AVALANCHE
Gain avalanche awareness
WHEN: Wednesday at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center in Girdwood
WHAT: Second of five sessions aimed at boosting avalanche awareness among backcountry travelers. Tonight's topic: snowpack and weather.
COST: Free
CONTACT: 783-3242
BICYCLING
Sheep Mountain bike races
WHEN: Dec. 11 at 9 a.m.
WHERE: Sheep Mountain Lodge
WHAT: Inaugural Sheep Mountain Bike Race, with 100- and 150-mile events on the Chickaloon-Knik-Nelchina trail system between Sheep Mountain and Eureka lodges. Open to experienced distance winter cyclists. Steep climbs, technical descents, frozen creeks and strong winds are a few of the challenges. Meals and lodging will be provided in the same historic roadhouses used by pioneer gold miners.
COST: $275 by Nov. 1; $375 Nov. 2-Dec. 10
CONTACT: sheepmountain150bike.com; arcticcycles@hotmail.com
BIRDING
Bird conference downtown
WHEN: Tuesday-Thursday
WHERE: Hotel Captain Cook
WHAT: 14th Alaska Bird Conference will feature presentations on beak deformities across the Pacific Northwest, the effects of climate change, a citizen science project monitoring seabird mortality and a keynote address by shorebird biologist Theunis Piersma of the Netherlands, who will talking about why western Alaska intertidal areas are so important for shorebirds migrating to six continents.
COST: Prices range from $20 to $175 depending on what you attend.
CONTACT: www.audubonalaska.org; 276-7034
CLIMBING
Adventurer Tingey on climbing
WHEN: Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: BP Energy Center, 1014 Energy Court
WHAT: Local mountaineer Ralph Tingey will describe several climbs at the Mountaineering Club of Alaska's monthly meeting. Tingey is the retired associate regional director of the National Park Service who climbed 16 years in the Tetons before moving to Alaska, where he was superintendent of such national parklands as Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Noatak National Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park and Lake Clark National Park. He's climbed extensively in the Alaska Range, including three ascents of Mount McKinley, and has run the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race.
COST: Free
CONTACT: NoffsingerRD@ci.anchorage.ak.us
DISC GOLF
Frozen Turkey tournament
WHEN: Saturday, 10 a.m. registration, 11 a.m. tee off.
WHERE: Westchester Lagoon Park
WHAT: A charity event held by the Alaska Disc Golf Association to benefit Bean's Cafe and serve as the grand reopening of the Westchester Lagoon Disc Golf Course, which has a new layout. Awards will be given for the most donated turkeys and the heaviest donated turkey.
COST: One frozen turkey to enter tournament; a second frozen turkey to get a player's pack.
CONTACT: www.alaskadiscgolf.com
DOG SPORTS
Flyball tourney for agile canine
WHEN: Nov. 27 at 10 a.m.
WHERE: Valley Canine Camp in Wasilla
WHAT: Watch the fast-paced dog sport of flyball, a timed relay involving head-to-head racing of two teams of four dogs. The animals negotiate four jumps to trigger a ball from a spring-loaded box, then return over the jumps to their handlers. Fastest team with the fewest errors wins. All sizes and breeds can compete.
COST: Free
CONTACT: www.flyballdogs.com
FISH BOARD
Fish board meeting in Homer
WHEN: Through Thursday
WHERE: Kachemak Bay Research Reserve, 95 Sterling Highway, Homer
WHAT: Meeting of the Alaska Board of Fisheries to consider lower Cook Inlet issues. Public hearing begins after staff reports and continues until everyone signed up gets to speak. Only those register ahead of time may speak. For a copy of proposed regulation changes, see boards.adfg.state.ak.us.
COST: Free
CONTACT: 907-465-4110
HUNTING
Apply now for 2011 hunts
WHEN: Through Dec. 31
WHERE: Online or by mail
WHAT: Hunters can apply online through the end of the year for drawing permit hunts and subsistence Tier I and Tier II hunts that take place next fall and the spring of 2012. Printed supplements detailing the hunts will be available beginning Wednesday at Alaska Department of Fish and Game offices and sporting goods retailers. A mid-October emergency board of game meeting that decided the fate of several key hunts delayed the printing. Hunters who apply online will be able to change their mind and edit their applications up to the deadline if they retain their online confirmation number. Paper applications must be postmarked by Nov. 30. Winners will be announced Feb. 25, 2011.
