"In prose that is both lyrical and powerful, he gives the reader a complete picture of the beauty of that wilderness and what will be lost in its deterioration.""--Trade Journal."In praise of" An" "Heacox is a poet, a scholar, a naturalist and a wild man who, in this great book, weaves together the story of the land and the people. "The Only Kayak" helps us reconnect what the Lakota call the the sacred hoop of life. I want to give this book to a dozen friends and, dear reader, I want to share it with you. Bravo, Kim Heacox."--Mary Pipher, author of "Reviving" "Ophelia" and "The Shelter" "of Each Other" "Few have wandered more deeply and thoughtfully through the wilds of Alaska than Kim Heacox. Those who know him best through his extraordinary photographs now have the chance to accompany him in words through some of the wildest and most beautiful country anywhere on earth.

"The Only Kayak" is a delight."--William Cronon, Frederick Jackson Turner and Vilas Research Professor of History, Geography, and Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison "The naturalist expert for National Geographic Expeditions is a talented writer, a good storyteller, and passionate about his state; and he takes [us] through his journey of falling in love, aging and learning when to let go.""--Everett Herald (Washington)" "With this powerful book, Kim Heacox enters the first rank of writers on the wild, the human, and the mix between the two. It's set in one of America's most spectacular landscapes, but it's also set in one of its kindest, most open hearts. A real triumph." --Bill McKibben, author "The" "End of Nature," and "Wandering Home: A Long Walk Through America's Most HopefulRegion" ri0"Perhaps more than ever before, we need passionate, eloquent voices speaking out for the American land. Kim Heacox's writing evokes the fundamental paradox of our times: the vast, beauty of Alaska shining brilliantly against the dark, encroaching peril of industrial America. Anyone who cares about our remaining wild places, and about the conscience of those who stand in defense of our natural heritage, should read this extraordinary book.

--Richard Nelson, author of "The Island Within" and "Make Prayers to the Raven" ""The Only Kayak" is an important and beautiful book about what it means to fall in love with a place--not just any place, but the wild, dangerous, breath-catching, gorgeous Glacier Bay. And not just any love, but a wistful, sometimes desperate yearning to protect a wilderness even as it melts away. Kim Heacox is what this world needs--a defender of the land as fierce and funny as Abbey or Thoreau."--Kathleen Dean Moore, author of "Riverwalking" and "The" "Pine Island Paradox" "Heacox's book is both a coming-of-(middle)age memoir and a love story, with Alaska serving as both the journey's end and the beloved. While Heacox writes passionately about his home in Glacier Bay, he also acknowledges the inevitability of change there. In prose that is both lyrical and powerful, he gives the reader a complete picture of the beauty of that wilderness and what will be lost in its deterioration.""--Book News" " . this book is about learning to walk with purpose.

It's about a lot of things, actually--love, community, heartbreak, hope for people and place. It's about how living an unexamined life is far riskier than sleeping on a beach withbears.""--Anchorage Daily News".