Walking Home : A Traveler in the Alaskan Wilderness, a Journey Into the Human Heart

From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. Having lived in Alaska for 40 years, working as a commercial fisherman, shipwright, wilderness guide and wildlife photographer, Juneau resident Schooler (The Blue Bear) set out in 2007 on a solo trip through his adopted state, in part to get away from his failing marriage. Jettisoning the pontification and redundancy that can weigh down man-against-nature stories, Schooler's account boils over with adventure and exploration: there are rivers to cross, glaciers to maneuver, a trek through "boulder hell," eerie mountainscapes, and a panoply of spooky histories to recount. An escape of sorts, Schooler's journey proves a harrowing diversion, related with nail-biting immediacy: "the current heaving against my legs was getting stronger with every step... What at first might seem manageable becomes suddenly and startlingly on the verge of taking control, like the slow, easy coils of an anaconda becoming a muscular squeeze." A bear encounter is so frightening as to be exhausting, culminating in his decision to sleep outside with an escape route already carved out: "There was no way I was going to spend the night in the tent... wrapped in a sleeping bag like a burrito." Armchair adventurers will be captivated. From Booklist Alaskan Schooler, a prizewinning wildlife photographer and author, reclaims the state’s true wilderness aesthetic in his chronicle of a solo trip along the southeast coastal region. He infuses his personal story with astute observations about the area’s history, from a Russian landing in the mid-eighteenth century to the impact of the greatest recorded tsunami ever (over 1,700 feet) in Lituya Bay in 1958. Their relevance to his own travels is clear as he reflects upon those who suffered years before, friends in Juneau, and his own deteriorating marriage. A frightening episode with a disturbed bear will remind readers that this is no programmed nature special. Instead, Schooler shares his hiking experiences in a style reminiscent of Richard Nelson and Barry Lopez. It is in the artful blend of the intimate and the historical that Schooler’s prose truly sings, and his resistance to hyperbole should appeal to fans of natural history. Schooler is the real deal and he proves it on every gorgeous page. --Colleen Mondor

lynn Schooler Had Recently Lost A Dear Friend And Felt His Marriage Slipping Away From Him When He Set Out On A Journey—first By Boat, Then On Foot—into The Alaskan Wilderness To Clear His Head. Schooler's Solo Expedition Is Filled With The Awe And The Danger Of Being On One's Own In The Wild, Battered By The Elements And Even, For Two Harrowing Days, Becoming The Terrified Quarry Of A Grizzly Bear.

but This Formidable, Lonely Landscape Is Also Rich With Human Stories—of Trappers, Explorers, Marooned Sailors, And Hermits, As Well As The Myths Of The Region's Tlingit Indians. Recounting His Journey, Schooler Creates A Conversation Between The Human And The Natural, The Past And The Present, To Investigate—on A Remote And Uninhabited Shore—what It Means Not Only To Be Part Of Nature's Wild Web, But Also A Member Of A Human Community In The Flow Of History.

publishers Weekly

starred Review.

having Lived In Alaska For 40 Years, Working As A Commercial Fisherman, Shipwright, Wilderness Guide And Wildlife Photographer, Juneau Resident Schooler (the Blue Bear) Set Out In 2007 On A Solo Trip Through His Adopted State, In Part To Get Away From His Failing Marriage. Jettisoning The Pontification And Redundancy That Can Weigh Down Man-against-nature Stories, Schooler's Account Boils Over With Adventure And Exploration: There Are Rivers To Cross, Glaciers To Maneuver, A Trek Through Boulder Hell, Eerie Mountainscapes, And A Panoply Of Spooky Histories To Recount. An Escape Of Sorts, Schooler's Journey Proves A Harrowing Diversion, Related With Nail-biting Immediacy: The Current Heaving Against My Legs Was Getting Stronger With Every Step... What At First Might Seem Manageable Becomes Suddenly And Startlingly On The Verge Of Taking Control, Like The Slow, Easy Coils Of An Anaconda Becoming A Muscular Squeeze. A Bear Encounter Is So Frightening As To Be Exhausting, Culminating In His Decision To Sleep Outside With An Escape Route Already Carved Out: There Was No Way I Was Going To Spend The Night In The Tent... Wrapped In A Sleeping Bag Like A Burrito. Armchair Adventurers Will Be Captivated.
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In the spring of 2007, hard on the heels of the worst winter in the history of Juneau, Alaska, Lynn Schooler finds himself facing the far side of middle age and exhausted by laboring to handcraft a home as his marriage slips away. Seeking solace and escape in nature, he sets out on a solo journey into the Alaskan wilderness, traveling first by small boat across the formidable Gulf of Alaska, then on foot along one of the wildest coastlines in North America. Walking Home is filled with stunning observations of the natural world, and rife with nail-biting adventure as Schooler fords swollen rivers and eludes aggressive grizzlies. But more important, it is a story about finding wholeness-and a sense of humanity-in the wild. His is a solitary journey, but Schooler is never alone; human stories people the landscape-tales of trappers, explorers, marooned sailors, and hermits, as well as the mythology of the region's Tlingit Indians. Alone in the middle of several thousand square miles of wilderness, Schooler conjures the souls of travelers past to learn how the trials of life may be better borne with the help and community of others. Walking Home recalls Jonathan Raban's Passage to Juneau or Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, but with a more successful outcome. With elegance and soul, Schooler creates a conversation between the human and the natural, the past and present, to investigate what it means to be a part of the flow of human history. Lynn Schooler had recently lost a dear friend and was feeling his marriage slipping away from him when he set out on a daring journey-first by boat, then on foot-into the Alaskan wilderness to clear his head. His solo expedition, recounted in Walking Home, is filled with the awe and danger of being on one's own in the wild, being battered by the elements and even, for two harrowing days, becoming the terrified quarry of a grizzly bear.But the formidable, lonely landscape is also rich with human stories-of trappers, explorers, marooned sailors, and hermits, as well as the myths of the region's Tlingit Indians. Relating his journey, Schooler creates a conversation between the human and the natural, the past and the present, to investigate-on a remote and uninhabited shore-what it means to be not only part of nature's wild web, but also a member of a human community in the flow of history.Lynn Schooler is the critically acclaimed author of The Blue Bear and The Last Shot. He has lived in Alaska for almost forty years, working as a commercial fisherman, shipwright, wilderness guide, and award-winning wildlife photographer. Seeking solace and escape in nature, Lynn Schooler heads out into the Alaskan wilderness, traveling first by small boat across the Gulf of Alaska, then on foot along the coastline. This is the story of his journey