PeakThe Belly of the Beast

The Sansevoi ResevoiBears, Bars & Beers

Making the Cut: A Lumberjack Story

Wolf Peak vs. Wolf Pack

Harvard to HatchetHarvard to Hatchet

Flying Squirrel:Wing Suits in A.K.

Stop, Drop and Pole

p.89

p.94

p.101

p.112

p.116

p.123

p.p.129

Photograph by Sandy CouchCover Art by Roland Atema

September 2011

24hrs of Night (life)

Alaska’s Very Own “Billy the Kid”

Into the Wild

The Field Mouse is Fast, but the Owl Sees at Night

Conquering the Greatest Conquering the Greatest with Andrew Skurka

Gold Rush

Amatuer Adventurer of the Year

Hidden Nooks

p.25

p.36

p.42

p.51

p.57

p.64

p.p.73

p.80

PeakThe Belly of the Beast

The Sansevoi ResevoiBears, Bars & Beers

Making the Cut: A Lumberjack Story

Wolf Peak vs. Wolf Pack

Harvard to HatchetHarvard to Hatchet

Flying Squirrel:Wing Suits in A.K.

Stop, Drop and Pole

p.89

p.94

p.101

p.112

p.116

p.123

p.p.129

Photograph by Sandy CouchCover Art by Roland Atema

September 2011

24hrs of Night (life)

Alaska’s Very Own “Billy the Kid”

Into the Wild

The Field Mouse is Fast, but the Owl Sees at Night

Conquering the Greatest Conquering the Greatest with Andrew Skurka

Gold Rush

Amatuer Adventurer of the Year

Hidden Nooks

p.25

p.36

p.42

p.51

p.57

p.64

p.p.73

p.80

usic therapy is an allied health profession and one of the expressive therapies, consisting of an interper- sonal process in which a trained music therapist uses music and all of its facets—physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and spiritual—to help clients to improve or maintain their health. Music therapists primarily help clients improve their health across various domains (e.g., cognitive functioning, motor skills, emotional and affective develop-ment, behavior and ment, behavior and social skills, and quality of life) by using music exper-iences (e.g., singing, songwriting, listening to and discussing music, moving to music) to discussing music, moving to music) to achieve treatment goals and objectives. It is considered both an art and a science, with a qualitative and quantitative research literature base incorporating areas such as clinical therapy, biomusicology, musical acoustics, music theory, psychoacoustics, acoustics, music theory, psychoacoustics, embodied music cognition, aesthetics of music, and comparative musicology. Referrals to music therapy services may be made by other health care

professionals such as physicians, psychologists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. Clients can also choose to pursue music therapy services without a referral. Music therapists are found in nearly every area of the helping professions. Some commonly found practices include developmental work (communication, motor skills, etc.) with individuals with special needs, songwriting and listening in reminiscence/orientation work with the elderly, processing and relaxation work, elderly, processing and relaxation work, and rhythmic entrainment for physical rehabilita- tion in stroke victims. The Turco-Persian psychologist and music theorist al-Farabi (872-950), known as "Alpharabius" in Europe, dealt with music therapy in his treatise Meanings of the Intellect, where he discussed the therapeutic effects of music on the soul.[1] Robert Burton wrote in the 17th century in his classic work, The Anatomy of Melancholy, that music and dance were critical in treating mental illness, especially melancholia. There are several concepts regard-ing the foundations of music therapy, including philosophies based on educa-

“With 24 hrs of darkness, what else would we do?”

M24 Hours of Night (Life)( )

by Melvin Brown

usic therapy is an allied health profession and one of the expressive therapies, consisting of an interper- sonal process in which a trained music therapist uses music and all of its facets—physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and spiritual—to help clients to improve or maintain their health. Music therapists primarily help clients improve their health across various domains (e.g., cognitive functioning, motor skills, emotional and affective develop-ment, behavior and ment, behavior and social skills, and quality of life) by using music exper-iences (e.g., singing, songwriting, listening to and discussing music, moving to music) to discussing music, moving to music) to achieve treatment goals and objectives. It is considered both an art and a science, with a qualitative and quantitative research literature base incorporating areas such as clinical therapy, biomusicology, musical acoustics, music theory, psychoacoustics, acoustics, music theory, psychoacoustics, embodied music cognition, aesthetics of music, and comparative musicology. Referrals to music therapy services may be made by other health care

