New article at Sidetracked /January 9, 2013 by Caroline Van Hemert

Check out a new article we wrote for Sidetracked Magazine.

http://www.sidetracked.co.uk/edition-08/alaska.php

For more from Caroline and Pat, see our archives.

Thank you, Mary Oliver. And fare thee well. You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting - over and over announcing your place in the family of things. —Mary Oliver, Wild Geese

One last backcountry hurrah in New Zealand. Swimming in an alpine tarn with these views was a sweet goodbye. #newzealand #getkidsoutside #tramping #thiswildlife #wildchild #mountainlife #illmissyou #optoutside #alpine #mtcook #backpackinglife #mountainkids #adventurelife #thankful

The “simple” evening routine. Van life has been a true test of our packing and unpacking skills. Add a dirt pile and sand flies for extra fun! #vanlife #newzealand #kiwilife #lifeontheroad #howdoesitallfit #thiswildlife #outsidekids #wildchild #ilovedirt

The swing bridges! And the clear, clear water. Two of my favorite things in New Zealand. #newzealand #kiwilife #trailrunning #mountainrunning #riverlife #trampingnz #hiking #optoutside #notafraidofheights #dontslip

Confessions of a mountain mama: Yesterday I ran up to a place where rock and ice meet sky and I didn’t want to come down. I love being a mom. I also love mountains. And it’s not always easy to reconcile the two. So I leave one foot on the ground, one foot raised in flight, and allow my mind to drift somewhere in between. #mountainmama #parentsthatrock #newzealand #followmyheart #mountainlife #runningmama #mountainrunning #trailrunning #climbing

Two juvenile black stilts doing their thing on the river flats near Aoraki Mt Cook National Park. These are among the rarest birds in the world, with less than 150 individuals left in the wild. Let’s all do our part to conserve habitat and wild places so these youngsters have a future on our planet. #rarebirds #saveourbirds #thankful #forourchildren #blackstilt #shorebirds #newzealandbirds #ilovebirds #newzealand #hope

What a treat to see one of the rarest birds in the world in such a beautiful setting. There are less than 150 black stilts alive in the wild but these birds may still have a chance. Thanks to intensive conservation efforts, the critically endangered population has increased from only 4 breeding pairs twenty years ago. #rarebirds #saveourbirds #thankful #forourchildren #blackstilt #shorebirds #newzealandbirds #ilovebirds #newzealand #hope

They look harmless but they’re not. Keas: the coolest (and only) alpine parrot with a knack for destruction. Don’t leave your boots out or your side view mirror unattended! Sandflies: finally, something to rival Alaskan mosquitoes. Next time, bring the head nets! #keas #mountainlife #sandflies #kiwilife #newzealand