I have never been lonely when alone in the wilderness.

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It's a reality that motivates my backcountry voyages. As a lifelong resident of New York City, I probably don't fit the profile of a wilderness backpacker but since 1966 I've done more than fifty multi-week treks, all unsupported and most of them alone. During that time I have faced terrible weather, hair-raising river crossings and wildlife encounters, but I've also beheld the awesome majesty and pristine beauty of our incredible planet. 

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Now in my seventies, I am still an active and enthusiastic trekker under my Brokenbo Wilderness Expeditions banner. Elected into the prestigious Explorers Club in 1993 and included among the HistoryMakers in 2018, I am also founder and president of JRH Marketing Services, the oldest African American-owned research and consulting firm in the United States, and author of Way Out There: Adventures of a Wilderness Trekker, one of the 50 best hiking, trekking and walking books of all time (source: Backpacker magazine). 

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In addition, I am the subject of a short documentary film called Born Curious, and I am proud and honored that the Exploration Museum in Húsavík, Iceland has awarded me their 2021 Leif Erikson Exploration History Award “…for your lifetime of exploration, as well as your tireless efforts to promote diversity in exploration.”

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At speaking engagements I like to encourage everyone, regardless of age, ethnicity or physical fitness, to experience, in their own way and at their own pace, all the benefits that come from spending time in the great outdoors. I believe this will motivate them to support, maintain, and protect our natural environments.

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I cordially invite you to explore the site, get to know me, and to reach out. I would enjoy hearing from you.

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