About

 

“I found that we can have the very best data, statistics, and models chronicling glacier change, but if that information is not grounded within the human stories of place, then that information is largely powerless. If people do not see themselves in the story, then they are not part of the story.”

-Dr. M Jackson, Glaciologist

Nicolas Bakken-French is an avid environmentalist who is most content in the fresh air and motivated by the humbling beauty of mother nature in all her forms, but especially in ice. He studied Environmental Science and Policy with a focus on Glaciology at Whittier College, CA. His passions grew among the redwoods of his hometown in Northern California. His main focus and works are centered on glaciers and their incredible influence and the relationships they share with people and the planet. His work and education have taken him from the glaciers of Iceland to the now-dead and gone glaciers of the Trinity Alps, California. He currently works as the Director of Field Operations for the Oregon Glaciers Institute, a mountaineering guide in Alaska, and a ski guide/avalanche educator in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California.

 

On glaciers: “Glaciers have changed my life. They have given me purpose, and standing in their majesty, I have found bliss and spiritual resolve. Glaciers are dramatically beautiful: the continuous movement of ice on rock, chiseling mountain faces and carving wide valleys, fertilizing the land and rivers below, giving life to all those downstream. Glaciers are truly the greatest artists of the natural world. On a time scale, their movement is slow enough to miss with the naked eye but fast enough to observe profound changes when revisiting. And changing they are, faster every day. Glaciers are the thermometers of a warming planet, but they are also so much more.”

