that I've never seen, and on a team of a much bigger staff than I've ever worked with. Not to mention, one of my favorite coworkers from Sitka also got hired there, so I'm additionally happy that I will already know someone there.

Every season with the park service I've learned so much, and I am sure this will be no exception. I just hope I can use what I've learned to make this experience the best it can be.

So, sit tight, and keep a look out for the first photos from interior Alaska in about 7 weeks. Until then, I might put up a few posts about Denali just to make you as excited as I am about this.