Who is this guy?

I have a degree in finance, have worked as a Psychiatric Technician, film producer, erected cellphone towers, parked planes, hired as a backcountry guide, Emergency Medical Tech, celebrity personal assistant and am now chasing down opportunities in documentary film, finance and photography

Being unable to find a real job, I was willingly kidnapped by a friend in motion pictures and am now being held hostage some where in Europe.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Only in America


I am returning to Minneapolis and am plotting ways to travel for free! Yes, I have developed a strong case of wonder-lust and am excited to discover what trouble awaits me. Stay posted monthly.


I returned to my state of origin Minnesota and reigned in the New Year with those long-term friends who supported me throughout my journey. I was greeted by snow and frightfully cold nights. Inspired by the words of an 11th century Tibetan sage Machig Labdronme “Go to the places that scare you”, I decided to organize a camping trip deep into that very frightening cold.

In the northern most regions of Minnesota bordering Canada lie protected wildernesses known as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). This wilderness was created by those very same glaciers I was frolicking on last October. The wreckage of this glacial past left us with over 1200 miles of the best flat-water canoeing in the world, a territory comprised of 1.3 million acres of cliffs, crags, hills and several thousand lakes. This land has also been reclaimed by the native Timber Wolf who lurks behind every single tree when darkness falls!

This frozen tradition is now in its third year and our past adventures have taught us:

  1. Sleeping in a tent without a stove really sucks and makes your breath freeze to everything inside

  1. Hiking at midnight in the middle of a blizzard without batteries for your headlamp is fun

  1. Wolves are everywhere

  1. Using a sledge to pull gear can enable you to bring A LOT of stuff!

  1. Rain sucks just as much in January as it does in November

  1. With an ice saw you can go swimming year-round

7. Sledding ain't just for kids anymore!

Our possee included the two usual suspects George Thaler (aka Pie) and myself.

Two additional masters of the bush (masters compared to a 7 year-old girl from Detroit) included an old flatmate of mine Derek Hanson (aka Diamond) and Nils de mol Van Otterlo.

We were very responsible and safe the entire time (he-he)

and enjoyed snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, rock-climbing, camping and yes, swimming!




I got in touch with our dog-sledding flesh biting Sweed LISA STRĂ–M who is mushing in Ely, MN but she was guiding a trip in a different area of the BWCAW. Miss ya Lisa :-(

Stay tuned for more adventures. Up next… climbing frozen waterfalls.