Life

An Outdoor View: Fishing the forum

When fishing opportunities are few, I sometimes enjoy fishing in the various forums on the Internet.You never know what you might find in a fishing… Continue reading

Ott Jones' sculpture of Jim Bridger looks west from the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce on South 19th Avenue in Bozeman on Jan. 27, 2015. Bridger, depicted in the Oscar-nominated film "The Revenant," was a mountain man, trapper and scout that explored much of the Gallatin Valley and the West in the early 19th century. (Ben Pierce/Bozeman Daily Chronicle via AP)

Jim Bridger: The man, the myth, the legend

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — For a 19th century mountain man, Jim Bridger has been getting a lot of attention these days.Depicted in the Oscar-nominated film… Continue reading

Ott Jones' sculpture of Jim Bridger looks west from the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce on South 19th Avenue in Bozeman on Jan. 27, 2015. Bridger, depicted in the Oscar-nominated film "The Revenant," was a mountain man, trapper and scout that explored much of the Gallatin Valley and the West in the early 19th century. (Ben Pierce/Bozeman Daily Chronicle via AP)
A brown bear leaves hair snagged on a barbed wire enclosure in June 2010. DNA from those hairs was used to help estimate the brown bear population on the Kenai Peninsula, a study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management early this year. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

Refuge Notebook: How science helps manage the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

Scientific research is something all of us were exposed to in school and something we hear routinely in the news. Most know that the hallmark… Continue reading

A brown bear leaves hair snagged on a barbed wire enclosure in June 2010. DNA from those hairs was used to help estimate the brown bear population on the Kenai Peninsula, a study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management early this year. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

An Outdoor View: Observations on salmon fishing

Author’s note: This column previously appeared in the Clarion June, 6, 2003. I’ve edited it for brevity. — LPI have a theory that some people… Continue reading

In this photo taken Nov. 23, 2015, Associated Press reporter Martha Bellisle takes her first rifle shots during a "Try-It Biathlon" clinic at the West Yellowstone Rendezvous Ski Trails center, in West Yellowstone, Mont. Cross country skiing is a full-body activity that places demands on arms, shoulders, legs, core and lungs, and racers must also master the art of picking the perfect ski wax to match snow conditions. Biathlon requires all of those skills, but adds an 8-pound rifle that's strapped to the skier's back and the discipline to calm everything down in an instant to fire off five shots in between skiing laps. (AP Photo)

Biathlon combines the speed of skiing with marksmanship

WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. — It’s 17 degrees outside and I’m lying on my stomach in the snow with my cheek against a rifle, focusing through… Continue reading

In this photo taken Nov. 23, 2015, Associated Press reporter Martha Bellisle takes her first rifle shots during a "Try-It Biathlon" clinic at the West Yellowstone Rendezvous Ski Trails center, in West Yellowstone, Mont. Cross country skiing is a full-body activity that places demands on arms, shoulders, legs, core and lungs, and racers must also master the art of picking the perfect ski wax to match snow conditions. Biathlon requires all of those skills, but adds an 8-pound rifle that's strapped to the skier's back and the discipline to calm everything down in an instant to fire off five shots in between skiing laps. (AP Photo)
With a basic pair of snowshoes, just about any hike on the Kenai Peninsula is accessible in the winter. (Clarion file photo)

Peninsula has plenty of places for snowshoes – or ice spikes

Kenai Peninsula Outdoor Club member Julie Williams, of Kenai, will tell you some of her favorite trails for snowshoeing on the Kenai Peninsula, with one… Continue reading

With a basic pair of snowshoes, just about any hike on the Kenai Peninsula is accessible in the winter. (Clarion file photo)
Potential landscape linkages between National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges in northern Alaska identified using an analysis of geodiversity. (Graphic by Dawn Magnesss, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

Refuge Notebook: Conserving nature’s stage in Alaska

The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1980 with passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). Prior to ANILCA, refuge lands… Continue reading

Potential landscape linkages between National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges in northern Alaska identified using an analysis of geodiversity. (Graphic by Dawn Magnesss, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

An Outdoor View: Sea stories

On Monday, a team of four women arrived at Cairn, Australia, in a 29-foot boat, having rowed from San Francisco, a distance of about 8,500… Continue reading

2016 is the 75th birthday of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. For fun or as a challenge, complete the checklist of 75 things to do on the refuge this year.

Refuge Notebook: Celebrate the Kenai Refuge’s 75th birthday in 75 ways

I’ve started a new tradition in our home for 2016. Every Friday night we write down something special that happened to us during the week… Continue reading

2016 is the 75th birthday of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. For fun or as a challenge, complete the checklist of 75 things to do on the refuge this year.