Get in touch. Fill form or email:
nicolas.bakkenfrench@gmail.com

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Every year, sometime as the first snows start to fall and the leaves start to turn I think about getting all the film I took over the summer developed. Some ridiculous near a thousand negatives taken over five months are delivered to my eyes all at o
Every year, sometime as the first snows start to fall and the leaves start to turn I think about getting all the film I took over the summer developed. Some ridiculous near a thousand negatives taken over five months are delivered to my eyes all at once. An overstimulating barrage of memories flood the brain. Contagious snot faced-tear laden laughter, chaos and stillness, exhilaration and disappointment, frustration and fear, joy and relief. Feeling completely insignificant as you stare at a falling apart mountain face, great puzzle of crevasses, and a hundred miles of wilderness in every direction. Thinking “this is the best f*cking day of my life” and maybe just a few moments later, “what the f*ck am I doing here.” You remember moments in which you were existing as a part of nature. You remember the smiles exchanged with your friends. Reminded every time I look at a photo from time spent in this corner of mother natures earth: our fragile balance with nature is all that we have. Thanks Alaska. #35mm #alaska #wrangellsteliasnationalpark #denalinationalpark
This late June, Sam and I decided to take a gamble and bring skis to a place we hadn’t heard of anyone making turns at before. And on top of that in mid summer. Now we are still riding the high from a gamble well paid off. Summer laps and *possible* first descents in an area that last saw skis… years ago, maybe never? We don’t really know. Backdropped by the tallest peaks and largest glaciers in North America, a landscape you can only find in Wrangell-St. Elias. Thanks for getting us there @wrangellmountainair (took the scenic route ;)) . . . . . . #alaska #glacier #skiing
A successful change of plans in the Alaska Range this season led to many exceptionally beautiful moments. Kicked out of the Wrangell Mountains after waiting days for the weather to improve, we pivoted to catch a weather window in Denali NP. With the gift of surreal weather and outstanding company, we took advantage of the few days we had to summit Mt. Frances and traverse 27 miles down the Kahiltna Glacier to ski some laps on the Pika Glacier. Here is a snippet of our summit of Mt. Frances, an ode to an ethereal mountain kingdom, the seat of Mother Nature’s power and fragility, and the joy and struggle of romping in the big hills with friends. #Alaska #Mountaineering #Glaciers #denalinationalpark #mothernature #wrangellsteliasnationalpark #alaskarange
Caught a moment between goofing around in the big hills to look back at a winter full of proper shenanigans. Much love to the @brightonskipatrol family, friends, the mountains, and pookster! . . . . #35mm #utah #ouray #rainier
Caught a moment between goofing around in the big hills to look back at a winter full of proper shenanigans. Much love to the @brightonskipatrol family, friends, the mountains, and pookster! . . . . #35mm #utah #ouray #rainier
Absolute freedom, absolute wilderness, wild and delightful people. Can’t put a price on that. Happy to find time to put it all together and share. Huge thanks to everyone who made this season in Wrangell-St. Elias NP a special one, already day dreaming about the next… To those unfamiliar, our best advice: come join us. . . . . . . . @steliasguides #alaska #glaciers #skiing #mountaineering #iceclimbing #wilderness #freedom #mountains #bear
An unforgettable season in mind-bending country with exceptional company. With all the gratitude, thanks Alaska, you remind us there are still wild and untamable places. . . . . . . . @steliasguides #alaska #wrangellsteliasnationalpark #35mm
An unforgettable season in mind-bending country with exceptional company. With all the gratitude, thanks Alaska, you remind us there are still wild and untamable places. . . . . . . . @steliasguides #alaska #wrangellsteliasnationalpark #35mm
What a winter to be in California… lifelong dream of “skiing” Mt. Tam and endless deep turns in the best part of the state. @swirth123 and I finally tackled the mothership up Casaval ridge. Huge thanks to @mtshasta_skipatrol for an
What a winter to be in California… lifelong dream of “skiing” Mt. Tam and endless deep turns in the best part of the state. @swirth123 and I finally tackled the mothership up Casaval ridge. Huge thanks to @mtshasta_skipatrol for an unforgettable season, so grateful to be a part of the team. And a huge shout out to @shastaavalanche for keeping us safe on the mountain. Much love to friends, mountains, and Northern California. #skiing #shasta #mttam #norcal #35mm
There’s simply nothing like it. Soul turns in Wrangell St Elias National Park are like no other. The most remote and heavily glaciated landscape in North America surrounded by her largest peaks. You’ll definitely earn your turns here. Few better ways exist to experience these mind bending environments and mother nature at her rawest than skiing on glaciers. From a trip in the Chugach/St Elias mountains. Hard to believe this is work! Check out our mountaineering/ski trips on the @steliasguides website! #ski #skiing #glaciers #mountaineering #alaska #mothernature
The remains of the Grizzly Glacier in the Trinity Alps of California, summer 2022. Just 10 years ago, this was an active and moving body of ice. Now it is gone. This ice was once part of an incredible and diverse interconnected ecological system. T
The remains of the Grizzly Glacier in the Trinity Alps of California, summer 2022. Just 10 years ago, this was an active and moving body of ice. Now it is gone. This ice was once part of an incredible and diverse interconnected ecological system. The ice sourced a stream in the high alpine that forms a creek that flows down to the Trinity River, which is a breading ground for chinook salmon. These salmon swim past redwood forests, containing the tallest and most carbon dioxide absorbent trees on earth. The chinooks decaying body provides essential nutrients for the redwood tree. In turn, the redwoods provide habitat for the chinook salmon to spawn. A little bit of that water, in which the chinook swim and the redwood roots soak, came from the ice in the mountains above. Now that system is forever incomplete. California just canceled the chinook salmon season, prohibiting any catch due to dwindling numbers. While the glaciers overall impact is small, everything is connected. The impacts that we are having on this planet that we are very much apart of are becoming increasingly irreversible. We should think of our place on this planet as what it is, as part of an ecosystem. We may have been the last faces to see the Grizzly Glacier. It will never return. #happyearthday #trinityalps #glaicer #california #climate #publiclands #35mm
Citlaltépetl (18,491’) from a few moons ago with @jesse_martens1 Taken on my fairly beat up Canon AE-1…
Citlaltépetl (18,491’) from a few moons ago with @jesse_martens1 Taken on my fairly beat up Canon AE-1…
Every year, sometime as the first snows start to fall and the leaves start to turn I think about getting all the film I took over the summer developed. Some ridiculous near a thousand negatives taken over five months are delivered to my eyes all at o
This late June, Sam and I decided to take a gamble and bring skis to a place we hadn’t heard of anyone making turns at before. And on top of that in mid summer. Now we are still riding the high from a gamble well paid off. Summer laps and *poss
A successful change of plans in the Alaska Range this season led to many exceptionally beautiful moments. Kicked out of the Wrangell Mountains after waiting days for the weather to improve, we pivoted to catch a weather window in Denali NP. With the
Caught a moment between goofing around in the big hills to look back at a winter full of proper shenanigans. Much love to the @brightonskipatrol family, friends, the mountains, and pookster! . . . . #35mm #utah #ouray #rainier
Absolute freedom, absolute wilderness, wild and delightful people. Can’t put a price on that. Happy to find time to put it all together and share. Huge thanks to everyone who made this season in Wrangell-St. Elias NP a special one, already day
An unforgettable season in mind-bending country with exceptional company. With all the gratitude, thanks Alaska, you remind us there are still wild and untamable places. . . . . . . . @steliasguides #alaska #wrangellsteliasnationalpark #35mm What a winter to be in California… lifelong dream of “skiing” Mt. Tam and endless deep turns in the best part of the state. @swirth123 and I finally tackled the mothership up Casaval ridge. Huge thanks to @mtshasta_skipatrol for an
There’s simply nothing like it. Soul turns in Wrangell St Elias National Park are like no other. The most remote and heavily glaciated landscape in North America surrounded by her largest peaks. You’ll definitely earn your turns here. Few
The remains of the Grizzly Glacier in the Trinity Alps of California, summer 2022. Just 10 years ago, this was an active and moving body of ice. Now it is gone. This ice was once part of an incredible and diverse interconnected ecological system. T Citlaltépetl (18,491’) from a few moons ago with @jesse_martens1 Taken on my fairly beat up Canon AE-1…