James W. Cotton, Author and Artist from Alaska

My Interests, my true love in life...

Natural history is a fascinating subject that finds its way into my writing almost constantly. I studied geology in College, and I am continuing my education at the local institution here in Alaska. I've taken part in numerous fossil hunting expeditions in the western U.S. and Canada, and I own a considerable collection of high quality fossil and mineral specimens.

Outdoor Adventure.

Growing up in a rural area of California meant spending much of my early days on the backs of horses. I raised and trained Arabian horses for show and pleasure, and competed in several fifty and one hundred mile long endurance races, including the 100 mile Western States Trail Race (commonly called the 'Tevis Cup')back in the 1980's.

Since then, I've been into hiking, climbing, and I've even done some dog mushing. I've climbed many of the 14,000 foot peaks in the Western United States, and a few of the glacier covered peaks here in Alaska.