I had an unusual visitor at my campsite along Jack Creek: Homesickness.

I am writing this along the banks of Jack Creek deep inside Wrangell St Elias National Park…in Alaska! It has again been a long time since you have heard from me.

I just got back from a week at the cabin that I have gone to for the past darn near twenty years. It is my little piece of heaven, the reward that motivates me.

In preparing for the trip and doing all the research on the Refuge, I went out of my way not to have too many preconceived notions of what to expect.

They say, of course, that a picture is worth a thousand words. And, gosh darn it, I came home from this adventure with 1,564 photos.

It’s funny what turned out to really be valuable on my trip. After all the planning and training and classes, the single thing that was the biggest help was something I learned in rock climbing.

Dateline: Bellingham
The one thing I had convinced myself not to be disappointed about was not seeing the Aurora Borealis.

Yep, that’s me – fully decked out in rain gear, life vest, rubber gloves and boots, and a bunch of warm layers – and having a blast!

“Holy Cow!” has turned into “Holy Shit!”

In the rush to get ready to drive, I haven’t had a chance to tell you about all the fun stuff I’ve been doing in my battle against being the weakest link.