Life

A conch of a fungus (Fomes fomentarius) on a birch log near Nordic Lake, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, on Feb. 17. (Photo courtesy Matt Bowser, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

Refuge Notebook: Tinder fungus, the Ice Man and amadou

A couple of years ago I was given a remarkable, beautiful hat by my friend Dominique Collet. This cap is made of a soft, brown… Continue reading

A conch of a fungus (Fomes fomentarius) on a birch log near Nordic Lake, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, on Feb. 17. (Photo courtesy Matt Bowser, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

An Outdoor View: Uncertainty

Uncertainty is the natural order of things. In fishing, it’s often the only thing you can count on.You never know what will happen when you… Continue reading

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Kyle Heffner takes a swing during a game of pickleball targeted specifically for the adaptive population on Feb. 18. The games, organized by Hope Resources in Soldotna and known as "Adaptive Pickleball," started Feb. 11 and will go on through March.

Pingpong-tennis combo continues to expand popularity

Before every serve in a game of pickleball, Juanita Owens called to Tony Kaser to ask what the score was. If other people tried to… Continue reading

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Kyle Heffner takes a swing during a game of pickleball targeted specifically for the adaptive population on Feb. 18. The games, organized by Hope Resources in Soldotna and known as "Adaptive Pickleball," started Feb. 11 and will go on through March.
This May 28, 2012 photo shows second year strawberries thriving in an area of partial shade on a private residence in New Market, Va. Strawberries are an easy-to-grow alternative to turf in problem areas like around trees, pathways and slopes. (Dean Fosdick via AP)

Edible landscaping can yield color, wildlife habitat, food

Why bother mowing thirsty lawns when you can grow edibles? Replace those sorry-looking patches of grass around trees, pathways and slopes with mint, thyme, strawberries,… Continue reading

This May 28, 2012 photo shows second year strawberries thriving in an area of partial shade on a private residence in New Market, Va. Strawberries are an easy-to-grow alternative to turf in problem areas like around trees, pathways and slopes. (Dean Fosdick via AP)

An Outdoor View: Global warming

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of hearing bad news about global warming. To hear it, you’d think everyone aboard Earth is heading… Continue reading

The Rhyners visit the at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, in March 2015. (Photo courtesy Tom and Mary Rhyner)

Trail magic: Kenai couple experiences Appalachian Trail

Tom and Mary Rhyner of Kenai have been on this earth long enough to know what is important and to appreciate the little things in… Continue reading

The Rhyners visit the at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, in March 2015. (Photo courtesy Tom and Mary Rhyner)
Jim Quinn enjoys an afternoon of ice fishing. (Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson)

Tight Lines: A reassessment of ice fishing

Those who know me well know that hovering over a frozen hole has never really been my favorite pastime. Frankly, I need something a little… Continue reading

Jim Quinn enjoys an afternoon of ice fishing. (Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson)
White snowshoe hares in a snowless landscape are more likely to be predated. (Photo by Cindy Goeddel Photography)

Refuge Notebook: Climate change does not bode well for snowshoe hares

Ever wonder what happens to snowshoe hares when they seasonally molt from their brown to their white winter coat well before the winter snow arrives… Continue reading

White snowshoe hares in a snowless landscape are more likely to be predated. (Photo by Cindy Goeddel Photography)

An Outdoor View: Fishing the forum

When fishing opportunities are few, I sometimes enjoy fishing in the various forums on the Internet.You never know what you might find in a fishing… Continue reading

Ott Jones' sculpture of Jim Bridger looks west from the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce on South 19th Avenue in Bozeman on Jan. 27, 2015. Bridger, depicted in the Oscar-nominated film "The Revenant," was a mountain man, trapper and scout that explored much of the Gallatin Valley and the West in the early 19th century. (Ben Pierce/Bozeman Daily Chronicle via AP)

Jim Bridger: The man, the myth, the legend

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — For a 19th century mountain man, Jim Bridger has been getting a lot of attention these days.Depicted in the Oscar-nominated film… Continue reading

Ott Jones' sculpture of Jim Bridger looks west from the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce on South 19th Avenue in Bozeman on Jan. 27, 2015. Bridger, depicted in the Oscar-nominated film "The Revenant," was a mountain man, trapper and scout that explored much of the Gallatin Valley and the West in the early 19th century. (Ben Pierce/Bozeman Daily Chronicle via AP)
A brown bear leaves hair snagged on a barbed wire enclosure in June 2010. DNA from those hairs was used to help estimate the brown bear population on the Kenai Peninsula, a study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management early this year. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

