Faces of Alaska
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Greg Lahaie

Big Day!

Mopping Up

Beach Boys

Among Cousins

 

Cabin Progress

New Cabin Project - When Greta and I decided to build a cabin on our land off the Stampede Trail near Healy, we did not fully understand the logistical challenges of creating access to our lot. Several hundred feet of wet tundra needed to be crossed to get to our building site, and though we wanted to create the least impact on the land, in the end the only viable solution was to build a road. First, the fragile and high moisture tundra soils required placement of a non-degradable geotextile cloth. The fabric helps prevent the gravel from mixing with the soft soils below. Dozens of truckloads of gravel followed in what seemed a monumental task to get to our building spot. But much like the Swiss soccer team was able to overcome Spain in a stunning upset at the World Soccer Championships, we were able to overcome all the obstacles nature put in front of us. Yesterday, a little over a week after we started, we completed work on the 700 foot driveway and the building pad for our cabin. Here, I am driving the Bobcat with a roller attached to compact the loose gravel. I have developed a whole new appreciation for hydraulic power! Now the actual building of the cabin can begin.

New Cabin Project

Farewell To The Mountain House - As we are about to take off on the Ruth Glacier, some climbers staying at the Mountain House came out to wave us off. Mount Dan Beard in the background is engulfed in clouds.

Farewell To The Mountain House

A Photographers Dream - It all started with an e-mail last fall. It came from a pilot by the name of Elwood Schapansky, who said he admired my work and extended an open invitation to go on a special photo flight into the Alaska Range. I checked out his website http://easysite.com/schapansky and learned that Elwood was a retired physics professor who had also taught aviation and had flown in Alaska since 1968, most recently for K2 Aviation in Talkeetna. Elwood and his wife Karen now spend their summers in Talkeetna and winter in Santa Barbara. As I had just embarked on my new photo book project on aerials of Denali National Park, I remembered Elwood's invitation. I contacted him and we made plans. I drove to Talkeetna during a window of excellent weather last week. Needless to say that we hit it off right away and a couple of hours before sunset we were airborne, cruising towards the Alaska Range in his Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser at around 12,000 feet. It was a dream coming true, having a private pilot fly me around the Alaska Range, allowing me to photograph some the most incredible mountain scenery on earth. I will post more images and stories from the flights with Elwood over the next few days.<br><br>

A Photographers Dream

Cruise Ship Season In Full Swing - The first cruise ship arrived in Juneau over a week ago, and from now on until mid-September over 850,000 cruise passengers will visit the city, a loss of about 140,000 compared to 2009. Here, the M/S Amsterdam, one of several Holland America Lines cruise ships, is docked at dusk near downtown Juneau, with the Douglas Island looming in the background. The M/S Amsterdam has a capacity of 1,380 passengers and 615 crew.

Cruise Ship Season In Full Swing

 
Alaska Folk Festival - Anna Gracman - Anna Graceman of Juneau is only 10 years old, but she writes with wisdom and performs with talent far beyond her years. One can't help but love her, and the future looks very bright for this young genius with a Mona Lisa smile. Anna's lyrics capture both her childlike optimism and the wisdom of an old soul. At the Alaska Folk Festival, she was accompanied by the Gracenotes band.

Alaska Folk Festival - Anna Gracman

Tee Harbor Kings! - The Spring King Salmon Derby is just around the corner, and Florian and I joined Uncle Sean (aka Tea Harbor Sean) for a warm-up for the derby yesterday. Although Sean fished all over Southeast Alaska as a hand-troller for many years, catching three Kings in front of his house in Tee Harbor in one afternoon of fishing was memorable. It certainly was for us. (Thanks to Heidi for taking the picture. She used the fish-eye lens to make her hubby look like a towering giant. He is actually only 5 ft tall and weighs 110 pounds.)

Tee Harbor Kings!

Stanley Cup Champions! - It was not quite an NHL level hockey game, but it sure felt like our team won the Stanley Cup at the Treadwell Arena in Douglas last night after a championship game that ended on a cliffhanger decision in the shootouts. Barney Schneider and Joe Bankowski scored, and goaltender Greg Cazemeier kept our team in the game with many great saves. In this shot, from left to right in the front are Tony Robertson, Brian Dallas, Matt Dubois, Joe Bankowski, and Pat McCormick. In the back, from left to right are Laurent Dick, John Cryderman, Kim Ferrin, Jason Mcadoo, Greg Cazemeier and Barney Schneider. Missing is Greg Versaw. Way to go, team Maroon! Now it is time to hang up the hockey gear until next fall.

Stanley Cup Champions!

Juneau Folk Festival - Musicians and music lovers from near and far once again gather this week in Juneau for a week of folk music during the 36th annual Alaska Folk Festival. Here, Russell Strandtmann of Juneau and his companion play the Swiss Alphorn, a familiar sound to my ears but not so familiar sight on the stage of the Juneau Folk Festival.

Juneau Folk Festival

Eaglecrest Easter Egg Hunt And Bunny Chase - Kids 5 years and younger participate in the annual Easter egg hunt and bunny chase at the Eaglecrest ski area yesterday. Needless to say that everybody had a lot of fun!

Eaglecrest Easter Egg Hunt And Bunny Chase

 
Rally Against Extreme Predator Control Policies In Alaska - Wildlife supporters rally at the state Capitol Saturday to oppose extreme predator control policies implemented by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Speakers at the rally also talked about what they consider an unqualified pick to head a state wildlife conservation office and called for a legislative inquiry into the hiring of Corey Rossi as director of wildlife conservation. I attended the rally because I share a respect and a passion for the wildlife and wildness that is Alaska and believe in sound, science-based wildlife policies. I also question the ethics of some predator control measures, like snaring of bears or the gassing of wolf cubs in their dens. Here in Alaska there is no general agreement among hunters, wildlife biologists, and policy makers as to what constitutes sound science. As a result, the current programs are based mainly on political science and are strongly endorsed by the governor who vows to continue them. As for the 'hiring' of Corey Rossi as director of wildlife conservation, there is an excellent editorial by Alaska writer and photographer Nick Jans: http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/032510/opi_596108168.shtml

Rally Against Extreme Predator Control Policies In Alaska

Sweet Memories - The ice caves of winter have melted away, but the joy of exploring them will last for a long time.

Sweet Memories

Photographer's Waiting Game - Patience is the name of the game when photographing a long event such as the Yukon Quest. As teams become more and more spread out over the course of the race, the time between action and inaction widens for us photographers. This always provides the opportunity to make forge new friendships with other people following the race or deepen existing ones. In the end, the Yukon Quest is so much more than just a dog race, as it also connects Northerners in a unique way by transcending the boundaries between Alaska and our Canadian neighbors in the Yukon.

Photographer's Waiting Game

Musher's Tattoo - Mike King shows off a tattoo on his back of the Yukon Quest trail and his finishing time during the 1996 Quest, when he placed 17th. King, originally from Guilford, Maine, now lives in Salcha near Fairbanks. For 20 years, King worked as a logger. In 1990, due to an accident, he needed to stop logging. A week later, after going to see the first sprint race competition, King starting mushing. Since then, he has raced in various races throughout Alaska. He is not related to Denali Park mushing legend Jeff King.

Musher's Tattoo

Mush on! - Imagine traveling for two weeks with 14 canine athletes across some of the last pristine wilderness remaining in North America. With temperatures hitting 40 below, extreme winds, open water and bad ice all working against the teams, the Yukon Quest is a true test of the capacity of humans and canines, and a tribute to the strength of the ancient bond that unites them.

Mush on!

 
Sleep Deprivation - The Yukon Quest is the toughest race in the world, according to its slogan. Few would dispute this claim. Just getting to the finish line without succumbing to fatigue, frostbite, or self-doubt; completing the trek without getting whipped by your own mistakes or being kicked in the teeth by nature; advancing around the clock for two weeks without fouling that rare bond of trust you have cultivated with your animals - that is the essential goal of most who attempt the Quest. Many mushers will attest how they often are the weak link in the team, not their dogs, and how sleep deprivation can wreck havoc with their mind and impair their judgment.

Sleep Deprivation

Run And Rest Ratio - Everything in long-distance sled dog racing revolves around dog care, to keep the dogs happy and healthy so they can perform at their best. All strategies depend on the relationship between speed and rest. Sled dogs cannot run for a thousand miles straight. They need to rest in between runs in order to go the distance. The ratio of run time to rest time has a huge effect on the dog teams speed. Thinking through equations that look into this concept occupies a large amount of a mushers time.

Run And Rest Ratio

Sled Dog Foot Care - Sled dog veterinarians and mushers pay close attention to the dog teams' foot care. At every mandatory checkpoint, the veterinarians spend considerable time checking each toe and joint for any soreness; toenails for damage that may need to be addressed; pads on the soles of the feet for any blisters; areas where the booties may have rubbed under the dewclaw and caused soreness; and finally, the webbing between the feet for swelling, redness, or cracks that can occur on a wet trail. If the musher and veterinarian monitor the team's feet carefully and use preventive procedures, the dogs will finish the race with feet that are in as good or better condition than when they started the race. Proper foot care can heal a dog's sore feet from one checkpoint to the next.

Sled Dog Foot Care

Dog Team Crossing - During their epic 1000-mile journey, Yukon Quest dog teams have to cross a highway just a handful of times, like here at Braeburn in the Yukon Territory. Needless to say that all the four-legged athletes have the right of way.

