At play where the midnight sun holds court
In August, Alana and I participated in the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic. I for the second time and Alana for her first. It was the first time in all of these events that I set out to go with someone else. The experience would be and was far different than when I first participated in … Read more
I wrote the following essay for the January 2019 edition of Alaska Magazine. Each paw is carefully placed atop the snow, allowing silent movement as he prowls around willow thickets or narrow trails through the forest. While his eyes scan the surrounding vegetation, his ear’s stand above his head, ready to pick up the slightest … Read more
I wrote this article for the May 2018 edition of Alaska Magazine about the evolution of the town of Wiseman, Alaska over the past 100 years. Here is the full version. Sixty-three miles north of the Arctic Circle lies a cluster of log cabins that form the town of Wiseman. The town sits beneath towering … Read more
This is my most recent article for Alaska Magazine, printed in their September 2020 issue. Here is an excerpt from the essay: “ Growing up in suburbanChicago, I had few opportunities for hunting. The metropolitan area is filled with human activity and development. Even though there are small parcels of forest, those are off limits to … Read more
I have been slacking in the posts department lately and it shows with only 1 post here in the last 10 months. More posts to come soon on getting my pilots license and flying throughout the state, biking 100 miles around the White Mountains with a friend, visiting a friend at Lake Clark, and getting … Read more
The wind whipped along the ridgeline, gusting across and ferrying the few loose flakes into the valley below. Up high among the tors, the light and the terrain made one think of winter. The soft pastels lit up the horizon beyond the mountains as the sun shone its last light for the day. Snow covered … Read more
[iframe style=”border:none” src=”//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/6417086/height/100/width/480/thumbnail/no/render-playlist/no/theme/custom/tdest_id/687267/custom-color/#87A93A” height=”100″ width=”480″ scrolling=”no” allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen] This week’s episode is with Bjorn Olson of Homer. Bjorn is well known throughout the adventure community for his pioneering routes by fatbike throughout the state, often in the Northwest Arctic. He seeks more from his trips than self enjoyment, instead making a … Read more
[iframe style=”border:none” src=”//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/6409773/height/100/width/480/thumbnail/no/render-playlist/no/theme/custom/tdest_id/687267/custom-color/#87A93A” height=”100″ width=”480″ scrolling=”no” allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen] Justin Olnes sat down with me to discuss his recent research into boreal forest ecology. Justin’s primary focus was on herbivores (specifically snowshoe hares) impact on floodplain and treeline ecosystems. We discuss snowshoe hares, herbivore/vegetation dynamics, Justin’s concept of the snowshoe hare filter and … Read more
After first arriving in Alaska, I returned home and devoured all the resources I could about the state. Memoirs, history works, anthropological works on early peoples, and documentaries were among some of the things that satiated my curiosity and brought about the Spirit of Alaska. Not much has changed since that time 5 years ago. … Read more
Bears, wolves, wolverines and lynx. All rank high on the lists of animals that people wish to see when coming to Alaska. However in a state located so far north, population densities remain small. The coupling of minimal vegetative diversity and a harsh climate make for an environment that is unfriendly to large populations. Despite … Read more