Brooks Range Voices: Thomas Lees
Hunter and filmmaker Thomas Lees shares his deep connection to Alaska’s Brooks Range and explains why the proposed Ambler Road threatens one of the last truly wild places on earth.
The hunter, adventurer, and filmmaker tells of his love for the Brooks Range and why the proposed Ambler Road is not worth the price for damaging one of the last big, beautiful, wild places left on earth.
Thomas Lees lives in Fairbanks, works on the North Slope, and has made 50-some adventures in the Brooks Range. An avid hunter, fisherman, and filmmaker—we recommend checking out his work on YouTube channel @BackcountryAlaska—Lees has a deep penchant for living and documenting the Alaska lifestyle. Whether it’s chasing Dall sheep or traversing the Arctic by snowmachine, Lees lives the hard-earned Alaskan dream.
Lees’ love of hunting, fishing, and the Brooks Range is a big part of the reason why he’s against the proposed Ambler Road. If built, the 211-mile private road, designed to support the development of an unknown number of foreign-owned mines, would cut through the southern Brooks Range. It would negatively impact hunters, anglers, and everyone else who wants to chase the Alaskan dream.
Describe the types of activities you’ve enjoyed in the Brooks Range.
I made my first sheep hunt at the age of 12 in the Brooks Range in 2008. Since then, I make at least a couple trips to the Brooks each year to hunt sheep, caribou, and fish for grayling, pike, Arctic char, and sheefish.
This past year I went on a different sort of adventure. Me and a few buddies snowmachined from Fairbanks to Kotzebue. We traveled down the Kobuk River, through the Brooks Range, and out to the Arctic coast. We basically traveled the route of the proposed Ambler Road. There’s nothing but wild country there right now, and we won’t be able to make that adventure again if the road is built.
Share one memory that stands out to you.
Deciding on one Brooks memory is far too difficult. Some of the best hunts of my life have been there with my dad. Lots of heavy packs, laughs, sore feet, and nights in the tent in those mountains. The Brooks has so many special memories for me.
If you could come back, what would you love to do there next?
I’d love to travel via snowmachine through the villages along the Brooks Range again. On the trip we made from Fairbanks to Kotzebue, we had many very cool experiences through the foothills of the Brooks Range. I saw the most beautiful sunset I think I’ve ever seen. Wintertime in the Brooks is just as special as the summer or fall.
Think of your first trip to the Brooks – what was different than you expected?
It certainly felt very big compared to the photos my dad would show me of the sheep hunts he’d made up there when I was a kid. It’s hard for a young kid to grasp the scale of the Brooks from a photo.
What is most special about the Brooks Range for you?
The time spent there chasing Alaskan game with my dad.
Share at least one piece of essential gear you’d recommend packing or advice with someone going to the Brooks for the first time.
A real, true four-season tent is a must-have in the Brooks Range. I see guys carrying the lightest weight tents you can buy, and I just think about a three-day rainstorm that turns to snow and how miserable that’s going to be for them. There’s nothing better than a real tent, warm sleeping bag, and hot ribeye steaks when the weather gets crappy.
What do hunters and anglers stand to lose if the Ambler Road is built?
We stand to lose one of the last great wild places on earth, untouched by man since the beginning of time.
What aspect of the proposed Ambler Road project concerns you most?
Everyone is focused on the road, but few people talk about what the actual mines would look like or potential damage they’d cause. The road would be a huge ugly scar across a land untouched by man and, on top of that, the mines would likely lead to entire mountains getting deleted off the horizon.
What’s the biggest misconception you’ve heard about the project?
There’s a lot of outdoorsmen out there who believe that the Ambler Road will give them vast amounts of access to hunt and fish. This would NOT be the case. There would be no public access. It would be a private road for industrial use. There will be a security guard shack at the start, just like the oil field leases on the North Slope.
What might you say to someone who said, “I don’t understand why this road is such a big threat?”
I’d say you need to go see the Brooks Range right now for yourself and you’d understand.
Why is it important that hunters and anglers across the nation speak up against the proposed Ambler Road?
Every road, mine, city, or town was once a wild place. The Brooks Range is one of the last big, beautiful, wild places left on earth. It’s unscarred by man and we should fight to keep it that way as long as we can.
Photo credit: Thomas Lees
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the above blog are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of Hunters & Anglers for the Brooks Range or partners. HABR does not accept responsibility for these views, thoughts, and opinions.
