Chris and I first met on a trip to Alaska back in 2015 to work on a project that celebrated Denali National Park’s centennial. Thanks to a now close friend, mentor, and former Denali National Park mountain ranger, we had the opportunity to drive a private vehicle into the park, explore some of the area’s most remote corners, witness the northern lights with bellies full of wild picked blueberries, and even spend the night in Adolf Murie’s log cabin on the banks of a wild river where he conducted his landmark research on the wolf ecology that transformed the way society saw and came to understand the important role wolves play in ecosystems across the globe. To put it lightly, that trip to Alaska trip was epic, transformative on a cellular level and shaped my view of conservation and wilderness in a deep way. Following our trip, Chris and I became close friends, having worked on various projects and now diving into a multi-year book project, Why Wilderness, which aims to explore the notion of wilderness in today’s rapidly changing and urbanizing world. His passion for adventure and storytelling is contagious. His approach is illuminating and his mentorship has been invaluable.
Chris and I sat down to dive into his relationship with public lands, conservation and how his craft has inspired millions of people to get outside. It’s that first step out the front door that has the power to sprout the next generation of stewards we need now more than ever.
Charles: What is your relationship with public land? What do they mean to you, and how did this whole love affair start off?
Chris: Well, it’s interesting because I grew up in the Southwest, and as a young person I thought Northern California was the most exotic place I figured