professionals such as physicians, psychologists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. Clients can also choose to pursue music therapy services without a referral. Music therapists are found in nearly every area of the helping professions. Some commonly found practices include developmental work (communication, motor skills, etc.) with individuals with special needs, songwriting and listening in reminiscence/orientation work with the elderly, processing and relaxation work, elderly, processing and relaxation work, and rhythmic entrainment for physical rehabilita- tion in stroke victims. The Turco-Persian psychologist and music theorist al-Farabi (872-950), known as "Alpharabius" in Europe, dealt with music therapy in his treatise Meanings of the Intellect, where he discussed the therapeutic effects of music on the soul.[1] Robert Burton wrote in the 17th century in his classic work, The Anatomy of Melancholy, that music and dance were critical in treating mental illness, especially melancholia. There are several concepts regard-ing the foundations of music therapy, including philosophies based on educa-

“With 24 hrs of darkness, what else would we do?”

M24 Hours of Night (Life)( )

by Melvin Brown

by Robert Tuckman

n a daring overnight raid masterpiece paintings worth over $38 million, including a Fredrick Machetanz and a Picasso, were stolen from the Anchorage Museum of Modern Art. "I am saddened and shocked by this theft, which is an intolerable attack on Alaska's universal cultural heritage," Anchorage Mayor Bertrand Delanoe said in a report to the news. The five modern art masterpieces were discov-ered missing early in the morning on September 23, 2002, as the museum was preparing to open to the public. It was closed all morning and police cordoned off the area opposite Anchorage Town Center, while forensic teams scanned it. "It is essential to "It is essential to allow the police to find out how the security system has been outsmarted and how such valuable paintings could have been stolen," Christophe Girard, Anchorage City Hall deputy, said. Investigators are examining the museum's surveillance footage that museum's surveillance footage that reportedly shows a masked thief at work, removing the paintings from the museum. This man’s name is unknown, however he has been becoming known as Alaska’s own Billy the Kid, because of his quick exit from the scene. The next step for the police will be "to locate the perpetrators and of course to retrieve those paintings whose value is important, a total of just under $38 million dollars" Girard said, putting the value of the pictures at a much lower estimate than initially reported. Earlier estimate than initially reported. Earlier

the Anchorage prosecutor's office had put the total worth of the paintings much higher at approximately one hundred and fifty million dollars.

"There is a security system, there are "There is a security system, there are three people in the museum at all times. So they were there, but the system was outsmarted as they saw nothing, so they didn't react to anything there," Girard said. But art experts have been critical of the security standards of the museum. An anonymous police official told the Associated Press that some of the surveillance cameras were broken.

"Thieves are becoming more brazen, more sophisticated. You [museums] can't waist time with bad security. You have to stay ahead of thieves, they are sneaking and passing through security," Chris Marinello, head of Recovery Team, The Art Loss Register told ABC News.

"You cannot do anything with these "You cannot do anything with these paintings. All countries in the world are aware, and no collector is stupid enough to buy a painting that, one, he can't show to other collectors, and two, risks sending him to prison," he said on LCI television.

"In general, you find these paintings," he "In general, you find these paintings," he said. "These five paintings are unsel-lable, so thieves, sirs, you are imbeciles. Now return them."

But previous heists have proved lucrative for thieves who have both taken

I“...it ranks up there among the top art thefts in decades.”

