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The Dogs Come First

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Wait, are cougars in Alaska?

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Adrenaline & Personal Growth: The School You Always Wanted

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There are many species of Mycena mushrooms. Only a few have “marginate” gills–gills with different colors on the edges than the sides. (Anchorage, focus stacked photo)
Wildlife & Nature

Macro Photography

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The smallest beauty from the biggest state by Bruce Welkovich Alaska is a nature photographer’s paradise: Denali and glaciers, moose and bears, whales and eagles. But there’s more to Alaska than its mega-scenery and mega-fauna. Kneel down, look closely, and there’s another world of natural beauty: flowers and insects, mushrooms and slime molds, mosses and lichens. Advances in technology allow us to get closer than ever. Mobile phones take great macro photos now, but can only get you so close. For the serious photographer, extreme macro requires a technique called “focus stacking,” which solved a problem that has plagued us since the dawnof photography. Focus Stacking The Problem: The closer a lens gets to the subject of a photo, the smaller the depth of field (the portion of the subject that is in acceptable focus). For extreme macro photography, the lens is so close that only the slightest portion of the…

Pioneer Peak perspective
Activities

Climbing Pioneer Peak

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The Lure of a Mountain Peak I fell in love with my house immediately, thanks to the 6,398-foot-tall Pioneer Peak jutting into the sky behind it. Pioneer looked like Alaska incarnate to me. It dominated my view, rising abruptly from the flat valley floor as the kind of peak you might see if you look up “mountain” in the dictionary. Over nearly five years of living in my home, I tried once, twice, five times to make it to the top of the mountain that loomed above my house. Each time, I fell short. Then, one bright morning in September 2021 after a full summer of strenuous hikes and runs, my husband and I set out for a hike on the Pioneer Trail. We started early, with cool temps leaving dew on leaves underfoot. We climbed at an unhurried but steady pace, gaining elevation as the sun rose higher into…

Winter in Alaska
Photos & Videos

A Season of Solitude

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My Love for Alaska’s Winter Images and text by Carl Johnson It is 6 a.m., and, while it is still pitch dark, the nearly full moon floats over Cook Inlet on its descent behind the Alaska Range. Its bright light and surrounding stars reveal a hillside’s silhouette with a layer of fog enveloping the Anchorage bowl below.  This is one of my favorite times of winter—when several days of calm, cold, and clear conditions and persistent ice fog create a landscape that might have inspired the movie Frozen. It is a winter wonderland, where everything is fresh and new, magical and mystical, and utterly beautiful. This, for me as a photographer, is one of the many reasons why I love winter in Alaska. In any season, photography provides me a way to connect deeply with my natural surroundings. In winter, that experience is enhanced through a greatly simplified landscape, covered…

A helicopter view of Knik Glacier.
Activities

Face to Face with Knik Glacier

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How to visit this accessible ice Tom Faussett, owner of Knik Glacier Tours, is still awe-struck by his vast backyard more than 35 years after making the Matanuska-Susitna valley area home. He marvels at the fact that almost daily throughout the summer he gets to introduce people to the sweeping vista of Knik Glacier and call it work. Alaska is known for casual world-class views, but Knik Glacier is extraordinary in its accessibility. No matter the desired activity or ability level, explorers will find a way to get to the glacier via everything from helicopter and ATV tours to fat-tire biking, airboating, running or skiing. Only an hour’s drive north of Anchorage, Knik’s doable in a day. Easiest At 70 years old, my dad likes to inform me about the 20-mile run he completed before any of us ate breakfast. The truth is he is a whiz at bridge, but…

The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke
30-Second Reads

Tools to Live By

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New book details iconic Alaskan The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke (written by Monroe Robinson and published by Lost Art Press, 2021) is a lavish book that should be subtitled: “The Bible of Wilderness Cabin Craft,” a must-reference for every rural and wilderness dweller or dreamer. Dick Proenneke’s life and legacy, documented in his book, One Man’s Wilderness, and subsequent documentaries, is a vivid testament to the wilderness lifestyle. For 19 summers, Monroe Robinson and his wife, Kay, acted as caretakers for Proenneke’s Twin Lakes cabin. They studied, recorded, and documented the construction and tools Proenneke used in building his cabin, cache, furniture, and implements. Robinson came to Alaska in 1968 and soon established himself as a log craftsman and cabinet maker of the highest order, building for former Gov. Jay Hammond and others. Robinson met Proenneke in 1982 unaware of how entwined their lives and work would become. As…

