Alaska Outdoors

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Karin Bodony at the site of an obsidian tool discovery in the Nogahabara Dunes in 2002.

Mystery of the glass tool kit in the sand

From space, the Nogahabara Dunes are a splotch of blond sand about six miles in diameter surrounded by green boreal forest. Located west of the… Continue reading

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Karin Bodony at the site of an obsidian tool discovery in the Nogahabara Dunes in 2002.
Sonia Nagorski, assistant professor of Geology Arts and Sciences at the University of Alaska Southeast, investigates the undercut bank along the Mendenhall River on Tuesday. The river is nearing the point of cutting through a meander bend just north of the Brotherhood Bridge.

Mendenhall River soon to shorten (then lengthen)

In the not-too-distant future, the Mendenhall River will get about a half mile shorter. The land inside the u-shaped bend in the river that Riverbend… Continue reading

Sonia Nagorski, assistant professor of Geology Arts and Sciences at the University of Alaska Southeast, investigates the undercut bank along the Mendenhall River on Tuesday. The river is nearing the point of cutting through a meander bend just north of the Brotherhood Bridge.
Pollock feeding on young herring: note the bulbous bellies on the pollock, and the hole in the school of herring where the pollock near the surface just attacked.

On the Trails | A wildlife extravaganza in Auke Bay

During late November and early December, Auke Bay harbor put on a wildlife spectacular, drawing photographers, reporters, and just plain gawkers (such as me). Hordes… Continue reading

Pollock feeding on young herring: note the bulbous bellies on the pollock, and the hole in the school of herring where the pollock near the surface just attacked.

Southeast Alaskans deliver transboundary mining letter, MOU comments to State

It’s a matter of sequence.Southeast Alaskans involved on the issue of transboundary mines Wednesday delivered a letter to Governor Bill Walker and Lt. Governor Byron… Continue reading

Denali wolf numbers and viewing remain at historic low level

The National Park Service this week released its fall 2015 update on the status of Denali National Park’s troubled wolf population, showing the population and… Continue reading

Ski scholarship period extended

Eaglecrest Ski Area is extending the application process for the Hilary Lindh Scholarship, in which the selection committee will award season ski passes to four… Continue reading

Mountain conditions

New snow (24 hours):• Base: 0 inches• Top: 11 inchesNew Snow (48 hours):• Base: 0 inches• Top: 11 inchesTotal snow:• Base: 5 inches• Top: 82… Continue reading

The candy-stripe shrimp often associates with anemones, protected by the tentacles; sometimes it is found with other protectors too. The photographer commonly finds them associated with white anemones in our waters.

On the Trails: Animals that help each other

As I was reading a research paper about the foraging behaviors of killer whales (orcas), I found a small paragraph about some observations in Prince… Continue reading

The candy-stripe shrimp often associates with anemones, protected by the tentacles; sometimes it is found with other protectors too. The photographer commonly finds them associated with white anemones in our waters.

Troopers investigate deer wasting

Alaska Wildlife Troopers on Dec. 1 found a pile of discarded deer bones and meat in a dirt pllout near False Outer Point on Douglas… Continue reading

Surrounded by hundreds of common murres, an adult humpback whale shows its pectoral fin as it rolls in the water just outside the Don Statter Memorial Boat Harbor in Auke Bay on Monday. An increase in feed fish, herring, pollock and capelin, have been keeping a variety of birds and marine mammals feeding in the area for the last two weeks.

Auke Bay’s Wild Kingdom

If you’ve visited Auke Bay’s Statter Harbor in the last few weeks, you’ve seen a world gone wild.For the past two weeks, hundreds of common… Continue reading

Surrounded by hundreds of common murres, an adult humpback whale shows its pectoral fin as it rolls in the water just outside the Don Statter Memorial Boat Harbor in Auke Bay on Monday. An increase in feed fish, herring, pollock and capelin, have been keeping a variety of birds and marine mammals feeding in the area for the last two weeks.
Snow experts Mike Janes and Ed Shanley assess conditions on Mount Roberts.

Avalanche workshop aims to give people tools to survive

On a Friday night about a dozen years ago, Tom Mattice, then the owner of a snow cat skiing business, told a group of skiers:… Continue reading

Snow experts Mike Janes and Ed Shanley assess conditions on Mount Roberts.
An illustration of wires affected by air movement, drawn by Patricia Ann Davis, from the book Alaska Science Nuggets by Neil Davis.

Alaska Science Forum: Mystery of the dancing wires revealed

In this quiet, peaceful time of year, with all the noisy birds flown south and all the scary bears in hillside dens, little things catch… Continue reading

An illustration of wires affected by air movement, drawn by Patricia Ann Davis, from the book Alaska Science Nuggets by Neil Davis.

Mountain conditions

New snow (24 hours):• Base: 0 inches• Top: 0 inchesNew Snow (48 hours):• Base: 0 inches• Top: 0 inchesTotal snow:• Base: 10 inches• Top: 78… Continue reading

Christmas in Space at the Marie Drake Planetarium

The Marie Drake Planetarium will feature a free presentation on “Christmas in Space” Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m.University of Alaska Southeast astronomy professor Rosemary… Continue reading

Trappings season opens on ABCs

The trapping season for marten, river otter, mink and weasel opened Dec. 1 on Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof Islands (Unit 4). Unit 4 beaver season… Continue reading

November rain (and trap shooting)

On a cold, dark, rainy day in late November, the shooters at a Juneau Gun Club registered match shot a 300 bird Pacific International Trapshooting… Continue reading

On the events page at skijuneau.com, this art appears next to the notice the Eaglecrest Rail Jam event is postponed due to weather.

Eaglecrest’s Rail Jam postponed

Eaglecrest Ski Area’s Downtown Rail Jam, which was scheduled to happen Saturday, Nov. 28, has been postponed. In an email sent Friday, Eaglecrest's Marketing and… Continue reading

On the events page at skijuneau.com, this art appears next to the notice the Eaglecrest Rail Jam event is postponed due to weather.
The new village site of Mertarvik, about 12 miles from Newtok.

Alaska Science Forum: A migratory house for villages on the move

As a river eats its way into Newtok, residents are planning their moves to a new village site 12 miles away. One family will move… Continue reading

The new village site of Mertarvik, about 12 miles from Newtok.
Trees, laden with fresh snow, reflect on the calm surface of Auke Lake in mid-November.

Wild Shots

The Empire Outdoors page is looking for superb images of Alaska’s wildlife, scenery or plant life. Send your photos via email to: Outdoors editor, outdoors@juneauempire.com.… Continue reading

Trees, laden with fresh snow, reflect on the calm surface of Auke Lake in mid-November.

On the Trails: Snow!

The first halfway decent snowfall in mid November drew me out to look for animal tracks and anything else of interest. I went with a… Continue reading