tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44551659143184722142012-02-16T12:07:10.524-09:00*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comBlogger851100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-38813467072740832042011-07-14T11:01:00.002-08:002011-07-14T11:22:00.108-08:00

Here are some of the latest images from a river trip I did for Arctic Wild. I'll put more up as soon as time allows.

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-32151261224254096612011-04-09T16:18:00.002-08:002011-04-09T16:36:47.706-08:00

We still have a bit of snow on the ground in Fairbanks but it's starting to melt which is causing my mind to drift into thoughts of summer. In the process of thinking about the warm, bright sunny days of the arctic I started to flip through some photos taken last year at Agiak Lake in Gates of the Arctic National Park.I don't really have any stories to convey right now. Just wanted to share some

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-81107760882327649642011-04-03T18:37:00.002-08:002011-04-03T18:45:49.829-08:00

And proud of it.

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-53917566139523717502011-03-25T20:35:00.002-08:002011-03-26T17:58:44.727-08:00

Last weekend Becky and I joined some of our friends of ours for some skiing/ ski jouring/ dog sledding debauchery at Quartz Lake, about two hours south of Fairbanks. Good times, great weather and loud laughs. Nothing but bright sunshine, warm temperatures (above 10F), and good clean snow.It was a Saturday gathering but some of us decided to stay at one of the Public Use Cabins for the night.

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-2204020801831209272011-03-16T20:48:00.005-08:002011-03-19T14:19:01.171-08:00

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-6015533770664706282011-03-11T18:41:00.006-09:002011-03-11T20:15:44.297-09:00

What would you do with a refrigerator sized block of ice? What if someone gave you several blocks of theses giant pieces of ice, a chain saw, some carving tools, and a fork lift? I'd probably chip the ice off for margaritas until the ice was gone but some folks would make beautiful works of art out of them. Fairbanks is once again hosting the World Ice Art Championships from now to the end of

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-51241142526832677452011-02-26T08:40:00.007-09:002011-02-26T10:32:03.410-09:00

Fairbanks may get colder than most states in the Union. And it definitely gets darker for longer than any other state. But the one weather condition we don't see here much is wind. Especially in the winter.This past week brought both a record snow fall and unusually high winds. White outs stopped traffic in its place, snow drifts covered the roads in places and trees took out electricity in a

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-76284369323626650522011-02-19T09:06:00.004-09:002011-02-19T09:27:29.325-09:00

After a cold snap (-35F) last week Fairbanks is finally getting its due. The last few days brought warmer temperatures (0F to 20F), roughly 5 inches of new snow, a beautiful full moon to light the fresh snow when the sun goes down and a great Aurora show last night to round out the treats from Mother Nature.These shots are of our cabin around midnight in the moonlight last night. It's impossible

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-73941063863298678662011-02-16T20:27:00.002-09:002011-02-16T20:39:23.058-09:00

We have been back in Fairbanks for almost a month now but all the good sunshine and warmth we absorbed in the Everglades is still energizing us. It was -39F outside when we woke up this morning. That was the outside temperature of course. The temperature inside the house was very comfortable. Sunset over the Gulf of Mexico from Highland Beach He's watching. Don't miss behave. Of course, this

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-79122890969980405282011-01-29T19:43:00.003-09:002011-01-29T19:53:23.994-09:00

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-69535231466133245572011-01-18T17:17:00.002-09:002011-01-18T17:50:59.583-09:00

Becky and I are just getting back from our yearly winter time exodus from the dark and cold of Fairbanks. This year we decided to head to Florida for an 8 day canoe trip along the coast and through the mangroves Everglades National Park. What a cool trip it was. Lots of paddling and exploring, sunny most of the time, temperatures 70F above instead of -30F, solitude and a whole mess of

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-12633231084907439682010-12-24T14:42:00.002-09:002010-12-24T15:36:18.597-09:00

Happy belated solstice everyone! As you probably know, this day is significant as the shortest day of the year. I guarantee you the further north you live the more significant this day is for you. Here in Fairbanks it is more important than Christmas for many. Right as most folks start to feel completely nuts from lack of enough sun, the sun starts coming back.Fortunately we are roughly 100

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-53927292285104558782010-12-08T20:00:00.001-09:002010-12-08T20:04:50.237-09:00

2:30pm sunset. -20F. Clear skys. Aurora last night.