Refuge Notebook: How science helps manage the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

Scientific research is something all of us were exposed to in school and something we hear routinely in the news. Most know that the hallmark… Continue reading

A brown bear leaves hair snagged on a barbed wire enclosure in June 2010. DNA from those hairs was used to help estimate the brown bear population on the Kenai Peninsula, a study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management early this year. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

An Outdoor View: Observations on salmon fishing

Author’s note: This column previously appeared in the Clarion June, 6, 2003. I’ve edited it for brevity. — LPI have a theory that some people… Continue reading

In this photo taken Nov. 23, 2015, Associated Press reporter Martha Bellisle takes her first rifle shots during a "Try-It Biathlon" clinic at the West Yellowstone Rendezvous Ski Trails center, in West Yellowstone, Mont. Cross country skiing is a full-body activity that places demands on arms, shoulders, legs, core and lungs, and racers must also master the art of picking the perfect ski wax to match snow conditions. Biathlon requires all of those skills, but adds an 8-pound rifle that's strapped to the skier's back and the discipline to calm everything down in an instant to fire off five shots in between skiing laps. (AP Photo)

Biathlon combines the speed of skiing with marksmanship

WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. — It’s 17 degrees outside and I’m lying on my stomach in the snow with my cheek against a rifle, focusing through… Continue reading

In this photo taken Nov. 23, 2015, Associated Press reporter Martha Bellisle takes her first rifle shots during a "Try-It Biathlon" clinic at the West Yellowstone Rendezvous Ski Trails center, in West Yellowstone, Mont. Cross country skiing is a full-body activity that places demands on arms, shoulders, legs, core and lungs, and racers must also master the art of picking the perfect ski wax to match snow conditions. Biathlon requires all of those skills, but adds an 8-pound rifle that's strapped to the skier's back and the discipline to calm everything down in an instant to fire off five shots in between skiing laps. (AP Photo)
With a basic pair of snowshoes, just about any hike on the Kenai Peninsula is accessible in the winter. (Clarion file photo)

Peninsula has plenty of places for snowshoes – or ice spikes

Kenai Peninsula Outdoor Club member Julie Williams, of Kenai, will tell you some of her favorite trails for snowshoeing on the Kenai Peninsula, with one… Continue reading

With a basic pair of snowshoes, just about any hike on the Kenai Peninsula is accessible in the winter. (Clarion file photo)
Potential landscape linkages between National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges in northern Alaska identified using an analysis of geodiversity. (Graphic by Dawn Magnesss, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

Refuge Notebook: Conserving nature’s stage in Alaska

The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1980 with passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). Prior to ANILCA, refuge lands… Continue reading

Potential landscape linkages between National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges in northern Alaska identified using an analysis of geodiversity. (Graphic by Dawn Magnesss, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

An Outdoor View: Sea stories

On Monday, a team of four women arrived at Cairn, Australia, in a 29-foot boat, having rowed from San Francisco, a distance of about 8,500… Continue reading

2016 is the 75th birthday of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. For fun or as a challenge, complete the checklist of 75 things to do on the refuge this year.

Refuge Notebook: Celebrate the Kenai Refuge’s 75th birthday in 75 ways

I’ve started a new tradition in our home for 2016. Every Friday night we write down something special that happened to us during the week… Continue reading

2016 is the 75th birthday of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. For fun or as a challenge, complete the checklist of 75 things to do on the refuge this year.

An Outdoor View: Curiosity

I have an irrepressible urge that goes back to my childhood. Whenever I go past water of any description, I look at it and wonder… Continue reading

If you're taking a photo, have the camera ready and keep the fish in the water or just above it. (Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson)

Tight Lines: In defense of catch-and-release

Les Palmer’s recent article, and scathing condemnation of catch-and-release fishing, certainly stirred a great deal of debate and controversy. So, I will open this Tight… Continue reading

If you're taking a photo, have the camera ready and keep the fish in the water or just above it. (Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson)
The low light pollution on the Kenai Peninsula allows for great photos of our nightscape. (Photo by Rebecca Uta)

Refuge Notebook: The Dark Side – photographing our nightscape

I recently received a gift for gracefully aging of a Canon D3300. Being a photography hobbyist and a complete amateur, I have diligently studied our… Continue reading

The low light pollution on the Kenai Peninsula allows for great photos of our nightscape. (Photo by Rebecca Uta)