I shouldn’t have survived.

On May 23rd, while heading from Yellowstone Park to Jackson for a date, I hit a giant elk and destroyed the most reliable,tough car I’ve ever had. The elk was so massive that I saw no sky behind it.

The windshield shattered, the radiator cracked, the engine bent and smoked, spewing fluid onto the Thule and breaking that, too.

The hood saved my life.

Upon hitting the elk, I thought its back legs were going to crash through the windshield and kill me. But the hood crumpled into a shield, blocking the elk. And saving my life.

Wrigley’s collar was still wrapped around the rearview mirror…right where the hood acted as a shield and the glass stopped shattering.

I’m sore and a little beat up. And I shouldn’t be alive. But someone was watching out for me. I still see the impact in my mind, can feel it, can smell the steaming coolant.

Ten days later, I’m still a little shaken. And I feel so LUCKY to be alive. And yesterday, I bought a new Subaru Forester in beautiful Whitefish, Montana. There’s been so much death and destruction lately. And for me personally, I’ve never been big on couches and walls. I put myself out into the world, and these are the kinds of dangers that result from that.

It’s been a long time since I posted here, thanks to a growing audience on my Facebook. But I hope to post here more often. I’ll be working the national parks and forests until late October, filming wildlife and focusing on writing projects.

Thanks everyone for sticking by me. I appreciate you all.

Goodbye to my Crosstrek, which *not once* left me stranded in 130,000 miles despite being used for much, much more than going to Costco. It took a thousand pound elk to stop that car.

Best,

– Michael

The Crosstrek at the collision center. Note Wrigley’s collar.