A January day in Alaska brings random thoughts on politics, fishing and snowmachines
Rather than debate the issues, head outside and take advantage of what has so far been a wonderfully benign winter.
Outdoors/Adventure
Looking for a social outlet but bored of bonfires? Try ice skating and sledding (and save the bonfire for later)
It’s time for some fresh ideas for ways to see friends safely and outdoors.
Collecting guns won’t fatten the retirement fund, but the ones kept out of sentiment bring rich rewards
Firearms that become keepers are a savings account you create memories with, and that’s justification enough for acquiring more than meet your hunting needs.
On the revamped out-and-back Iditarod route, Skwentna will be the site of mushers’ final layover
Mushers must still take three mandatory layovers, including an eight-hour break in Skwentna 60 miles from the finish line.
ExxonMobil becomes latest sponsor to sever Iditarod ties
The Iditarod has lost another major sponsor as it prepares for a scaled back version of this year’s race because of the pandemic.
‘It felt like I was the first person to step on Mars’: Anchorage free divers plunge into icy Rabbit Lake
The alpine adventure took two days, months of planning and lots of guts.
It’s a sad day when people need an A.I. collar to tell them when their dog is happy (or needs to go pee)
Electronics are fallible, and they can rob a generation of basic knowledge.
There are no mentors and mentees in a duck blind, only friends and partners — and dogs who want to hunt
There are many good reasons to begin duck hunting, including the acquisition of a springer spaniel who stares longingly at the sky and binge-watches the bird feeder.
Alaska can taunt you with darkness and bad weather — but for so many of us, we can’t quit it
After weeks without sunshine or rain in the winter, Alaska, like a bad boyfriend, shows up with flowers and asks us to take it back. And we do.
At a quiet cabin in Alaska, all is calm — if not completely silent — for a dog easily spooked by fireworks
Silence is a perception — the absence of annoying sounds, perhaps, but not the absence of all sound.
Sled dog teams will start and finish the 2021 Iditarod at Deshka Landing
A field of 54 mushers is expected to start the race on Sunday, March 7.
As pandemic-cooped crowds hit Alaska’s backcountry, concerns grow about avalanche danger for all users
Winter safety experts want new users to be aware of the risks and experienced ones to exercise care if they seek out new, unexplored terrain to escape the crowds.
To sleep, perchance to fish — but where? A fancy shanty, or a no-frills hut?
Fishing inside a shanty or hut eases the frustration caused by cold hands, ice on the line and the inability to take a nap in relative comfort.
If you added some pandemic pounds in 2020, try setting goals and changing habits in 2021
Instead of focusing on weight loss, focus on a goal and how to reach it.
Cyclists hit fast trails at the 2020 Merry Masher fat bike race in Chugiak
A time-trial format was chosen to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19.
The first step in extracting your snowmachine from overflow: Avoid overflow
Getting stuck in overflow doesn’t have to ruin an outing, but it can make it memorable.
What to do in the great Alaska indoors when going outside is a bad option
Dancing, yoga and at-home strength training and high-intensity workouts can keep you busy when the weather or the darkness overwhelms you.
A stranger’s brief interlude with a puppy brings bittersweet memories and a bit of merriment
Rigby got a chance to get out for a holiday hike, and in the process made a new friend.
Even in winter, the outdoors is giving Alaskans a break from pandemic restrictions
With plentiful snow and a continuing “hunker-down,” Anchorage outdoor gear shops are reporting spikes in sales.
Alaska’s hard-core predators don’t have it as easy as you may think
Recognizing that critters near the top of the food chain often struggle to survive might make you a bit slower to pull out the shotgun when a hungry lynx circles the chicken coop.