Do duck’s feet get cold standing on ice?
Staying warm in winter is crucial for animals to survive. Mammals have thick fur and birds fluff their feathers but their legs often have little…
Tag: Winter
Looking inside a black bear den
Carefully I crawl into the entrance of a bear den to take a look at the black bear. Laying on a bed of dried ferns,…
Several ways fur can keep animals warm
Deer don’t check the thermometer in the morning when they wake up to determine how many layers to put on. Humans are the only mammals…
Chattering red squirrels also known as pine squirrels
When walking through the woods the silence is often pierced by the rapid chatter of a red squirrel as I intrude upon its territory. But…
Muskrats, beavers similar but not related
Muskrats and beavers are similar in many ways which is surprising since they aren’t even close relatives. Muskrats are more closely related to voles and…
Feast or famine for animals in the winter
Last weekend, the chickadees and nuthatches finally found the two bird feeders I filled several weeks ago. For birds, finding a full feeder is like…
Ptarmigan: Masters of camouflage in the snowy landscape
The occasional cluck will draw attention to the position of a ptarmigan along with their numerous tracks in the snow but seeing the ptarmigan isn’t…
Skiing to the Nine Mile Hills
To the north of Bettles are the Nine Mile hills, a set of foothills to the Brooks Range. I’ve flown over them a few times…
Snow dominates in Bettles
Snow. Snow. And more snow. Over 100 inches of snow fell in Bettles over the winter and has settled into about four feet of snow.…
Old Bettles Ski
Located downriver about six miles from Bettles is Old Bettles—orginally called Bettles until the new Bettles was built and after that it was referred to as Old…
Driving into Bettles
After loading all the boxes of goods that couldn’t freeze into the backseats of our trucks we (consisting of Ryan, Eric, Fawn and I) departed North Pole…
White Mountains Ski Trip
After waiting all winter for spring skiing in Alaska, we skied 40 miles in the White Mountains over two days. On Sunday we skied into…
Looking inside a black bear den
Carefully I crawl into the entrance of a bear den to take a look at the black bear. Laying on a bed of dried ferns,…
Several ways fur can keep animals warm
Deer don’t check the thermometer in the morning when they wake up to determine how many layers to put on. Humans are the only mammals…
Chattering red squirrels also known as pine squirrels
When walking through the woods the silence is often pierced by the rapid chatter of a red squirrel as I intrude upon its territory. But…
Muskrats, beavers similar but not related
Muskrats and beavers are similar in many ways which is surprising since they aren’t even close relatives. Muskrats are more closely related to voles and…
Feast or famine for animals in the winter
Last weekend, the chickadees and nuthatches finally found the two bird feeders I filled several weeks ago. For birds, finding a full feeder is like…
Ptarmigan: Masters of camouflage in the snowy landscape
The occasional cluck will draw attention to the position of a ptarmigan along with their numerous tracks in the snow but seeing the ptarmigan isn’t…
Skiing to the Nine Mile Hills
To the north of Bettles are the Nine Mile hills, a set of foothills to the Brooks Range. I’ve flown over them a few times…
Snow dominates in Bettles
Snow. Snow. And more snow. Over 100 inches of snow fell in Bettles over the winter and has settled into about four feet of snow.…
Old Bettles Ski
Located downriver about six miles from Bettles is Old Bettles—orginally called Bettles until the new Bettles was built and after that it was referred to as Old…
Driving into Bettles
After loading all the boxes of goods that couldn’t freeze into the backseats of our trucks we (consisting of Ryan, Eric, Fawn and I) departed North Pole…
White Mountains Ski Trip
After waiting all winter for spring skiing in Alaska, we skied 40 miles in the White Mountains over two days. On Sunday we skied into…