As a wilderness traveler, fisherman, builder, horticulturist, naturalist and geographer, Joe sees himself as very well rounded and prepared for this experience. His experiences, both professionally and personally, have tested his abilities as a resilient individual who can think calmly and act decisively under pressure, and when the stakes are high.

From the experience of being Alone in the Arctic, Joe hopes to gain a new sense of his own limits and to become intimate with the landscape and its lifeforms in a way that is not otherwise possible. He wants to open his senses in the absence of the modern world’s excessive stimulus and transcend normal waking consciousness through perseverance through hardship. He knows that many of life’s insights are left to be discovered and hopes for the mystery to reveal itself through this experience.