SHOTGUNS, SNOW, SOLITUDE, AND SOME MORE SNOW

By Bruno

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In 1980, Jimmy Carter established the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the Alaskan Interior, cutting off 19 million acres of wilderness from the the world. Only six families were allowed to keep cabins in the refuge – of them, only one remains. His name is Heimo Korth, and he makes Bear Grylls and Ray Mears look like little girls at a tea party.

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Heimo lives all year round in the most inhospitable conditions North America has to offer, and provides for his wife and kids. The only way he can get in and out in an emergency is by bush plane; it is 100 miles from the nearest road, 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle, and 300 miles from a hospital.

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In this premiere edition of Far Out, our New York office's Thomas Morton takes a bush plane to Alaska to catch up with Heimo and his wife, Edna – who are now reaching their golden years. Over the course of our ten-day stay, the Korths show us everything you need to know about fur-trapping, caribou-hunting, caribou-eating, river-crossing, boredom-staving, bear-avoidance, and bear-defence. Vegans, you are almost as unlikely to like this as the Deer Hunter.

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