North to Alaska

Ah, wilderness. Fiercely beautiful yet also treacherous, the Alaskan bush beckons to intrepid adventurers eager for inspiration and challenge. But a place to bond with your teenage daughter? Yes, the perfect place, thought writer James Campbell. His fifteen-year-old daughter Aidan could experience both the wonder and challenge of the Alaskan wilderness while he could enjoy some last fleeting moments with her before she left home. In Braving It, Campbell shares both the physical and emotional journey of a father and daughter in the Alaskan wild.

Three weeks of hard summer labor building a cabin with John’s blunt-talking cousin Heimo was Aidan’s first introduction to Alaska. Despite the primitive conditions, plagues of mosquitoes and constant fear of grizzlies, Aidan was smitten with Alaska. In the frigid Arctic winter Campbell and Aidan returned, this time helping Heimo and his wife hunt and trap for food in below-zero weather. Their final journey was a wild canoe trip on the Hulahula River complete with daunting rapids, ice cold water and dangerous rocks.

With enormous pride, Campbell watched his capable daughter grow in confidence and skill as she tackled all that Alaska could throw at her. From peeling poles to skinning caribou, Aidan overcame her fears and aversion. Most of all, the two learned to communicate and trust each other whether they were scaring away bears or navigating the rapids. Braving It is a tender father-daughter story as well as a terrific travelogue.