Dog Team Crossing

Rosebud Summit - A Yukon Quest musher ascends the last steep pitch leading up to Rosebud Summit, elevation 3,640 feet. Rosebud Summit is only 45 feet less high than Eagle Summit, the high point on the Yukon Quest trail. The mountain crossings in many ways define the Yukon Quest trail and set it apart from the Iditarod trail. I was fortunate to hitch a ride with an Air Logistics helicopter, who dropped me off on the summit in the morning and picked me up just before nightfall.

Rosebud Summit

 
Yukon Quest Start - 24 mushers are off to Whitehorse this morning, and 23 of them will carry a GPS tracking device that will allow the public to track their progress on the trail live online. The old days of waiting at checkpoints for updates are definitely over.

Yukon Quest Start

Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race - It is that time of year again. Tomorrow, 24 mushers and their dogs will take off from the start line in downtown Fairbanks and mush to Whitehorse on their 1,000 mile epic journey, following routes blazed by Klondike-era gold seekers. It is a setting offering unparalleled visual splendor and a race boasting international flavor, matching teams from across the globe in a border-crossing charge along frozen rivers and over daunting wind swept summits. Here, a couple of dogs wait patiently in their dog box prior to the start. I photographed the race for several years in a row, and I look forward to photograph the race again soon.

Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race

Skipping Rocks - The sun made a brief but welcome appearance behind Douglas Island yesterday afternoon as Florian and I skipped rocks into Gastineau Channel from the rocky beach near Little Sheep Creek, a short hike from the end of Thane Road.

Skipping Rocks

Kiting On Skates - Taking advantage of the natural power of wind, and using a small kite and his skates, Louis Flora of Homer cruises around South Twin Lake this past weekend in spring-like weather. Louis works as a legislative aide for Representative Paul Seaton, also of Homer. He arrived in Juneau with his family for the legislative session a couple of weeks ago. Louis and I took a class together at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the early 90's, and now are paths are crossing again here in Juneau. Small world!

Kiting On Skates

Juneau Outdoor Preschool Cooperative - Florian explores the dynamic intertidal zone at Outer Point on Douglas Island yesterday with his best buddies Eli Crupi, left, and Aidan Kovach, right. The Outdoor Preschool Cooperative is based on a general philosophy celebrating a childhood marked by imaginative free-play, experiential learning, and place-based activities that incorporate a reverence for the natural world. The boys had just hiked over to Shaman Island, in the background, at low tide, before heading back to the Outer Point beach. They are are part of a group of about 10 children that attend the weekly gatherings.

Juneau Outdoor Preschool Cooperative

 
Pond Hockey - There's nothing like playing hockey outside, especially on such a huge rink like Mendenhall Lake. Maybe the next NHL outdoor game will be right here...

Pond Hockey

Magical New Year's Day At Mendenhall Lake - What better place to go to start the New Year than Mendenhall Lake? The ice proved to be very nice, the weather was gorgeous, Florian's best friend Eli was there, and outdoor hockey enthusiast Marc Scholten generously took care of most the rest: Besides the hockey goals, he brought a grill to roast our hot dogs, and a stove, kettle and water for hot chocolate. Thanks, Marc! If I had only one word to describe the day, it would be 'magical'. Here, Florian and Marc shoot the puck at sunset near the West Glacier Trailhead. Our goal was to start the New Year on a high note. After 5 1/2 hours on the ice, I can safely say that we did. We will be back for more today.

Magical New Year's Day At Mendenhall Lake

Where Is Santa? - Word is out that Santa Claus is on his way from the North Pole. There is a rumor that he might arrive with his reindeer tomorrow somewhere up on Eaglecrest and then sled down to the lodge. Needless to say that young and old are eagerly awaiting his arrival. Some, like these residents in downtown Juneau, have gone at extraordinary length to decorate their yard, even marking their chimney with an arrow to make things a little easier for Santa...

Where Is Santa?

To Run Or Not To Run - Alaska Governor Sean Parnell and first lady Sandy Parnell greeted me in the main hall at the Governor's mansion yesterday. Since we are still house hunting, my visit to the mansion was mostly to see if the living space would be a good fit for our family, and I am not sure if that is the case. So my 2010 bid for Governor faces an uncertain future, as my sole purpose for running is to move into the mansion. :)<br> I asked the Governor if he was planning to run for President in 2012, to which he responded 'no' with a smile. I didn't tell him that I had no intentions to run either, unless we were still house hunting, under which circumstances I would consider the White House. My promise to the American people would be that I would not pick Sarah Palin as my running mate! :)

To Run Or Not To Run

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Sea - This icebreaker made a port call in Juneau, after spending several months in the Arctic Ocean. With up to 75,000 horsepower, the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Sea is the world's most powerful non-nuclear icebreaker, according to the Coast Guard. In 1994, the Polar Sea reached the southernmost point in Antarctica navigable by ship. That same year, Polar Sea became the first American surface ship to reach the Geographic North Pole. During its most recent deployment, scientists from the Naval Research Laboratory took core samples to study sediment composition, and water samples to study temperature, salinity and levels of oxygen at varying depths. Scientists from varying institutions studied polar bears that had been tagged with radio collars in the spring. The study's findings correlate the theory that polar bears travel distances up to 600 miles. The study is intended to find out more about polar bears' ability to adapt to a retreating ice edge due to global warming, and is the first study of polar bears at sea.

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Sea

 
Chilkat River Fish Wheel - This is one of two fish wheels used to capture salmon on the lower Chilkat River. The Chilkat River produces the third or fourth largest runs of king and coho salmon in Southeast Alaska. It drains a large glacial system that originates in the rugged mountains of northwestern British Columbia and terminates in Chilkat Inlet near Haines.

Chilkat River Fish Wheel

Officially a Swiss-American! - This past Friday marked a significant event in my life in the United States. Along with 50 other new citizens from 28 countries, I became a United States Citizen during a naturalization ceremony at the United States District Court in Anchorage. In this picture, Greta, Florian and I stand together with U.S. District Court Judge Deborah Smith, Carol Comeau, Anchorage School District Superintendent and Jerry Stroeble. Jerry has helped me in many ways throughout the years, not the least of which was his sponsorship in the application for my original green card. I was very thankful to have support in the audience from Greta's brother Hugh Wade and his daughter Kyla Mae, as well as Mary Leykom, Jerry's wife and another dear member of my American family.

Officially a Swiss-American!

Teklanika Sledding - Florian and I took advantage of the gorgeous early winter weather. The Denali National Park road was still open, allowing us to drive to the Teklanika River to enjoy the first snow. From this picture you might guess who enjoyed it the most!

Teklanika Sledding

Celebrating Fall Equinox In Style - On the day that should have marked the beginning of fall, we received several inches of fresh snow and it felt as if was time to say goodbye to fall already. The transition from fall to winter is never easy, at least for me. No matter how many years I have lived in Alaska, I am never ready for the first snow. On the other side, Florian loves snow and he only sees opportunities with the coming of the white stuff. So we headed into the park, and Greta and I towed Florian who seemed to be again totally in his element.

Celebrating Fall Equinox In Style

Looking Back At The 2009 Season - Yesterday was my last day at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. I have now shown my 'Climb Denali' slideshow for 6 consecutive years at the largest hotel in Alaska, and it's safe to say that 2009 has been my best season. While other tourism related businesses have seen fewer visitors, the 'Denali Breakfast Sourdough Expedition' was a great success. I meet thousands of visitors during the past four months, and enjoyed sharing with them my experiences of climbing North America's highest peak. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to showcase my work at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, and I already look forward to another successful season in 2010.

Looking Back At The 2009 Season

 
On Your Marks, Ready, Set, Go! - Florian and his buddy Cooper are silhouetted at sunset as they ready themselves to race their bike down a gravel driveway off the Stampede Trail in Healy.

On Your Marks, Ready, Set, Go!

No Duck Left Behind! - This text was written by local writer Kris Kapps for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. 'The mission: Leave no duck behind. That is not so easy when there are 1,000 colored quackers and they are madly racing down the powerful and churning Nenana River. This first-ever Denali Duck Race was more than a foolish flirtation. It was a serious fundraiser in an unlikely venue.<br>As part of the longtime Denali Wildwater Festival, it raised about $8,000 for local youth programs in the Denali Borough. A flotilla of human-powered craft followed their progress carefully — and sometimes desperately — by raft and kayak. A group of selected kayakers, members of the Denali Water Safety Team, were assigned to grab the first five ducks crossing the finish line at Jonesville Bridge. Everyone else’s job: collect every duck. In the end, no duck was left behind. Mission accomplished. Leave no duck behind.'

No Duck Left Behind!

Another Alaskan Flower Pot -

Another Alaskan Flower Pot

Alaskans Bid Farewell To Former Governor Sarah Palin - Not all Alaskans approve of Sarah Palin, and a current poll actually suggests that her popularity has taken a nosedive in the state. Poll numbers show 48% of Alaskans seeing her negatively versus 47% who view her positively. In May 2008, before she was selected as running mate by John McCain, she had a positive rating of 86%! A friend of mine held a sign during her resignation speech that read 'Thanks for the laughs'. Little did he know that the fun is not over yet. William Shatner, the master of spoken-word peculiarity, turned up on The Tonight Show to deliver a little viral gem—a verbatim delivery of governor-no-more Sarah Palins steadily more rambling, picnic-accompanied resignation speech. Before the self-proclaimed maverick faded into political obscurity (no doubt though that she will remain a celebrity), Shatner did not miss the opportunity to mock her once more.