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-33418237742523960582010-11-11T09:05:00.002-09:002010-11-11T09:18:58.516-09:00

I rarely do much with the photos I take besides share them with friends and post the occasional one on this blog. A few months back I got a wild hair and decided to do something different by entering a few of my Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) photos into a photo competition that the Northern Alaska Environmental Center (NAEC) was having to gather photos for a 2011 calendar celebrating

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-14217645478748721592010-11-04T14:04:00.002-08:002010-11-04T14:19:24.967-08:00

Winter is slowly but surely settling in around us. The leaves changed colors and dropped to the ground a little over a month ago. Then a few weeks back we received our first snow. It was not much but it was enough to set the mood for another snowy winter. Fortunately it stayed cold enough to keep the snow around without going through much of a freeze-thaw cycle. We've had a few snows since

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-50113658791687535302010-10-28T13:26:00.004-08:002010-10-28T13:58:36.900-08:00

(Agiak Lake in Gates of the Arctic)Well, it's been another great year of guiding in the arctic. This year the company that Becky and I primarily work for, Arctic Wild, compiled all the best photos the guides took on trips and made a real nifty slide show for folks to enjoy. You can see it by going to Arctic Wild's blog at: http://www.arcticwild.com/blog/2010/10/wilderness-guide-slide-show/If you

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-3850124410892299752010-10-15T23:05:00.003-08:002010-10-15T23:57:23.291-08:00

For the past 4 falls Becky and I have hosted an outdoor slide show sometime around Solstice. This year was no different. It's pretty simple. The theme?...... the Great Outdoors. Specifically, pictures of trips people took over the summer. The location?..... outside of course around a fire. For a screen we tie a white sheet and wait for it to get dark. This year we had folks share pictures

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-69043426484449134062010-09-12T23:35:00.002-08:002010-09-12T23:43:31.156-08:00

Sandhill Cranes and Canada Geese passing through Fairbanks on their way south.

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-90824554092721907962010-09-12T23:22:00.001-08:002010-09-12T23:27:17.694-08:00

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-27232312971320888842010-09-06T16:34:00.005-08:002010-09-11T18:21:08.355-08:00

The day after getting back from the Beaver Creek canoe trip I turned around and led 11 Japanese clients on a 4 day trip on the Yukon River for Arctic Wild. This particular trip was a bit different from others I have done. First, all the clients spoke Japanese with only half speaking English (although they all spoke the international language of smiles and laughter). Second, with 11 clients and

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-6038513228729243892010-08-27T02:06:00.003-08:002010-08-27T02:32:08.331-08:00

A quick check in. It's been a busy last few weeks. Lots of canoe tripping. Lots of photos. Lots of photo sorting needs to be done to be able to share the visuals to their fullest. The images below are from an eight day Beaver Creek canoe trip I did last week with two clients. What a great time. The Autumn colors where in full swing with noticeable changes occurring on the daily basis. By the end

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-57525462768124459472010-08-11T00:03:00.004-08:002010-08-11T22:49:40.016-08:00

Alaska, as legend has it, is chock-full of amazing places. One of those amazing places, believe it or not, is a large complex of sand dunes north of the arctic circle. Yep. It's true. I first heard about the Kobuk Sand Dunes roughly ten years ago. Ever since then I've have had an itch to travel there and see what they are all about. It was everything I expected... a bunch of sand. But it was more

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-84893448841897184292010-07-23T21:53:00.005-08:002010-07-23T22:30:14.864-08:00

I wanted to share some of the black and white photos I've been playing with lately.Over Fairbanks.CharlieBlack spruce and clouds. Nolan in the foreground. Leo in the back ground. Sally Michael's kids at Steve and Lauren's wedding.

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-22502628270155575792010-07-22T22:11:00.007-08:002010-07-22T23:30:29.666-08:00

Becky and I just got back from a three day canoe trip on the Upper Delta River which cuts through the Alaska Range. We were joined by our good friends Garret and Brenda. I'm not even going to try and describe stunningly beautiful it was.We only had to get out and drag the canoes through shallows a few times to go from one lake to the other.

