Alaska Outdoors

Help plan Glacier Bay’s future

Help plan Glacier Bay’s futureThe National Park Service invites the public to plan for the future of the “Frontcountry areas” of Glacier Bay National Park… Continue reading

The high bank to the left of the photo above will be lowered and the fill used to raise the streambank and other low spots. Then willows and other plants and will be used to revegetate the area to protect the creek. Two weeks later the Forest Service will bring in a crew to top off the trail.

Trail rehabilitation needs volunteers

Trout Unlimited and the US Forest Service have teamed up for another habitat rehabilitation project and need volunteers at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 11 at… Continue reading

The high bank to the left of the photo above will be lowered and the fill used to raise the streambank and other low spots. Then willows and other plants and will be used to revegetate the area to protect the creek. Two weeks later the Forest Service will bring in a crew to top off the trail.

Salmon project connects Alaskans

Salmon unite and divide Alaskans across the state.Gear type, purpose and region all come into play in a divisive debate over salmon allocation. Three years… Continue reading

A rare color-variation of chocolate lily, which usually has dark brown flowers. It is pollinated by flies.

Off the Trails: Meanderings

Late May and early June found us wandering in several very fine places. Most of the time the weather was also fine!On the trail to… Continue reading

A rare color-variation of chocolate lily, which usually has dark brown flowers. It is pollinated by flies.

Russian River, Kenai River rainbow fishing to open

Fishermen on the central Kenai Peninsula will be able to head to the Kenai and Russian rivers for some fishing starting Saturday.Sockeye fishing on the… Continue reading

A girl examines foam floating on the Tanana River.

Foam on the water a sign of life and death

While sitting in the front of a canoe on a twisty Alaska creek, my daughter asked to steer closer to the riverbank. She wanted to… Continue reading

A girl examines foam floating on the Tanana River.
Mountain goat and kid at Glacier Bay.

Wild Shots

Submit your wild shots: The Empire Outdoors page is looking for superb images of Alaska’s wildlife, scenery or plant life. Send your photos to: Outdoors… Continue reading

Mountain goat and kid at Glacier Bay.

Foraging for beach asparagus

From Noma, a restaurant rated best in the world, to Juneau’s The Rookery Cafe, chefs are using traditional foraged foods to create a menu that… Continue reading

Fish Factor: Boats use fish from tail to head

BOATS USE FISH FROM TAIL TO HEADAlaskan fishermen have raised the bar for big fishing boats with the F/V Northern Leader of Kodiak, and Discovery… Continue reading

Fish Factor: Legislature wreaks havoc with fisheries

The budget impasse with Alaska legislators is wreaking havoc on salmon fisheries across the state, and the industry is bracing for the possibility of a… Continue reading

Twenty-nine pounder takes derby crown

When David Turner Jr. caught his 29.25 pound king salmon on Monday, he didn’t expect it to be worth $12,000.“That’s the biggest king salmon I… Continue reading

Dirt Girl: Tending your garden

With the intense, endless rain that we had, I didn’t complete planting until just a few weeks ago. Even then it felt like a marathon… Continue reading

On the Trails: Getting to the ‘root’ of unseen forests

When we think of a forest, most of us have a mental image of a stand of more-or-less dense trees that covers a sizable piece… Continue reading

A curious sea lion examines the photographer, who was once told by a couple that they wanted to swim with sea lions.

Off the Beaten Path: My bucket list

I was introduced to the idea of bucket lists by an adrenaline-seeking couple I guided years ago on an outing to Admiralty Island. I was… Continue reading

A curious sea lion examines the photographer, who was once told by a couple that they wanted to swim with sea lions.
Group of orcas swim just off the rocks at Lena Point.

Wild Shots

Submit your wild shots: The Empire Outdoors page is looking for superb images of Alaska’s wildlife, scenery or plant life. Send your photos to: Outdoors… Continue reading

Group of orcas swim just off the rocks at Lena Point.

Glacier Bay limits boat speeds due to whale numbers

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve has implemented a 13-knot speed restriction in the area due to a high number of humpback whales, park superintendent… Continue reading

Saturday marks annual Twin Lakes Family Fishing Day

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s annual Family Fishing Day at Twin Lakes will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June… Continue reading

Cottongrass springs up on the site of a 2015 wildfire on Birch Creek in Interior Alaska.

Fire breaks down and builds up boreal forest

I once wrote about how fire had ravaged more than 10 percent of Interior Alaska during two smoky summers. A wildlife biologist called me out… Continue reading

Cottongrass springs up on the site of a 2015 wildfire on Birch Creek in Interior Alaska.

Don’t touch fawns

Don’t touch fawnsThe Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation in Sitka reminds the public that deer fawns should not be handled,… Continue reading

Firewood from Oregon, California and Latvia, sold at different Juneau stores. Firewood from outside the Tongass has the potential to devastate our native species by introducing diseases and insects. Firewood has already introduced invasive species - and killed millions of trees - all over Europe and the Lower 48. It's also way more expensive than cutting your own - or buying local wood. Photo by Dick Callahan.

Woodshed Kings: Keep outside wood outside

Remember a few years ago when one of the local chain stores in Juneau tried selling Atlantic farmed salmon from down south? Oh, the hue… Continue reading

Firewood from Oregon, California and Latvia, sold at different Juneau stores. Firewood from outside the Tongass has the potential to devastate our native species by introducing diseases and insects. Firewood has already introduced invasive species - and killed millions of trees - all over Europe and the Lower 48. It's also way more expensive than cutting your own - or buying local wood. Photo by Dick Callahan.