Alaskans Bid Farewell To Former Governor Sarah Palin

Change of Guard - Former Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell, left, was sworn in as new Governor of Alaska at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks yesterday. Former Governor Sarah Palin, who resigned from office before finishing her first term, and her husband Todd, congratulate Parnell. Several thousand people came to witness this historic moment. While Sarah Palin remains popular in Alaska, it seems that people are relieved she is no longer Governor. No more endless drama about mean democrats, mean independents, straying republicans, McCain staff, gotcha media, David Letterman, liberal press, and ethics charges targeting her, her kids, or her family members for their disfunctional actions. <br>It will be refreshing to have a Governor who conducts himself in a responsible, thoughtful manner. Not as a celebrity. In other words a Governor who understands what sense of decorum means.

Change of Guard

 
Governor Palin's Resignation - Following Alaska Governor Palin's resignation, Alaskans reacted to her nonsensical explantion with disbelief, anger and humor, as some of the floats at the Ester 4th of July parade testified. Some of the signs read:<br>'Alaskan Swine Flew'<br>'Governor Resigns! - AKA quits' <br>'When pigs fly'<br>'Palin steps down... it must be the Swine Flu!'<br>We wish her good luck as she answers a 'higher calling'... <br>

Governor Palin's Resignation

Ester Independence Day Parade - Members of the Red Hackle Pipe Band thunder and roar through the parade with bagpipes with tiny tots riding decorated bicycles pedaling and meandering along their side as the annual 4th of July Parade marches through the tiny town of Ester near Fairbanks. Hundreds of neighbors and visitors enjoyed the holiday despite the smokey haze that invaded the summer sky. Much like in Seldovia last year, Florian rode in the parade with his bike. He is on the left, wearing a silver helmet and bib #18.

Ester Independence Day Parade

Happy 4th of July! - This shot is from last year's Independence Day parade in Seldovia, with Florian as Evel Knievel in the foreground. But the big news in Alaska today is Governor Sarah Palin's surprise resignation. I feel like I scooped the local and national media on this important story with my April Fools joke - if you missed it, here's the link: http://www.alaska365.com/display.php?filename=090401

Happy 4th of July!

Alaska Tourism - The sternwheeler Discovery III heads down the Chena River in Fairbanks on its daily cruise to the Tanana River. It is the biggest tourist attraction in Fairbanks, but pre-season bookings were down almost 40 percent. Half-way through the summer it is safe to say that tourism numbers are down throughout the state, the question at the end of the season will be by how much. And the projections for 2010 look pretty grim.

Alaska Tourism

Playing In The Mud - It's shaping up to be the hottest week of the summer yet, with highs around 70 degrees. This is for most people living in the lower 48 no big deal, but here in Healy we can count such warm summer days almost on one hand. So Florian and Karsten, his buddy from next door, decided to take a mud bath in their self-proclaimed swimming pool they excavated over the past few days. Because the ground is still frozen a few feet below the surface, it holds much moisture, and the clay they dug into turned into a watery muck. Cleaning up afterwards was definitely less fun than jumping into the cold, muddy water.

Playing In The Mud

 
Chitina Dipnetting - For the past 10 years, I have partaken in the Chitina personal use salmon fishery, which is a special fishing opportunity that is available to Alaskan residents. Along with the challenges presented by fishing in the Copper River, participants in this fishery have the opportunity to harvest up to 30 salmon per household. Fishing at Chitina is not a casual experience. For the past three years, I have made the long journey from the Interior to the silty waters of the Copper River with my friend Steve Ratzlaff from Fairbanks, who is shown here dipnetting in the Wood Canyon downriver from the village of Chitina. Stay tuned on how we fared in this year's dipnetting.

Chitina Dipnetting

Yukon River Flooding In Eagle - This picture, taken by Carl Stapler of the National Park Service, illustrates the dramatic impact of the flooding of the Yukon River in Eagle yesterday. Water backed up by a massive ice jam on the Yukon River pushed house-sized chunks of ice over a retaining wall onto the streets of Eagle, dislodging several buildings and carrying others down the river as residents in the village along the Canada-Alaska border watched in awe. The grocery store - gone. The Village Public Safety Officer office - gone. The clinic - gone. My thoughts go out to the residents of Eagle, who in my many stays in the community, especially during the Yukon Quest, have been incredible kind and hospitable. I hope Alaskans will reach out to rural residents in flooded Yukon and Kuskokwim River villages who are trying to come to terms with this years flooding.

Yukon River Flooding In Eagle

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin Resigns! - The news comes as a bit of shock but not is not a total surprise after all - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced this morning during a brief press conference in Juneau that she is resigning with immediate effect as Alaska's Governor. She cited that her ambition to run for President in 2012 had become incompatible with her obligation of working in the best interest of Alaska as the state's Governor.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin Resigns!

Two And A Half Men - Florian was lucky to celebrate his 4th birthday with his uncles Sean McKeown, left, and Mark Smith, who celebrated their 47th and 50th birthday Saturday at Tee Harbor. Their cumulative age and wisdom is an impressive 101 years!

Two And A Half Men

Happy 4th Birthday, Florian! - Hard to believe our little guy is already turning four today. It seems like the past year went by in a flash. But time flies when we have fun, and we have had lots of it in recent months. Florian loves to ski, skate and just having fun outside, and in Juneau he seems to have found the perfect place for his passions. Just yesterday, he blazed down Eaglecrest on his skis, undeterred by a blinding snow storm. After a few hours of skiing, I suggested it might be time to go home. Florian just looked at me and said 'No, just one more run, Papa!' It won't be long until I will struggle to keep up with him!

Happy 4th Birthday, Florian!

 
International Snow Sculpture Challenge - An amazing collection of snow sculptures is on display in downtown Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Carved from rough blocks of snow and ice, these fleeting creations reveal the depth of the imagination of artists from Canada, Alaska, and Northern Europe who participated in the competition.

International Snow Sculpture Challenge

2009 Yukon Quest Champion! - Congratulations to my friend Sebastian Schnuelle of Whitehorse. To everyone's surprise, he won the 2009 Yukon Quest yesterday, a 1,000-mile sled dog marathon from Whitehorse, Yukon, to Fairbanks, Alaska, after a dramatic finish. He edged second-place musher Hugh Neff by only four minutes. Sebastian and I first met during the 1997 Yukon Quest, when he had to scratch early in the race. He fine-tuned his talent as a dog driver over the years since, with his partner Libby Riddles providing valuable strategic advice. But Sebastian is a great musher in his own right. Back in Dawson, the halfway point, Jon Little of Kasilof, who finished third in this year's race, said: 'I was blown away with how he [Schnuelle] handles his dogs. He has an amazing balance of authority and love that is unmatched with any other musher I’ve known.' I am not sure how his diet was during the 2009 Quest, but when ran the 2005 Iditarod, his diet consisted of mostly drinking a dozen cans of Diet Coke every day! During the summer months, Sebastian works with Coastal Helicopters out of Juneau, giving helicopter supported dogsled rides on the Juneau Icefield. I took this shot of Sebastian at the finish line of the 2007 Yukon Quest.

2009 Yukon Quest Champion!

Wearable Art Show - A little change of content doesn't hurt anyone, and after watching the Juneau's annual fashion show 'Wearable Art' this past weekend, I thought it would be very timely to post a couple of shots from this runaway show. The event provides the community with a creative artistic outlet, but it also serves as a fundraiser for scholarships and artist grants. Here, our cousin Heidi McKeown models her creation entitled 'Call Girl' made of finger wheels from old rotary dial phone, handsets, telephone cords, cell phones and telephone wire. The picture doesn't capture Heidi's amazing coat made out of recycled GCI and ACS phone books, as well as the wild cheers from the audience and the standing ovation from the McKeown clan as they supported Heidi revealing her artistic,wild side.

Wearable Art Show

Lady of the Wood - Micaela Fowler models David Walker's wooden dress during the 2009 Wearable Art show in Juneau, featuring fashions made by local artists who created a piece of wearable artwork. The materials used were mahogany, cedar, striped mahogany, and lace wood maple veneers. This dress was voted 'Best of Show' by the audience.

Lady of the Wood

Last Edition? - As a former news photographer, the disappearance of newspapers across this country and the associated job cuts definitely hit home. The local 'Juneau Empire' newspaper is still part of our daily bread here in Juneau, but it's edition gets slimmer and slimmer. Except for local news and events, the content of newspapers is increasingly the purview of cable news channels, wire services or Internet sites. It seems to be just a matter of time until the last presses stop rolling.

Last Edition?

 
Willie Hensley - Fifty Miles from Tomorrow - Some 42 years ago, while at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Willie Hensley wrote a groundbreaking paper for a constitutional law course. “Researching my paper, 'What Rights to Land Have the Alaska Natives: the Primary Issue', gave me an understanding of law, history and potential solutions for securing rights to our land.” That year, 1966, Hensley started to organize meetings to discuss the land situation, and he became a strong voice in organizing the Alaska Federation of Natives, and the fight for aboriginal land rights. He became a state representative and senator. His efforts were instrumental in the success of the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which gave Alaska Natives 44 million acres of land and about $1 billion. Hensley, who today is considered one of the most well-known Native leaders in Alaska, grew up on the shores of Kotzebue Sound, twenty-nine miles north of the Arctic Circle and fifty miles from the international dateline. Hence the title of the book, 'Fifty Miles from Tomorrow'. He came through Juneau yesterday on his book tour.

