The Sun Is a Compass

Posted on 10 February 2017 by Caroline Van Hemert

For fans of Cheryl Strayed, the gripping story of a biologist s human powered journey from the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic to rediscover her love of birds, nature, and adventure During graduate school, as she conducted experiments on the peculiarly misshapen beaks of chickadees, ornithologist Caroline Van Hemert began to feel stifled in the isolated, sterile environment of the lab Worried that she was losing her passion for the scientific research she once loved, she was compelled to experience wildness again, to be guided by the sounds of birds and to follow the trails of animals.In March of 2012 she and her husband set off on a 4,000 mile wilderness journey from the Pacific rainforest to the Alaskan Arctic, traveling by rowboat, ski, foot, raft, and canoe Together, they survived harrowing dangers while also experiencing incredible moments of joy and grace migrating birds silhouetted against the moon, the steamy breath of caribou, and the bond that comes from sharing such experiences A unique blend of science, adventure, and personal narrative, the book explores the bounds of the physical body and the tenuousness of life in the company of creatures whose daily survival is nothing short of miraculous It is a journey through the heart, the mind, and some of the wildest places left in North America.In the end, The Sun Is a Compass is a love letter to nature, an inspiring story of endurance, and a beautifully written testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Download The Sun Is a Compass author Caroline Van Hemert – kino-fada.fr 4.5 I love reading adventure stories, especially ones set in cold climates This is a book that contained so many beautiful descriptions of nature and wildlife, that I could have read it indefinitely A biologist, working in a lab studying chickadees and the crooked beaks that have been forming on many, Caroline loses touch with the reasons she became a biologist She really needed to get out of the lab and back in touch with nature She and her husband plan a 4000 mild trip from the Pacific Nor 4.5 I love reading adventure stories, especially ones set in cold climates This is a book that contained so many beautiful descriptions of nature and wildlife, that I could have read it indefinitely A biologist, working in a lab studying chickadees and the crooked beaks that have been forming on many, Caroline loses touch with the reasons she became a biologist She really needed to get out of the lab and back in touch with nature She and her husband plan a 4000 mild trip from the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic Using no motors, boats they make themselves, skiis, and a vast network of planned connections to pick up food supplies and other needed items Just the planning for this would do me in.The things they see, face, the weather, the soreness, near starvation, run in with a bear, so danger yes, but so many beautiful things I ll let parts of the book speak for itself.I needed a crash ...The Sun Is a Compass A 4,000 Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds chronicles the author s and her husband s journey from March 17 to September 5, 2012 They hiked and skied, rowed, canoed and rafted Never did they use a motor vehicle They traveled from Bellingham outside Seattle, Washington state to Kotzebue, Alaska Their itinerary and photos from the trip may be viewed here was thirty three, her husband a year and a half younger Four years The Sun Is a Compass A 4,000 Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds chronicles the author s and her husband s journey from March 17 to September 5, 2012 They hiked and skied, rowed, canoed and rafted Never did they use a motor vehicle They traveled from Bellingham outside Seattle, Washington state to Kotzebue, Alaska Their itinerary and photos from the trip may be viewed here was thirty three, her husband a year and a half younger Four years they had been married They had not gotten around to children they were just too darn busy What motivated her and her husband, Pat, to set off on this trip He w...This is a remarkable book about a remarkable journey, written by a remarkable person and, quietly, featuring her equally remarkable spouse , with innumerable cameos of, you guessed it, remarkable people living remarkable lives in remarkable places.But, in some ways, it s also a beautiful story about life and family and self discovery and coming of age and evolution or the turning of seasons or the changes in roles and doubt and discovery and nature, yes, nature, in all of it beauty and This is a remarkable book about a remarkable journey, written by a remarkable person and, quietly, featuring her equally remarkable spouse , with innumerable cameos of, you guessed it, remarkable people living remarkable lives in remarkable places.But, in some ways, it s also a beautiful story about life and family and