Arctic Traverse, Michael Engelhard
Arctic Traverse, Michael Engelhard
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Arctic Traverse
A Thousand-Mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range

Author: Michael Engelhard

Narrator: Patrick Lawlor

Unabridged: 11 hr 6 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 04/01/2024


Synopsis

A lyrical memoir that interweaves wilderness, homeland, cultural connections, historical figures, humor, and gritty experiences across northern Alaska

From the award-winning author of Ice Bear: The Cultural History of an Arctic Icon comes an intimate exploration of Alaska's northernmost mountain range with observations on Indigenous cultures, conservation, and intense cross-country travel, all shaped by respect for the land. Follow author Michael Engelhard through tussock-studded tundra for a remarkable tale of bear encounters and white-knuckled river moments, as well as poetic reflections on a vast, untamed landscape. A trained anthropologist, Engelhard evokes classic writers like Edward Abbey, Barry Lopez, and Ellen Meloy with profound dives into human and natural history and vivid meditations on Alaskan wildlife, flora, and geology. When he embarked on this thru-hike, fewer people had completed it solo in a single push than had dived to the floor of the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of Earth's oceans.

Much more than a captivating account of a human-powered solo thru-hike and float, Arctic Traverse illuminates the spirit of Alaska, drawing on encounters with Indigenous elders, guided clients, scientists, and others as well as on Engelhard's long-held dream and his experiences of the land itself.

About Michael Engelhard

A cultural anthropologist and an outdoor instructor for twenty-five years, Michael Engelhard specialized in land use, subsistence, and symbolic aspects of landscapes. He has edited four anthologies and is the recipient of several literary awards, including a Rasmuson Individual Artist Award and three Alaska Press Club Awards. His writing has been featured in Outside, Audubon, and National Parks. Engelhard is the author of several books, including Ice Bear, Where the Rain Children Sleep, and the forthcoming essay collections No Walk in the Park and What the River Knows.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Reader on December 09, 2023

Great read. A lyrical account of Michael’s 1000-mile traverse of Alaska’s Brooks Range from the Canadian Border, in the east, to the small Arctic city of Kotzebue on the shores of the Chukchi Sea in the west. This is not just an account of adventure. Michael weaves ancient and more recent history, e......more

Goodreads review by Patrice on February 08, 2025

I’ve crossed paths with Michael Engelheart in Fairbanks, as fellow writers and authors in the travel and adventure genre often do. He’s published a handful of books, but this was my first read from him. I enjoyed how the book blends together historical, ecological, and biological education with Mich......more

Goodreads review by Weston on August 25, 2024

Started out as 3.5 stars but finished at 4. Great adventure book in some true wilderness. The book continually flips back and forth between recounting Michael’s trek in the Brooks range and educating the reader about history of Alaska, Alaskan flora & fauna, and the bleak future of Alaska in the fac......more

Goodreads review by Jena on January 23, 2025

Terribly disappointing, especially when approached with high hopes to learn more about a beloved area. I recognize that travel writing is fraught these days - especially in wild areas that need protection more than visitors. I came away having had my fill of snark and sarcastically flowery prose. Ad......more

Goodreads review by Kevin McElhaney on March 03, 2025

Would have loved a more interactive map that showed his path and the areas he traveled in that updated with the chapters. Found the book to be a bit flowery in its description. His anti-oil stances are juxtaposed to the ability to make this trip possible with his synthetic gear. As someone who has t......more