The Wild Excellence: Notes from Untamed America

The Wild Excellence evolved over the course of six years of full time life in a small cabin in the Absaroka mountains east of Yellowstone National Park. Moving from the bustling Bay Area to this remote region, I began with an interest in the land and its wildlife. I studied the history of the native peoples who lived here before and hiked to their remains--wikiups and bighorn sheep captures. I was curious about the people who came and homesteaded here and their experiences. And I spent a lot of time outdoors tracking wildlife in order to understand their daily and seasonal rhythms.

Over time, I slowly became aware that a parallel internal process was taking place. This wild landscape, with its full suite of wildlife, was having a healing effect on me. And that healing seemed dependent on its expansive, untouched space and the play of predators and prey so abundant here--wolves, elk, coyotes, grizzlies, mountain lions, bison and more. That healing illuminated for me the sacredness of wildlands and their necessity for the human spirit.