I spent the summer of 2024 guiding multi-day wilderness trips throughout Alaska. Throughout the summer, I guided kayaking, backpacking, and canoe trips in Lake Clark, Katmai, Denali, Gates of the Arctic National Parks and the Noatak Preserve and these ranged from four to twelve days long. I chose this position for the unique opportunity to engage others in discussions around the important connections between people and place in Alaska through the forums of public education, outreach, and engagement and to do this with land managers and local communities.

This summer was not just about facilitating cush vacations for out-of-state-residents. Rather, this summer offered a deeper understanding of the intricate relationships that exist between humans and nature, not just for me, but for those I was guiding too.  

I was fortunate to work in the glaciated valleys and mountains of Alaska’s southwest, interior, and north that provide habitat for a range of wildlife: Sockeye Salmon, Arctic Grayling, Ptarmigan, Golden-crowned Sparrows, Greater Yellowlegs, Arctic Terns, Red Foxes, Brown Bears, Caribou, Dall Sheep, Musk Ox, and so much more. In the areas I was working, summer conditions ranged from wet and stormy with temperatures in the thirties and wind gusts up to seventy miles per hour, to warm and sunny. During my travels, we also often encountered notable flora, including blueberries, nagoonberries, cranberries, crowberries, devil’s club, and black spruce. Nagoonberries grow in meadows and bogs and the word derives from the Tlingit word neigóon, or ‘jewel.’ Many of the plants guests learned about and that we observed are traditional foods used frequently for nutritional and medicinal purposes.

My experiences leading trips around Alaska’s Alaska Range, Brooks Range, and especially Lake Clark and Katmai in the southwest, were colorful and included both unanticipated and longed-for moments. Challenges included navigating off-trail passes in white-out conditions, managing risk with variable weather, and ensuring safety across cultural and linguistic differences. Guests had a wide range of desires: from adrenaline-packed-adventure to quiet solitude and more naturalist-based learning.  Additionally, many of the areas we traveled in required at least one, if not multiple, small aircraft flights back to Anchorage in the event of an emergency. I always worked with a co-guide and many lasting friendships have blossomed from these shared experiences in the wilderness.  Below are some of my favorite and most iconic photos that were captured during wilderness expeditions across Alaska. A caption accompanies each photograph. 

Photo 1: A view of the tallest mountain in North America, Denali, at 20,310 feet. The second tallest mountain in the foreground is eight miles closer. Photo courtesy of Eliza Perkins, shared with permission.

Photo 2: Lupine blooming in early July. Photo courtesy of Eliza Perkins, shared with permission.

Photo 3: A Beaver aircraft lands on Upper Twin Lake in Lake Clark. The majority of these planes were built in the mid-1900s, between 1947 and 1967. Photo courtesy of Eliza Perkins, shared with permission.

Photo 4: A hovering Arctic Tern on the left and a Harlequin Duck at Lower Twin Lake on the right. Photos courtesy of Eliza Perkins, shared with permission.

Photo 5: A grizzly rests on a creek’s bluff before returning to fish for sockeye salmon in late July in Katmai National Preserve, a region famous for its brown bears. Photo courtesy of Carson Galloway, shared with permission.

Photo 6:  A grizzly pounces to catch a salmon. Grizzly bears can eat up to 160,000 calories of fish per day, or around 40 fish in preparation for the winter ahead. Photo courtesy of Carson Galloway, shared with permission.

Photo 7: My favorite photo, captured by guest Carson, of a bear mid-shake and post-dinner. There are some salmon remains on its upper lip. Photo courtesy of Carson Galloway, shared with permission.

Photo 8: A bear saunters past us as we kneel patiently and sit still. Photo courtesy of Carson Galloway, shared with permission.

Photo 9: The colorful camp that we left behind to explore the flora and fauna of Katmai National Preserve. The camp is surrounded by an electric bear fence, which is a stipulation required and regulated by the National Park Service. Photo courtesy of Eliza Perkins, shared with permission.

Photo 10: “Guideland.” If we did not return to Anchorage between work trips, we’d stay in Port Alsworth for layover days. There, we’d stay in this bunkhouse, shower, and do laundry. Photos courtesy of Eliza Perkins, shared with permission.

Photo 11: A curious red fox joins us while we take a packs-off break. Photos courtesy of Eliza Perkins, shared with permission.

Photo 12 (below) Bog blueberries ripening in late August in Lake Clark. Photos courtesy of Eliza Perkins, shared with permission.

Photo 13 (below): Fireweed in full bloom in late August in Lake Clark National Park. Photo courtesy of Eliza Perkins, shared with permission.

Photo 14 (below): Grizzly bear tracks along the Alatna River. Photo courtesy of Eliza Perkins, shared with permission.

Photo 15 (left below): Sunset along the Noatak River in the Brooks Range. The headwaters of this river have archeological sites with stone artifacts and tools and preserved fauna that are dated 4,000 to 6,000 years. Photo courtesy of Eliza Perkins, shared with permission.

Photo 16 (right below): The fleet of SOAR boats we used to travel an eighty-three mile stretch of the Noatak River. Each boat can carry up to one thousand pounds. Photo courtesy of Eliza Perkins, shared with permission.

Overall, this summer experience brought many opportunities to practice observation skills and lean into our collective curiosities about the surrounding environment. It was a chance to get my hands and feet dirty in the field, make connections to my Spring independent study course curriculum, and absorb new knowledge through tactile learning. It was also a way to promote environmental responsibility, respect, and cultural humility; embrace storytelling; and develop relationships across all of our varied backgrounds. For all of this, I am grateful.