Season : Winter / Year : 2023
The icy magic of Alaska invites itself into your daily life. Off the Tracks unveils a captivating winter collection, where the coldness of winter combines with the warmth of shared moments. Alaska is much more than a destination, it is an experience to be lived through cozy sweaters, organic t-shirts, comforting mugs and enveloping neck warmers.
From the first ray of sunlight to polar twilight, every moment is an invitation to adventure. Whether in the heart of a snowy forest or during a mountain getaway, the new collection by Off the Tracks has been designed to withstand all the adventures of the winter season. Sweaters wrap you in warmth, organic t-shirts keep you cozy, mugs warm your frozen hands, and neck warmers protect you from freezing winds. Whether you're looking for outdoor excitement or simply relaxing by the fire, the Alaska collection has you covered with style and functionality.
It invites you to create unforgettable memories, whether on the top of a snowy mountain or in the warm privacy of a home. The Alaska collection is unique in its creation: it tells a story, and each visual is part of a chapter of this story. All the visuals therefore constitute the history of the collection. It embodies the spirit of adventure, while offering the perfect comfort for your moments of relaxation in the heart of winter.
A FUNCTIONAL DESIGN, CREATED FOR ADVENTURE, AND DESIGNED WITH LOVE… The collection aims to be environmentally friendly with a majority of organic clothing, certified and even approved by PETA!
CHAPTER 1. A STEP TOWARDS THE FUTURE
Like every day at the same time, I'm sitting in the metro. After work, people are a little more cheerful, before going home to meet their children for dinner and bed. In recent months I have heard more and more people complaining and being negative about their situation, even though they have food every day, running water to wash in, and a warm place to sleep. I am aware of how lucky I am to have all this comfort, but since the exponential growth of "social" networks, the culture of likes and the race for views whatever our age, ultimately I come to the conclusion that we have the feeling of not living, of not being yourself and of not really knowing yourself. Is what I'm doing now helping me get to where I want to be in the future ? Probably not. Many questions that I have left unanswered for months. One evening I got lost in a report making me discover Alaska, its preserved nature, the simple and healthy lifestyle of its inhabitants very close to nature, the freezing cold, the Northern Lights, the fjords, all of this appealed to me. made me want to go and see it with my own eyes... It's decided, I'm going to Alaska.
After several hours of flight, I finally arrived and I was greeted by the country's motto North to the Future.
Is this a sign? Did I make the right choice of destination?
To be continued...
CHAPTER 2. DISCONNECTION
After several hours of driving, I arrive in Cordova. The polar climate is very surprising, and yet much more pleasant than during winter periods in mainland France. I decide to get lost along the small port, the typical houses are quite small, made of wood and mainly red in color. Small otters are grooming themselves in front of tourists clutching their cameras to take the best photo, while a flock of seagulls circle around the recently returned fishermen. A colony of seals not far away is basking in the sun piercing through the layer of clouds. Here in Alaska, economic activities are dominated by fishing and canning. Once I have collected my rental car, I see my first Caribou on the road, a lucky sign of a great adventure ahead? This evening I sleep in a typical cabin in the Trapper Creek area, it is located not far from the entrance to Denali State Park. I chose a place where there is no TV or wifi because my choice since I left is to disconnect from everything to find the essentials, to find myself. A hot meal eaten, I light the wood stove and start reading one of the many works left by the owners; it has been a long time since I last picked up a book. Historically, Alaska's resources came primarily from the lumber and fur trades. Today they have been replaced by fishing, tourists in the summer coming to admire the bears, the fjords, practice sport fishing and above all (to my great surprise) the production of hydrocarbons. Alaska is very modernized! With trains that look like open skies, very nice for enjoying views... and helicopter and boat rides to tempt your colleagues. This is really very tempting...but I decided to move away from all that, not that I wouldn't like to do it, but I have this need to find simplicity, and happiness in the little things.