Willie Hensley - Fifty Miles from Tomorrow

Sarah Palin - Views from Alaska - At least 200 people protesting the policies of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin rallied in the pouring rain outside the state Capitol yesterday. Former state public health director Peter Nakamura told the crowd that Palin has done little to insure quality health care for Alaskans. Paula Terrel, a commercial fisherman, described Palin's record protecting fisheries as 'dismal' and Tony Strong, an attorney and Tlingit Indian, said Palin was no friend to Alaska Natives. Lastly, Juneau resident and writer Nick Jans explains, amid “Troopergate” and other government scandals, including killing wolf pups, why the Palin phenomenon rings hollow in Alaska. Follow this link: http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/10/11/sarah_palin_alaska/<br>Writer Seth Kantner provides another interesting perspective in his essay 'That Sarah Palin is one unreal Alaskan'. Follow this link: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/383843_alaska19.html

Sarah Palin - Views from Alaska

Polar Bear Swim - Hula Skirts, Sorel Boots, and a lot of skin was displayed by about one hundred intrepid Juneauites yesterday who braved windchills around 10 below zero Fahrenheit during the annual Polar Bear Swim at Auke Village near Juneau. The insanity lasted only for a very short time, as the near freezing water temperatures drove the swimmers as fast out of the water as they jumped in. There were no reports of frozen body parts!

Polar Bear Swim

Small World - The recent cold spell created great skating conditions on the local lakes. During lunch time, a group of passionate hockey players meet for pond hockey games at Twin Lakes, pictured here. During one of those games, I met Joran Freeman, who in this picture guards the puck. I first met Joran on the Yukon Quest trail 10 years ago. The picture I took of him running his team through jumbled ice somewhere between Eagle and Circle remains one of my favorite images of the race. It was just happenstance that we reconnected again at Twin Lakes.

Small World

Most Beautiful Home-Made Outdoor Rink In Alaska - Without hesitation Florian and I voted the surface of ice cleared near Skaters Cabin on Mendenhall Lake to be not only the most beautiful but also the most scenic home-made outdoor rink in Alaska. After weeks of playing hockey in the kitchen, Florian was relieved to be finally chasing the puck on the ice again, with Mount Wrather and the Mendenhall Towers looming in the background. A big Thank You to the volunteers who cleared the surface.

Most Beautiful Home-Made Outdoor Rink In Alaska

 
Hockey Mom Meets Hockey Star - It was a meeting of titans at the Governor's Mansion in Juneau last night. Rising hockey star Florian Wade meet rising political star and hockey mom, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Hundreds of people, media, Palin's family and staff attended, including Piper Palin, left, holding her little brother Trig Palin, who was born with Down Syndrome. Florian has been top scorer at Juneau's hockey academy at 187 Gastineau Avenue, and recently practiced with the Juneau Dynamites. Many compare his slapshot to Wayne Gretzky's. For Florian, the visit with Governor Palin was just a sidebar. What he enjoyed much more was indulging in some of the 20,000 cookies and chocolates prepared for the Governor's open house.

Hockey Mom Meets Hockey Star

Magic of Disneyland - Adorned with the familiar image of Walt Disney's animated character Tinker Bell on the fuselage and golden Mickey Mouse ears on the tail, the bright blue Boeing 737-400 named the 'Magic of Disneyland' celebrating the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney's original theme park landed recently in Juneau, with Mendenhall Glacier looming in the background. It is the second Disneyland-themed airplane born out of the successful partnership between Seattle-based Alaska Airlines and Disneyland Resort. This is only the second time in more than 25 years that an image other than the trademark Eskimo has appeared on an Alaska Airlines aircraft.<br><br>

Magic of Disneyland

Backyard Playground - One of the joys of being in Juneau is not just the incredible close proximity to a diversity of wild places, but also the fact that even in mid-November the temperatures are comparatively balmy (at least compared to Alaska's Interior!), as Florian reminded me recently as he played in the glacial sediments of the terminal moraine along Mendenhall Lake.

Backyard Playground

Lazy Day In The Tundra - There is nothing that compares to spending time in the tundra in the fall time, with no mosquitoes buzzing around, and sample some tasty blueberries or simply stretch out on the spongy ground and take a nap. Our two-year old son Florian, munching on some blueberries along an unnamed pond near Healy, seems to appreciate fall in the tundra just as much as Greta and I do.

Lazy Day In The Tundra

Best Friends - Our neighbor's son Karsten Ottmers and Florian have become best friends as they spend almost every day together exploring the world around them. Here, they enjoy the cool waters of Otto Lake in Healy as they looking for leaches.

Best Friends

 
Rock Climber - Our son Florian shows off his rock climbing skills recently in Seldovia. Photo credit goes to Greta, who took this beautiful portrait while I stayed behind at Denali Park.

Rock Climber

Nenana River Pilgrims - Every day hundreds of tourists raft the Nenana River Canyon near Denali National Park. Outfitted in their drysuits and personal floatation devices, they always make for an interesting subject to photograph.

Nenana River Pilgrims

Happy Father's Day! - Enjoy, be safe, and give moose a break!

Happy Father's Day!

Helping Hand - By popular request, I will continue to add a picture of our son Florian once in a while. Now just over two years old, he is already actively participating in chores around our new house in Healy. He doesn't split our firewood (yet!), but managed to drive in four nails with his hammer yesterday.

Helping Hand

Praying Mantis -

Praying Mantis

 
Ice Train -

Ice Train

Ice Art World Championships -

Ice Art World Championships

Kids Ice Park -

Kids Ice Park

Tools Of The Trade -

Tools Of The Trade

2007 Ice Art World Championships -

2007 Ice Art World Championships

 
Iditarod Champions -

Iditarod Champions

Iditarod'sTeam Norway Fan Club -

Iditarod'sTeam Norway Fan Club

Iditarod Mushers Off To Nome -

Iditarod Mushers Off To Nome

Iditarod 2007 -

Iditarod 2007

Cold Again - A student braves extreme cold and ice fog as he heads to classes on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.

Cold Again

 
Ice Park - Preparations are under way for the creation of a huge ice park for children, to coincide with the annual World Ice Art Championships. The motto is 'for fun and imagination', and the pieces are not just for admiration but for up close and personal interaction. Needless to say that Florian has a new favorite playground.

Ice Park

All Smiles - Michelle Phillips of Tagish, Yukon, smiles after finishing the Yukon Quest in 6th position yesterday. This is the highest standing for a female musher since Aliy Zirkle won the race in 2000. A cold spell currently hovers over the Interior, with temperatures plummeting down to 50 below at night. Some mushers reported encountering 55 below on the Fortymile and on Birch Creek.

All Smiles

True Athletes Of The Race - Sled dogs running the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race have special abilities -- and special requirements, like food. Along with their power comes a huge appetite. While a normal mutt might get by on 1,500 calories a day, a hard-working sled dog has a metabolic demand of close to 10,000 kilocalories per day. Mushers feed their ravenously hungry dogs a high-fat diet, carefully supplemented by vitamins and minerals. And while they are tough, sled dogs can have sensitive feet. To safeguard them, mushers tie on polar-fleece booties that keep paws warm and protected. In the Yukon Quest, a single musher will use about 2,000 booties. Each usually lasts several hours and up to 100 miles.<br>

True Athletes Of The Race

Future Mushers? - The neighborhood kids hit the trails in the Goldstream Valley near Fairbanks. Just out of the picture frame are two goats giving chase to the sled that was pulled by the family dog. Sometimes a picture says a thousand words and other times it is what IS NOT in the picture that drives the scene.

Future Mushers?

Chinese Sculptor - Wei Tian Zuo of Harbin, China, uses a chisel to scupt ice at the Ice Park in Fairbanks. He is one of several international sculptors who will compete at the World Ice Art Championships in early March.

Chinese Sculptor

 
Ice Art - A couple of ice sculptors from Mongolia carve out a clown from massive ice blocks at the Ice Park in Fairbanks. In a few days, carvers from around the world will congregate here to compete in ice carving competitions.

Ice Art

Sprint Racing - Undeterred by the warmer weather, a musher runs a string of six dogs yesterday during one of the sprint races in Fairbanks. Visible in the background is a portion of downtown Fairbanks, with the foothills of the Alaska Range looming in the distance across the Tanana Flats.

Sprint Racing

Dog Power - A couple of sled dogs are more than ready to go and run in the sprint races in Fairbanks last weekend.

Dog Power

In The Driver's Seat - The following common saying developed in the 80's during Susan Bucher's dominance of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race: 'Alaska... Where men are men and women win the Iditarod'. Another euphemism I would like to add is that in Alaska, dogs are in the driver's seat. The perfect illustration is this sled dog belonging to Lynn Orbison's Daisy Acres Kennel from Two Rivers. The wooden name tags displayed on the windshield outline the make-up of Orbison's teams entered in the sprint races in Fairbanks this past weekend.<br><br>

In The Driver's Seat

Frozen Chops - A sled dog beloging to Carol Kaynor's team catches its breath at the finish line after a cold run in thirty below weather at the Jeff Studdert Racegrounds in Fairbanks on Sunday.

