A Long Trek Home: 4,000 Miles by Boot, Raft and Ski

by Erin McKittrick

* Compelling adventure with an environmental focus
* An informative natural and cultural history of one of our last wild coastlines
* Author is a pioneer in "packrafting," an emerging trend in backcountry travel

In June 2007, Erin McKittrick and her husband, Hig, embarked on a 4,000-mile expedition from Seattle to the Aleutian Islands, traveling solely by human power. This is the story of their unprecedented trek along the northwestern edge of the Pacific Ocean-a year-long journey through some of the most rugged terrain in the world- and their encounters with rain, wind, blizzards, bears, and their own emotional and spiritual demons.

Erin and Hig set out from Seattle with a desire to raise awareness of natural resource and conservation issues along their clear-cut logging of rainforests; declining wild salmon populations; extraction of mineral resources; and effects of global climate change. By taking each mile step by step, they were able to intimately explore the coastal regions of Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska, see the wilderness in its larger context, and provide a unique on-the-ground perspective. An entertaining and, at times, thrilling adventure, theirs is a journey of discovery and of insights about the tiny communities that dot this wild coast, as well as the individuals there whom they meet and inspire.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Adventure, Memoir, Nature, Outdoors, Walking

221 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Erin McKittrick grew up in Seattle, exploring the nearby Cascade Mountains with her family. She met her husband Hig at Carleton College, where she graduated with a BA in Biology in 2001. That summer, they took off on their first major Alaskan adventure together, and haven't looked back since then. Erin has a master's degree in Molecular Biology. In addition to writing, she works as a photographer, a jewelry manufacturer, for an environmental consulting firm, and runs a small environmental non-profit, Ground Truth Trekking, along with her husband. Ground Truth Trekking (www.GroundTruthTrekking.org) uses journeys like A Long Trek Home to explore the complexities of natural resource issues. She lives with her husband and son in Seldovia, Alaska, a 300 person village just off the end of the road system.

Reviews

[Mosco · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10
Il racconto parte un po' lento poi scorre via veloce. L'autrice, una tipa tostissima, non la fa troppo lunga, anzi a volte piacerebbe saperne un po' di più. E' bello seguire la loro marcia con google earth e cercando foto dei posti da loro descritti in rete. Quello che mi ha più colpita però non sono le descrizioni della meravigliosa natura che attraversano o delle tempeste di neve, vento, marosi, orsi che devono affrontare. Sono le considerazioni sulle evidenti tracce del cambiamento climatico su piante ed animali, sugli assalti all'ambiente da parte di miniere che avvelenano aria, territorio e torrenti dove i salmoni diventano sempre più rari, deforestazione selvaggia, interessi economici (grossi) che se ne fanno un baffo pure dei residenti, sfregi che il passaggio dell'uomo lascia in territori così importanti e fragili. In compenso mi sono commossa quando Maddalena Togliani, la brava traduttrice, ha scritto "battigia" invece che bagnasciuga! :D
Alla casa editrice contesto il titolo: alla fine della strada trovano famiglia (lei cammina gli ultimi 800 km incinta), casa, stabilità. Non era meglio il titolo originale "A Long Trek Home"? Perché "fine del mondo"? Per scimiottare Sepulveda? boh. Qui il loro blog: http://www.groundtruthtrekking.org/blog/

[Amity · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, you need to realize that I am friends with Erin and Hig. So I am both biased and more familiar with this story than most readers. I kept up with their blog, Groundtruthtrekking.org regularly during this trip. So, yes, I am definitely biased. But I really appreciate Erin's straight forward writing approach. Her honesty. And how she portrays their thoughts and wonders along this road less travelled. It is a quick read. Fascinating. And I hope inspires others to look at the world around them a little differently. We live on an amazing planet that responds to our actions and absolutely deserves respect. Even if you aren't going to go adventure hiking after reading this (Rapids! Snow and ice! Bears!), hopefully you will be more inclined to question our motives for expanding drilling enterprises or initiating more mining operations or even developing more fish farms.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting story about a woman who walked, paddled or skied with her husband from Seattle to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. The problem is that the journey is the most interesting part about the book. It is lacking in theme, development, reflection; it reads much like a scattered, condensed diary entry. Every once and a while we get a glimpse of Erin's feelings about what she sees and experiences. However she tends to shy away from the most reflective moments. It seems like she has very strong opinions about the natural world and yet doesn't share them for fear of offending someone.

This story had so much potential to be inspirational, educational and thought-provoking however it did not deliver. I read it as a scattered diary that was edited down to the interesting parts. Still these parts were much too shallow, brief paragraphs on life changing experiences. Fewer anecdotes and more meat would have made this book to a new level.

This is a very interesting story about a very interesting couple and their interesting idea to walk to and through Alaska. However don't go in thinking it's any more than a regurgitation of a trip. Think of it as a slide show of a really great adventure. You were entertained but don't want to sit through it again. You get the drift. (hahaha, tides AND snowbanks!)