An Outdoor View: Curiosity

I have an irrepressible urge that goes back to my childhood. Whenever I go past water of any description, I look at it and wonder… Continue reading

If you're taking a photo, have the camera ready and keep the fish in the water or just above it. (Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson)

Tight Lines: In defense of catch-and-release

Les Palmer’s recent article, and scathing condemnation of catch-and-release fishing, certainly stirred a great deal of debate and controversy. So, I will open this Tight… Continue reading

If you're taking a photo, have the camera ready and keep the fish in the water or just above it. (Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson)
The low light pollution on the Kenai Peninsula allows for great photos of our nightscape. (Photo by Rebecca Uta)

Refuge Notebook: The Dark Side – photographing our nightscape

I recently received a gift for gracefully aging of a Canon D3300. Being a photography hobbyist and a complete amateur, I have diligently studied our… Continue reading

The low light pollution on the Kenai Peninsula allows for great photos of our nightscape. (Photo by Rebecca Uta)
This May 25, 2013 photo shows French breakfast radishes at the Bayview Farmer's Market in Langley, Wash., that are typical of many edibles that are eaten raw. They need to be washed before serving to remove dirt and bacteria as well as any residual pesticides. (Dean Fosdick via AP)

Making sure food from your garden is safe to eat

Gardening delivers produce that is tastier, cheaper and safer than store-bought, right? Well, not necessarily safer.“There’s always the potential from contamination, whether you grow your… Continue reading

This May 25, 2013 photo shows French breakfast radishes at the Bayview Farmer's Market in Langley, Wash., that are typical of many edibles that are eaten raw. They need to be washed before serving to remove dirt and bacteria as well as any residual pesticides. (Dean Fosdick via AP)

An Outdoor View: The value of patience

“Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.”— SaadiIt occurred to me the other day that we’re losing our patience.If you’re wondering, I’m… Continue reading

In this Jan. 2 photo, Rich Savoyski, left, and Kara Zwickey furiously sweep in front of their teams' curling stone to bring it into the red-outlined house to score a goal at Kevin Bell Arena in Homer.(Anna Frost/The Homer News)

Curling: Harder than it looks – but lots of fun

The key to curling success is two-fold: put more weight on the broom than the stone and, most importantly, trust the stone will not pull… Continue reading

In this Jan. 2 photo, Rich Savoyski, left, and Kara Zwickey furiously sweep in front of their teams' curling stone to bring it into the red-outlined house to score a goal at Kevin Bell Arena in Homer.(Anna Frost/The Homer News)
Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion A man pulls an inflated ball off of his shoulders after playing the inaugural game of "bubble soccer," during halftime at a Brown Bears game on Dec. 4, 2015 in the Soldotna Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska.

Soldotna debuts ‘bubble soccer’

Surprise body-checking is a thing. Slide tackling friends is a thing. Soccer on ice is the thing. With the Soldotna Parks and Recreation debut of… Continue reading

Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion A man pulls an inflated ball off of his shoulders after playing the inaugural game of "bubble soccer," during halftime at a Brown Bears game on Dec. 4, 2015 in the Soldotna Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska.
Mt. Redoubt provides a scenic backdrop on the Kenai Flats, one of the more important areas visited during the 2015 Christmas Bird Count. These Trumpeter Swans were photographed in April 2006, but the conditions were identical to what was encountered during this year's count. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

Refuge Notebook: Christmas Bird Counts – a new family tradition

As we say goodbye to our meager snow accumulation and brace ourselves for another warm week this winter, I can’t help but think about what… Continue reading

Mt. Redoubt provides a scenic backdrop on the Kenai Flats, one of the more important areas visited during the 2015 Christmas Bird Count. These Trumpeter Swans were photographed in April 2006, but the conditions were identical to what was encountered during this year's count. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

An Outdoor View: Evolution

Author’s note: Nothing much has changed since this column first appeared in the Clarion on Aug. 25, 2006. — LPWhen camping in the late 1940s,… Continue reading

In this Jan. 5, 2016 photo, Blair Bullock walks by his home after he used a homemade snow machine to cover his front yard with snow, in Bristol, Va. The snow, which began "falling" Monday night and continued into Tuesday morning, is the manmade variety thanks to a snow gun - a combination of pipe, valves and an oscillating electric motor - engineered and built by Bullock. (David Crigger/The Bristol Herald-Courier via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

Virginia man takes snowmaking into his own hands

BRISTOL, Va. — A winter wonderland of up to 9 inches of snow blankets Blair Bullock’s Meadow Drive yard recently — even though official records… Continue reading

In this Jan. 5, 2016 photo, Blair Bullock walks by his home after he used a homemade snow machine to cover his front yard with snow, in Bristol, Va. The snow, which began "falling" Monday night and continued into Tuesday morning, is the manmade variety thanks to a snow gun - a combination of pipe, valves and an oscillating electric motor - engineered and built by Bullock. (David Crigger/The Bristol Herald-Courier via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
In this undated photo, large and small pores abound in this well-aggregated soil, offering roots access to both air and moisture in New Paltz, N.Y. (Lee Reich via AP)

Let’s talk dirt: soil terms every gardener should know

Good gardens start from the ground up, but to be a good soil steward you have to understand some basic terminology.A few important terms associated… Continue reading

In this undated photo, large and small pores abound in this well-aggregated soil, offering roots access to both air and moisture in New Paltz, N.Y. (Lee Reich via AP)