See the gear the wildlife biologist Gretchen Roffler uses in Alaska’s backcountry.
Caroline Van Hemert is a wildlife biologist and adventurer, and the author of The Sun is a Compass, see what gear she carries.
Drew Hamilton, a guide who’s led bear viewing trips for more than 20 years, shares the gear he carriers.
Whether you’re looking to keep warm or keep time, our Gear picks for 2016 have run a wide gamut of products that will help you enjoy the outdoors year-round.
Alaska staff members pick the stuff they like best from 2016
The making of an avalanche rescue dog. Above: Raven and Hutch riding the chair lift together last winter at Alyeska Resort. Photo courtesy Ryan Hutchins Raven, a one-year-old black lab, lies on the floor of the ski patrol office at Alyeska Ski Resort in Girdwood, 35 miles southeast of Anchorage along Turnagain Arm. She gnaws on a chew toy shaped like a head of broccoli, which she keeps pinned beneath her oversized paws. While she may look like any other dog at play, Raven is already a year into intensive training as Alyeska’s newest avalanche rescue dog. Her owner, assistant ski patrol director Ryan Hutchins, says she might be certified by the end of this ski season. Hutchins, who goes by Hutch on Alyeska’s close-knit ski patrol crew, selected Raven because labs, originally bred for duck hunting, are high-energy retrievers with strong scenting abilities and great people skills—all necessary for…
There are many places to get a great shot of the highest mountain in North America—and not all of them are in Denali National Park. On a clear day, you can spot the towering snow-capped dome from Anchorage. Talkeetna affords a backside view along a picturesque river. Flightseeing provides exceptional close-ups. But going to the park delivers some choice locations for creative composition.
Carving your own slice of wilderness Standing on the bank of an arctic river, you gaze down into water so clear you can see char ghosting at the bottom of a 10-foot pool. The river pours downstream, cutting its way through a valley hewn of rock and tundra—a hard, beautiful place cast in surreal light. Your inflatable raft lies skidded up on the gravel, and a pot of water steams over a fire. You’ll make a few casts for dinner and spend the night here, not far from fresh-edged tracks of wolf and grizzly. There’s no one but you in this valley; nor in the next, or the one beyond. It’s been six days since your bush plane drop-off, and another half dozen until the river swirls past an off-grid village. You’ll take your time as you go, making side hikes, pausing often to watch and listen, to feel yourself…
Keep frostbite at bay There’s a saying: there’s no such thing as bad weather if you have the right gear. Because I run trips through the winter months to some of the most inhospitable places on Earth and have damaged a few piggy toes with frostbite, I’ve learned the hard way what it takes to stay safe and (almost) toasty in the frigid north. I photograph polar bears, auroras, and the Iditarod—all of which can be found above the Arctic Circle from October through March—when smart folks opt for the beaches of Hawaii and Mexico. But truly, those people are unnecessarily missing out—big time. I blame my frostbite on stupidity, of course, but also on the adrenaline and awe that numb my common sense. Despite jackhammer shivering and the icepick piercing stings of 30 below temperatures, I refuse to exchange what just might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a cup…
One woman’s epic adventures in Southeast Alaska This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Taku Glacier Lodge. The lodge has had a number of owners, but none stand out as much as the pioneer and adventurer Mary Joyce. Her story is a local legend, but she’s mostly unknown outside of Juneau. In 1929, Joyce was in her early 20s and working as a nurse in a Los Angeles hospital when she began attending to a patient named Leigh Hackley “Hack” Smith. The charismatic, wealthy, self-destructive young man had been wounded in World War I and needed another surgery to remove shrapnel from his shoulder. Hack had fired his previous eight nurses. Between physical and mental wounds, Hack had become addicted to morphine and booze. Joyce is remembered as being fearless and sharp, and Hack didn’t fire her. Instead, the two developed a deep bond. Hack’s mother, Erie, offered Joyce…
Gear Review The Meindl family began making footwear more than 300 years ago in a small village in Germany. Since then, the business, passed down from each previous generation of the family, has become recognized worldwide for making quality boots designed for hikers and hunters. Meindl designed a collection of wool socks specifically for rough and blister-prone types of travel. I tested three of their wool socks, the MT6 Midweight, MT8 Heavyweight, and the MT Jagd Heavyweight, last late fall and winter. I used my Meindl socks for wet hikes in the mountains and valleys in my home in southeast Alaska. They were also my go-to for the numerous sledding expeditions I made with my two young boys. While designed for rough travel and lots of miles, they are extremely comfortable. I’m not used to wool socks fitting so well. Even after a long day, they didn’t slip a millimeter. I live in…