Frozen Chops

 
Racing Season Starts - Mushers hit the trails running this past weekend in Fairbanks during the first Alaska Dog Mushers Association Race of the season. Lack of snow postponed the start of the sprint season by a month. Here, Alyssa Quaile drives her team in the mid-distance class.

Racing Season Starts

White Christmas In Fairbanks - Wishing you all a peaceful day. And for those of you who are lacking snow, our son Florian performed a snow dance over the weekend and it worked!

White Christmas In Fairbanks

Hey Bear! - We have been teaching our son Florian the backcountry etiquette on how to behave when one travels in bear country. Here, he waves his arms as he practices to make noise during his ramblings in bear country in Denali National Park. The goal is not to startle a bear, especially in an area that supposedly has seen recent grizzly bear activity like here along Riley Creek. <br>

Hey Bear!

Kids Still Don't Float - Just about a year ago when we went to Seldovia, I posted a picture of our son Florian wearing a floation device on the boat ride from Seldovia to Homer. Here's a picture of Florian, who is now almost 18 months old, a couple of days ago in the port of Homer. Kids still don't float, as a recent boat accident that claimed the life of an 8-year-old boy in Nome reminded us.

Kids Still Don't Float

Gorillas in Alaska? - You wonder if there are gorillas in Alaska? Yes, you better believe it, and some of them even wear bikinis, like at this fireworks stand in Houston. Alaska – the last frontier for the craziest marketing ploys in the world!

Gorillas in Alaska?

 
Give Moose A Brake! - During the winter of 2003, 1,322 moose were hit by Alaska drivers. At an average of $15,000 in automobile damage per collision, moose/car accidents cost Alaskans millions of dollars every year. Added to the financial harm done to Alaska’s drivers, physical harm is also dealt. A quarter of all moose collisions result in human injury or death. This sign along the Parks Highway near Talkeetna shows the total for moose killed only for the Matanuska-Susitna Valleys.

Give Moose A Brake!

Let's Skip The Zoo - Instead of taking our 16-month old son Florian to the zoo, ‘the zoo’ came right to our front window. There is nothing like a real life lesson, and observing this cow with her calves kept his attention up, making him forget his fatigue and hunger. Interestingly enough, the same cow charged us two days earlier, as we were picking berries in the tundra at the end of our road. Our dog Buddy herded her in our direction as he mistakenly thought it was a real cow, and soon we were all running, the moose from Buddy, and Greta, a neighbor and I with Florian on my back running from the moose. It was a mad chase, but we finally made it to the safety of a nearby cabin, just as her two calves bolted out of the woods trying to keep up with their mom. It was much too close for our comfort, unlike last night, when we watched the moose family from the safety of our cabin.

Let's Skip The Zoo

Ready For Take-Off - Alaska offers some of the most challenging flying through one of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world. There are dozens of seasonal or year-round bases for a handful of dedicated pilots who operate such legendary aircraft as the deHavilland Beaver carrying mail, freight and passengers to some of the most remote parts of America's last frontier. Here, a Cessna 185 and a couple of deHavilland Beavers on floats operated by Willow Air are tied down on the shores of Willow Lake in Willow.

Ready For Take-Off

Snowmachine Riding ... In Summer! - Snowmachines play a big part in many Alaskans’ lives, and for some their use goes well beyond traveling on snow. A few years ago, I witnessed with some disbelief people riding their snowmachines across water on Big Lake near Anchorage. Now, I see our 16-month-old son Florian ride our neighbors snowmachine in the summer. He doesn't care if it runs, just grabbing the handlebars is enough fun, at least for now… <br><br>

Snowmachine Riding ... In Summer!

Tour de France of Adaptive Sports - Paul Nunnari of Australia, a Silver Medalist in the 2002 Paralympics in his hometown of Sydney, competes for the third time in the Ultra Challenge, considered by many the Tour de France of adaptive sports. The event is much more than a race though, and includes some 75 staff and volunteers who construct and deconstruct a traveling city eight days in a row. Volunteers also support participants as their ‘pit crew’.

Tour de France of Adaptive Sports

 
Ultra Challenge - At 267-miles, this race is the longest wheelchair and handcycle race in the world. Athletes travel from around the globe to participate in this six-day test of athleticism and endurance to race in the sun, wind and rain from Fairbanks to Anchorage. Here, Cheri Blauwet of Palo Alto, CA, one of the world’s top in women’s wheelchair sports, rides her handcycle along the Parks Highway near Healy.<br>

Ultra Challenge

Roadside Entertainement - While tourists try to catch a glimpse of some wildlife along the road, watching them observing wildlife becomes a favorite pastime for locals. So what is more entertaining, watching wildlife or watching tourists watch wildlife? I will reveal tomorrow what these travelers where looking at along the Parks Highway near Healy.

Roadside Entertainement

Alaska365 Back Online Again! - Mallory Conger of Nome is ready for one last snowball fight this season. Even though the warm and sunny weather is quickly melting our snow and ice pack out here in Northwest Alaska, other reasons caused the meltdown of our host server in Texas. Alaska365.com was inaccessible over the last couple of days because of a hard drive failure at our host server. The drive has been replaced and I apologize to all of you regular visitors of Alaska365 for the interruption. Even computers can't be 100% reliable...

Alaska365 Back Online Again!

Shishmaref Relocation - Shishmaref elder Delbert Eningowuk looks into an uncertain future for his village. Even though he is always upbeat and joking around, Eningowuk knows that the erosion at Shishmaref, an Inupiat island village of 600, is so dramatic that residents plan to start moving to a new site about 13.5 miles inland by as early as 2009. The loss of sea ice, the thawing earth and the growing incidence of powerful sea storms have made the fine sand on the island vulnerable. According to the US Corps of Engineers, the cost of moving Shishmaref is currently estimated at $150 million to $180 million. Consolidation into a larger community is unacceptable to Shishmaref residents. The village has its own distinct culture, including a reputation for finely crafted Inupiat arts and sled-dog racing, and it has maintained its food-gathering traditions. Although the case of Shishmaref is probably the most severe in Alaska, 184 Alaska villages are in serious danger of erosion or flooding, according to a government report issued last year. I do not know if Eningowuk will be around for the relocation of his village, but there is no doubt that the younger generations will face difficult choices.

Shishmaref Relocation

Shishmaref Spring Carnival - Shishmaref musher Daniel Olanna takes a break after coming in second on day three of the 'open class' dog races during the Shishmaref Spring Carnival in northwestern Alaska this past weekend. Participants mushed their teams each day over a 36-mile course on the frozen Chukchi Sea. Olanna used traditional seal skin pants to keep his legs warm. Dog teams have largely been replaced by snowmachines and ATVs as the main means of transportation in rural Alaska. However, rural Alaskans continue to race their dogs recreationally and to compete in what is Alaska’s state sport.

Shishmaref Spring Carnival

 
Mush On! - The lead dogs in Emerson Conger's team set the pace as they approach the finish line in the Nome Kennel Club's last Junior Sprint race of the season. Four teams participated and ran their dogs on a 7-mile loop under perfect mushing conditions. The last big mushing event of the season happens this coming weekend in Shishmaref during the Spring Carnival. Stay tuned for images from this event on Alaska365!

Mush On!

Easter Egg Hunt - Dozens of children braved cold temeratures, drifting snow and bone-chilling winds and to participate in Nome's Annual Easter Egg Hunt yesterday. Volunteers placed several hundred colored eggs in the snow on Anvil City Square before the kids went out searching for them. Here, 7-year-old Briday Knittle, right, and her friend Michaela Taylor, 7, brave the elements as they fill their baskets.

Easter Egg Hunt

Kigluaik Reflection - The Kigluaik Mountains, with the East Ridge of Mount Osborne in the center, are reflected in my goggles in this self-portrait on the summit of Crater Peak. An interesting detail in the picture is the ice axe with a wooden shaft, which belonged to my grandfather Albert Bassin. He used it over half a century ago in his climbs in the Swiss Alps. I never meet my grandfather, but I feel a tangible connection when I hold on to his ice axe.

Kigluaik Reflection

Pizza Delivery... by Plane! - Nome has two restaurants that serve pizza, but Airport Pizza will deliver outside city limits... sometimes, WAAAY outside. So while the prices at Airport Pizza are somewhat steep, those prices include delivery by Piper Navajo or Beech 1900. Indeed, for their out of town customers, Airport Pizza loads their specially made pies on Frontier Flying Service flights to such remote outposts as St. Lawrence Island, Teller, Elim, Golovin, Wales, White Mountain, Koyuk, or, in this case, Shishmaref. Here, Frontier Flying Service Agent Dennis Sinnok hands over a couple of pizzas to Shishmaref resident Willa Seetomona at the Shishmaref Airport. While there are no guarantees about the pizzas warmth when it arrives... all things considered, the price is right, $16 for a 15-inch cheese pizza, with loaded 19' specialty pies going for around $30.

Pizza Delivery... by Plane!

'You Buy - We Fly!' - Does Nome, Alaska's Airport Pizza deliver? You bet they do... and they'll even get your pie to you if you're used to travelling by dogsled. This out-of-the-way restaurant is offering its pizzas to customers as far as hundreds of miles away... and they're doing it on airplanes flown by Frontier Flying Service. 'You buy, we fly!' is the motto for Airport Pizza, the first pizza delivery operation in our city of 3,500. Here, Airport Pizza deliverer Ramon Ponce hands over several pizzas to Frontier Flying Service cargo handler David Nguyen at the Nome Airport. Wondering where these pizzas are going? Find out tomorrow right here at Alaska365.com.<br><br>

"You Buy - We Fly!"

