Don landed what seemed the coolest job on the planet shortly after grad school: being flown around Alaska's massive Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in a helicopter while conducting fire research. Wild places continued to beckon, and over the next fifteen years Don built backcountry trails, worked as a wilderness ranger, mapped grizzly habitat, and operated salmon weirsanything to avoid an office job. After that first season in Alaska, he spent three months in the South Pacific, and quickly found himself addicted to travel. His explorations eventually took him to thirty-five countries and all fifty states.
Don is the author of Moon Yellowstone & Grand Teton, Moon Alaska, Moon Wyoming, and Moon San Juan Islands. He also produced three photographic books for Fodor's, served as editor for Best Places Alaska, and is a contributor to Triporati.com and other websites, as well as DK Travel books. Don's photos have appeared in a multitude of publications and advertisements, and his fine art prints are sold in many Alaska and Washington galleries.
Don lives in Homer, Alaska with his wife, Karen Shemet, and their children, Aziza and Rio. When not busy on other projects, he also works as a wedding photographer and volunteer radio DJ. Visit donpitcher.com to read his blog and learn more about his writing and photography projects.