Life

Out of the Office: Burnt out

Out of the Office: Burnt out

The first time I reported on the Swan Lake Fire, I didn’t even mention it by name. On June 6 – 84 days ago as… Continue reading

Out of the Office: Burnt out
In April, a sunrise was often paired with rain in Seward. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Tangled Up in Blue: All this rain

When I asked Peter what I should write my column about this week, he suggested I talk about swimming in lakes. It was intuitive, since… Continue reading

In April, a sunrise was often paired with rain in Seward. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)
Refuge notebook: Lightning on the Kenai Peninsula

Refuge notebook: Lightning on the Kenai Peninsula

I’ve been saying “Wow” a lot lately. A week ago, on Aug. 13, 48 lightning discharges occurred within 300 miles of the North Pole! The… Continue reading

Refuge notebook: Lightning on the Kenai Peninsula
Reeling ‘Em In: Smoky days didn’t stop Nick from catching some righteous cohos

Reeling ‘Em In: Smoky days didn’t stop Nick from catching some righteous cohos

Last week was a bit wild with the fire flare ups, road closures and hanging smoke. Until the winds finally showed up, the inside of… Continue reading

Reeling ‘Em In: Smoky days didn’t stop Nick from catching some righteous cohos
Coming into the Country: Ticks

Coming into the Country: Ticks

While on a family vacation to Florida this spring we took a short walk through a lush, beautiful forest in Faver-Dykes State Park near Pellicer… Continue reading

Coming into the Country: Ticks
Reeling ‘Em In: Silvers won’t get relief from sun until later in the month

Reeling ‘Em In: Silvers won’t get relief from sun until later in the month

When can we expect a break in this low-roast scenario?

Reeling ‘Em In: Silvers won’t get relief from sun until later in the month
There are a lot of paths to choose from in Seward, like the Lost Lake Trail. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Tangled up in Blue: Too many roads to travel

The idea of multiverses has been big lately, in this one at least. The theory goes that the world we live in is just one… Continue reading

There are a lot of paths to choose from in Seward, like the Lost Lake Trail. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)
Refuge notebook: The difference between predicting climate change and its ecological outcomes

Refuge notebook: The difference between predicting climate change and its ecological outcomes

The University of Alaska Fairbanks has a great online climate forecasting tool. Simply type in a town, the future decade(s), an emission scenario and voila… Continue reading

Refuge notebook: The difference between predicting climate change and its ecological outcomes
Reeling ‘Em In: How to give a 12-year-old boy a good time fishing — and get skunked, too

Reeling ‘Em In: How to give a 12-year-old boy a good time fishing — and get skunked, too

Our student learned fast and landed more than the “T Man” one morning.

Reeling ‘Em In: How to give a 12-year-old boy a good time fishing — and get skunked, too
Refuge notebook: Rethinking nonnative species in a human-driven world

Refuge notebook: Rethinking nonnative species in a human-driven world

Wow. In the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s 2019-2020 hunting regulations, mule deer and white-tailed deer can now be harvested. These two nonnative species… Continue reading

Refuge notebook: Rethinking nonnative species in a human-driven world
Out of the office: Taking our time on Tutka Backdoor Trail

Out of the office: Taking our time on Tutka Backdoor Trail

“21 miles and 6,000 feet of climb? In four days?” The scene was the lobby of the Kenai Visitor and Cultural Center in mid-April, immediately… Continue reading

Out of the office: Taking our time on Tutka Backdoor Trail
Reeling ‘Em In: Finicky silvers have specific bait requirements, doncha know

Reeling ‘Em In: Finicky silvers have specific bait requirements, doncha know

It’s time to take a look at the fishing report for the week of July 30 - Aug. 5.

Reeling ‘Em In: Finicky silvers have specific bait requirements, doncha know
Refuge notebook: Rising estuary still provides great bird habitats

Refuge notebook: Rising estuary still provides great bird habitats

What happens when the largest estuary on the Kenai Peninsula suddenly drops 2.3 meters in elevation and then rises slowly over the next half century?… Continue reading

Refuge notebook: Rising estuary still provides great bird habitats
In lieu of a photo of a deformed fingernail, the author shows off some funky fingernails and daydreams of a day soon when she can get a manicure without explaining what happened to her thumbnail. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Tangled up in Blue: Thumbs up

I accidentally ripped my fingernail out just as I was about to meet a large group of people. They all extended their hands toward me,… Continue reading

In lieu of a photo of a deformed fingernail, the author shows off some funky fingernails and daydreams of a day soon when she can get a manicure without explaining what happened to her thumbnail. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)
Reeling ‘Em In: Try Nick’s smart tips for catching silvers at The Fishin’ Hole

Reeling ‘Em In: Try Nick’s smart tips for catching silvers at The Fishin’ Hole

The key to get into the winner’s bracket is to remember a few simple facts.

Reeling ‘Em In: Try Nick’s smart tips for catching silvers at The Fishin’ Hole
Nate Rochon cleans our fish after dip netting in the Kasilof River, on June 25, 2019, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

Dipping into dipnetting

The net needed to be assembled. The two pieces, one very long rod, connected to a shorter rod with a large square net, is awkward… Continue reading

Nate Rochon cleans our fish after dip netting in the Kasilof River, on June 25, 2019, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
Refuge notebook: The many faces of the Swan Lake Fire

Refuge notebook: The many faces of the Swan Lake Fire

The smoke hung low in the valley as we walked down a dozer line to its end where a clearing had been created. Just weeks… Continue reading

Refuge notebook: The many faces of the Swan Lake Fire
Reeling ‘Em In: Learn the difference between kings and silvers

Reeling ‘Em In: Learn the difference between kings and silvers

It’s time to take a look at this Week of July 16 - July 22.

Reeling ‘Em In: Learn the difference between kings and silvers
Refuge notebook: Elodea still a threat to salmon in Alaska

Refuge notebook: Elodea still a threat to salmon in Alaska

The commercial harvest of the five salmon species in Alaska was worth $586 million to fishermen in 2018. More than half of those gross earnings… Continue reading

Refuge notebook: Elodea still a threat to salmon in Alaska
Kat Sorensen runs along a crossover trail on the descent on July 4, 2019, during the 92nd Mount Marathon Race in Seward, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Kat Sorensen)

Tangled up in Blue: A few Irish steps

In their extravagant dresses and tightly wound curls, my cousins would dance their weekends away. Irish stepdancing is marked by intricate footwork coupled with a… Continue reading

Kat Sorensen runs along a crossover trail on the descent on July 4, 2019, during the 92nd Mount Marathon Race in Seward, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Kat Sorensen)