 
Eskimo Dancing - Cyrilene Mike, a Yupik from the village of Stebbins and a member of the Tapraqmiut Dance Group, performs on the closing night of the annual Kawerak Regional Conference in Nome. Every song tells a story, and some of the songs and dances performed during the event have been passed down from generation to generation. Participants stress that dancing performances encourage wellness within their villages. It relieves stress and anger and promotes a sense of identity, happiness and high self-esteem. It also makes people feel proud of their tradition and heritage.

Eskimo Dancing

Walrus Dance - Rossman Ferguson, a member of the Utuqqagmiut Dance Group from Wainwright, performs the Walrus dance during the Kawerak Regional Conference in Nome yesterday. The three-day conference brings together Yup'ik, Siberian Yup'ik and Inupiaq people from the Bering Strait region. The conference focuses on cultural, social, educational and economic issues in the region.

Walrus Dance

Dog Power - Nome musher Nils Hahn's dogs lead him to victory in the Salmon Lake Stampede Sled Dog Race over the weekend. In this motion blur created by zooming out with my long lens at slow shutter speed, his lead dogs set the pace along the Kougourak Road.

Dog Power

Salmon Lake Stampede - The Iditarod may be over, but for local mushers the season is not even close to over yet. There are many local races coming up in the next few weeks, such as the Salmon Lake Stampede, the Shishmaref Spring Carnival Races, and the Kobuk 440. Here, Hugh Neff of Skagway, who competed in both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod, drives his team along the Kougourak Road Banner Creek on day one of the Salmon Lake Stampede Sled Dog Race, a three-day 150-mile stage race. On the first day, mushers drive their teams from Nome to Salmon Lake. On the second day, the teams do a 50-mile loop originating from Salmon Lake, and on the last day the mushers return from Salmon Lake to Nome. The $10,000 purse is divided among the top five finishers.

Salmon Lake Stampede

Iditarod Memories - The last stragglers arrived in Nome yesterday, and like every year the city of Nome hosted a 'Red Lantern Banquet' in the evening for these mushers who missed the Finisher's Banquet on Sunday. This is the banquet everyone in Nome looks forward to, because that's where usually the best stories are told: Stories about the musher’s connections with their dogs and the incredible landscape they traveled through; the camaraderie they experienced among each other and all the people they meet along the trail; and of course all the challenges along the trail, like chasing a loose team during the night at 55 below after a bathroom break, when the team bolted and pulled the snow hook. Now Iditarod 34 is but a memory: most of the mushers, dogs, race officials and fans are gone, and life in Nome is returning back to normal. As I look back at my images from this year's race, my favorite is a 'zooming' shot of my friend Sebastian Schnuelle approaching Farley's Camp near Nome.

Iditarod Memories

 
Well-earned Rest - A few yards beyond the finish line in Nome, the true athletes of the Iditarod enjoy their well-earned rest after pulling a sled and musher over 1,000 miles through some of the wildest terrain in North America. The snowblocks add shelter from the ever-present wind and prevent the straw from being blown away, while the dog coats prevent heat loss. It is hard to imagine that these sled dog can consume up to 10,000 calories on an average race day!

Well-earned Rest

Golf Event Alaska Style - Wayne Carey of Dillingham plays in the annual Bering Sea Ice Golf Classic, undoubtedly one of the strangest community events in Alaska. The 6-hole course is played entirely on the frozen Bering Sea with bright orange golf balls. The object is to land a ball into sunken, flagged coffee cans before losing it among the chunks of ice. The green lawn is Astroturf, as the sea ice will not support a decent lawn in mid-March. An odd assortment of signs round up the Nome National Forest in the background.

Golf Event Alaska Style

End of the Trail - Cindy Gallea of Sealey Lake, Montana, hugs one of her dogs after crossing the finish line of the 2006 Iditarod in Nome last night. The Iditarod celebrates a unique bond between humans and animals, forged over generations of working together. Because Cindy did not have good leaders, she had a tough journey and finished in 54th place. To me, every finisher is a winner, because they have travelled the distance and overcome the many obstacles along the way. People in Nome open their homes to host the Iditarod mushers and their handlers, and for the third time we are hosting Cindy. It was really fun to hear her stories of challenge and tribulations along the trail, as a dozen people packed our house last night. For Cindy, 'there is a reciprocal relationship with the dogs. There is not a separation between human and animal in the Iditarod. Dog and human are a team. They are one.'

End of the Trail

Special Bond - Visitors, race fans, handlers and media from around the world are converging to witness the finish of the 34th running of the Iditarod. Jeff King of Denali Park, the likely winner, is probably going to cross the finish line here in Nome sometime tonight or tomorrow morning. The Iditarod is a testament to the special bond that mushers have with their dogs, a bond that also seems to exist between this young Nomeite and her huskies.

Special Bond

Going Full Throttle - Race fans cheer on a participant in the Nome-Golovin Snowmachine Race. The race runs on the final ninety miles of the historic Iditarod Sled Dog Trail between Nome and the community of Golovin. Racers average 90 miles an hour on the 190-mile course finishing the race in between two to four hours.

Going Full Throttle

 
Nome-Golovin-Nome Snowmachine Race - A ground blizzard delayed the start of the annual Nome-Golovin-Nome snowmachine race yesterday. The 200 mile race attracts racers from around the state. I took this picture when participants left their snowmachines to be informed about the delay.

Nome-Golovin-Nome Snowmachine Race

Blizzard Conditions - What is it like to be in a blizzard? I am often at a loss of words on how to describe just quite how it feels. The loss of direction is for me the most frightening aspect of getting caught in a blizzard. When ground and sky become one, the resulting total loss of direction can be very debilitating. Here, a Nome resident struggles in blowing snow and poor visiblity along the Teller Road near Nome.

Blizzard Conditions

On the Trail to Nome! - Today is the 'real' start of the 34th Iditarod in Willow. The restart usually happens in Wasilla, but lack of snow forced the Iditarod Trail Committee to move the starting line further north. The recent snowfall along the trail should make for a good trail for the mushers. Here, Jim Lanier's leaders mush down the trail in Willow during the restart of the 2005 race.

On the Trail to Nome!

Iditarod Fever - The Iditarod – ‘The Last Great Race on Earth’. Today, 82 mushers and over 1,000 dogs will mush through Anchorage during the ceremonial start of the 34th Iditarod. Months and years of preparation have gone into fulfilling what for many is a dream – to mush over 1,000 miles, across frozen rivers and mountain ranges, windswept coastline and desolate tundra, to the finish line in Nome. It’s an adventure that unfolds in some of North America’s wildest terrain in conditions best described as extreme. I believe that the Norwegian freight train will again be hard to stop. My bet is that Bjornar Andersen of Norway, last year’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ in 4th place, will follow in his uncle Robert Sorlie’s footsteps and win this year’s race. Here, 2005 champion Robert Sorlie leaves the starting chute on 4th Avenue during the ceremonial start of last year’s race.

Iditarod Fever

Blizzard Hitting Full Force - It was erie yesterday on the streets of Nome, as illustrated in the view of Front Street above on the left. In the face of a major blizzard descending upon town, it seemed like the entire city came to a standstill. Schools and the airport were closed, as were some businesses. Very few souls ventured out into the blinding storm. It was just too dangerous to be out. During whiteout conditions it is hard to remember what Front Street may look like on a clear day. That is why I combined a view of Front Street in a blizzard and on a clear day into one image.

Blizzard Hitting Full Force

 
Subsistence Crabbing - Some of the crab pots that have not been lost when the ice suddenly broke off a few weeks ago are back in the water. Here, my friend Kevin Bopp baits his subsistence crab pots with herring. His subsistence crabbing site is located about a mile south from the city of Nome on the frozen Bering Sea.

Subsistence Crabbing

Trail Worries - Warm weather and lack of snow are creating tough trail conditions in Alaska and the Yukon. Mushers participating in the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race are currently resting in Dawson City, Yukon Territory, the halfway point and also the finish line of this year’s race. Lack of snow between Pelly Crossing and Whitehorse forced Quest officials to reroute the trail. The mushers will now travel to Pelly Crossing, and then loop back to Dawson City. Here on the Seward Peninsula, the Iron Dog Snowmachine Race was shortened because of high tides inundating large portions of the trail, as well as vast stretches of open water in Norton Sound. With the start of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race only two weeks away, lack of snow in Southcentral Alaska and along the Bering Sea Coast will likely cause challenges to the race organizers. This malemute sled dog doesn’t seem to particularly care about the future, as he enjoys a peaceful nap in a dog yard in Nome.<br>

Trail Worries

Daily Catch - A couple of Nome residents pull in their crab pot on the Bering Sea ice south of Nome. Alaska red king crab is a favorite dish that is served in many different ways in the region. A little over a week ago, the sea ice broke off as a result of a strong northerly wind and all the crab pots that were in the water got lost. Fortunately, the mesh of the pots is such that it will disintegrate after a little while, thereby freeing any crab that would accidentally be trapped in a ‘lost’ pot.<br><br>

Daily Catch

Drying Polar Bear Skin - Throughout Little Diomede, evidence of the village’s subsistence life persists: stretched polar bear and walrus skins, meat drying on lines, nets for catching auklets, whale bones, walrus skulls and tusks. Yet what strikes me most about Little Diomede is not the hand made wooden boats with walrus skin stretched on them; the whale vertebrae hanging outside houses; nor the polar bear skin drying on a wood rack. What strikes me most about this isolated village is the deep sense of community it possesses and radiates.

