Journeys to the Far North - Paperback

Arctic Exploration Memoir by Pioneer Naturalist Olaus J. Murie

First published ten years after Olaus J. Murie's death, this engaging firsthand account documents the North American Arctic as witnessed by a perceptive naturalist whose adventures spanned nearly half a century. From Hudson Bay and Labrador to the Yukon Territory in Canada and the Brooks Range of Alaska, Murie's observations capture a pristine wilderness during the early to mid-20th century.

About the Naturalist and Conservationist

The son of Norwegian immigrants, Olaus J. Murie was born in 1889 in Moorhead, Minnesota. His career as a field naturalist began with the Carnegie Museum, where he conducted two expeditions into Hudson Bay country that form the foundation of this book. He later worked for the US Biological Survey (now the Fish and Wildlife Service) as an Arctic field researcher in Alaska's Brooks Range. In 1927, Murie relocated with his wife, Mardy, to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to study the largest elk herd in North America. Following this research, he accepted the position of first president of the Wilderness Society in 1945. His final years were dedicated to protecting the pristine Brooks Range and Sheenjek River Valley, efforts that proved instrumental in establishing the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—the crowning achievement of his distinguished career.

Recognition and Legacy

Murie received numerous accolades including the Audubon Award, Sierra Club's John Muir Award, Wildlife Society's Aldo Leopold Memorial Award for outstanding publication, and a Fulbright Fellowship. As one of America's wilderness conservation pioneers, his work combined scientific field research with artistic documentation and compelling narrative.

What's Inside

This volume presents detailed field observations, exploration narratives, and natural history accounts from some of North America's most remote regions. Murie's writing captures the Arctic landscape, indigenous peoples, and wildlife during an era when these territories remained largely untouched by modern development. His dual expertise as both scientist and artist provides readers with precise ecological data alongside vivid descriptive passages.

About the Editor

Donald Olaus Murie, the third child of Olaus and Margaret Murie, brings his own expertise to this edition. His career spans work with Encyclopaedia Britannica, interactive display development for EPCOT and world fairs, and co-founding Meyers Photo Art. Donald attended the University of Wisconsin and Northwestern University, and has authored three novels. He currently resides in the greater Los Angeles area.