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