Buddy Levy’s Adventure History on Substack
History fascinates me. I’m particularly drawn to epic adventures, quests, conquests and discoveries. I relish stories of survival under the most brutal conditions imaginable, those that contain heartbreak, heroism, danger and disaster. And sometimes triumph against great odds. I want to share stories with you that intrigue, captivate, stupefy and delight. Sometimes I’ll share tales of my research voyages; sometimes I’ll recount episodes of amazement that appear in my books (and some that didn’t make it into my books but are compelling nonetheless). Always I’ll try to tell you a good story.
Check Out my Most Recent Post on Substack
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The Man Who Led Peary to the Pole (or very close)
Robert Peary gets all the accolades (and plenty of warranted skepticism) for being the first to the North Pole, but he would never have made it there (if he did) without the intrepid master mariner and ice navigator Bob Bartlett. History has focused primarily on the controversy surrounding whether Peary indeed made it to the North Pole, and on Matthew Henson’s presence during the final push.
Overlooked is Peary’s fateful decision NOT to take Captain Bob Bartlett. Read the full story on Substack here! |
Substack Links
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Ideal Idaho
Currently Being Updated Alaska Beyond: Horizon Edition December 2016 Story by Buddy Levy Early morning sunlight glints off fresh powder crystals as our Bombardier Snowcat rumbles up Lake Fork Road in McCall, Idaho. It's late December, and an early winter storm has dumped nearly 2 feet of powder. My brother, Lance, a half-dozen of our long-time ski buddies and I are headed on a marked trail 12 miles into the backcountry. [click here for article: on page 50-51] |
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Renewing an Apple Cup Rivalry
Alaska Beyond Magazine Spotlight November 2016 Story by Buddy Levy On November 21, four days before the annual Apple Cup football game between the University of Washington Huskies and Washington State University Cougars, former star college quarterbacks Drew Bledsoe and Damon Huard will renew a competition of their own. [click here for article: on page 26-27] |
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Blind Faith
Canoe & Kayak Main Feature Story March 2015 Story by Buddy Levy, Photography by James Q. Martin In the absence of light, the kayaker navigates by hearing and touch. Around him the sound of dipping paddles, voices near and far. Laughter. And, growing ever closer, the murmur of Badger Creek Rapid. [pdf] |
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Fun In Sun Valley
Alaska Airlines Magazine Cover Story January 2015 Story by Buddy Levy Wind and sun glaze my cheeks as I double-pole into the Upper College skin run off the top of Sun Valley Resort's Bald Mountain. My goal: to re-create a favorite experience from my youth--arcing long, languid giant slalom turns nonstop, from the mountain summit at 9,150 feet to the base at River Run Plaza, 3,400 vertical feet below. [click here for article] |
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Blind Ambition
Hemispheres Magazine December 2013 Story by Buddy Levy, Photography by Charley Mace and others Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, is on a mission to get other would-be adventurers with disabilities to see what’s possible. [click here for article] |
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Great Strides
Alaska Airlines Magazine January 2014 Story by Buddy Levy The climber moves smoothly up the vertical rock face, spidering up the sheer, 200-foot cliff of The Gunks (a nickname for New York state’s Shawangunk Mountains). The man ascends with precision and grace, defying gravity, conventional wisdom and others’ expectations of him as he clings to handholds and footholds each no wider than a coin. [click here for article] |
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The Blind Climber Who “Sees” with His Tongue
Discover Magazine Feature Story by Buddy Levy, Photography by Beth Wald A wiry man in his late 30s hangs near the top of a 40-foot wall, the toes of his climbing shoes barely gripping the sheer face. He clings with his left hand and pauses, swinging his right arm to the side, loosening the muscles... [click here for article] |
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Spinning Wheels and Singing Reels:
The reckless pursuit of cutthroat trout a long way from anywhere. Story by Buddy Levy, Photography by Dave Scott For nearly two decades I have been fishing Kelly Creek, a gorgeous westslope cutthroat catch-and-release stream in Idaho’s Clearwater National Forest.... [pdf] |
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Meditation on Silver Creek.
Story by Buddy Levy I have experienced Silver Creek in every season, called back to its banks and waters again and again for more than thirty years. It’s where I learned to fish, to hunt, to identify different birds in flight. Mostly, it’s where I learned to love the quiet observation of wild things. [click here for article] |