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Alaska Magazine
Author

Susan Sommer

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Chance Wildlife Encounters
30-Second Reads

Chance Meetings

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Indelible Brushes with Wildlife Unexpected encounters with wildlife are my favorite kind. Just yesterday, a moose and I startled each other on the trail. It wasn’t the wildlife viewing opportunity of a lifetime, but it was exhilarating to hear a noise, glance up, and behold that mass of shiny, brown, rippling muscle hotfooting it downhill toward me. Had I stood still, it would’ve come close, but I reacted instinctually, leaping for the scant protection of a nearby birch. My motion scared the animal and it bolted.  Another time, a campground coyote slipped by almost unnoticed. I happened to see it amble across the road and alerted my boyfriend. We grabbed cameras and moseyed to where the canid had disappeared into the bushes and were surprised to see furry ears flashing in the setting sun. Wiley sat on its haunches and watched us watch, then laid down and curled its tail…

Sometimes you find weird stuff off the beaten path.
30-Second Reads

Out of the Ordinary

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And into your own journey Getting off the beaten path, this issue’s theme, means different things to different people. A short hike to an overlook above a lake popular with hikers and paddlers on weekends might be all one person needs to recharge her batteries before heading back to the city. Another might think teaching students in rural Alaskan communities is sufficiently out there to qualify. Someone else might consider diving deep into frigid waters to photograph undersea creatures his blissful escape. However you frame it, getting off the main drag in Alaska is as easy or complex as you want to make it. This month, our features lead readers away from the usual to places like Naknek, Kasigluk, and Tuntutuliak in “Never a Dull Day” (page 64); a tiny cabin visited every summer in “Off-Grid in Moose Pass” (page 72); and underwater around Kodiak and Valdez in “What Lies…

navigating the north
30-Second Reads

Navigating the North

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Be a good road trip passenger Not good,” Pat said as we added our brake lights to the standstill on Interstate 40 west of Albuquerque. Semis surrounded us, idling. “Is there a way around this mess, Navigatrix?” he asked. I was already tapping my phone to check Google Maps while simultaneously flipping through the New Mexico atlas on my lap for the corresponding page. On our road trips, it’s partly my job as “Navigatrix” to find the most efficient, scenic, or interesting route. When we’d checked the app earlier, we’d seen the red section, meaning traffic delays, but figured we’d give it a try anyway, as there really wasn’t another good way to head toward our next destination. While it took us nearly two hours of driving down alternate side roads (even passing one called Alaska Loop) and then backtracking because everyone else had the same idea, I discovered one…

Spring is in the Air
30-Second Reads

Spring is in the Air, and Water, and Land

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A time of renewal for all Capsizing in my sea kayak is one of my biggest fears. Taking a class in self-rescue is on my list, and I know that completing such a task would ease my anxiety. I’ve practiced in shallow, calm, warmish lake water—and though I was able to haul myself back on deck and into the cockpit, it was exhausting and required all my strength. I ended up with bruises. Tipping over in cold marine chop far from help is another story altogether, and one we present as a feature in this issue, about an experienced kayaker whose wherewithal, preparation, and luck saved his life. Alaska’s waters are, of course, also major sources of fun, subsistence, income, environmental data, and natural beauty. We cover all of this in these pages, from spring river breakup to a portrait of a remote island in the Bering Sea to steelhead…

Fun with Photo Editing
Photos & Videos

Fun with Photo Editing 

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Make one-of-a-kind creations During the second pandemic winter, I began dabbling in a new hobby: photo painting. It goes by many names—digital painting, digital photo art, mixed media, etc. Rather than simply enhancing the original image using the usual settings like brightness, highlights and shadows, or color saturation, photo painting creates an entirely new piece of art. Alaska’s winter colors lean blue and white, but this snowy ridge glows after a good editing session. There are apps for transforming your photos into pieces that resemble, for example, a Renaissance painting or a watercolor or a vintage illustration, but since I was only tinkering for my own pleasure one long, dark, December evening, I didn’t bother finding new software or reading up on technique. In fact, I stumbled upon this pastime by accident. The leaves that launched a hobby. Reviewing folders of images from the fall, I opened a slightly blurry…

Alaskan mountains, manipulated in the photo editing process.
30-Second Reads

New Faces, New Photos

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Talent, technology, and the creative spirit One of the best things about producing Alaska magazine is the opportunity to work with such a dynamic, talented team. I’d like to welcome two new members who’ve recently joined: Corrynn Cochran as digital content editor, and Tim Lydon as assistant editor. Readers might recognize Corrynn’s name from her former stint here as photo editor; she brings a wealth of energy and skills to our online presence. Tim is a journalist and public lands advocate who’s written for us before and now compiles The Cache section. It’s always good to have new ideas flowing and fresh perspectives on the magazine and our great state. This photography-themed issue includes the winners of our 2022 photo contest as well as a how-to article on choosing the right photo tour, a feature on macrophotography, a piece on how to have fun with photo editing, and more on…

Wildlife watching is one of many good reasons to roam Alaska.
30-Second Reads

Reasons to Discover Alaska

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It’s hard to pick just one Ask a dumb question, get smart aleck answers—at least from the sassiest members of the Alaska magazine team. For our staff question on page 8, my inquiry was in earnest, yet some responses were telling: It’s nearly impossible to choose just one good reason to visit Alaska, and their replies radiate incredulity at my audacious request to narrow the scope. Pick one? Preposterous! They’re right, of course. The list of reasons to explore Alaska is practically endless: natural beauty and scenic wonders, wildlife, interesting people, cultural diversity, unparalleled recreation options, abundant local foods, one-of-a-kind events, distinct seasons, geographic variety, quirky towns, find yourself, lose yourself, etc. etc. Lesson learned—never underestimate a person’s fierce loyalty to and love of Alaska. Kinship with place is not unique to the Great Land, of course, but it’s different here than anywhere else I’ve ever been. Maybe because Alaska is…

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