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Kirk Ellis

Kirk Elis was a small child when his parents moved to the remote location at Mile 42 of the Nabesna Road in the Wrangell Mountains in 1957 to begin a guiding business. His parents, Bill and Lorene Ellis, struggled for many years to make a living, keep a home, and home school Kirk and his two brothers, Cole and Lynn. Kirk learned the fundamental skills necessary for bush life by following his parents' example. The children were given strict rules and a perimeter beyond which they could not venture in order to ensure their safety. From his father, Kirk gained hunting and guiding skills, and eventually learned to negotiate a Super Cub into remote and difficult landings high in the mountains. Today, Kirk and Cole share the guiding business with their father, and despite many bureaucratic hurdles to contemporary guiding, they tenaciously hold on to the land and lifestyle that has given them great satisfaction and a sense of personal accomplishment.

Kirk Ellis appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

Wrangell-St.Elias National Park

Kirk Ellis' Slideshow

Interview Title	Abstract	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Date of Interview
Kirk Ellis	Kirk Ellis was interviewed on June 11, 1993 by Bill Schneider and David Krupa at his family's homestead, Devils Mountain Lodge, at the end of the Nabesna Road in Nabesna, Alaska. In this interview, Kirk talks about his early childhood experiences, describing a fascinating and unique life requiring self-reliance and awareness. His gift for storytelling becomes apparent as he tells us about: his mother driving off wolves who were killing dogs in the dogyard; his father teaching him how to handle crisis with calm and precision by giving Kirk the terrifying task of killing a charging grizzly; his mother's great strength in taking care of the entire homestead and homeschooling the children when Bill was away on guiding ventures upon which the family depended for money; and the day to day joys and dangers of living over one hundred miles from the nearest medical facility. Kirk also describes following his father into guiding and flying, and how he had to build a plane from used parts because he could not afford to buy one outright. Kirk provides great insight into the meaning of the guiding life for him and his family, especially its importance as a way of remaining tied to a magnificent, if fragile, environment. His testimony shows how his family's guiding business has been sustainable because they have paid careful attention to game populations and their health. The word respect came repeatedly to mind: respect for the awesome power of land, animals, mountains; respect for the skills and judgment needed by those who would make this place their home. Kirk discusses how the guiding business has changed, and how the National Park Service's management regime has negatively impacted their lives. He makes the point that the regulatory structure has the unintended effect of forcing guides into trying to carry more hunters and increase hunting pressure to overcome the spiraling costs of operating a guiding business in a political environment hostile to professional hunts. He concludes by reflecting on the future of guiding, and suggests some new directions--such as carrying more mountain climbers, tourists, and hikers--that he and his family are moving into to compensate for the closing window on big game guiding.	95-71-01	Wrangell-St.Elias National Park	Jun 11, 1993