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-77025353327684618442010-06-29T20:26:00.005-08:002010-07-14T10:16:10.388-08:00

Wow. Where have we been for the last few months? There is allot to tell but I'm going to keep it fairly short. It's been a busy start to summer. Becky ventured into the Prudhoe Bay oil fields for work looking for Spectacled Eiders for most of the month of June. She has stories galore but I would butcher the retelling so I'll stick with what I know, my own stories. While Beck was out of town I

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-12371768145774299182010-04-26T21:24:00.002-08:002010-04-28T21:01:11.352-08:00

Three weeks ago the Tanana River was covered with ice. Thick ice. Fortunately for the boating community in interior Alaska our spring has been abnormally warm causing the rivers to break up earlier than normal. Last month there was dog sledding on the rivers. This month boating. I bet that's a crazy thought to some of you lower 48ers. It sure is to me.Over the past few years Beck and I have

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-46649575706671306992010-03-29T16:15:00.004-08:002010-03-29T17:27:24.260-08:00

Well, it all started like this. A few months ago our long time friend from Haines, Tricky (aka David Ricky) emailed that he had a Grand Canyon permit and needed some boaters. For a rafter the Grand Canyon is akin to the Holy Grail. How could we say no? We jumped on the opportunity like a fat kid on a Twinkie. When we left Fairbanks on February 21st the temperatures were still hovering

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-11320646927023361272010-03-24T20:29:00.004-08:002010-04-17T16:03:53.438-08:00

Stay Tuned. Becky and I got back last week from a 17 day Grand Canyon trip with six other friends. We've been busy cleaning up gear, getting back into our regular routine in Fairbanks and finding time in the few moments in between to look over photos we took. Check back shortly to see more pictures and read a few stories. This photo is of a great group of folks from Maine we kept running into

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-75368825763718073172010-02-13T20:48:00.003-09:002010-02-13T21:42:28.560-09:00

I'm not into writing anything particular this evening. Just wanted to put some random photos out there that I've taken recently to share with folks.Not much snow has fallen this winter but due to a lack of wind allot of frost has been able to accumulate on the top side of branches. It's a pretty cool visual looking up from the base of a birch tree. Dark branches outlined with the white of

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-72533163974871223542010-02-10T18:58:00.002-09:002010-02-10T19:18:46.315-09:00

Becky and I frequently go for walks with the dogs around the neighborhood. It's a quiet part of town where you can hear the wind blowing through the trees and the bird singing instead of cars buzzing down the road. We've lived in the same house for just about three years and have been walking the same trails and roads during that time. You would think we've seen it all.... I certainly thought

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-78876103243137147942010-01-16T18:16:00.003-09:002010-01-24T12:23:41.575-09:00

Beck and I recently took a little time off from work to do a bit of family and friend visiting down south. We did not have much time in any one spot so sorry to all the good folks we missed along the way..... next time hopefully. We bounced around from Washington state to Washington D.C. then down to North Carolina and back. Talk about head spinning visits, we managed to fit allot in in a

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-64401473242575651512010-01-16T14:27:00.003-09:002010-01-16T16:15:00.420-09:00

One score and fifteen years ago a lovely bouncing baby girl was born on December 20th to the Ploof Clan of Minnesota. To celebrate the special day this year Beck and I along with Mother and Skeet took a little trip into the Alaska Range a few hours south of Fairbanks. I reserved the public use cabin at Fielding Lake well in advance of our departure. Food was packed and gear organized and

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-484659260096526122009-12-08T20:13:00.003-09:002009-12-08T20:40:52.150-09:00

If Becky wants to grill, she grills. I got home this evening around 6pm from work. The sun had set hours ago and the temp was well below freezing. When I turned into the driveway the yard was dark except for the normal path lighting to the house. Standard program. As I open the car door a mouth watering burger odor hit my nose. If figured it was coming through the exhaust vent from inside. As I

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-23030736299967185382009-12-07T20:56:00.003-09:002009-12-07T21:23:50.391-09:00

Star light star bright,The first star I see tonight,I wish I may, I wish I might,Have the wish I wish tonight. This morning the sun rose at 10:37am and set at 2:48 pm giving us 4 hours and 11 minutes of daylight today. Only 14 days until we round the corner to days getting longer instead of shorter. The aurora has not been to active this year but the stars have been amazing and nights have been

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-54346087620516502372009-12-03T21:22:00.004-09:002009-12-05T10:52:15.714-09:00

