Going with the wind

The recent Kenai Peninsula wildfire gave me a better understanding of wind. I’ve known since my years in Kid World that fires like wind. The… Continue reading

Aquatic habitat mapping "Off-the-Shelf"

Aquatic habitat mapping “Off-the-Shelf”

Since I was a little boy, I’ve been interested in exploring the underwater world. My favorite TV show was the Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.… Continue reading

Aquatic habitat mapping "Off-the-Shelf"

Standup paddleboarding picks up steam

BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. — Merrill Mann had always been intrigued when she saw people on standup paddleboards tooling around on area lakes, so when she found… Continue reading

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Fire footprint – ghosts of fires past

I flew over much of the Funny River Horse Trail Fire this past Monday. Almost three weeks after the fire was first detected on May… Continue reading

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After the burn

Some good will come from the recent wildfire on the Kenai Peninsula. You might not see it right now, looking at 200,000 acres of dead,… Continue reading

Summer in Alaska all about multi-tasking

FAIRBANKS — This year, it’s going to be all about multi-tasking.In compiling my annual summer list of 20 outdoor things to do in Alaska, I… Continue reading

Strong showing of Russian River sockeye salmon

For almost two weeks a steady stream of sockeye have been visible in the clear, low water of the Russian River — the dark grey… Continue reading

Fire-adapted plants thrive after wildfire

Fire-adapted plants thrive after wildfire

The massive wildfire that recently engulfed a good chunk of the local landscape may look like a bleak, uninviting place for some time, but regenerative… Continue reading

Fire-adapted plants thrive after wildfire

The crick

One of the nice features of my neighborhood in Sterling is an unnamed crick. In case you’re wondering, I call any running water that you… Continue reading

Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion  In this July 2, 2013 file photo - halibut of all sizes are lined up after a trip with Alaska Gulf Coast Expeditions in the Cook Inlet.

Hunting for halibut a good option for early season anglers

As the calm and unseasonably warm weather continues in the Cook Inlet, many anglers are looking to the sea to start their fishing seasons. Charter… Continue reading

Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion  In this July 2, 2013 file photo - halibut of all sizes are lined up after a trip with Alaska Gulf Coast Expeditions in the Cook Inlet.

Les Palmer: The state of the Kenai, Part 2

Author’s note: Part 2 in a series of two columns.Over the years, fish habitat and the quality of the fishing experience have deteriorated on the… Continue reading

The Hokulea sailing canoe is seen off Honolulu on Tuesday, April 29, 2014. The Polynesian voyaging canoe is setting off on a 3-year voyage around the world, navigating using no modern instrumentation. (AP Photo/Sam Eifling)

Legendary Hawaii canoe embarks on global odyssey

HONOLULU — To take the Hokulea for a spin off the coast of Oahu is to see the Hawaiian islands in perhaps the same way… Continue reading

The Hokulea sailing canoe is seen off Honolulu on Tuesday, April 29, 2014. The Polynesian voyaging canoe is setting off on a 3-year voyage around the world, navigating using no modern instrumentation. (AP Photo/Sam Eifling)
Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Trainers and course participants help simulate the disorienting nature of being turned upside down while underwater in a shaking aircraft.

Refuge Notebook: Surviving an aircraft crash in the water

“Mayday! The engine has failed! This is an emergency! Prepare for ditching!” These dreaded words hopefully no one hears. However, in the event of an… Continue reading

Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Trainers and course participants help simulate the disorienting nature of being turned upside down while underwater in a shaking aircraft.

Les Palmer: The state of the Kenai part 1

Author’s note: Part one of a series of two.The vitality of the Kenai River is threatened. Power boat wakes and stream bank development have contributed… Continue reading

Before you ride, get your bike in tune

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Once upon a time, bikes were pretty simple and durable machines, but as they’ve improved mechanically, they’ve also become more complex.If… Continue reading

Maximum extent of the last major (Naptowne) glaciation compared to localities where fossils have been found.

Refuge Notebook: Ice-age mammals on the Kenai Peninsula – an update

In her 2008 book, “Kachemak Bay communities, their histories, their mysteries,” Janet Klein first published information about the fossils of extinct woolly mammoths found along… Continue reading

Maximum extent of the last major (Naptowne) glaciation compared to localities where fossils have been found.

Les Palmer: Angling ethics

Angling — fishing with hook and line — has a long history. It was already highly developed when Stone Age artists were painting fishing and… Continue reading

This photo provided by courtesy of Dave Estis shows duck calls created by Tate Estis in a workshop at his home in New Kent, Va. Tate Estis was so fascinated by the duck calls he and his father used to duck hunt, he started pulling them apart to see how they worked and eventually he made them. Every duck call he creates is unique. (AP Photo/Dave Estis)

Handmade duck calls attract a following

When Scott Simmons received a wooden duck call in college, he was instantly intrigued by the possibility of making one.“I recognized then that those little… Continue reading

This photo provided by courtesy of Dave Estis shows duck calls created by Tate Estis in a workshop at his home in New Kent, Va. Tate Estis was so fascinated by the duck calls he and his father used to duck hunt, he started pulling them apart to see how they worked and eventually he made them. Every duck call he creates is unique. (AP Photo/Dave Estis)
This Jan. 18, 2014 photo shows an unidentified climber making her way up the Ouray Ice Park in Ouray, Colo. Chicks with Picks, a company founded to introduce the sport of ice climbing to women, holds several clinics each winter in in the Ouray Ice Park,  a city-owned facility with man-made ice in a natural gorge. (AP Photo/Donna Bryson)

Empowering women, one ice pick at a time

OURAY, Colo. — The timpani beat of cramponed boots thudding into ice. The treble tick-tock of scythe-like picks digging the next foothold. A sudden chord… Continue reading

This Jan. 18, 2014 photo shows an unidentified climber making her way up the Ouray Ice Park in Ouray, Colo. Chicks with Picks, a company founded to introduce the sport of ice climbing to women, holds several clinics each winter in in the Ouray Ice Park,  a city-owned facility with man-made ice in a natural gorge. (AP Photo/Donna Bryson)

Five recreational activities to explore before tourists arrive

Now that the calendar has rolled over to May and the days have grown longer, the great outdoors is beckoning to be explored. Don’t let… Continue reading