The Forest Service cabin was a sauna so I went outside, stood at the edge of the lake and listened. We had hauled in some… Continue reading
On these March nights, a male boreal owl has been singing from a wooden owl box near our home. The late biologist Dave Klein attached… Continue reading
February had an extra day this year, a cold and gusty one. Those gusts were enough to knock me off balance and make it temporarily… Continue reading
An old friend — a character not seen in these parts for a few years — showed up last week in Fairbanks. Ice fog. Ice… Continue reading
I found myself emotionally involved Sunday and felt the pending demise of the Detroit Lions with every dropped pass. I liked the story of the… Continue reading
For years, scientists have wondered why North America’s highest mountain is not a volcano. All the ingredients for volcanic activity lurk deep beneath Denali, which… Continue reading
The female woolly mammoth was 20 years old when she stumbled amid the grasslands. She fell in a cloud of dust, then gasped her last… Continue reading
While people are usually up for a good fight, things seem to get particularly heated this time of year. It’s cold, it’s dark, our team’s… Continue reading
On a slightly drippy day in late December, I wandered out to Point Louisa, right at a big high tide. Most of the folks I… Continue reading
Add another species to the list of organisms oozing over Alaska. A tiny gnat — one that in its larval stage sometimes crawls over its… Continue reading
Shortly before the winter solstice, I walked with a friend on the Boy Scout Camp Trail. There was a stiff, chilly breeze but — wonder… Continue reading
“There a knife in here?” “Shouldn’t be.” As a TSA agent, how many times has he heard that? Of course there shouldn’t be, but if… Continue reading
On a recent afternoon, middle Alaska slipped into darkness. But a few hours after the 3:17 p.m. sunset, a golden light appeared in a field… Continue reading
An eagle soars overhead, wings spread, making only minute steering adjustments of wing and tail feathers. It’s gliding on air currents and may travel considerable… Continue reading
As an instructor for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, I have stood before a group of Alaskans every Tuesday night this November. During the most recent… Continue reading
With mild temperatures and ample snow, much of Alaska is now primed for cross-country skiing. It’s a sport for all ages, made possible by friction.… Continue reading
I have fumbled for years attempting to put into words what the outdoor world means to me and succeed only in doing it well enough… Continue reading