After endless amounts of fan mail requesting an update on the ladies of Cripple Creek I finally decided to divulge what our laying hens have been up to. In short they are staying warm, laying lots o' eggs and doing great! They have allot of time during the day to socialize in the coop while the outdoor run is closed off to them until the snow melts. At present count we have 16 birds, 4 are the

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-33110131704568086792009-11-28T22:08:00.002-09:002009-11-28T22:19:17.151-09:00

Sunrise 9:40am......Sunset 3:50pm.....beautiful, beautiful light throughout the day...... Is it sunrise or sunset? Hard to tell sometimes. Temps between 0F - 35F.... pretty warm.... very enjoyable temperatures.. Another Denali Sunset.

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-43967627527655778062009-11-21T10:53:00.004-09:002009-11-21T11:14:39.050-09:00

We woke up this morning to the true meaning of an arctic winter.... -35F. Today is a great day to enjoy the relaxing confines of the great indoors doing chores and reading books.It sounds cold, and it is but beautiful also. The sun rose at 9:50am today and will set at 3:20. It's still a month away from the shortest day with each day getting shorter by about 6 minutes each day. During these

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-81910928245701602412009-11-11T21:09:00.002-09:002009-11-11T21:22:21.587-09:00

Temperatures have remained low for a few weeks now. Winter feels like it's finally here to stay. With day light savings switching over recently and the rapid shortening of days we are waking up and getting to work in the dark and leaving work in the dark. Days seem really short but the mid-day sun is now beautiful low angle light if one remembers to get out of a building and enjoy it. Snow...

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-9729542234084615682009-11-01T12:24:00.003-09:002009-11-21T10:53:30.373-09:00

Winter has taunted us with it's elusive coming long enough. We've had some cold, but not much, enough to freeze some lakes but not the normal temps for this time of year. It's been really nice though. With the soil frozen but no snow on the ground it has allowed us to explore areas along our neighborhood trails that we normally wouldn't due to the boggy nature of some of the lower areas. Last

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-69241838525210371592009-10-21T20:59:00.002-08:002009-10-21T21:28:55.482-08:00

Winter keeps on playing games and taunting us, seemingly hiding just around the corner like a little kid playing hide and seek. Everyone is ready for the snow to show itself and stay so they can start playing on their skis, snow machines and dog sleds. At the same time folks are really happy to have the extra time to get out and go on one last bike ride or hike and enjoy the unseasonably warm

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-22470124395628777162009-10-14T20:59:00.004-08:002009-10-14T21:28:04.069-08:00

Fall arrived right on time this year in it's normal fashion. Leaves turned brilliant red, orange and yellow colors, frost rested on the cars at night, then snow started to fall. We even had a few inches of snow sticking to the ground for a few days. Winter was on it's way!We were convinced it was the end of summer. I'm not goofy to the idea that each year temperatures dip down fooling folks

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-10048990025128227222009-10-02T20:15:00.004-08:002009-10-02T20:35:00.167-08:00

It is really hard to beat the beauty of a boreal forest fall with all the berries, vibrant colors, cool crisp morning air and the arrival of dark nights so we can see stars again.Need I say more?Enjoy your fall.

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-62029683416041586902009-09-29T19:41:00.002-08:002009-09-29T20:24:11.708-08:00

Summer started showing signs of ageing to fall a few weeks back around Fairbanks. Flowers going to seed was the first indicator of winter's approach. While the beauty of flowers disappearing may not be exciting, what comes next is always highly anticipated...... berry season! An ambitious berry picker can fill their freezer with gallons wild fruits like raspberries, cloudberries, cranberries

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-41207032769627992982009-09-16T23:28:00.002-08:002009-09-16T23:34:32.447-08:00

Yep. That's how we get our water every week. Fill the five gallon buckets and carry them to the house to use for drinking and dishes..... no flush toilet It really makes you appreciate how much water you use in your daily routines.