self discovery and coming of age and evolution or the turning of seasons or the changes in roles and doubt and discovery and nature, yes, nature, in all of it beauty and grandeur, and the quest oh, yes, the yearning and the planning and the stepping out into the void and taking the next step and the step after that.The trek itself is plenty...I love a good adventure story and if it involves ice I m in Caroline Van Hemert s memoir The Sun is a Compass is a beautiful and thoughtful exposition on her love of the Alaskan wilderness and the 4,000 mile journey she and her spouse shared over six months The memoir transcends the typical story of man or woman vs nature, for Van Hemert also documents her struggle to find her life path will she be content in a research career, what about children, how long will their bodies allow them to f I love a good adventure story and if it involves ice I m in Caroline Van Hemert s memoir The Sun is a Compass is a beautiful and thoughtful exposition on her love of the Alaskan wilderness and the 4,000 mile journey she and her spouse shared over six months The memoir transcends the typical story of man or woman vs nature, for Van Hemert also documents her struggle to find her life path will she be content in a research career, what about children, how long will their bodies allow them to follow their hearts Working in the field as a student, Alaskan native Van Hemert became interested in ornithology, and in particular why so many chickadees beaks were misformed Lab work was soul deadening She and her husband Peter, who at eighteen trekked into Alaska and built his own cabin by hand, had long discussed a dream journey from the Pacific Northwest rain forest to the Arctic Circle Before Van Hemert decided on her career path they committed to making th...Others have said it better in review It s a travelogue of a unique and daring experience Sincerely, I wanted to like itthan I actually did The language is at times exquisite and awesome in its educated eyes detail It was appreciated and especially with the birds, just enthralling But somehow at points in this I just wanted to skim It was something about the way she posits relationship or dithers in her personal thoughts or something Very risky I think I m too elderly to appreciat Others have said it better in review It s a travelogue of a unique and daring experience Sincerely, I wanted to like itthan I actually did The language is at times exquisite and awesome in its educated eyes detail It was appreciated and especially with the birds, just enthralling But somehow at points in this I just wanted to skim It was something about the way she posits relationship or dithers in her personal thoughts or something Very risky I think I m too eld...I love an armchair adventure and this one is wild beyond imagination Within the tight window of Spring Summer 2012, Caroline and Pat travel from Bellingham, WA, up the coast of BC and into the wilds of the Yukon and Alaska They use only human power to travel and no paved roads or even trails They row, hike, ski and packraft the entire 4000 mile distance using infrequent resupply drops or incredibly remote towns to keep them nourished and equipped.Having just completed her PhD in avian zoology I love an armchair adventure and this one is wild beyond imagination Within the tight window of Spring Summer 2012, Caroline and Pat travel from Bellingham, WA, up the coast of BC and into the wilds of the Yukon and Alaska They use only human power to travel and no paved roads or even trails They row, hike, ski and packraft the entire 4000 mile distance using infrequent resupply drops or incredibly remote towns to keep them nourished and equipped.Having just completed her PhD in avian zoology, Caroline is at a juncture of her life and uses this brief window of time to follow her heart and reconnect with nature while trying to decide if research biology and academia are really for her over the long term As she paddles along, she gives an unending commentary on the bird life that she witnesses and gives background on migration, nesting and foraging for hundreds of bird species that she encounters along the way which I found fascinating She also wonders...4.5 stars No I said I m not going to read you now Simply a quick peek Haha, a quick peek and I was hooked In fact I found this book unputdownable.In March 2002 Caroline van Hemert and her husband Pat set off on a 4,000 mile journey However, this wasn t just any 4,000 mile journey from Bellingham, WA, to Kotzebue, AKNo roads, no trails, and no motors We would travel by foot, on skis, in rowboats, rafts, and canoes We would use only our own muscles to carry us through some of the wi 4.5 stars No I said I m not going to read you now Simply a quick peek Haha, a quick peek and I was hooked In fact I found this book unputdownable.In March 2002 Caroline van Hemert and her husband Pat set off on a 4,000 mile journey However, this wasn t just any 4,000 mile journey