CHAPTER 3. THE FUTURE BELONGS TO US
After a few days of enjoying the road, eating by the river and exploring the surrounding area, I put on my snowshoes, load my bag and set off on a route given by a resident of Houston . He confirmed to me that it is one of his most beautiful hikes, always keeping in view the fjords, the tundra and especially the Alaskan mountain range. After a few hours of walking, and questioning my physical condition, I saw very clearly in the distance Denali, the highest point in North America, one of the 7 summits with more than 6000 m altitude, it constitutes the heart of Denali National Park and Preserve. Despite a very harsh climate in winter, demographic censuses indicate that the population is increasing from year to year! I thought that this extreme climate could make the younger generation want to go elsewhere, finally and it seems very logical and I have the impression that the new trend where everyone wants to go green has become global. Going to the countryside, buying a van and fitting it out, doing old-fashioned road trips in a tent and bivouac... By staying in this movement, I am only positive about the future.
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CHAPTER 4. ALL SINNERS
I was advised to go talk to a family not far from where I am, in order to discover the fly fishing which is very common here. After very long minutes of discussion, the presentation of their passion, their types of fishing rods and hook kits, I in turn spoke to them about my journey, the adventure and the choice that made me brought here. They asked me to accompany them this afternoon on their family boat to dive into the heart of their discipline, to which I immediately said yes! Between the rainbow and king fish on the Kenai, I was amazed by the reflection of the landscapes on the water. With the only music being the sound of the waves hitting the boat, lulling us all afternoon between two keys. In the distance I see a brown bear walking along the bank, here they pass 3 meters from you without worrying about what you are going to do, except try to recover your fish caught there ago little. What a discovery! Patience is really the key word in this discipline. She will have taught me that everything comes in time to those who know how to wait.
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CHAPTER 5. THE BLACK SPOT
After an ice skating outing on a lake I go to a coffee shop to warm up and enjoy a good coffee, at the table to my right, I hear a fairly loud hubbub coming from a group of all ages speaking hydrocarbon exploitations. The evening of my arrival I read that almost the majority of Alaska's budget came from hydrocarbons, and that the era of black gold, as they call it, had shaken up this country from the years 1900-1910. Since then, large companies have settled in the north of the country and several oil leaks have already been recorded. Listening a little to their exchange, I learned that a few years ago an oil exploitation project in the protected territory of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge saw the light of day. Postponed several times, it was authorized by the Trump Administration, then the exploitation of fossil fuels was suspended by the Joe Biden Administration a few months ago, but for how long? After this little noisy break, here I am back in my little cabin of 40 square meters, a great luxury for the inhabitants of Paris. Being curious by nature, before returning to school I went to find out at the tourist office about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; it is the largest protected natural area and largest wildlife refuge in the United States! Home to a greater variety of plants and animals than any other protected area in the Arctic Circle... I better understand why this heated discussion, drilling will harm the already imperiled polar bears and the migrating caribou herds that come into this area for giving birth. I hope that one day we will all be able to convince these companies and multinationals to respect the environment and our future.
CHAPTER 6. THE LAST FRONTIER
After a return trip to Kodiak to observe the bear taking its name from this archipelago, here I am in Anchorage, the largest city in this American state. I have been in Alaska for several days now. The time seems to me to be longer than usual, even in slow motion. As if all the incessant hubbub of the city had never existed, always running to get ready, running to go to work, running to do the shopping, until the evening finally going to bed, to watch TV, scroll on the networks and end up falling asleep on it only to do it all again the next day. As if here, I was fully present with what I'm doing, without thinking about the miles and one tasks to do when I get home apart from chopping wood, looking for food and finding the best spot to try to observe the Northern Lights. What if that was the secret to happiness? Nothing material because everything is ephemeral, simply knowing how to enjoy the present moment, savor each moment, alone or with others. A day is worth two for those who do everything in their proper time. Alaska is nicknamed the last frontier, and as there is never a coincidence, I think that if I had not made this trip and if I had not had this trigger, I would never have left this place. infernal spiral metro, work, sleep. Of course I will return to mainland France to work, but from now on I would do things very differently, I would think of myself first before thinking of the company. And above all, I would go on an adventure as soon as possible, whether in France, Europe or further afield. This disconnection will indeed have allowed me to reconnect with myself, and above all, with real life.
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