The hunt photographed here was more difficult than most — for reasons beyond the weather and rugged terrain. It was my first trip back to Alaska since my father’s death in March of this year.⁣ ⁣ Dad had joined me in Alaska twice before. The first trip was to fish and explore, the second to hunt caribou above the Arctic Circle. I remember asking him, “Do you want to go caribou hunting?” He shook his head with a quick, “No, not this year.” I pressed, sliding a plane ticket and his caribou tag across the dining room table. Surprised but hesitant—65 years old and a little nervous—he said yes. By June, he was packed and ready for our mid-September departure. That was Dad—quietly determined, but always prepared. We had a great hunt, and he killed a nice bull.⁣ ⁣ On each solo hunt after that, I’d message him with my InReach every few days, updating him on close calls and wild moments. He loved it all. Last year, I wrote from the Alaska Peninsula, “Dad, I thought we had a big earthquake today—caught it on film—but turns out it was a volcanic eruption nearby.” He shot back with his dry humor: “Oh, I just hate when that happens.”⁣ ⁣ This September, I found myself in Alaska yet again, hunting caribou. Even though dad’s gone, I kept reaching for my InReach, instinctively ready to share stories I knew he’d love: the mountain valleys, the Volkswagen-sized brown bears, the 100-mph windstorm rumored to be blowing in off the Bering Sea, and this old caribou I killed high in the mountains, as high up as the sheep live.⁣ ⁣ I could almost hear him say, “Good deal. Bring all the meat home that you can. Be safe.”⁣ ⁣ Not being able to send those messages hit harder than I expected. But in so many ways, he was there—woven into the fabric of this trip, his voice guiding me through the process.⁣ ⁣ This hunt wasn’t just about caribou, it never really is. It was about carrying forward the connection my dad and I shared. And while the silence on the other end of the InReach was heavy, I know he’d be proud of the journey, just as I’ll always be proud of the memories we made together in these mountains.⁣ ⁣ #huntalaska⁣ #huntgram #alaskaphotography #alaskaadventure #mountainlife #wildgame