Winter view of one of the Refuge’s many treasures, Skilak Lake, Credit FWS/L. Hupp
Winter view of one of the Refuge’s many treasures, Skilak Lake, Credit FWS/L. Hupp

80 years of conservation and counting

Just a few weeks ago, on Dec. 16, the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge turned 80.

Winter view of one of the Refuge’s many treasures, Skilak Lake, Credit FWS/L. Hupp
Winter view of one of the Refuge’s many treasures, Skilak Lake, Credit FWS/L. Hupp
Patrick Lewis hikes out of the Grand Canyon on a recent five-day trip to the National Park. (Photo by Kat Sorensen)

Tangled Up In Blue: We’ll meet again someday

Over the five years that I’ve written Tangled Up In Blue, a lot has happened that seems so insignificant now.

Patrick Lewis hikes out of the Grand Canyon on a recent five-day trip to the National Park. (Photo by Kat Sorensen)
A scud (Gammarus lacustris) collected from North Vogel Lake. Trout and other fish depend on invertebrates like this scud for food. (Photo by Matt Bowser/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: Checking on the little things that fish need

Whether or not we care about these tiny animals themselves, fish depend on them as food.

A scud (Gammarus lacustris) collected from North Vogel Lake. Trout and other fish depend on invertebrates like this scud for food. (Photo by Matt Bowser/USFWS)
Drew Slegers, a fourth grader at Soldotna Elementary, snowshoes on Headquarters Lake just outside of Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Solstice snowshoe

Celebrating 80 years of refuge

Drew Slegers, a fourth grader at Soldotna Elementary, snowshoes on Headquarters Lake just outside of Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Skating on Jean Lake on Nov. 21, 2021. (Photo courtesy Sabine Poux on Ashlyn O’Hara’s camera)

Out of the Office: Solace in skating

I’m used to the cold, but Alaska’s darkness has proved difficult to get used to. In my hometown in Idaho temperatures used to drop below… Continue reading

Skating on Jean Lake on Nov. 21, 2021. (Photo courtesy Sabine Poux on Ashlyn O’Hara’s camera)
A flowering roundleaf orchid (Galearis rotundifolia). A splash of bright color on a green ground cover. (Photo by Samuel Artaiz/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: A needle in a peatland haystack

Touching down, we could feel the widened skids sink, yet securely, on what was a soggy layer of peat. With a nod from the pilot,… Continue reading

A flowering roundleaf orchid (Galearis rotundifolia). A splash of bright color on a green ground cover. (Photo by Samuel Artaiz/USFWS)
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Tangled Up in Blue: Marathon training

I didn’t run any marathons this past month, despite three months of semiserious training. The Space Coast Marathon went off in Orlando the Saturday after… Continue reading

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A red fox sleeping by a plane near the Kavik River in Alaska. (Photo by Frannie Nelson, USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: Missing dog, Kenai Peninsula — Red and WILD!

This past summer, I was working on a project outside of Fairbanks. While I was there, I stayed with my cousin. Upon arriving, I could… Continue reading

A red fox sleeping by a plane near the Kavik River in Alaska. (Photo by Frannie Nelson, USFWS)
Cheryl Fellman checks her watch before attempting an Ice Mile. An Ice Mile is a type of endurance swim that tasks swimmers with covering a mile in water that is 41 degrees or colder. Fellman swam a mile in just under 35 minutes on Saturday at Auke Recreation Area. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Juneau woman completes a mile in near-freezing water

The 49-year-old mother of two and longtime Juneau resident swam Saturday for more than half an hour.

