From the Puget Sound to the Bering Sea

Four thousand miles along the edge of the Pacific

A world reduced to just two small packs and the next 100 yards...

In June 2007, Erin McKittrick and her husband Hig embarked on a 4000-mile expedition from Seattle to the Aleutian Islands, traveling solely by human power. This is the story of their unprecedented trek along the northwestern coast of the Pacific Ocean—a year-long journey through some of the most rugged terrain in the world—and their encounters with pelting rains, ferocious winds, blizzards, bears, and bushwhacking, as well as with the tiny communities that dot this wild region.

This is a story of epic wilderness adventure, but also of learning and discovery. Erin and Hig set out from Seattle with a desire to better understand the interplay between human communities, ecosystems, and natural resources along their route. They walked through areas with clear-cut logging, declining wild salmon populations, extraction of mineral resources, and effects of global climate change; seeking to learn how economic concerns might be balanced with conservation. By taking each mile, step by step, they could intimately explore the coastal regions of Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska. By hiking, cross-country skiing, and packrafting, they could see the wilderness in its larger context and provide a unique on-the-ground perspective. The fate of much of this land is still being decided, and while they passed through the concrete streets of large cities, much of their route remains as remote as anywhere on earth.

Entertaining and at times harrowing, theirs is a journey of discovery and of insight. Whether discussing politics with off-the-grid back-to-the-landers, spooking a grizzly from the underbrush, repairing gear with dental floss, or watching a pizza fall from the sky, Erin and Hig reveal a rich and varied coast, a world facing destructive change, but with hope for a sustainable future.