For some reason I've always had a fascination with the far North, particularly Alaska, the Canadian north, and the Arctic region. I think my fascination springs from my frequent dislike of 'society' in general, and a sense that an area with a very cold climate that keeps people away much of the year (just like the desert) is thus going to be more natural.
The pictures on the following pages are from a month-long camping trip I made in 1994, from San Francisco, through British Columbia, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories up to the Arctic Ocean -- about 3500 miles each way, not counting side trips.
Some background helps in understanding this trip. When I took the trip, I had been working in AIDS and related research for a few years. I was finding that work increasingly frustrating since it was not addressing the real issues (the meanings of behavior in a world dominated by middle-class values) that were really important for solving the issues faced by working class people in general and working-class gay men in particular. Unfortunately, it was also clear that there were very few avenues (almost none) for addressing the issues that I felt really important. To cope with this ongoing stress, I had begun taking relatively long hiking and camping trips that offered an opportunity to reflect on the world and consider other options. Thus this trip fit within a growing personal focus on exploration and reflection. I hope that the pictures and text convey the value of this trip.
......
I started the trip in late May. I wanted to get on the road early enough to avoid the summer influx of motor homes that happens even in the far north, but needed to wait late enough that I would be able to cross the rivers in the far north (see Dawson City, in part 2, for details on river crossings). I finished the trip just about 4 weeks, and 7500 miles, later.
Due to the length of the trip, I've broken the following down into four segments:
Heading north from San Francisco through British Columbia
This page is best when viewed on a 1024*768 or larger screen -- on a smaller screen it may be necessary to scroll sideways for some of the text.