Behind the scenes Iditarod volunteers make a difference
Activities

Behind the Scenes

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Iditarod volunteers make a difference It’s natural to attribute the howling success of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race to its dogs and mushers, but the event might not happen without its volunteers. My husband, Justin, and I worked with the Iditarod in 2022, and it was exhilarating to be the backbone of something so big, in conjunction with so many other passionate people. Janis Young, from Washington, says she’s been volunteering for 22 years because it’s a big reunion. “The dogs, people, mushers, villagers, snow, cold, storms, lack of sleep, hard work, northern lights…I look forward to seeing my Iditarod family each year. It just feels good to help put on this race.” Young is just one of the nearly 2,000 people who come from near and far each year to help with the challenging logistics of running the Iditarod in early March. Volunteer crews hold various responsibilities—communications, logistics,…

Tour operators at the brink
Activities

Inside the Madness

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Tour operators at the brink Booking and canceling and rebooking travel during the pandemic was not for the faint of heart. It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. Oh, who am I kidding? It was the worst of times. If you worked in the travel industry over the last few years and are reading this, you’ve either been released from the looney bin or are allowed to have this magazine as one of your institutional privileges. Tour operators at the brink. The pandemic hit all of us hard, but it sent most travel-related workers over the edge. If we’ve recovered at all in 2022, we remain shell-shocked. Our “long-COVID” is a special kind of PTSD that has us duck for cover at the words: rollover, rebooking, cancelation, vaccination, testing protocol. My hands still shake before I send a non-refundable deposit to hold six spots at…

Art is Life Meg Smith paints Alaska
Authentic Alaska

Art is Life

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Meg Smith paints Alaska by Alisha McDarris Sharp edges and fine lines, saturated jewel tones, graphic prints, and colorful acrylics: Meg Smith’s work is otherworldly. Art is life. A whale swimming beneath the surface of the ocean comes alive. The deep shadows of mountains and the muted hues of peaks in the distance create not just a sense of endless space, but time. Puffins soar and dive in scenes that divide horizons. Three skiers celebrate finding clean lines in soft powder. Indeed, Smith’s art is more than just a pretty picture: in the geometric lines, the crisp detail, the bold colors, there is an indescribable sense of adventure in each mountain vista and dancing depiction of northern lights. Each piece represents the landscape the artist fell in love with when she moved to Girdwood 10 years ago, as well as the feeling of overwhelming vastness, and the sense of awe…

Careful composition, camera management, and attention to detail result in better pictures.
Authentic Alaska

Photographing Alaska

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The challenges of capturing your Alaskan story A line of folks leaned against the cruise ship railing, staring toward Harvard Glacier. An all-day blanket of fog and drizzle had dissolved; shafts of sun cast the glacier, the surrounding mountains, the water, even the air itself in magical, silver-tinged tones—the sort of scene that would stop anyone in their tracks. You could practically hear a whispered, collective wow hanging over the fjord. Naturally, pretty much everyone in the crowd held cameras—mostly cell phones and compacts, with a few advanced amateur and pro-grade rigs mixed in. Some took careless-seeming, rapid-fire snapshots; others worked on selfies and group stuff with the glacier as a backdrop; a few studied the scene, composed careful images, then stood, lips pursed, staring into their screens, then tried again. And again. I didn’t have to peer over shoulders to know that the more serious photographers were struggling to…

Best Sea Moss Supplements - Top Sea Moss Capsules, Brands & Gel Products
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Best Sea Moss Supplements – Top Sea Moss Capsules, Brands & Gel Products

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Sea moss has gained popularity among health enthusiasts because of its ability to provide multiple benefits. There’s plenty of research data available on the benefits of organic Irish sea moss, which is considered safe for daily consumption. This has expanded the health market for organic Irish moss. As a result, many brands have started producing Irish sea moss products like: Irish sea moss can support thyroid health, which in turn can promote normal body function. There are many Irish sea moss supplements that you can find on the market. A natural sea moss supplement might contain additional ingredients like organic kelp powder, black pepper extract, bladderwrack, and burdock root. If you want to find out about the best sea moss pills in detail, continue reading this article. What Are The Best Sea Moss Supplements for 2023? Our team spent hours deliberating the best sea moss pills on the market. We…

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