Life

Snowshoers enjoy a stunning view of Mount Rainier on a trek near Paradise, Wash., Jan. 20, 2014. Synchronizing your steps atop snowshoes is an art - one that was practiced well before its rise in popularity as a winter recreation. (AP Photo/Roger Werth, Longview Daily News)

A crash course in smooth snowshoeing

PARADISE, Wash. (AP) — It seems simple enough: strap, stand, step — one foot in front of the other.But synchronizing your steps atop snowshoes is… Continue reading

Snowshoers enjoy a stunning view of Mount Rainier on a trek near Paradise, Wash., Jan. 20, 2014. Synchronizing your steps atop snowshoes is an art - one that was practiced well before its rise in popularity as a winter recreation. (AP Photo/Roger Werth, Longview Daily News)
USGS photo Launching a Raven Unmanned Aircraft System (aka drone) at Haleakala National Park in Hawaii to survey invasive plants and animals.

Refuge Notebook: Counting moose with drones? Maybe sooner than you think

Imagine you are at the controls of a Piper Super Cub flying at tree-top level 150 feet above the ground. As you fly 10-mile long… Continue reading

USGS photo Launching a Raven Unmanned Aircraft System (aka drone) at Haleakala National Park in Hawaii to survey invasive plants and animals.

The unexpected

The unexpected can make a fishing trip memorable.By “unexpected,” I don’t mean the times when the outboard quits and can’t be resuscitated. I mean the… Continue reading

This Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2014 photo shows chocolate mint peppermint growing in a pot in New Paltz, N.Y. With Valentine's Day coming up, thoughts naturally turn to chocolate. Chocolate mint peppermint is a chocolate-y alternative. (AP Photo/Lee Reich)

These plants are the next best thing to chocolate

With Valentine’s Day coming up, thoughts naturally turn to chocolate. How nice it would be for gardeners to give their beloved a living, growing, chocolate… Continue reading

This Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2014 photo shows chocolate mint peppermint growing in a pot in New Paltz, N.Y. With Valentine's Day coming up, thoughts naturally turn to chocolate. Chocolate mint peppermint is a chocolate-y alternative. (AP Photo/Lee Reich)
In this June 8, 2013 photo, Donnie Kolb pauses on a long stretch of gravel road with central Oregon's Fork Rock formation visible in the distance. Kolb has been organizing gravel bicycle rides for the past five years, usually keeping his events a bit on the down low. His outings are unsupported, unsanctioned, have no entry fee and crown no winner. (AP Photo/The Bulletin, Gabriel Amadeus)

Gravel roads offer miles of pedal-pushing

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Donnie Kolb has been organizing gravel bicycle rides for the past five years.Usually keeping his events a bit on the down… Continue reading

In this June 8, 2013 photo, Donnie Kolb pauses on a long stretch of gravel road with central Oregon's Fork Rock formation visible in the distance. Kolb has been organizing gravel bicycle rides for the past five years, usually keeping his events a bit on the down low. His outings are unsupported, unsanctioned, have no entry fee and crown no winner. (AP Photo/The Bulletin, Gabriel Amadeus)