Ben Benson, a skilled and courageous outdoorsman, was nicknamed "Backcountry Ben" when employed with the U.S. Forest Service in Alaska. He has not only traveled much of the world, but has explored it with a true sense of free-spirited adventure and a sincere love for nature. These explorations have included areas ranging from Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska to Zimbabwe, Africa. During these travels, he has been able to capture on film many incredible sights that most of us would never see in our entire lifetime. These pictures are now available for preview and purchase on his website at www.backcountryben.com A few of the many roles he has filled are park ranger, hunting guide, wilderness mountaineer, photographer, boat painter, deckhand on a Mississippi River towboat (following the footsteps of Mark Twain), town manager, financial consultant, and a Navy Corpsman with the U.S. Marine Corps. Just By Accident: Adventures of a Modern Vagabond was compiled in 1999 after ten years of work to provide the opportunity for readers to enjoy, and perhaps even learn from, Ben's adventures as he explored the Appalachian Trail, survived the grasp of PTSD, faced bears and other wildlife in the wilderness, fell on an ice axe when alone on the Eagle Glacier, and much, much more.