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-60753986373854032902009-09-02T17:51:00.002-08:002009-09-05T16:44:08.992-08:00

It's been a crazy busy summer juggling between working the desk job at DNR and getting out in the field and guiding for Arctic Wild. I'm just now getting around to finding time to sit down and catch up on posting pictures of this summers activities. Where did we leave off?.... Oh yes... The Joe Creek backpack went well and ended at Whale Mountain along the Kongakut River. At the end of the

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-5435807926531693942009-07-09T16:50:00.008-08:002009-07-31T15:28:03.283-08:00

For 18 days in June I had the opportunity to take a break from my 9-5 day job and put back on my guiding hat for two different wilderness trips in the Brooks Range. The first trip was backpacking from the head waters of Joe Creek over a pass and down a different drainage to the Kongakut River with 5 clients. The second trip was rafting down the Kongakut from where the backpack trip ended with a

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-88912817848002249342009-06-02T11:35:00.003-08:002009-06-02T12:04:52.133-08:00

Alaska sits on a pretty fascinating part of the globe geologically speaking. We sit at the northern extent of the Ring of Fire which tectonically speaking provides the state with volcanic activity and earthquakes. If you've been paying attention to Alaska's local news over the last few months you would have noticed Mount Redoubt's series of rumblings and volcanic eruptions southwest of Anchorage.

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-74051385814875208882009-05-28T14:31:00.002-08:002009-05-28T14:50:10.365-08:00

Spring has sprung which has brought a rush of activity around the house. Not much time for play during the last few weeks. Beck and I have been working feverishly getting ready for garden production by building raised beds, moving 10 yards of soil across the yard to fill them, building a sizable green house, tilling existing garden beds, doubling the size of our chicken run to accommodate 13

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-29460819922326489652009-05-08T13:47:00.005-08:002009-05-08T15:01:50.525-08:00

Winter finally turned to Spring a few weeks back. It feels good. The sun is back in the sky longer than we can stay awake. Buds are coming out on the Aspen and Birch trees trying to turn the forest from brown to green. Migratory birds are slowly showing up for their summer mating rituals and filling the air with songs. One of the grandest benefits of spring is the opening up of once frozen rivers

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-3388188582989333482009-05-07T09:43:00.002-08:002009-05-07T11:44:03.089-08:00

As many of you know, Becky and I got 9 laying hens last May from some friends of ours. They raised the birds from chickhood so they were full grown and already laying eggs when we got them. That made for a nice gradual transition into raising birds. This is most likely the last summer for most of the flock since they are getting old and their egg production is dropping.... I have a feeling we

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-55406169688195505702009-04-08T15:16:00.002-08:002009-04-08T16:33:42.520-08:00

Becky and I woke up early Saturday morning, finished packing our bags, loaded the dogs in the car and headed south. Our first destination was Coal Mine Rd., just over two hours south of Fairbanks along the Richardson Hwy where it slices through the Alaska Range. There we met a group of friends for a 5 mile ski into a reasonably remote public use cabin operated by the Alaska Dept. of Fish and

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-7254663765125983242009-03-27T07:47:00.002-08:002009-03-27T08:20:59.081-08:00

Last weekend Fairbanks hosted the 64th annual Open North American Championship sled dog race. This three day race comprises of twenty mile sprints the first two days and a thirty mile sprint the third day. It's hard to convey how much fun it is to watch a sled dog event. The only comparison I can really think of is to have you imagine how excited your dog gets when you pull out the leach to

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-1326619432536292682009-03-12T16:35:00.002-08:002009-03-12T16:59:57.768-08:00

January 3, 1959 President Eisenhower signed the official declaration making Alaska the 49th state. With a little elementary math it's easy to figure out that means this year Alaska celebrated it's 50th anniversary. And what better way to celebrate 50 years than an extravagant display of fireworks. Becky and I have the good fortune of having a friend that works for the Geophysical Institute.

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-61609252033621243202009-03-12T15:48:00.002-08:002009-03-12T16:25:34.240-08:00

Every spring, as the sun starts coming back and the temperatures consistently stay above -20F, all the pent up energy from a cold dark winter manifest itself in creative ways. In March one of the most intriguingly popular events is the World Ice Art Championships. That's right, people pay to enter a competition where they stand around their very own piece of ice, spend a week carving some shape

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-25675019823574072502009-03-03T12:10:00.002-09:002009-03-03T12:41:16.173-09:00

On your mark... Get set.... Go! It's time for the dogs to earn their keep. Becky, Charlie, Riga and I have been involved with a local group of fun loving folks (and dogs) in the greater Fairbanks area that like to get together once a month during the winter months to race. It's completely informal. No entry fee. No official organizer. No ESPN coverage (yet). Some time before the snow falls