from Bellingham, WA, to Kotzebue, AKNo roads, no trails, and no motors We would travel by foot, on skis, in rowboats, rafts, and canoes We would use only our own muscles to carry us through some of the wildest places left on earthThey wanted to fully experience nature In addition the journey would incorporate a loop via the Yukon and Northwest Territories of Canada Their route would take them along the coast of British Columbia to the Katzehin River, AK, imagine rowing this stretch in an eighteen foot rowboat where they would make a diff...Zugunruhe or migration restlessness , is that antsy pressure to get going the author says she had it in a big way before deciding to plan for this epic voyage I get a little jaded reading about extreme adventurers who head out, with massive amounts of sponsorship, book contract in place, for the fame of being the first The Sun is a Compass is not that sort of book We wanted to experience the landscape as the birds and caribou did entirely under the power of our own muscles, without using Zugunruhe or migration restlessness , is that antsy pressure to get going the author says she had it in a big way before deciding to plan for this epic voyage I get a little jaded reading about extreme adventurers who head out, with massive amounts of sponsorship, book contract in place, for the fame of being the first The Sun is a Compass is not that sort of book We wanted to experience the landscape as the birds and caribou did entirely under the power of our own muscles, without using motors, roads or established trails Our dream was simple, the scale completely outrageous We would cross 4000 miles of roadless, trailless terrain through a landscape where glaciers are larger than entire countries Caroline van Hemert and her husband Pat set out from Bellingham in the NW corner of the US in rowboats that Pat had built himself out of necessi...Summary Lovely full of beautiful nature writing, incredible adventures, fun facts, and moving personal stories.When Caroline Van Hemert finished her PhD, studying beak deformities in chickadees, she feltuncertain than accomplished Her years in the lab had left her feeling burnt out She felt out of touch with the love of nature that led her to study biology in the first place To try to reconnect with nature, she and her husband decided to pursue a wild dream of theirs travelling mor Summary Lovely full of beautiful nature writing, incredible adventures, fun facts, and moving personal stories.When Caroline Van Hemert finished her PhD, studying beak deformities in chickadees, she feltuncertain than accomplished Her years in the lab had left her feeling burnt out She felt out of touch with the love of nature that led her to study biology in the first place To try to reconnect with nature, she and her husband decided to pursue a wild dream of theirs travellingthan 4000 miles through the Pacific northwest to the Alaskan Arctic entirely under their own power They would spend many months hiki...4.5 stars Trekking 4000 miles across Alaska It s a wonderful and thoughtful adventure and it shows how much survival is luck rather than any cunning or skill.One of my favourite moments is the author s realisation that to lighten each other s load is a greater gift than any material wealth.The Sun is a Compass is an adventure story It s a true story of an incredible journey that is dangerous across Alaska I always like this type of story because the characters always learn something valuable about themselves It s a great story I enjoyed it Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange f...Perfect for the outdoor enthusiast, nature lover, birds of fancy admirers.I loved this story from the second I read it and couldn t put it down.I grew up with a variety of boats on a lake in rural area of Bear Creek in the northeastern part of PA near the Poconos which was 30 minutes from civilization Seasonal residents was the norm and living off the land and enjoying mother nature was part of the excitement.So I get this wholeheartedly and have dreamed of going to Alaska for a visit.This is Perfect for the outdoor enthusiast, nature lover, birds of fancy admirers.I loved this story from the second I read it and couldn t put it down.I grew up with a variety of boats on a lake in rural area of Bear Creek in the northeastern part of PA near the Poconos which was 30 minutes from civilization Seasonal residents was the norm and living off the land and enjoying mother nature was part of the excitement.So I get this wholeheartedly and have dreamed of going to Alaska for a visit.This is the story of Pat and Caroline both extremists in their own right who decided to travel by rowing, hiking, skiingthan 4k miles from Bellingham WA to Yukon and Alaska with occasional supply drops and replenishment along the way.The experiences they endured and captured along the way were beyond words.The bird migration and the idea of wondering...

10 February 2017

Caroline Van Hemert