Bruce “Buck” Nelson: Outdoor Adventures | Tom Nelson Pod #293

Buck Nelson was an Alaska smokejumper for over 25 years, parachuting to remote wildfires in Alaska and across the West. He has enjoyed many other adventures, including thru-hiking the Triple Crown: the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail. In 2012 he was the first person to thru-hike the Desert Trail from Mexico to Canada. Buck lives in a log cabin near Fairbanks, Alaska. 

“If there were an Oscar for indie adventure films, Buck Nelson would be a runaway winner.” Backpacker Magazine.

00:00 Introduction to Bruce “Buck” Nelson's Adventures

00:54 Dramatic Firefighting Stories

04:48 Challenges and Dangers of Smoke Jumping

08:05 Training and Physical Demands

18:40 Outdoor Adventures and Expeditions

19:38 Memorable Long-Distance Trips

23:46 Climbing the Highest Mountains

28:05 Discoveries and Wildlife Encounters

32:58 Discovering Mammoth Tusks

34:09 Ancient Hunter Sites

35:22 Survival Trips Without Food

36:03 Minimalist Survival in the Brooks Range

40:06 Surviving in Fiji

46:27 Documenting Adventures

55:16 Wildlife Encounters

57:48 Bear Encounters and Safety

01:01:29 Life in Fairbanks Cabin

01:02:38 Conclusion and Farewell

https://bucktrack.com/

=========

AI summaries of all of my podcasts: https://tomn.substack.com/p/podcast-summaries

My Linktree: https://linktr.ee/tomanelson1