M. Scotty Lamkin

M. SCOTTY LAMKIN ventured to Alaska at the age of twenty-six with his five-year-old son, Tim. As a single parent, he carved out an adventurous life for himself as a professional guide and adventurer. Now retired after thirty years of work, Lamkin and his wife, Sherry, live on Bald Mountain, Alaska.

As far as your own life is concerned, I stress there is salvation in creating a little adventure in your life. Stay ready to take a bold step; change your mundane life before it changes you. Make it your decision. Recreation is the key! Become a part of the outdoors. For too many years, humans have not only put themselves above and beyond the natural world, they have put themselves on a pedestal above and apart from it--big mistake.

Be bold with your life, do something new. If people concentrated on the most important things in life, we would be suffering from a shortage of canoes, sport boats, fishing gear, tents, shotguns, and numerous camping items. Coleman fuel would be ten dollars a gallon and auto gas $1.50.

I have spent thirty years of my life in Alaska. For the most part, Lady Alaska has been good to me largely due to the regular beatings I had to give her. As long as we continue to pursue expeditions, though, she will be in the fight and always fresh for the next round.

Life without danger is a terrible waste of oxygen. Take chances; all great discoveries that I ever read about were mostly made by accident, and all of my discoveries in Alaska were the result of taking a chance.

You should hurry, though--just two days from now, tomorrow will be yesterday. You will get old and have lived your life in one of three ways: 1)you will have spent your life wanting things to happen; 2) you will have lived your life making things happen; and 3) worst of all, you will have gotten old and wonder what the hell happened!

Get outdoors, get back in touch with what is left of our natural world, be bold with your life, and take a chance now and again. Then, and only then, you will be alive--in all respects. Chances, indeed, are the providence of adventurers.