Joseph Robertia

There's value in knowing you are standing under a cottonwood and not just a generic “tree,” that you are watching an orb weaver and not just a generic “spider,” and that a spruce grouse is more than just a “stupid chicken.”

"I want to soak it all in – all of the hard work, tears, joy, that has come with pursuing this dream since the kennel began when I was 14," Shaynee Traska says.

Standing silently on the runners behind my daughter, I watched as she commanded the team to break trail, creating a memory that will forever warm my heart.

It all depends on your perspective. But the Kasilof author would argue that having a positive attitude can make the difference between a pleasant and crummy evening.

How often has an angler had the primo spot at the confluence of the Kenai and Russian rivers to himself? Thanks to three bears, I did once.

Water in the clear river is quite low, and a Fish and Game biologist saw lots of sockeye holed up.

Once a green teenager with much to learn about the Alaska outdoors, author Mike Chihuly now has 60 years of experience to lean upon.

“It is against my religion for dog saliva to come in contact with my skin," Zamara said on the way to a 40-dog kennel. "They told me to tell you right away."

Online trackers offer information, but also a new peril for husbands, wives, children and parents who obsess about the race to Nome for almost two weeks.

It also provided a sense of community to those living nearby during a dark and cold time of year.

The eruption of explosive barking from 40 sled dogs in the front yard was the first indication an intruder was on the property.

Termination dust crunched under our hiking boots as we took the final steps to summit a 2,857-foot peak on Skyline Trail. From the top, we could soak in a 360-degree view: the Kenai lowlands stretched west to the shimmering waters of Cook Inlet and the snow-cloaked Mount Redoubt beyond. To the north and east, we could … Continue reading When coaxing a 3-year-old Alaska girl to the mountaintop, M&M’s don’t hurt

There is a texture to early autumn mornings. The cool, predawn air stimulates more than stings — as it will in another month — the exposed skin of my cheeks, the only part of my body exposed while sitting on a four-wheeler being pulled by my 14 sled dogs. Along the shore of Cook Inlet, … Continue reading With the craziness of summer gone, quiet off-season beauty returns

High above treeline, the view was true Alaska wilderness. Undulating mountains stretched in every direction, the highest elevations touching the sagging gray clouds, which occasionally misted Mary Kuepper and her hunting partners, chilling them to their cores. But the silhouettes of caribou shuffling across the ridge of the next peak over kept her going. “My … Continue reading She never thought she’d be a hunter. Then she killed her first caribou.

KASILOF — By now, loyal mushing fans have heard the news that Lance Mackey — the only person to win both the Iditarod and Yukon Quest sled dog races in the same year — withdrew from the Last Great Race, citing “health reasons.” I was sad to learn the news, and I quickly realized after … Continue reading Why mushing fans support Lance Mackey, no matter what