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-30828862359332145582009-02-13T15:17:00.004-09:002009-02-13T16:30:17.835-09:00

Alaska is a hot bed of geologic activity. With it's proximity along the northern extent of the ring of fire we have everything from erupting volcanoes to glaciers and actively moving faults causing earth quakes. This may not seem appealing when considering a move here (this is the stuff the tourism board leaves out of the brochure). The plus side is that due to these unique features we also have

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-44804979224337852022009-02-12T10:37:00.004-09:002009-02-12T14:50:04.717-09:00

It's taken a while to sort through all the photos from Peru. For all the patient people out there here is a quick run down of our trip in December and a few pics. I'll take a walk on the wild side and cut to the closing statement here in the opening.... The trip was wildly enriching and well worth the time and money spent to be there. Great times were has by all. As with any travels it would

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-38149027924229344292009-01-08T15:43:00.004-09:002009-01-08T15:54:20.560-09:00

“Tuesday was the coldest day of the current cold wave with a high temperature of 41 below at Fairbanks International Airport and a low of 47 below. It was the second straight day that the temperature at the airport failed to climb above 40 below.” –Fairbanks Daily News Miner-Oh yeah, and it's dark too. Regardless, it is good to be back home with our dogs and chickens. And to all of you lower

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-19367135534632605532008-12-08T09:32:00.002-09:002008-12-08T09:46:14.569-09:00

I remember as a kid little things like fire flies, tree frogs and being able to see the Milky Way on a dark moonless nights. Then one day all that seemed to vanish. The fire flies seemed to disappear along with the tree frogs and light pollution from "civilization" (I use it here as a dirty word, pardon my language) obliterated the Milky Way. Fortunately Becky and I are now living in an area

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-74355414574541822192008-11-25T14:03:00.003-09:002008-11-25T16:29:18.003-09:00

Don't mess with the ladies in the coop. Harriet is on guard and ready to mess up any intruders if they try to rumble with the other ladies. Give them fresh greens, grains and grit and no one will get hurt.

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-74659861579305106742008-11-04T14:59:00.003-09:002008-11-04T16:02:44.066-09:00

Here we are, sinking back into the depths of another subarctic winter. October brought early snow and proved to be one of the coldest Octobers in recorded history. Oddly enough it made for a very nice fall. Once the trees finished turning brilliant yellows, reds and oranges the leaves dropped to the ground followed closely by snow falling to the ground. There was enough snow on the ground by

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-37765618755400318392008-10-28T10:44:00.002-08:002008-10-28T11:49:06.515-08:00

October arrived with a different face this year. In past years October was known as the drab, brown, leafless, rainy/snowy, frozen rain transition time of year with no recreational benefits. Could not run or bike because the trails were either ankle deep mud or ice but could not ski because there was no snow. This year things are different.... nothing but snow (and a little sunshine)! Once

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-84715602241798790742008-10-06T09:34:00.002-08:002008-10-06T10:11:18.844-08:00

Once a year, in late September, Denali National Park opens up the Park to private vehicles. But as you can guess, if the opening was unregulated everyone would rush in with chaos resulting. To keep things under control the Park holds a lottery from which 100 lucky winners per day (for 4 days) are allowed to drive their private vehicles the length of the Park road. Normally the only way to

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-20618026040877017782008-09-11T09:12:00.003-08:002008-09-11T09:29:06.278-08:00

August in the Arctic brings fall and it's plethora of vivid colors scattered across the landscape. Reds brought on by birch, blue berry and bear bear berry bushes, yellows from poplar trees and willows, greens from grasses and sedges. It's a dream like state in the north this time of year.

