About
Luc Mehl is an outdoor educator with certifications in swiftwater and ice rescue instruction, located in Anchorage, Alaska.
Luc grew up in McGrath, a very small community in interior Alaska. He moved to Anchorage for high school and then spent ten years studying geology and geophysics in Minnesota, Santa Barbara, and Boston. After returning to Alaska, Luc dove deep into outdoor recreation, ultimately logging over 10,000 miles of off-trail travel by foot, ski, pedal, paddle, and ice skate, as shared at thingstolucat.com.
After a few years teaching physics, chemistry, and math at Alaska Pacific University, Luc worked for ten years in the GIS and environmental data science sector. Exposure to GIS resources influenced Luc's trip-planning strategy and revealed new possibilities for creative and ambitious outings.
Luc offers three online courses:
- Start & End at Home: Trip and emergency planning
- Paddle Up a Level: Packraft safety and boat control
- Wild Ice!: Traveling over ice in remote settings
In-person instruction includes swiftwater rescue, ice rescue, river safety, and packrafting skills.
Luc is the author of The Packraft Handbook, which won a 2021 National Outdoor Book Award and 2022 Banff Mountain Book Competition award.
Feel free to contact me with requests for custom instruction. And my newsletter is a great source for safety resources, stories, and pretty pictures.