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, but it felt really rushed. I was hoping for a more detailed look at the trip- what a typical day looks like, what they packed, pictures of their custom gear, why they were using custom gear, etc. I liked reading about areas that are near where I live, but I have never been to.

[Happyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

The packraft is the star of this journey. A little 5 lb inflatable vessel that seems to be indestructible, ferrying them across treacherous, ice-filled bays and wild river rapids, yet conveniently fitting into their packs or serving as a snow sled/box spring when they were on dry land. And the bears!! Apparently, all you have to do is talk a bear down and they’ll lumber off (but don’t set up camp on their walking paths).

This couple makes a great team. The year-long 4,172 mile trek by foot, packraft, and skis is all about how a strong couple can overcome, heck relish, whatever obstacles are thrown in their way. The arctic landscape and weather are awesome – and tragic when they trek through clear-cuts and mining territories. For more about them, check out the NY Times article entitled "Broadband, Yes. Toilet, No." about their trek afterlife in their yurt. Love their priorities and spirit of adventure.

[Maria Benner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has great potential, it documents an epic journey, but leaves out a lot of details.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young couple finishing college decides to walk, ski, and packraft from Seattle to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to help them discover new things about themselves and the world. The story is beautifully told and the adventure which at the start I, like many others mentioned in the book, thought sounded foolhardy, astonishingly started to seem like something an average person could accomplish. I wish I could watch the film or at least see some of these photos in color as they must be amazing.
2021 Popsugar Reading Challenge: The book that's been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first thought is "are these people crazy"?. My opinion hasn't changed but it was good light read.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an enthusiastic hiker and backpacker (of the cream puff weekend warrior variety), the more trails I experience the more I become obsessed with all the land I haven't, and perhaps will never, traverse. The mystery of what's just a few miles past civilization is intensely interesting.

When friends I was visiting in Alaska mentioned the epic adventures of their friends Hig and Erin, I was beyond impressed, because of course everything seems bigger in Alaska, and traveling on foot from Seattle to the Aleutian Islands? Hello! And when my friend mentioned, "Oh, and she wrote a book about it," I ran down to the Homer Bookstore to grab a copy and was not disappointed.

The author, in addition to being a thoughtful scientist and environmentalist, has serious narrative skill. She never pushes an agenda though, just vividly reports on what she witnessed and the people (and complicated socio-economic politics) she met along the way. Wildlife, commercial logging and mining, salmon, and the economics of small communities are inexplicably intermingled, sometimes with clear (and other times less clear) winners and losers.

If the reader takes one thing from this book, I would emphasis that the author doesn't define herself as terribly remarkable or adventurous. "We had a hard time reconciling our own self-images with how everyone else seemed to view us...people we talked to imagined the whole journey at once--and many see it as one gigantic 4,000 -mile-long hazard. But hazards come one at a time." And this reflection made me think that maybe, one day, I too could be resourceful enough for an epic adventure!

[Myra Scholze · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all know that I'm a sucker for a good Alaskan adventure story and A Long Walk Home did not disappoint. The cadence of the story managed to be be engaging and casual all at once, ultimately feeling like you were walking (rafting and skiing) along with Erin and Hig. I can't believe they a) reduced their packs so dramatically and b) wore dry suits for an entire year. Adventure inspiration of the highest degree.

I thought some of their behavior concerning bears was reckless (trying to sneak up on them in southeast just to see a blonde one???) but jeez, what a journey! I was also disappointed that Chignik Lagoon was glossed over.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad I finally read this Alaskan adventure tale, following two people who travel on their own power from Seattle to the Aleutian Islands throughout an entire four northern seasons--including fall on the notoriously stormy Lost Coast. What I liked best is that this book showed the reality of adventuring--slow moving, planning, broken gear, horrible weather, and also the beautiful days, the communities you meet, the observation of the landscape. I appreciated the ecological observations and commentary on extraction.

[Patricia E. Harding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible first person account of a one year journey with only one rule, no motorized transport. They endured weather, brutal terrain & water, bears, and hunger. Mckittrick shines a light without lecturing onto this wondrous land that is worth protecting from overzealous miners, loggers, and fish farmers. She tells the story through a series short vignettes organized by season and region.

[Patrice La Vigne · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like The Sun is a Compass, you'd like this older book. Erin captures the wild landscape of Alaska very well. Of course the adventure is wild and produces a lot of fodder. We also get to watch Erin's transformation from leaving it all behind to the wavering spirit of nomad life to wanting to settle down again, but this time in a different way.

[Chiara Pignanelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for a challenging experience. I'm curious to read more about the environmental changes already taking place at that time.
I really can't wait to go to Alaska even more than I did before.

[Russ · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read which tells the story of a hike and pack raft trip from Seattle to the start of the Aleutians. This couple face immortal challenges and rose up to meet every one and then rose to meet the challenge of transition to “settling” and raising a child. A well told story, a grand adventure to be envious of.

