Probably like no other place on earth, Alaska is the land of “Make up your own adventure, and then go beat the crap out yourself trying it out.”
The combined nature of the landscape, the weather and the sheer magnitude of this region offers up an endless variety of unique possibilities for exploration. Although I feel that I’ve done some pretty cool stuff up here, I would consider myself an infant Alaska adventurer. Especially when compared to some of the folks I know up here.
This past month, my good friend Eric Parsons, founder of Revelate Designs, along with four other incredibly adventurous souls, completed a trip of epic proportions. They spent 11 days biking and packrafting down the southern portion of “The Lost Coast,” from Yakutat to Gustavus.
While moments of the trip did involve smooth beach riding on fat tire bikes just to the right of the St. Elias Range mountains, it also involved lugging the fully loaded bikes over and around immense boulderfields and glacial moraines, through stretches of frustratingly thick forests, paddling with them around tidewater glaciers and across stretches of open sea, and of course, dodging brown bears.
The other four men who, along with Eric, are plainly and completely at fault for this activity of sheer madness are the following: Legendary Alaskan adventurer Roman Dial, expedition bike wonderkind Dylan Kentch, who just spent two years riding his bike from Seattle to Patagonia, and two Coloradoans, veteran winter Alaska biker, Mike Curiac and Steve Fassbinder.
Here are three separate accounts and many incredible photos of the trip. They are all worth reading, if for nothing else, to remind you that you only live once, and that you should undertake the most amazing adventures you can dream up. These five guys did just that and, now their lives will never be the same.
They also reaffirm that, by far, the most important ingredient in great adventure photography is the adventure itself. I can only hope to place my tiny feet in their giant footsteps as I continue to explore and adventure throughout Alaska during the coming years. Enjoy!
- Yakutat to Gustavis Coast Trip part 1, by Eric Parsons
- Off the hook. by Mike Curiac
- Magical Mystery Tour: Yakutat to Glacier Bay on fat bikes and packrafts by Roman Dial
Pretty amazing Dan. I’ve biked across the continent and back, but I’ve never floated my bike or riden on a glacier. So much to do – so little time 😉
It is amazing indeed, Russ!! Watching friends do trips like this inspires me to keep getting out there. You’re right, there is far too little time to undertake all of the things that we want to do in life, but people like you and me keep plugging away!!