January Grit City Think & Drink

January 9, 2024
6:30PM – 7:30PM

Life Near the Bone: A Journey of Discovery in the Wild 

In September of 2020, Professor Ellen Bayer embarked on a 2-week, solo, self-supported journey through the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington. At a time when she was navigating both personal challenges and the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ellen found that stripping life down to the bone, and carrying on her back only the bare essentials needed to survive in the wild, opened a path to healing and personal growth. At this talk, she will share one story of discovering inner strength on the trail that she hadn’t imagined she held inside her, and her maps and photos of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness just might inspire you to get out into this awesome place not far from Tacoma for an adventure of your own.   

Dr. Ellen Bayer is a storyteller and Associate Professor of Environmental Arts & Humanities at the University of Washington Tacoma. She teaches courses on environmental literature and nature writing and is currently working on a book of personal essays about the life lessons she has learned in the wilderness. She enjoys really long solo runs in the Central Cascades, followed by sun naps in a hammock with her cats. 

Grit City Think & Drink brings scholars and experts from various disciplines face-to-face with the public in a comfortable, lively atmosphere, either virtually or in person. The evening begins with a presentation or lecture (often interactive) followed by giveaways and a moderated Q&A. Grit City Think & Drink is free to the public and open to all ages.

Sponsored by the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and hosted by UWT Associate Professor Jim Gawel.

Grit City Think & Drink presented by UWT in our Tacoma event space every 2nd Tuesday of the month. Open and free to the public!