[Marnie Z · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't finish...

[Anne Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great adventure , but her reporting of it often lacks engaging personal detail. More of a travelogue.

[Harri Lammi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book about a grand adventure. Warm recommendation for anyone keen to read about the outdoors.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounding up

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought this was really cool.

[Matt Heavner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Alaska adventure. Great writing, amazing story, inspiring!

[Todd Sanders · Rating 1 out of 5]

not my cup of tea

[Judy Detzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing journey, great read.

[Terra · Rating 4 out of 5]

una specie di into the wild (che non ho letto, confesso: mi baso sul film) salvo che c'è il lieto fine. l'autrice, biologa, parte da seattle con il marito, geologo, per arrivare alle isole aleutine a piedi (o sugli sci, o in canotto. nient'altro). alla fine, dopo più di un anno, avranno percorso 6.700 km. lungo il tragitto trovano vaste zone disboscate, miniere attive e abbandonate, cacciatori, iceberg, scolari, orsi e tempeste. il racconto è affascinante, mi ha fatto sentire la mancanza delle foto che ho poi cercato su internet. affascinante è anche il cambiamento di prospettiva che si avverte graduale nei due protagonisti e nella loro visione della vita e dei loro progetti. e intanto, con loro, si riflette - anche piuttosto a fondo - sul rapporto tra l'uomo e l'ambiente, sulle comodità cui siamo abituati anche quando ci crediamo spartani, sulla forza di una passione vera, quella della mckittrick e di suo marito per la natura. un libro che lascia spaziare la mente e lo spirito.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book as I was browsing the Kindle store, and I thought it sounded interesting. After I downloaded it, I realized that I know people who know Erin (author) and her husband (Hig). They've traveled to and through Juneau several times, and it's actually surprising that I haven't met them yet. As I read through their journey, I was able to talk to my boss about his perspective on their year-long trip. He is one of the "hosts" Erin and Hig mention by name in the book. Having that personal connection was a neat little plus.

I think Erin's writing gets better as the book goes on. I had a hard time sticking with the story at the beginning, and maybe that had more to do with the fact that I'm less connected to the BC coast and more interested in the Alaska parts of the journey. Overall, a quick and memorable read. Now I hope to meet Erin and Hig someday!

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was first introduced to McKittrick while reading an article in NYT's Home and Garden section. It featured their yurt in Soldovia, Alaska. The Article was titled "Broadband, Yes. Toilet, No." It featured Erin McKittrick, her husband and their infant son. It was a fun article and mentioned the book Erin just wrote about their 4,000 mile trek from Seattle to Alaska. Their walk/paddle/ski trip took just over a year. It is an incredible adventure. I can't imagine walking for a year through the winter! They did it though and plan on taking more journeys like it. The hard part to read was the destruction of the environment everywhere they went. Logging and mining have destroyed the most pristine and remote places.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a lot of books about people hiking, exploring and traveling in Alaska but never a book where a couple walked, skied and boated 4000 miles from Seattle to Unimak Island, the first island in the Aleutian chain. I completely admire their endurance and spirit - I don't think too many couples could do this. This book is very well written, not only covering their adventures and the stupendous scenery but explores what is happening in various ecosystems and communities along the way. Lastly, Erin & Hig's experiences affect them so greatly that the book ends with them deciding not to return to life in Seattle but settling down permanently in the 300-person community of Seldovia.

[Owen Curtsinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is among many to represent a new kind of "outdoor adventure" writing. For Mckittrick, it's not about man versus the extreme conditions that nature heaps upon us. It's about a personal exploration and appreciation for lesser-known (and subsequently greater-risk) places that many important and extraordinary people call home. Her writing is observant and informative, and breathes new life into the gender-biased and overplayed "man vs wild" stories that saturate this genre. At some points I found that the narrative was choppy and left me wanting more, but if McKittrick included more journal writings to flesh out the choppiness, my complaint might be just the opposite.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading books about women who step out of societies box and push themselves to explore and discover. It's so encouraging. This book borders on a diary vs. what it seems like she thinks she should be saying. I probably would have enjoyed it more if it was more of the personal journey emotionally than knowing facts about the areas, but that's just my personal taste. I also had seen a Banff film fest version of this book, so I already knew what was going to happen - which made me a bit lax on finishing the book in a timely manner. I'm keeping the book. I'm going to read it again this winter.

[Deb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yikes! I seriously disliked this book. I disliked everything about it beginning with the tiny difficult to read font that was chosen to the way the author rambled on in such extreme detail of things that I thought I would die of boredom. After such details I longed desperately for a picture of the place or plant or whatever she was trying to describe but the book has no pictures of anything except the blurry undecipherable picture at the beginning of each chapter. Apparently neither she nor her husband was any good with a camera. I could not finish the book and stopped about mid-way. Guess I must have missed something as others have thoroughly enjoyed it. Oh well... :-(