Drying Polar Bear Skin

Diomede Elder - When I stepped off the Bering Air Caravan on Little Diomede Island, the first person to greet me was Diomede Mayor Patrick Omiak. Born on this island seven decades ago, Omiak spent his childhood in the Yukon River village of Holy Cross. He returned to the island at age 18. 'This is where I wanted to live; my birthplace. I love this place,' Omiak says. His travels have taken him through Russia and Europe, but Diomede holds his heart. Omiak probably knows the danger of traveling across the notorious Bering Strait more than anyone else, a journey he has undertaken many times by skinboat.

Diomede Elder

 
Celebrating the gifts of life - The gym is one of the most important venues for indoor activities in Diomede. Almost everything from basketball games to traditional dances and drumming is taking place here. Especially during cold spells like the one hovering over much of Alaska now, villagers often find themselves pursuing their celebrations in the gym. Of course, weather conditions and the availability of food dictate much of the seasonal activities in this remote arctic outpost. When the weather is clear and good, and marine mammals such as seal are plentiful, subsistence needs take precedence. But when the weather is down, villagers stay inside and often celebrate the bounty of the sea that allows them to pursue their existence on this remote island.

Celebrating the gifts of life

Dancing and Drumming - Diomede children dance to the drumbeat of the Diomede Drummers at the local gym. It’s been remarkable to me to see all the young children dancing to the rhythmic beat of traditional skin drums. It is a testament to the resurgence of traditional Eskimo dancing and drumming in the region.

Dancing and Drumming

Uncertain Future - Locked in ice for eight months of the year, with winds blowing consistently from the north, raging up to 80 mph in temperatures that often reach 40 degrees below zero, this is once of the most challenging places on this planet to survive. Yet, for thousands of years the ancestors of these kids have lived here. For the past decade, a controversy over whether to move their community to mainland Alaska has spurred debate among the islanders. If they are to remain on Little Diomede, residents would like to see solutions to some of the community's biggest problems. Because of the steep, rocky nature of the island, the community might never get a central water and sewer system. Drinking water must be hauled to homes from a single holding tank and it is common for the tank to run dry during April and May, forcing families to melt snow. Sanitation is a concern because some residents dump their honey buckets without using the central dumping site. As if water and sewage problems weren't enough, there's the housing issue. Space and building materials are rare commodities on Diomede. The island offers only several thousand square feet of habitable land on its northwestern side, where steel cables anchor homes to the craggy slopes that rise dramatically above the Bering Sea. About 50 box-shaped houses crowd the village, with a dozen either abandoned or uninhabitable. Many Diomeders would like to improve their homes or to build new ones, but could afford to do so only on the mainland. For now, they rely on subsidized housing. Whether the village will move or not, these children will face a future full of tough challenges.

Uncertain Future

The 'Eagle Spot' -

The "Eagle Spot"

The 'Eagle Lady' - Jean Keene, also known as the “Eagle Lady”, looks up to some of the bald eagles gathered around her compound on a campground at the Homer Spit. Keene, a former rodeo rider, started feeding the eagles during the winter months out of her interest in birds. 'I've always fed birds scraps that would go to waste, and one thing led to another.' The now 82-years old eagle advocate has been feeding bald eagles for over a quarter century. Every day between Christmas and early April, Keene tosses several hundred pounds of fish scraps to the eagles, attracting sometimes several hundred birds for each feeding. Is she actually helping the eagles? Many would say no, including state and federal biologists and wildlife enthusiasts. Indeed, there are many questions that have never been fully addressed. What are the impacts of such an artificially inflated species in the area? What are the effects on seabird populations? In a few weeks, Alaska state regulators will consider a ban on eagle feeding. Keene said if the regulators decide to ban eagle feeding, she will stop. She said she doesn’t do it for the publicity, the photographers or anyone else, just for the eagles.

The "Eagle Lady"

 
Happy New Year! - Here we are, at the beginning of a new year, a new circle. For me, this beginning happened to be in Homer, where a group of residents silently lit candles and formed a human peace sign. It was a special moment to contemplate what peace means to me. World peace is widely seen as one of the most noble goals of humanity. Various groups, however, differ sharply about what peace entails, how best to achieve peace, and whether peace is even truly possible. Peace is many things: the meaning of the word peace changes with context. Peace may refer specifically to an agreement concluded to end a war, or to a lack of external warfare, or to a period when a country's armies are not fighting enemies. It can also refer more generally to quietude, such as that common at night or in remote areas, allowing for sleep or meditation. Peace can be an emotion or internal state. And finally, peace can be any combination of these definitions. A person's conception of 'peace' is often the product of culture and upbringing. People of different cultures sometimes disagree about the meaning of the word, and so do people within any given culture. Peace is not a symbol, peace is a mindset. As we collectively embark on our journey into 2006, I would like to wish to all my family, friends and visitors of Alaska365 a peaceful New Year, in every sense of the word.<br>

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas - I wish you all a Merry Christmas! Thank you for taking the time to visit Alaska365 and for sharing your enthusiasm, suggestions, and comments. I am grateful for the many ways you have shown your support and appreciate your efforts to spread the word about Alaska365. Your comments and suggestions will be incorporated as we make improvements to Alaska365 in 2006. A special thank you goes out to Dan Therrell of Blue Mullet Web Services and his family. Dan is the mastermind behind Alaska365 and an ongoing source of guidance and support. Again, thank you all and stay tuned as Alaska365 will continue trying to capture the beauty of Alaska through the seasons.

Merry Christmas

Junk as Art - Some locals express concern at the incoming tidal wave of yuppies and retirees who are now ‘discovering’ Homer. Yet this town still has its share of eclectic individualists, who were once attracted to a more simple lifestyle at the end of the road. Homer is also full of artists, and no opportunity is missed to make a personal statement, like in this fisherman’s backyard. The Kneissel skis obviously are from a different era, when U.S. skiing legends Phil and Steve Mahre skied to Olympic stardom. <br>

Junk as Art

Unusual Hunting Success - Savoonga whaling captain Raymond Toolie, shown here performing with the Savoonga Drummers in a picture I took in early November during AFN in Fairbanks, is celebrating this weekend. He and two other whaling captains were responsible for a remarkable harvest of three bowhead whales in a single day earlier this week. Lack of sea ice because of the warming of the Bering Sea may have contributed to this unusual hunting success. Scientists who have been monitoring the sea ice conditions in northern Alaska describe the Bering Sea ice pack as forming later and being smaller. Subsistence whaling of bowheads in Alaska is self-policed but tightly regulated under international treaties. The Eskimo subsistence harvest is considered sustainable for a bowhead population estimated to have grown to more than 10,000 animals. Alaska subsistence whaling has the support of scientists and most environmental groups.

Unusual Hunting Success

Mush On! - Recent snowfall throughout the state has made it possible for dog teams to be running on snow again. Mushers are back on their sled runners after using a fourwheeler to train their dogs during the summer months. Here, a team of sprint dogs barrels down the trail near Tozier Track in Anchorage.

Mush On!

 
Subsistence Harvest - As the sun sets over Norton Sound, Nome resident Karlin Itchoak coils the rope of a subsistence net after having caught a young Beluga whale near Cape Nome. A small portion of the Bering Sea population of around 18,000 Beluga whales is harvested by Alaska Inupiat hunters during spring and fall migrations along the north and west coasts of Alaska. This harvest is important to the residents of western Alaskan communities. While supplying a significant portion of the local, subsistence food supply, it also, and perhaps more importantly nourishes a traditional and cultural way of life.

Subsistence Harvest

Seal Hunting - My friend Karlin Itchoak is on the lookout for seals near Safety Sound last night. Native residents up and down the coast are busy hunting seals before Norton Sound freezes over. With nightime temperatures hovering around zero degrees Fahrenheit, slush ice is forming quickly and no one knows just how many more days of hunting there will be. Karlin did not have any luck last night. More memorable than the lack of seals was an amazing pod of beluga whales spouting into the crisp air. Unfortunately, they were too far off the coast to get a good photograph.

Seal Hunting

Ice Fishing Season Begins! - Ice fishing for tomcod is a favorite pastime along the Bering Sea Coast. Here, a local resident takes advantage of the first two-inch thick ice at the mouth of the Snake River in the Port of Nome to fish for the succulent tomcod.

Ice Fishing Season Begins!

Free Pizza Delivery! - What is unique about this picture are not only the ATVs circling around the Frontier Beech 1900 after its landing on Gambell, St. Lawrence Island. What is unique is that on this flight, Frontier delivered, besides passengers, goods and mail, almost a dozen pizzas made in a pizza oven hundreds of miles away. The newly opened Airport Pizza in Nome partnered up with Frontier to deliver the pizzas for free to all the villages it serves in northwestern Alaska. I cannot wait for Frontier to offer pizzas on their inflight service, because the smell of freshly baked pizzas penetrating into the cabin is almost irresistible.

Free Pizza Delivery!

