Once I have faced the stark reality that winter is upon me whether I like it or not, I actually enjoy having some time to mellow out, work on fishing based projects, dial in gear for the next year, research trips, and best of all, get the hell out of Alaska!

My summers tend to be non-stop to the point of making my head spin. Trying to cram worthy adventures between steadily increasing work obligations is enough to run me ragged for sure, and I feel like my stamina is still fairly decent, depending on the hangover.

It is easy to complain about short summers up here, but quite honestly, the shoulder seasons, spring and fall, I typically enjoy more than the peak of what most consider summer. By the time you wind down fall, recuperate, and take a trip, the days are getting longer and the vast eternity of winter is an ever shrinking time period in which to check things off the to-do list. Like, getting fatter.