Two Degrees Above Dead

Bears hibernate and remain in a state about 2 degrees above dead!


These two young Grizzly are no doubt a little late getting to the den this past year but the photo illustrates why they need to!

They head into their dens for months at a time, then they come out in the spring looking a whole lot thinner and hungry for sure! 
They do this because of the scarcity of food all winter. In Alaska our snows are deep and last for many months. The ONLY way they survive is hibernating. Look at all the money we could save on food and diet loss programs if we could do this! We are pretty sure this is true by studying smaller mammals that hibernate because waking sleeping bears to study this is not a good idea!

They do wake occasionally to move around but quickly head back into a deep sleep.

During hibernation, Bears reduce their body temperature to a point that approaches or even falls below the freezing point of water. (Salty body fluids have lower freezing thresholds that keep tissues from freezing) Overall metabolism drops to about 98% — just 2 degrees above dead.

Runways Are For Sissies...

Asphalt runways are not for the Faint-Hearted! 

This is a photo of the Chilikadrotna River in western Alaska. It is designated as one of Alaska's Wild and Scenic rivers and flows out of Twin Lakes.

I see two places I can get the Super Cub down in this photo. (the Cub is on wheels not floats)Wind direction being critical of course. Can you spot them?

No Small Encounter

No Small Encounter

The vehicle pictured here is a Dodge Durango no small SUV by any means. This photo gives you a better idea of the damaged/deaths that can occur here in Alaska in the winter when vehicles collide with our Moose. Winters are the worst as the Moose are down from the mountains where deep snow has accumulated and browse is much easier to find. This also puts them on a collision course with our vehicles.

About 600 are killed on Alaska's roads each year and the number killed by the railroad generally doubles that! Needless to say most of the vehicles are totaled...

Some Alaska Lakes Explode!

Alaska-Some of Our Lakes Explode!




In this photo we are flying out of the small coastal community of Cordova. Cordova is a beautiful fishing community that sits east of Valdez and ESE of Anchorage about 150 air miles. It's best to get to Cordova by one of our ferries the State operates. You can load your pickup, drive on the ferry with your truck and gear then head upstairs for a beer during the 4 hour ride(maybe 6, it depends on the ocean-not always the way to go for those that are apt to get seasick).


The gravel road you see out the airplane window(DeHaviland Beaver) is the end of the line.  All our gear is headed to the Bering River about another 100 miles to the east. This is some of the most demanding and "mean" country  in Alaska, second only to my adventures on the Alaska Peninsula. We'll be landing on Kushtaka Lake. The early natives gave this Lake its name- it means devil's lake. That was their early take on it anyway. It would explode they said! 

Truth be told, in the winter this land and all it's Lakes freeze up. When you fly over these Lakes they are covered with snow and are generally considered big flat spots, great place to land on ski's if needed. I made a flight over this Lake one winter and on the way out saw Kushtaka all covered with snow and frozen.

We went on without thinking any more of it. 

When we flew back over Kushtaka several days later it was wide open with chunks of ice in it everywhere.  You could see the dark blue water???

As time went by and I did a little research I came to understand what happened that day and why the natives called it a devil's lake. In this photo background you can see the southern tip of the Wrangell Mt's. and Copper River lies just out of sight here. Point being, this is copper and coal country. Coal beds produce methane gas and when it is released in a lake bed and the winter ice freezes over the top, something is eventually going to give- "It Explodes"

There are so many unique things about Alaska... been here 35 years and expect to discover more!

Lady Alaska!

Lady Alaska, She's Deadly Beautiful!


In Alaska, when you fly out to hunt or fish you land and unload the plane. After you unload everything and the plane leaves, you realize you are out in the middle of nowhere and ALONE. Better not forget anything! At the same time you can't take everything as there is only so much room in the bush plane. Careful planning, when in the Alaskan Bush, can mean the difference between life or death.

Cold weather, freezing rain, raging or flooding rivers, mountain slides, mad Moose or worse, a Grizzly/Brown bear can all play havoc on your expedition. Granted, you can't "plan"or "pack" to ward off a bear, but knowing them and understanding their body language can help. More about that in another post.

In the photo below you will see the result of flying in a Zodiac raft which had no top. During this trip is rained, and rained, and rained!! So I made one! I used Alder poles(only thing I know that Alders are good for, except smoking Salmon) and a tarp I had brought. I knew it might be necessary but the mfg. poles for the roof of the Zodiac and its small tarp took up valuable space and weighed more than my small tarp. I knew I would be able to make a top if I needed to.

Most folks don't realize how difficult it is to hunt Alaska. We don't have roads to good hunting areas. In fact, we only have three main highways in the entire State of Alaska. We don't have feed plots, tree stands and all those aids that are used by most Lower 48 sportsmen. If you want to get to the best hunting and fishing here, you must fly out to it, along with your gear and food.

I am sometimes envious of the ease by which Lower 48 hunters go about their hunting and fishing. But I know this wild and vast land has had far more adventure to offer as a result its hardships. The fact that you could get hurt out there and no one could help, makes for some hair-raising thoughts alone! What would you do?

Many of my hair-raising adventures were outlined in my first book. Many more will come in my next book and I will post some more of them from time to time here.

Alaska is a grand, beautiful and deadly place...

Outta Nowhere!

You just never know when.

Our bears can appear out of nowhere. YOU NEVER expect it, at least most chichakos(Alaskas newbies) don't. But a sourdough is always thinking about it when he is out in the bush-hell in a lot of suburban Alaska too!!

If it is a bear by itself it is generally one on a mission- such as the young Grizzly in this picture. He did not care what was on the bank when he sprang from the brush. He knew there were salmon in the water and little else mattered! Including ME!

I was thankful that it was not a Grizzly cub that darted out with a sow close behind only to realize I was there. Had that been the case, this close, I would have been charged and mauled. Little could stop the rage of a Grizzly sow that close!  Humans risk severe injury or death when they run into grizzlies in the wild AND urban Alaska.

We Got Fish!

Dreaming about an Alaskan Fishing Adventure?

Fishing in Alaska comes in multiple flavors-literally! Tens of thousands of people from all parts of the world harvest and feast on salmon, halibut, crab, trout, and other varieties of finfish and shellfish under subsistence, personal use, and sport fishing regulations. Many of anglers try their skills in both wilderness and urban settings. Guides, lodges and charter operators provide residents and visitors with memorable fishing experiences and contribute significantly to our tourism industry and economy. Subsistence and personal use fishing support a traditional way of life for many Alaskans. Subsistence fishing for those that qualify, provides wild harvests worth hundreds of pounds and thousands of dollars in replacement value at the supermarket. And with the price of seafood rising that saves a local guy like me a lot of "supermarket" money.

Alaska’s commercial fisheries are the most productive and valuable in the nation, with a wholesale value of over $3 billion. Recent studies put the combined economic impact of commercial and sport fishing at $7.4 billion and 89,915 full-time-equivalent jobs.

All of Alaska’s fisheries are managed by a science-based system that is widely regarded as among the best in the world, ensuring these living resources remain available for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Alaska offers four types of fishing. Sport fishing is open to anyone in virtually everyone, while commercial, subsistence, and personal use fishing are limited to certain areas, certain types of gear, or just to Alaska residents.


Once you have determined the kind of fishing you would like to do,  review the regulations for the specific area and species you want to catch. (Click on my Fish and Game link on this page for specific regulations) Seasons, bag limits, methods and means, permitting, and reporting requirements vary widely across the state and can be found by clicking on the link.

If you need more information about the ins and outs of traveling around Alaska and pursuing your dream here contact me and I will customize a response for you.