Yet another interesting traveler passed through Astoria recently: Zach Brown, pictured inset, who grew up in Alaska and recently completed his Ph.D. at Stanford University.

Im working with a Stanford team to establish a field school at a beautiful and remote coastal homestead in Alaska, called the Hobbit Hole (pictured), Zach wrote, where the teams mission is to educate and inspire new environmental leaders.

As part of this project, he explained, this summer Ive embarked on a 2,000-mile, four-month hike/kayak journey from Stanford to the Hobbit Hole, as a way to spread the word and raise funds for Inian Islands Institute (http://inianislandsinstitute.org).

When he reached Astoria (on foot), he was only here long enough to have a veggie burrito and catch the bus to the Washington side of the Astoria Bridge, where he continued walking up the coast.

After 1,000 miles of hiking, Ive reached Port Angeles, Wash., Zach emailed this week, and I will soon begin paddling north. Bon voyage!

Elleda Wilson