AKHG has ranged farther south in recent memory, but our love of the untamed wild was forged in Alaska. So when we had the chance to catch up with the Shoemakers, renowned hunting and wilderness guides on the Alaskan Peninsula, it was not one we could pass up. There we captured some of the finer points of bush plane maintenance in the Shoemakers’ hangar. And we learned that when it comes to cutting loose, these seasoned brown bear guides love nothing more than carving fresh tracks through Alaskan snow.

Alaska may well be the state with the highest per-capita share of badasses. Even so, there’s a name that belongs near the top of that tough crop, and it’s Shoemaker. As lead guide of Grizzly Skins, self-described “bush brat” Tia Shoemaker began her career at 18, leading hunting and fishing trips deep into the Alaskan wilderness. She’s a notable voice for conservation in the state as well, championing efforts to preserve Alaska’s waters and wildlife.

Her father Phil is a legend in his own right. A certified Alaskan Master Guide, he founded the family business in the ’70s out of their homestead (technically, an inholding) in the middle of the Becharof Wildlife Refuge.

You may think a family that spends weeks at a time in the wild might be a tad sick of it when it comes time to cut loose. But when the gear is stowed after guiding season and the “commuter” bush plane has been tuned up, for the Shoemakers it’s time to throw on cross-country skis and take advantage of Alaska’s endless amounts of snow.

Phil Shoemaker may not be a commercial pilot, but he’d pit his 14,000 hours of flight time against anyone’s – especially when it comes to takeoff and landing on short airstrips.

It makes sense when you consider the only way in or out of Phil’s homestead is by plane, and that homestead is surrounded by millions of acres of national wildlife refuge. Here’s a quick overview of the rundown he gave his “commuter” before soaring the skies:

1. FILE YOUR PROP - Most pilots won’t file their own propeller for a good reason – it’s too critical a component to monkey with yourself. Then again, most pilots don’t have anywhere close to Phil Shoemaker’s flying experience.

2. SWAP TIRES OUT, SKIS IN - Skis come sized for bush planes up here. On glaciers and in remote snowfields, they make the only soft landing you’ll get.

3. FILL BEFORE YOU FLY - On this bush plane, gas goes in the wings.

Ashley Bredemus and Victor Pilon may well have something of the Boundary Waters running through their veins. Ashley grew up with Birchwood Wilderness Camp, a youth camp on the wild end of the Gunflint Trail in Minnesota. The lakes of the BWCA are literally off her back doorstep. The youth camp has been in the family since her grandparents founded it, and after Ashley went off to earn an engineering degree, all those waters and pines called her back to run the operation as its third-generation owner and director.

Her husband Victor spent just as much time in the wilderness growing up, which drove him to pursue a degree in outdoor education. He was working at the camp when he and Ashley hit it off – and over the years, they’ve come to run the camp together.