Shortly after arriving at Cold Bay, I discovered that a group was planning to take a backpacking trip to a point farther out on the Alaska Peninsula. The organizers had somehow discovered that there were remains of an ancient Aleut village at a specific location near Morzhovoi Bay. The Aleuts were (are) the native inhabitants of the Aleutians, and had lived in that area for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The goal of the trip was just to find and explore that abandoned ancient Aleut village, not to plunder or disrespect the former inhabitants in any way. I had always been interested in anthropology and archaeology, and had loved hiking since I was just a small boy. Needless to say, I joined the group. I just couldn’t pass up such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Despite the fact that we never found that village, the trip turned out to be one of my greatest adventures. I developed a passion for backpacking that continued throughout my life. That was a memorable Memorial Day weekend in one of the most remote parts of the world.