Ground Truth Trekking

About Ground Truth Trekking

Ground Truth Trekking is based on the belief that expeditions to see what's on the ground help us learn about important issues. We combine that "ground truth" with "researched truth," using our scientific backgrounds along with our adventures to come up with something we hope will further the conversation about these issues in an entertaining and informative way. Of course, we can't hope to be experts on everything, so we focus most of our efforts on natural resource issues in Alaska.

Read the story of our founding on Ground Truth Trekking's blog

Our mission is to provide people with the knowledge they need to make smart decisions about these issues, now and into the future. Our vision for this website is to create a place for virtual exploration, where people can learn about the issues, see photos, read stories, see maps, and be both informed and entertained.  See a list of current projects here.

The People

Ground Truth Trekking is primarily the work of Hig and Erin, with the help of various contributors as well as collaborating organizations. Hig has a PhD in Geology, while Erin has a masters in Molecular Biology, and we seek to use our scientific background to inform our on-the-ground understanding of the issues. We met at Carleton College in 1999, and were married in 2003. Between the most recent Journey on the Wild Coast, and our previous expeditions we've trekked through over 7000 miles of wilderness (mostly in Alaska) since 2000. We make our home and office in a yurt in Seldovia, Alaska, with our young son Katmai. Erin has written a book on the year-long expedition A Long Trek Home: 4,000 Miles by Boot, Raft, and Ski, published by Mountaineers books in 2009.

In addition to our Ground Truth Trekking work, we're doing some work for a local environmental consulting firm: Nuka Research. We also run a small business called Sundrop Jewelry, with two of our friends in Minnesota. crafting glass jewelry using solar energy. In our spare time, we like to get out in the woods as much as possible. Erin also likes to paint .

David Coil is one of the major contributors to the site - a member of Ground Truth Trekking who's been friends with us for quite a long time. Having been on some of our smaller adventures, and avidly followed the rest, David is excited to be working as a writer/researcher as well as serving on the Board of Directors. He currently lives in Northern California with his wife and two young daughters.

Ground Truth Trekking works largely through our volunteer effort, but as a 501c3 nonprofit, we also are the recipients of some small grants. Help out by making a tax deductible donation or buying a book.