Blair Hickson: A Journey From the Wilds of Alaska to Guiding Others Through Its Beauty

Blair Hickson, son of Cheryl and Cliff Hickson, owners of Hickson House, Aly’s Hideaway, and Blair’s Bungalow on GTC, is the new manager of the Alaskan Anvik River Lodge—a remote hunting and fishing lodge. Cheryl shares her love for math twice a week with our kids as the Community Connections math tutor during the winter months.

This is the GTC Reporter team’s (pictured) interview with Blair.

Blair was born and raised in Alaska. He lived in Bethel, a small town on the tundra in Western Alaska. When he was about six years old, his parents bought a very remote fishing and hunting lodge on the Anvik River. The lodge is within Athabaskan Indian territory. Each year, Blair spent five months at the lodge, learning how to live in the wilderness. His number one lesson was to listen and obey his parents so he wouldn’t be eaten by wildlife! His early schooling years included learning the Eskimo language. Blair’s Eskimo name is Nukaspiaq.

Anvik is about 400 miles northwest of Anchorage by airplane. To reach the lodge, you first take a flight from Anchorage and then a 75-mile upriver boat ride. The nearest neighboring city is 75 miles downriver.

The Anvik River is about 120 miles long. It is in a remote area of Alaska, with the lodge being the only human outpost in the greater area—there is no one else there.

Blair started hunting when he was 10 years old. The animals that live in this area include:

• Grizzly bears – the only type of bear in the region

• Moose – can weigh up to 1,500 pounds

• Caribou – similar to a reindeer but without the shiny nose

• Wood bison (buffalo) – can weigh 2,000 pounds, now protected due to endangerment

• Rabbit

• Wolves – they see dogs as competition, so you need to be extra vigilant with your pet when wolves are around. They will definitely battle each other.

• Wolverine – known to act like a bear and very vicious. They are actually weasels. Their nickname is “forest demon.”

• Porcupine

• Red squirrels

• Fox

• Musk ox

Grizzly bear mothers are called “sows,” and their babies are called “cubs.” A grizzly mother is VERY protective of her cubs and will chase or fight to protect them. In early winter, grizzlies climb to the north side of a mountain, dig a hole, and hibernate under the snow. During hibernation, they slow their heart rate to one beat every ten seconds.

Blair shot his first grizzly bear when he was 13 years old. He has been charged by a grizzly six times but, thankfully, has never been injured. The gun he uses for hunting is a .45-70 rifle. Blair carries a .44 pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun daily to protect himself and his guests.

One time, he was fishing in the river when a sow and her cubs passed by. The sow came after him, but Blair took the proper bear stance—standing his ground, waving his arms, and shouting. The sow recognized that he was not a threat and turned away.

Another time, he was caught by surprise and charged by a grizzly because he hadn’t seen her sleeping with her cubs. Luckily, he was in a boat and was able to escape.

On another occasion, Blair had to track a wounded bear. When he finally found it, the bear came charging at full speed. He quickly grabbed his rifle and shot the bear in the face. The bear was so close that it fell right at his feet.

You should NEVER run from a grizzly. They have more legs and are much faster. Instead, stop, shout, and wave your arms. Even Blair’s dog has learned this technique and has scared off a grizzly by standing his ground and barking.

Blair enjoys eating bear meat. It tastes like a combination of pork and beef—very good! However, it must be cooked thoroughly due to potential parasites.

The fishing and hunting lodge is fenced in, but one time, a wood bison (buffalo) wandered into the fenced area and stayed for a week. They named him Gerald. However, at 2,000 pounds, Gerald didn’t want to leave and trapped Blair inside his cabin. Blair finally scared him off by blasting music through a giant speaker. The song that finally got Gerald to move? Bill Withers’ Just the Two of Us.

There are no snakes, spiders, or roaches in Alaska. However, they do have bees, mosquitoes, and no-see-ums.

Alaska’s winter temperatures can drop as low as -50°F. The Northern Lights are visible in winter, but not in summer since the sun never sets. In winter, the sun shines for only five hours a day, making the Northern Lights a spectacular show.

Blair recently built his own house. First, he cut down trees and milled them into lumber. Then, he had to let the lumber dry for a year to release moisture and shrink. It took him two years to build his home.

As part of his job at the lodge, Blair had to earn his Alaskan Registered Guide certificate, which took him 12 years. He obtained his fishing guide license at age 18.

The Anvik Lodge season runs from June to October. Fourteen guests stay for five days, and Blair takes them out for nine hours each day to hunt, fish, and learn about Alaska. Fishing occurs along the riverbank or from aluminum boats, as the river has a rocky bottom. They use two fishing techniques—fly fishing and spin fishing. The fish caught include:

• Salmon

• Northern pike

• Arctic char

• Arctic grayling

• Whitefish

Once the lodge opens, the work schedule is 24/7. It’s a lot of work, but the pay is good, and the rest of the year is free for other activities. Cell phones don’t work while hunting and fishing, but the lodge has internet via Starlink.

To provide fresh vegetables for their guests, they grow their own produce, including:

• Carrots

• Cabbages

• Lettuce

• Tomatoes (sometimes difficult to grow)

• Rhubarb

• Potatoes

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower

• Kale

When Blair isn’t guiding guests, he enjoys fishing, hunting with his bow and arrow (he has won archery competitions), and playing cards in his spare time.

Have you ever dreamed of an Alaskan adventure? Let us know in the comments what you’d like to explore in this stunning and remote wilderness!