Bruce “Buck” Nelson appreciates a good adventure. He’s hiked the Continental Divide, Pacific Crest and Appalachian trails. He’s canoed the length of the Mississippi River, hiked and hunted his way across Alaska and spent 70 days living off the land on Admiralty Island, home to 1,600 brown bears.
Since late March, the 58-year-old retired smoke jumper of Fairbanks, Alaska, has been retracing the steps and paddle strokes of the Lewis and Clark Expedition the hard way — under only his own power.
Here’s a quick recap: Nelson departed St. Louis March 24, walked to Yankton, South Dakota, and then started paddling against the current of the Missouri River. When the river’s push or the wind was too strong, he pulled his boat upriver while walking along cobbled banks. At places like Great Falls, Montana, he used a cart to portage his boat and gear around obstacles.
At Three Forks, Montana, where the Madison, Jefferson and Gallatin rivers join forces to form the Missouri, he ditched the boat and started walking. He climbed Lemhi and Lost Trail passes, strolled the length of the Bitterroot Valley and hopped over the divide to the Lolo Motorway. Nelson emerged from the Bitterroot Mountains last week and walked from Weippe to Orofino, where he got back in his kayak.
Perhaps the first question is “why?” What is it about epic journeys that appeals to him?
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I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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