Alaskan Living

Ari's First Bush Flight

(View today's photo album.)

I already caught hell from both sets of Ari’s grandparents for this, so I may as well post it on the blog. We took Ari on his first bush flight the night of my birthday. Chris Hodel flew us down to Seward for a Nature Conservancy dinner in his single-engine 206. Despite the fact that he got to wear Daddy’s Acoustic Noise-Canceling Bose Headphones, Ari was not a happy camper at first.

It's Summer Solstice Time In Alaska!

(View today's photo album.)

The great thing about summer solstice in Alaska is you get two days in one. You can work all day, then have another complete day of recreation—all before midnight. Leaving after work, I took my first real hike of the year a couple days ago up to a tributary of Eagle River called Icicle Creek. I hiked in, built a fire, cooked dinner, then floated out on my packraft.

I had only one slight mishap, something that’s never happened to me before in the Alaska wilderness.

Ari Trying To Figure It All Out

“Whooz dat guy in da pickcha?” wonders Ari, as he sits in his bouncy chair. I’m relieved that my son is much happier staring into blank space than admiring himself in the mirror. He passes the narcissism test.

One Other Thing That Can Go Wrong With A Self-Portrait

If you’ve never tried taking self-portraits, you really should. They’re a fun and challenging genre of photograph. I was inspired by the late Nicholas DeVore, a true photographic genius. There are all sorts of clever ways to make self-portraits—in front of mirrors, your reflection in glass, your shadow. The only rule is you need to be both behind the lens and in the shot in some way. I’ve been building a

Ari Lives Large On First Visit To Talkeetna

Talkeetna was the first town I visited when I came to Alaska 19 years ago. It seemed like the right place to take Ari on his first Alaskan road trip. We drove up late Friday night, arriving at 1am. By early Saturday, the trouble had started.

Ari Selects Alaska Airlines For His Maiden Voyage

(See pictures of Ari's first flight.)

Ari took his first flight today. It was very impromptu. Daddy was headed to San Francisco and the thought of being away from Ari for 4 days was already making him homesick. So Ari and Mommy decided to come along. This would not only give Ari an opportunity to pay homage to the town where his parents met but also start working at a very young age towards the attainment of elite status on the airline frequent flier programs.

Now Ari may only be two months old, but he knew he had his choice of carrier today, and he’s glad he chose Alaska Airlines. Unlike the grouchos you sometimes run into on those big,