Author Archives: Alan Kesselheim

Of course that fickle finger of fate has caused mischief with best-laid plans forever. Just when things are all dialed in, something comes up – a death in the family, a freak blizzard, an economic crash, a vehicle break down, … Continue reading →

Less than a month after we returned from our Alaskan adventure, we left home again, this time for Peru. I’m not much of a world traveler, but our family friend Liz has been working in Peru this past year on … Continue reading →

To begin with, that all ten of us, and our literal ton of gear, made it to Kotzebue, Alaska at the same time and in good shape is a small miracle. Arriving from Montana, Washington, Arizona, Texas, each coping with … Continue reading →

I sit down to write my predictable yearly ode to the start of the paddling season. But I realize that, this year, it is layered with so much other meaning. Never fear, the tribute to rivers and springtime and the … Continue reading →

CHAPTER 12: APRIL – HOMECOMING Hunkering. That’s what it feels like. Hunkered in, staying solitary, watching the human world flounder. And it isn’t pretty. No socializing, no going out to eat, no movies, no gym workouts, no school, no yoga. … Continue reading →

CHAPTER 11: MARCH – EVERYTHING CHANGES Covid-19 snuck up on me. It snuck up on everyone. I had the excuse of wilderness immersion for much of January and February, but even when I was home, the news of the virus … Continue reading →

CHAPTER 10: FEBRUARY – BORDERLANDS Big Bend will cast its spell. New Age types talk about power centers where mystical happenings transpire in spots like Sedona, Arizona, a town with crystal shops and psychics on every street corner. I don’t … Continue reading →

CHAPTER 9: JANUARY – DABBLING IN HEARTBREAK Now the logistical rubber meets the road. For the next three months the plan gets complicated. Big Bend is on the books for February. I’ve decided to drive south, almost to Mexico, to … Continue reading →

CHAPTER 8: DECEMBER – BROTHERHOOD Early on I knew that the tough part of my yearly schedule would be the heart of winter. The months of December, January, and February; months when Montana is frozen hard and boats are sensibly … Continue reading →

CHAPTER 7: NOVEMBER – HULL PARTNER It would be pushing it to say that I took the teaching job in northern Wisconsin, back in the late 70s, because of Grant Herman. There were other reasons. They flew me from Santa … Continue reading →