Alaska Outdoors

Kenai late run king management opens conservatively

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game will restrict sport and commercial fishing on the Kenai River to begin July based on total late run… Continue reading

Pinesap parasitizes conifer trees via fungal connections.

Off the Trails: Some June sightings

The Sheep Creek trail in spring and early summer is almost always good for hearing bird songs, but this day was hot (in Juneau, that… Continue reading

Pinesap parasitizes conifer trees via fungal connections.
A tangle of chickweed. Photo by Corinne Conlon

Gathering Alaska: Eat your weeds

I remember hearing someone from the community garden comment on how you could make a good pesto out of chickweed a few years back, but… Continue reading

A tangle of chickweed. Photo by Corinne Conlon

Behnken named interim halibut commissioner

Linda Behnken is replacing International Pacific Halibut Commission interim commissioner Jeff Kauffman as commissioner in the Alaska resident seat.The U.S. State Department designated Jeff Kauffman,… Continue reading

Young mallard ducklings follow mom on a pond in the Mendenhall Valley.

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

Young mallard ducklings follow mom on a pond in the Mendenhall Valley.
The young male brown bear that walked with the author and Luke Dihle for a bit.

Off the Beaten Path: A day in Admiralty Island’s Swan Cove

On a particularly rainy day on Admiralty Island, my older brother Luke and I watched three land otters loping across Swan Cove’s expansive tidal flat.“I’m… Continue reading

The young male brown bear that walked with the author and Luke Dihle for a bit.
A bull moose is seen in Fish Creek, a tributary of the Tanana River.

Alaska Science Forum: Moose not easy to see on big Alaska river

On a day like this 121 years ago, a hungry U.S. Army explorer passed here at the mouth of Fish Creek, where clear water collides… Continue reading

A bull moose is seen in Fish Creek, a tributary of the Tanana River.
A sharp ridge emerges dramatically from the rolling clouds.

Off the Trails: Visiting Laughton Glacier

Just before the summer solstice, I went with some friends to this little glacier north and east of Skagway. The ferry ride up Lynn Canal… Continue reading

A sharp ridge emerges dramatically from the rolling clouds.
A carrot patch growing well.

Dirt Girl: Garden check-in

All the work in spring begins to emerge around this time. Some of it offers nice surprises with displays of abundance while others provide only… Continue reading

A carrot patch growing well.
Rosary Lombardo hands out an Every Kid in a Park pass to a Juneau fourth grader in front of the Mendenhall Glacier.

Every fourth grade kid in a park

The Tongass National Forest is handing out free Every Kid in a Park passes, but one has to be in fourth grade to get one.… Continue reading

Rosary Lombardo hands out an Every Kid in a Park pass to a Juneau fourth grader in front of the Mendenhall Glacier.

Acting superintendent named at Katmai National Park

Karen Bradford, a 25-year veteran of the National Park Service, has been selected as the acting superintendent of Katmai National Park and Preserve. Bradford has… Continue reading

DIPAC area closed to king salmon fishing

Starting today, sport fishing for king salmon and snagging will be prohibited within a 200-yard radius of the Wayside Park Fishing Dock (Channel Wayside fishing… Continue reading

Forest Service seeks help to preserve historic ranger boat

The Forest Service is seeking to find an alternative use of the historic M/V Chugach, the last wooden ranger boat in the fleet operating in… Continue reading

Free cake at Skagway park’s 40th birthday

SKAGWAY — Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park will host a celebration of the 40th birthday of the park on June 30. All events are… Continue reading

A pile of colorful sunstars on a recent low tide at Point Louisa.

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

A pile of colorful sunstars on a recent low tide at Point Louisa.
Tobias Schwörer, a researcher at the University of Alaska's Institute for Social and Economic Research, produced this map of floatplane bases and destinations for his study of how elodea, an invasive waterweed, could spread through the state. Floatplanes are a significant spreader of the weed, fragments of which can lodge in their rudders and floats.

Controlling elodea with data

Although the invasive water-weed elodea was officially eradicated from the Kenai Peninsula this summer, the statewide threat remains. Floatplanes, which can inadvertently carry colonies of… Continue reading

Tobias Schwörer, a researcher at the University of Alaska's Institute for Social and Economic Research, produced this map of floatplane bases and destinations for his study of how elodea, an invasive waterweed, could spread through the state. Floatplanes are a significant spreader of the weed, fragments of which can lodge in their rudders and floats.

Alaska IPHC board member fined $49K for fishing violation, resigns

Jeff Kauffman resigned as the Alaska resident member of the International Pacific Halibut Commission on June 22, shortly after he and two fellow fishermen agreed… Continue reading

Summer solstice is not often the warmest part of Alaska's summer.

Alaska Science Forum: Summer solstice doesn’t mean maximum warmth

A person might think that since we get our maximum sunlight on the summer solstice (on or about June 21), we should also get our… Continue reading

Summer solstice is not often the warmest part of Alaska's summer.

Spruce aphid: Small bugs, big problem

A larger-than-normal seasonal presence has hampered some Juneau inhabitants this Spring and Summer, impeding members of our locally-rooted population. It isn’t an infestation of tourists… Continue reading

Off the Trails: June tide-pooling and a bear story

A minus 4 1/2-foot tide drew us out to check the intertidal zone. As we strolled across a wide sandy stretch at the water’s edge,… Continue reading