I finished the audiobook of “The Hobbit” recently and I can confidently reassert that it is easily one of my favorite books ever. No allegory, no topicality, none of the incredibly long deliberative sessions or historical digressions that flood the Lord of the Rings trilogy… Just a wonderfully creative story made for the sole intent of entertaining. I love this book so much that I would even go as so far as to say that it is the most influential piece of fiction of the last 100 years, without even one other close contender for the title. I might have to stretch a bit and wrap LotR into the claim, but I stand by it. (Harry Potter and Star Wars fans please stop yourselves and think for half a minute before petitioning your complaints; it is not even close baby. Not. Even. Close.)

While my own driving around and hiking isn’t nearly as exciting as an unforeseen adventure through Murkwood and the Misty Mountains to plunder an ancient dragon’s lair, I enjoyed Tolkien’s take on adventure and friendship so much that I couldn’t help but draw parallels from Tolkien’s tale to my own experiences while driving through the mist-covered peaks of the Alaska Range and later into the Canadian Yukon.

Anyways, I’d like to share with my friends and family a few pictures of my “adventure” so far this last week, and I hope that you all like them.