While wandering middle Alaska this summer, I noticed orange spruce trees along the entire length of the Denali Highway, from Paxson to Cantwell. In what looked like a dendrological case of frostbite, tips of every branch were afflicted with something. The real show happened when the wind blew: An entire valley glowed apricot. After […]
(Fairbanks, Alaska) – BLM Alaska Fire Service Smokejumpers responded to two fires in rural Alaska in the last few days, emphasizing dry conditions still exist in some areas despite the wet, cold weather present in other regions. The Richmond Fire (#338) burning 39 miles north of Bettles is suspected of being human-caused. It’s a reminder that […]
A scientist recently wondered which animal travels farthest across the landscape in one year. In doing his research, he found a few Alaska creatures near the top of the list. Kyle Joly is a biologist with the National Park Service in Fairbanks. He works for both Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve […]
It has been a rainy week in middle Alaska. Blah. But perhaps I judge liquid precipitation a bit harshly. Rain is, after all, the free distribution of a substance more valuable than gold. And, even in the Southeast’s Little Port Walter — where residents endure 80 days each year with precipitation amounts greater than […]