Cheryl Fellman checks her watch before attempting an Ice Mile. An Ice Mile is a type of endurance swim that tasks swimmers with covering a mile in water that is 41 degrees or colder. Fellman swam a mile in just under 35 minutes on Saturday at Auke Recreation Area. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
Michael Armstrong and his dog Leia harvest a Christmas tree in December 2013 on his land on Diamond Ridge near Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Jenny Stroyeck)
Michael Armstrong and his dog Leia harvest a Christmas tree in December 2013 on his land on Diamond Ridge near Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Jenny Stroyeck)
Sun coming through snow-covered branches with cross-country ski tracks on trail. (Photo by Ashley Lutto/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: It’s more fun than walking

I’m not sure which one of us was more excited about the fresh snow, my ski partner or me. We rushed out the front door… Continue reading

Sun coming through snow-covered branches with cross-country ski tracks on trail. (Photo by Ashley Lutto/USFWS)
The reward of cold weather are the displays of the aurora borealis, like this one taken this fall on the Kenai. (Photo by K. Inman/FWS)

Refuge Notebook: Thankful for winter’s natural wonders — A beautiful disorientation?

There’s a good chance I may be in the minority on this one, but I love winter. Most people I know prefer summer and shoulder… Continue reading

The reward of cold weather are the displays of the aurora borealis, like this one taken this fall on the Kenai. (Photo by K. Inman/FWS)
Michael proposes to Sarah at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. (Photo by Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Out of the Office: Falling in love one snowflake at a time

Do you want to know what I’ve been looking forward to the most since moving to Alaska? Snow! I love snow. Driving in it? OK,… Continue reading

Michael proposes to Sarah at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. (Photo by Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
A brown bear feeds on a salmon. (Photo by C. Canterbury/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: Bears, uniquely built to respond to winter

With the new snow and temperatures dipping into the single digits, you might find yourself hunkering down or replacing your summer outdoor gear for winter… Continue reading

A brown bear feeds on a salmon. (Photo by C. Canterbury/USFWS)
Ice sits ready to skate at Bottenintnin Lake in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska on Nov. 1, 2020. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Tangled Up in Blue: Skipping skating

I was looking forward to ice skating this winter. I had bought a pair of Nordic blades a little too late in the season last… Continue reading

Ice sits ready to skate at Bottenintnin Lake in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska on Nov. 1, 2020. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Fall colors, a dog and game in hand make for great outdoor experiences on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo by Colin Canterbury/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: On point this fall

His eyes were fixated on the white spruce before us. We knew what we sought was in there based on his behavior, but no matter… Continue reading

Fall colors, a dog and game in hand make for great outdoor experiences on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo by Colin Canterbury/USFWS)
The Kenai River curls to Skilak Lake, as seen from the Hideout Trail on July 5, 2020. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Out of the Office: Clearing the trail

One of the benefits of growing old is waking up and, despite having done nothing particularly noteworthy the day before, feeling as if you’ve been… Continue reading

The Kenai River curls to Skilak Lake, as seen from the Hideout Trail on July 5, 2020. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
A pleasant snow day in Seward, Alaska, on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. (Photo by Kat Sorensen)

Tangled Up in Blue: Snow day

A wet, sopping blanket of snow covered Seward this morning. Before sunrise, I could see the wisps of white pass my window, stacking onto the… Continue reading

A pleasant snow day in Seward, Alaska, on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. (Photo by Kat Sorensen)
Student Conservation Association trail crews work on adding trail to Burneyճ Trail in the Skilak Lake Recreation Area. (Photo by Lee Dudak/SCA)

Refuge Notebook: Getting a boost from SCA trail crews

This past summer, the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge saw the benefit from four additional trail crews provided by the Student Conservation Association. The SCA crews… Continue reading

Student Conservation Association trail crews work on adding trail to Burneyճ Trail in the Skilak Lake Recreation Area. (Photo by Lee Dudak/SCA)
A moose darts into the forest on Beaver Loop Road in Kenai, Alaska, during the Kenai River Marathon on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Refuge Notebook: Mating systems of moose and caribou

Driving home the other day, my friend and I came across a big bull caribou chasing several cows down Kalifornsky Beach Road. One hundred yards… Continue reading

A moose darts into the forest on Beaver Loop Road in Kenai, Alaska, during the Kenai River Marathon on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)