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-89771324884385652522008-09-08T22:09:00.007-08:002008-09-08T23:20:05.058-08:00

Sarah Palin and Ted Stevens will tell you the arctic of Alaska is barren.....primed, ready for oil drilling. Becky and I just got back from leading a raft trip in the arctic on the Kongakut river where we saw muskox, brown bear, Dall Sheep, caribou, and wolf just to name a few..... not barren at all. Not even close to barren! It was a custom trip for Tom Murphy, a professional photographer,

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-86998490586772271382008-07-28T19:23:00.004-08:002008-12-11T10:59:12.608-09:00

Rain, music, mud, fun and ferries on the Yukon River sums up last weekend. Beck and I along with our friends Brook and Andrea took a four day road trip to Dawson City in the Yukon to get away and listen to some live music. Being the dirt bags that we are we pitched a tent down by the river in the government campground (not under a bridge). One of the unique things about Dawson, besides being a

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-73560513458719251552008-07-17T08:43:00.004-08:002008-12-11T10:59:13.444-09:00

July 4th in Ester, AK. Ester is a small community not far from Fairbanks as the road takes you (only a few miles) but way off the beaten path when it comes to liberal political views. Ester's parade is open entry to all and fairly unpredictable. This year the line up started with kids racing down the road on their bikes with training wheels throwing candy to the masses followed by Uncle Sam

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-50217779187403861382008-06-28T13:31:00.003-08:002008-12-11T10:59:13.593-09:00

Happy Solstice to the folks out there that recognize and celebrate it. Loads of day light outside right now. It is hard to remember the last time I went to bed or woke up without the sun shining. This is certainly the time of year to soak it up. Becky, Charlie, Riga and I along with a few botanist friends made a little exploratory excursion to the Mount Prindel area in the White Mountains last

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-46856251260607294282008-06-04T07:56:00.003-08:002008-12-11T10:59:13.800-09:00

Our small scale chicken ranch is finally open for business. Well, for our own personal business anyway. A total of nine ladies grace the premises. They have been pretty low maintenance so far. Feed and water in the morning and evening and food scraps as available, clean coop once a week. In return we have been getting 2-6 eggs per day and lots of satisfaction watching them run around doing

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-69330517930146947002008-04-19T09:51:00.003-08:002008-12-11T10:59:13.941-09:00

Transformation is the name of the game in this photo. Our back yard has this old dog pin in it. Since our dogs are treated like a king and queen they spend their days with us and rarely, if ever in the pin. With that in mind we got the idea to change the dog pin into a chicken pin. Phase I, as soon as some of this snow melts we'll make a few repairs to the fence, put on a new gate and erect

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-41395893450381478792008-03-22T08:42:00.003-08:002008-12-11T10:59:14.234-09:00

Alaska is full of public use cabins that folks can rent for a few nights through the park systems. This cabin, at Byer's Lake in Denali State Park, is one of the closer cabins to the road system, only a mile ski in from the parking lot. Some of the cabins are 20-30 miles out making them more conducive to dog sledding or snowmachineing. Last weekend Becky and I along with our friends Amy and

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-23747394019054576292008-03-09T18:02:00.003-08:002008-12-11T10:59:14.365-09:00

This year's Ice Art Competition has been no different than years past. It is absolutely mind blowing! The shapes and detail these folks can extract out of blocks of ice is impressive. This sculpture is 13 feet tall. The person is pretty much life size.

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-57285742398593452222008-03-02T13:11:00.003-09:002008-12-11T10:59:14.588-09:00

Just because interior Alaska is cold does not mean we can't have fun. Every March Fairbanks is the home to the World Ice Art Championships drawing competitors from all over the world. To check out some of the past and present art go to http://www.icealaska.com/. There are two main categories, single and multi-block. A block being a 8'x5'x3' chuck of ice the sculptors get to manipulate using

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-81983053376787216392008-02-24T12:47:00.002-09:002008-12-11T10:59:14.710-09:00

Charlie... Riga's partner in crime, squirrel hunting enthusiast, moose chaser extraordinaire and top ranked food connoisseur of k9 cuisines. Riga has had her day in the spot light now it's Charlies turn. We got him about four years ago from the Fairbanks shelter. If we had the motivation a great book could be written about all of his near catastrophic adventures. I'm sure you are probably

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-34934068499791356922008-02-11T19:33:00.001-09:002008-12-11T10:59:15.266-09:00

The 1,000 mile world famous Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race started in Fairbanks this weekend. What an event to watch! If you ever want to see an enthusiastic dog, watch the start of a sled dog race. I was taking photos of most the mushers as they were leaving the start this year. By chance I happened to catch this shot of Lance Mackey (he is the Michael Jordon/ Lance Armstrong of the mushing

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-30630982033531870352008-02-10T10:04:00.000-09:002008-12-11T10:59:15.632-09:00