Staying warm - Elias Noongwook of Savoonga dons his wolf ruff to protect against the blistering cold on St. Lawrence Island. Considering the majority of heat loss occurs through the neck and head, the hood on this parka extends fully around his neck and head with the fur ruff protruding well in front of his face. This design creates an air pocket around his neck, head, and face which minimizes heat loss.

Staying warm

 
Kissing Dance - Robert and Sandra Annoogiyuk, members of the Savoonga Dancers group from St. Lawrence Island, perform the ‘Kissing Dance’ during the 2005 Alaska Federation of Natives convention.

Kissing Dance

Ancient Rythms - Maryann Sundown of Scammon Bay dances with fans during the last evening of Quyana Alaska at the Alaska Federation of Natives Annual Convention in Fairbanks last night. The 87-year old Yupik elder, who used a wheelchair to get around the convention, suddenly got up and on stage and started dancing alongside the Imarpigmiut Dancers from Togiak with whom she had never danced before. An enthusiastic crowd gave her a rousing standing ovation after her moving performance.

Ancient Rythms

2005 Alaska Federation of Natives Annual Convention - The Tikigaq Dancers from Point Hope in Northwestern Alaska entertain the audience during Quyana Alaska, the cultural highpoint of the annual convention. Dance holds a central role in the traditions of Alaska Native tribes and this event honors its spiritual and artistic importance with multiple performances by groups represening the state's five Native cultures.

2005 Alaska Federation of Natives Annual Convention

Quyana Alaska - Quyana Alaska attracts some of the best performers from around the state for three nights of traditional motion dances, drumming and singing. While delegates from the all the various tribal organizations spend the day debating issues of importance to rural villagers, the convention shows a different, more joyful face in the evening. Here, the Nagsraqmiut Dancers from Anaktuvuk Pass perform one of their traditional songs during the second evening of Quyana Alaska in Fairbanks in front of a crowd of over 2,000 people.

Quyana Alaska

Climate Change Witness - Inupiat Eskimo Vincent Tocktoo Sr. of Shishmaref in northwestern Alaska talks about how the climate has been changing in his region. 'We used to hunt Ugruk (Bearded) seals on the sea ice in spring. We cannot do that no more because ice goes early now. We use boats nowadays because ice is not safe no more.' Global warming is not only changing sea ice patterns, it is also creating erosion of the beachline due to intense storm and wave action. The village that lies on a tiny island is literally being swallowed by the sea.

Climate Change Witness

 
Subsistence Advocate - 90-year-old Athabascan elder Katie John of Mentasta speaks out about what traditional values mean to her during the Alaska Federation of Natives/First Alaskans Elders and Youth Conference in Fairbanks yesterday. John is famous for winning a monumental, 10-year-long battle in federal court against the state of Alaska. The state’s constitution forbids preferences for any citizen – rural, urban or Alaska Native. But federal law and the John case have upheld the federal government’s trust responsibility to Alaska Natives, effectively creating rural subsistence priorities. John’s case began in the late 1980’s, when she and other Mentasta Alaska Natives sought traditional use of a fishing camp on the Copper River. After being denied by the state, John filed suit in 1991 against the state of Alaska, seeking to ensure subsistence rights for rural residents.

Subsistence Advocate

Native Focus - Richard David, of Hughes and Allakaket, left, and Walter Nolner, of Ruby and Arctic Village, perform with the Fairbanks Native Association Potlach Dancers on the first day of the annual Alaska Federation of Natives/First Alaskans Elders and Youth Conference in Fairbanks. The two-day conference is expected to draw 800 people, while the Alaska Federation of Natives Annual Convention, which will run October 19 through October 22, is expected to be attended by 2,500 convention-goers.<br>

Native Focus

Balancing Act - Ilarion (Larry) Merculieff of the Alaska Native Science Commission holds an eagle wing during the 8th World Wilderness Congress in Anchorage. The congress brings together organizations, agencies, institutions and individuals from around the world to discuss and find practical solutions on how to balance the needs of wilderness, wildlife and contemporary society.

Balancing Act

Traditional Ways of Knowing - A spiritual leader from Yakutia performs during 'Snowchange 2005, a Workshop on Indigenous Observations of Ecological and Climate Change' in Anchorage. In the face of global climate change that is affecting every aspect of their lives, Arctic indigenous peoples, who have held an intimate connection to the world around them for thousands of years, joined hands, discussed strategies and looked for solutions in how to survive, adapt and mitigate in their changing world. The workshop reinforced the notion that indigenous peoples’ observations and traditional knowledge can make significant contributions in helping western science explain how climate change is affecting the circumpolar North.

Traditional Ways of Knowing

Bering Sea Storm - A major storm that swept through the Bering Sea yesterday caused widespread flooding in coastal villages throughout western Alaska. Some of the hardest-hit areas are communities in Norton Sound, including Nome. But the affected areas stretch for hundreds of miles. Here, high winds from the south, coupled with a large storm surge, bring the crashing surf into Nome, spreading water and debris onto Front Street.

Bering Sea Storm

 
Storm Signals - While national attention focuses on Hurricane Rita, a major storm system is inching its way toward the coast of northwestern Alaska. Here, an Alaska Air National Guard Blackhawk Helicopter patrols the Norton Sound coastline near Nome Thursday evening. The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for today, with winds expected to gust up to 60 mph. There is also a coastal flood warning and a high surf advisory in effect for today. Residents up and down the Bering Sea coast are preparing to evacuate to higher ground.

Storm Signals

'Kids Don't Float' - The state of Alaska initated the “Kids Don’t Float” program that provides free personal flotation devices to children at all public ports. The goal of the program is to reduce the number of preventable deaths by drowning—and it has been one of the most successful injury prevention programs in the country. Here, our son Florian embarks on his first boat trip across Katchemak Bay. In a matter of a few hours, he flew from Nome to Anchorage, drove by car from Anchorage to Homer, took the water taxi across Katchemak Bay, where he finished the last leg of the journey to his grandparents house by four-wheeler. Alaska is a huge state with very few roads. Using multiple forms of transportation to get from point A to point B is a common necessity.<br>

"Kids Don't Float"

Bounty of the River and Sea - The wealth of Alaska is not just on the land but also in its waters. Every year, five species of highly nutritious, oil-rich salmon migrate from the ocean back to their spawning grounds in freshwater rivers and lakes. To keep the salmon for the winter months, Native people build drying and smoking racks. The salmon are cleaned and split, joined only at the tail. They are then hung from the poles to dry, like on this rack at Fort Davis near Nome.

Bounty of the River and Sea

Kingikmiut Dance Festival - Though to the outsider the Kingikmiut Dance Festival offered only a glimpse into Eskimo dancing and drumming, it felt like much more than a revival. The drums resounded with such intensity and vitality that it seemed as if the drums and dances had always been with the people. It didn’t appear to be an isolated part of their lives. Rather, it showed how they are connected to everything and everybody else. It’s not just a dance but a way of living. Here, the Savoonga Drummers from St. Lawrence Island beat their drums during a farewell song.

Kingikmiut Dance Festival

Boxing Dance - Emily Lane, right, of Point Hope, and her niece Adele Lane entertain the audience at the Sixth Annual Kingikmiut Dance Festival in Wales with a boxing dance. The reasons for Inupiaq dancing remain much the same as in the past: to share family history, give life lessons, convey valuable role models, and celebrate traditional lives through storytelling in song and dance. The impact of the annual dance is truly multi-dimensional. In addition to celebrating a spiritual component, it promotes self-esteem, strengthens community identiy, and it is simply fun.

Boxing Dance

 
Kingikmiut Dance Festival - The Kingikmiut (Wales) Dance Festival is a renewed celebration that is growing and gaining strength every year it convenes. The sixth annual festival brought dance groups from various northwestern Alaska communities together for three full nights of celebration and dancing. Fifty years ago, there was a strict restriction on dancing and drumming imposed by the missionaries that the Wales people adhered to, but the drums are sounding again and with vitality today. Here, Roger Kunayak Sr. of Diomede dances to the drums of the Tikiguaq Dance Group from Point Hope.

Kingikmiut Dance Festival

Polar Bear Swim - The annual polar bear swim on Saturday attracted a crowd of brave Nomeites and visitors who braved rain, wind and cool temperatures to take a quick dip in the chilly Bering Sea. Incidentally, a polar bear was seen just a few miles south of Nome earlier this week.

Polar Bear Swim

Day's catch - Phyillis Morrow proudly displays her day's catch at the annual Tomcod Derby outside of Nome.

Day's catch

International Dateline - Janelle Menadelook of Teller, upper left, and other students from Teller as well as other participating villages in the 2005 Elementary Ski Meet in Diomede, pose to capture their memorable visit to the International Dateline.

International Dateline

Playful moment - Louis Nelson of Kotzebue bonds with his dogs Blackjack, left, and Polar prior to the Restart of the 2005 Iditarod in Willow on Sunday. At age 62, Nelson is the oldest rookie participating in this year’s race

Playful moment

 
On the lookout for polar bears - Waylon Koutchak of Diomede is on the lookout for Polar Bears during the 2005 Elementary Ski Meet in Diomede. Looming about three miles in the distance beyond Koutchak and across the dateline is the Russian island of Big Diomede.

On the lookout for polar bears

Polar Bear Patrol - Chuck Menadelook heads out on the sea ice during the 2005 Elementary Ski Meet in Diomede. Menadelook and other Diomede residents were armed and on hand during the races to assure the safety of the kids and to stop any problems of the furry kind.

Polar Bear Patrol