Out There

The Cessna’s powerful engine yanked the tail rope from my hands as the aircraft leaped forward. The plane skimmed across the surface of the water and lifted majestically into the late spring breeze. As the drone of the engine faded into the distance, we were left alone at a remote headwater lake in the southwest Alaska bush. Only animal tracks lay on the gravel bar beneath our feet. We were about to row down a river with one recorded descent, and that was more than 20 years ago.

There is no person I would rather have by my side during an expedition like this than Pete Jaacks. My business partner and adventure companion, he and I forged a friendship on a shared passion for exploration while working together as wilderness fly fishing expedition guides in Alaska (wildriverfish.com). Not every trip is suited for clients, and this was one of them.

We had been planning