It is safe to say... the sun is coming back! February often brings interior Alaska a mixed bag of tricks. On the one hand the sun starts rapidly reappearing giving the visual impression that spring is on the way with a gain of over 6 minutes of light a day. On the other hand temperatures often start dipping to record lows. All week we've been waking up to the radio reporting, "..curent

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-40631540889071599992008-01-20T00:15:00.002-09:002008-12-11T10:59:16.125-09:00

Winter, and particularly winter in the northern regions, has a reputation of being dark, dreary and bone chilling cold. Sure.... at times.. But the beauty that comes with it is worth its weight in gold. Without the dark we would not have the opportunity to see the Milky Way, Aurora Borialis, and incredible moon lit landscapes. It's the lemonade from the lemon, and so sweet it is when we take time

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-63976075669707174332008-01-12T15:00:00.000-09:002008-12-11T10:59:16.369-09:00

The darkness of arctic winters started descending on us in Fairbanks a few months ago but the cold never really hit as expected. Sure, up till now we've had temperatures hovering around zero Fahrenheit but that's considered comfortable this time of year. Yesterday was the end of the balmy weather as the temperature started to drop deep into the negatives. This morning we woke to -32 degrees

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-28905190628702207172007-12-07T23:08:00.000-09:002008-12-11T10:59:16.787-09:00

The second trip of the summer was a backpack trip with two mid-twenty year old guys from New York City. They were definitely city boys missing the city but loving the solitude at the same time. This trip centered around Geatakee Lake at the head waters of the Alatna River, in Gates of the Arctic National Park about 350 west of the Hulahula river. Backpack trips in the Arctic with no

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-42428327458910933202007-11-03T22:22:00.000-08:002008-12-11T10:59:17.323-09:00

Lets bounce around a little bit in time and reminisce a bit about this past summer. I had the good fortune to spend much of the summer running guided wilderness trips in Arctic Alaska... in different parts of the Brooks Range. The most memorable was the paddle raft trip down the Hulahula River running through the heart of the disputed 1002 area in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. That would

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-824906950938885292007-10-28T21:22:00.000-08:002008-12-11T10:59:17.569-09:00

As most of you know, Becky and I bought a nice little cabin on 2.5 acres in Fairbanks, Alaska last April. We've been through the seasons in it now and are getting it nicely broken in to our liking. Summer was great with gardening, removing brush for a future chicken coop, watching the birds and basking in the 11:30 pm sunsets. Winter is setting in now with about 6 inches of snow on the ground.

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-63479885865179894332007-10-18T21:06:00.000-08:002008-12-11T10:59:18.140-09:00

Introducing Riga! This little girl has energy and loves to use it. Out of all the photos taken of her there is not a single one where she has all four feet on the ground. Running is her main occupation. Sometimes it's to chase a squirrel, other times she is just chasing her nose. Her zodiac sign is Aries. Her favorite season is winter, she likes long strolls in the woods, licking people,

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-36633594866428268992007-10-16T18:44:00.000-08:002008-12-11T10:59:18.390-09:00

Never a dull moment around these neck of the woods. Last weekend Becky entered a few of the categories at the Farthest North Forest Sports competition hosted by UAF's Natural Resource Management Department. A few years back she awed the crowd by taking first place in the axe throw with three consecutive bulls eyes. She held her own this year as well but was not able to hold on to the victor's cup

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-64636222613387598732007-10-13T12:34:00.000-08:002008-12-11T10:59:18.556-09:00

With the summer slipping away from us Becky and I teamed up with our neighbors Eamon and Anja for a weekend backpack trip in the Alaska Range along Kusugi Ridge a few weeks back. It was raining when we started the hike giving the impression it might not let up, but since we drove five hours to the trail head and were really itching for a stretch of the legs we put on the packs, unleashed the

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455165914318472214.post-27175232081318973732007-09-23T20:57:00.001-08:002008-12-11T10:59:19.339-09:00

You can never have too much fun exploring new places. This blog will be a new place for me to post current good times as they progress. This photo is overlooking the Hulahula River running out of the Brooks Range and across the coastal plane of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from a trip I worked this past June. Contrary to what some politicians may want folks to believe, this land is full of

*http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994967690033958113noreply@blogger.com