Moon Spotlight Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Perhaps Don Pitcher's love of travel came about because he moved so much as a child; by age 15 he had lived in six states and two dozen East Coast and Midwestern towns. Don's family hails from Maine, but he was born in Atlanta, making him a southerner with New England blood. He moved west for college, receiving a master's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where his thesis examined wildfires in high elevation forests of Sequoia National Park. When his first (and only) scientific paper was published, he appeared headed into the world of ecological research. Don landed what seemed the coolest job on the planet shortly after grad school: being flown around Alaska's massive Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in a helicopter while conducting fire research. Wild places continued to beckon, and over the next fifteen years Don built backcountry trails, worked as a wilderness ranger, mapped grizzly habitat, and operated salmon weirs--anything to avoid an office job. After that first season in Alaska, he spent three months in the South Pacific, and quickly found himself addicted to travel. His explorations eventually took him to thirty-five countries and all fifty states. Don is the author of Moon Yellowstone & Grand Teton, Moon Alaska, Moon Wyoming, and Moon San Juan Islands. He also produced three photographic books for Fodor's, served as editor for Best Places Alaska, and is a contributor to Triporati.com and other websites, as well as DK Travel books. Don's photos have appeared in a multitude of publications and advertisements, and his fine art prints are sold in many Alaska and Washington galleries. Don lives in Homer, Alaska with his wife, Karen Shemet, and their children, Aziza and Rio. When not busy on other projects, he also works as a wedding photographer and volunteer radio DJ. Visit donpitcher.com to read his blog and learn more about his writing and photography projects.