COST: Varies
CONTACT: wildlife.alaska.gov
MOVIES
Telemark film features local
WHEN: Saturday at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Arctic Valley Lodge
WHAT: Screening of the beautiful telemark movie "Flakes" featuring Alaska's Paige Brady and produced by the filmmaking company Powderwhores. Beer and wine will be available.
COST: $10; free to Anchorage Ski Club members
CONTACT: skiarctic.net
'The Storming' screened
WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday
WHERE: Alyeska Daylodge
WHAT: Screening of the snowboarding movie "The Storming", which includes footage of Sammy Leubke and Xavier De Le Rue in Valdez. "They had amazing conditions and both of them were in the mood to get nasty on some insane Alaska terrain," director Travis Robb told Onboard snowboarding magazine. Beer and wine will be available.
COST: $5
CONTACT: alyeskaresort.com
'Wild Coast' documentary
WHEN: Dec. 6 at 7:45 p.m.; Dec. 7 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Out North Theater
WHAT: Documentary premiering at Anchorage International Film Festival follows Homer residents Hig Higman and his wife Erin McKittrick as they walk, paddle and ski from Seattle to the tip of the Alaska Peninsula. "For the average Alaskan," notes director Greg Chaney, "it is a jaw dropping adventure. My first reaction was to fill the documentary with experts warning audience members 'not to try this at home' but I decided just to let the story unfold and allow the audience come to its own conclusions about whether Hig and Erin were sane or not." The couple will answer questions at both screenings.
COST: Various
CONTACT: www.groundtruthtrekking.org/Movie/
MOUNTAIN HISTORY
Nike Site Summit open house
WHEN: Thursday at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Pioneer Schoolhouse, 437 E. Third Ave.
WHAT: Open house and reception by Friends of Nike Site Summit and the Alaska Association for Historic Preservation features displays and information on the restoration of the former Nike Hercules missile battery atop Mount Gordon Lyon. Refreshments will be served. The group has teamed with the Army in an effort to preserve the site and let future Alaskans know about the history.
COST: Free
CONTACT: 694-3570
SKIING
Ski wax clinic and bake sale
WHEN: Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.
WHERE: Service High School
WHAT: Have your skis waxed by the Service High cross-country ski team. A 30-minute session at noon will demonstrate waxing technique skis. Please scrape of old wax and clean skis with liquid wax first.
COST: Donations accepted.
CONTACT: www.servicecrosscountry.com
Ski lessons for kids
WHEN: Saturdays through Jan. 8 at 1 p.m.; Tuesdays through Jan. 4 at 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Kincaid Park
WHAT: No experience necessary among children learning cross-country skiing. Practice locations may change according to weather conditions. Skiers provide their own equipment. Parent meetings are held the first meeting of each session.
COST: $50 per session
CONTACT: Margaret Timmerman, 343-4217
Adult nordic ski training
WHEN: Begins Dec. 7 at 6:30 p.m.; through March
WHERE: Beach Lake ski chalet in Chugiak
WHAT: Program for those who want to learn how to ski, improve technique, become a faster racer or just get in shape. Training focuses on classic and skate skiing. Skiers of all ability may join.
COST: $225
CONTACT: 376-2169
Teach adaptive skiers
WHEN: Thursday and Friday at 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Dimond Center Round Table Pizza (Thursday) and Girdwood's Challenge Alaska Building (Friday)
WHAT: Challenge Alaska is seeking volunteer instructors to join its adaptive ski and snowboarding school. Volunteer information meetings have question-and-answer sessions. Selected volunteers can earn credit for Alyeska lift tickets.
COST: Free
CONTACT: Challengealaska.org; 783-2925
SKIJORING
Solo trip with huskies
WHEN: Nov. 23 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: BP Energy Center, 900 E. Benson
WHAT: Laura Wright will give a slide presentation of her solo skijor trip with her two huskies on the Iditarod Trail from Galena to Unalakleet.
COST: Free
CONTACT: skijoring.org
WILDLIFE
Learn about our otters
WHEN: Dec. 8 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Alaska Zoo's Gateway Education Building
WHAT: Discover the world of northern sea otters and ongoing studies by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Research, threats, and how you can help with conservation will be covered.
COST: Free
CONTACT: www.alaskazoo.org