by Robert Tuckman

n a daring overnight raid masterpiece paintings worth over $38 million, including a Fredrick Machetanz and a Picasso, were stolen from the Anchorage Museum of Modern Art. "I am saddened and shocked by this theft, which is an intolerable attack on Alaska's universal cultural heritage," Anchorage Mayor Bertrand Delanoe said in a report to the news. The five modern art masterpieces were discov-ered missing early in the morning on September 23, 2002, as the museum was preparing to open to the public. It was closed all morning and police cordoned off the area opposite Anchorage Town Center, while forensic teams scanned it. "It is essential to "It is essential to allow the police to find out how the security system has been outsmarted and how such valuable paintings could have been stolen," Christophe Girard, Anchorage City Hall deputy, said. Investigators are examining the museum's surveillance footage that museum's surveillance footage that reportedly shows a masked thief at work, removing the paintings from the museum. This man’s name is unknown, however he has been becoming known as Alaska’s own Billy the Kid, because of his quick exit from the scene. The next step for the police will be "to locate the perpetrators and of course to retrieve those paintings whose value is important, a total of just under $38 million dollars" Girard said, putting the value of the pictures at a much lower estimate than initially reported. Earlier estimate than initially reported. Earlier

the Anchorage prosecutor's office had put the total worth of the paintings much higher at approximately one hundred and fifty million dollars.

"There is a security system, there are "There is a security system, there are three people in the museum at all times. So they were there, but the system was outsmarted as they saw nothing, so they didn't react to anything there," Girard said. But art experts have been critical of the security standards of the museum. An anonymous police official told the Associated Press that some of the surveillance cameras were broken.

"Thieves are becoming more brazen, more sophisticated. You [museums] can't waist time with bad security. You have to stay ahead of thieves, they are sneaking and passing through security," Chris Marinello, head of Recovery Team, The Art Loss Register told ABC News.

"You cannot do anything with these "You cannot do anything with these paintings. All countries in the world are aware, and no collector is stupid enough to buy a painting that, one, he can't show to other collectors, and two, risks sending him to prison," he said on LCI television.

"In general, you find these paintings," he "In general, you find these paintings," he said. "These five paintings are unsel-lable, so thieves, sirs, you are imbeciles. Now return them."

But previous heists have proved lucrative for thieves who have both taken

I“...it ranks up there among the top art thefts in decades.”

"Thieves are looking to make money out of this. Once they realize that they can't put it out in the market, they will use it to get a ransom payment or in some cases, to get a payout from an insurance company." While not the biggest art heist ever, as was at first thought, it ranks up there among the top art thefts in decades. The most expensive art heist to decades. The most expensive art heist to date is deemed by experts to be the theft of $500 million worth of paintings from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990, and the most famous to be the removal of Leonard da Vinci's Mona Lisa from the Louvre in 1911. The city grew from its happenstance choice as the site, in 1914, of a railroad construction port for the Alaska Engineering Commission. Construction of the railroad, to be known as the Alaska Railroad, continued until its completion in 1923. continued until its completion in 1923. The area near the mouth of Ship Creek, where the railroad headquarters was located, quickly became a tent city. A townsite was platted on higher ground to the south of the tent city, greatly noted in the years since for its order and rigidity compared with other Alaskan townsites. compared with other Alaskan townsites. Anchorage was incorporated on November 23, 1920. The city's economy in the 1920s and 1930s centered on the railroad. Col. Otto F. Ohlson, the Swedish-born general manager of the railroad for nearly two decades, became a symbol of residents' contempt for the firm control he maintained over the railroad's affairs, which by extension became control over economic and other aspects of life in all of Alaska. Between the 1930s and the 1950s, the city experienced massive growth as air transportation and the military became increasingly important. Aviation operations in Anchorage commenced along the firebreak south of commenced along the firebreak south of town (today's Delaney Park Strip), which was also used by residents as a golf course. An increase in air traffic led to clearing of a site directly east of townsite boundaries starting in 1929, which became Merrill Field. Merrill Field served as Anchorage's primary airport during as Anchorage's primary airport during the 1930s and 1940s, when it was replaced by Anchorage International Airport upon its opening in 1951. Merrill Field still serves a significant amount of general aviation traffic to this day. Fourth Avenue in 1953, looking east from near I Street. Just five years before, the area in the foreground was mostly home to lumber yards and other light industrial uses.

Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson were constructed in the 1940s, and served as the city's primary economic engine until the 1968 Prudhoe Bay discovery shifted the thrust of the economy towards the oil industry. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process led to the combining of the two process led to the combining of the two bases (along with Kulis Air National Guard Base) to form Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. On March 27, 1964, Anchorage was hit by the magnitude 9.2 Good Friday Earthquake, which killed 115 Alaskans and caused $311 million ($1.8 billion in 2007 U.S. dollars) in damage. The earth-shaking event lasted nearly five minutes; most structures that failed remained intact the first few failed remained intact the first few

minutes, then failed with repeated theflexing. It was the second largest inearthquake in the recorded history of the world. Rebuilding dominated the lastremainder of the 1960s. In 1968, oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay, and the resulting oil boom spurred further growth in Anchorage. In 1975, the City of Anchorage and the Greater Anchorage Area Borough (which includes Eagle River, Girdwood, Glen Alps, and several other foundcommunities) merged into the uppercommunities) merged into the uppergeographically larger Municipality of Anchorage. The city continued to grow in the 1980s, and capital projects and an aggressive beautification campaign took place. Anchorage is located in the highSouthcentral part of Alaska. At 61 Southcentral part of Alaska. At 61 degrees North, it lies slightly farther north than Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki and St. Petersburg, but not as far north as Reykjavik or Murmansk. It is northeast of the Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak Island, and Cook Inlet, due north of the Kenai Peninsula, northwest of Prince William Peninsula, northwest of Prince William

Sound and the Alaska Panhandle, and nearly due south of Mount Vernon and McKinley/Denali. The city is on a strip of coastal lowland and extends up the lower alpine slopes of the Chugach Mountains. Point Campbell, the westernmost point of Anchorage on the mainland, juts out into Anchorage on the mainland, juts out into Cook Inlet near its northern end, at which point it splits into two arms. To the south is Turnagain Arm, a fjord that has some of the world's highest tides. Knik Arm, another tidal inlet, lies to the west and north. The Chugach Mountains on the east form a boundary to understandthe east form a boundary to understanddevelopment, but not to the city limits, which encompass part of the wild alpine territory of Chugach State Park. The city's seacoast consists mostly

of treacherous mudflats. Newcomers and tourists are warned not to walk in this area because of extreme tidal changes and the very fine glacial silt. Unwary victims have walked onto the solid seem-ing silt revealed when the tide is out and have become stuck in the mud. The two recorded instances of this occurred in recorded instances of this occurred in 1961 and 1988. According to the United States Census Bureau, the municipality has a total area of 1,961.1 square miles; 1,697.2 square miles of which is land and 263.9 square miles of it is water. The total area is 13.46% water. Boroughs and census areas closelyadjacent to the Municipality of theadjacent to the Municipality of theAnchorage are Matanuska-Susitna Borough to the north, Kenai Peninsula Borough to the south and west of our twoValdez-Cordova Census Area to the Valdez-Cordova Census Area to the east. The Chugach National Forest, a national protected area, extends into the southern part of the municipality, near Girdwood and Portage. What I like best about doing all this is that we don’t really have to use real body copy. It just

“ There is a security system, there are three people in the museum at all times. So they were there, but the system was outsmarted as they saw nothing, ”

-Christophe Girard, Anchorage City Hall Deputy

continued on pg. 57

“Thieves are becoming more brazen, more sophisticated”

"Thieves are looking to make money out of this. Once they realize that they can't put it out in the market, they will use it to get a ransom payment or in some cases, to get a payout from an insurance company." While not the biggest art heist ever, as was at first thought, it ranks up there among the top art thefts in decades. The most expensive art heist to decades. The most expensive art heist to date is deemed by experts to be the theft of $500 million worth of paintings from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990, and the most famous to be the removal of Leonard da Vinci's Mona Lisa from the Louvre in 1911. The city grew from its happenstance choice as the site, in 1914, of a railroad construction port for the Alaska Engineering Commission. Construction of the railroad, to be known as the Alaska Railroad, continued until its completion in 1923. continued until its completion in 1923. The area near the mouth of Ship Creek, where the railroad headquarters was located, quickly became a tent city. A townsite was platted on higher ground to the south of the tent city, greatly noted in the years since for its order and rigidity compared with other Alaskan townsites. compared with other Alaskan townsites. Anchorage was incorporated on November 23, 1920. The city's economy in the 1920s and 1930s centered on the railroad. Col. Otto F. Ohlson, the Swedish-born general manager of the railroad for nearly two decades, became a symbol of residents' contempt for the firm control he maintained over the railroad's affairs, which by extension became control over economic and other aspects of life in all of Alaska. Between the 1930s and the 1950s, the city experienced massive growth as air transportation and the military became increasingly important. Aviation operations in Anchorage commenced along the firebreak south of commenced along the firebreak south of town (today's Delaney Park Strip), which was also used by residents as a golf course. An increase in air traffic led to clearing of a site directly east of townsite boundaries starting in 1929, which became Merrill Field. Merrill Field served as Anchorage's primary airport during as Anchorage's primary airport during the 1930s and 1940s, when it was replaced by Anchorage International Airport upon its opening in 1951. Merrill Field still serves a significant amount of general aviation traffic to this day. Fourth Avenue in 1953, looking east from near I Street. Just five years before, the area in the foreground was mostly home to lumber yards and other light industrial uses.

Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson were constructed in the 1940s, and served as the city's primary economic engine until the 1968 Prudhoe Bay discovery shifted the thrust of the economy towards the oil industry. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process led to the combining of the two process led to the combining of the two bases (along with Kulis Air National Guard Base) to form Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. On March 27, 1964, Anchorage was hit by the magnitude 9.2 Good Friday Earthquake, which killed 115 Alaskans and caused $311 million ($1.8 billion in 2007 U.S. dollars) in damage. The earth-shaking event lasted nearly five minutes; most structures that failed remained intact the first few failed remained intact the first few

minutes, then failed with repeated theflexing. It was the second largest inearthquake in the recorded history of the world. Rebuilding dominated the lastremainder of the 1960s. In 1968, oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay, and the resulting oil boom spurred further growth in Anchorage. In 1975, the City of Anchorage and the Greater Anchorage Area Borough (which includes Eagle River, Girdwood, Glen Alps, and several other foundcommunities) merged into the uppercommunities) merged into the uppergeographically larger Municipality of Anchorage. The city continued to grow in the 1980s, and capital projects and an aggressive beautification campaign took place. Anchorage is located in the highSouthcentral part of Alaska. At 61 Southcentral part of Alaska. At 61 degrees North, it lies slightly farther north than Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki and St. Petersburg, but not as far north as Reykjavik or Murmansk. It is northeast of the Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak Island, and Cook Inlet, due north of the Kenai Peninsula, northwest of Prince William Peninsula, northwest of Prince William

Sound and the Alaska Panhandle, and nearly due south of Mount Vernon and McKinley/Denali. The city is on a strip of coastal lowland and extends up the lower alpine slopes of the Chugach Mountains. Point Campbell, the westernmost point of Anchorage on the mainland, juts out into Anchorage on the mainland, juts out into Cook Inlet near its northern end, at which point it splits into two arms. To the south is Turnagain Arm, a fjord that has some of the world's highest tides. Knik Arm, another tidal inlet, lies to the west and north. The Chugach Mountains on the east form a boundary to understandthe east form a boundary to understanddevelopment, but not to the city limits, which encompass part of the wild alpine territory of Chugach State Park. The city's seacoast consists mostly

of treacherous mudflats. Newcomers and tourists are warned not to walk in this area because of extreme tidal changes and the very fine glacial silt. Unwary victims have walked onto the solid seem-ing silt revealed when the tide is out and have become stuck in the mud. The two recorded instances of this occurred in recorded instances of this occurred in 1961 and 1988. According to the United States Census Bureau, the municipality has a total area of 1,961.1 square miles; 1,697.2 square miles of which is land and 263.9 square miles of it is water. The total area is 13.46% water. Boroughs and census areas closelyadjacent to the Municipality of theadjacent to the Municipality of theAnchorage are Matanuska-Susitna Borough to the north, Kenai Peninsula Borough to the south and west of our twoValdez-Cordova Census Area to the Valdez-Cordova Census Area to the east. The Chugach National Forest, a national protected area, extends into the southern part of the municipality, near Girdwood and Portage. What I like best about doing all this is that we don’t really have to use real body copy. It just

“ There is a security system, there are three people in the museum at all times. So they were there, but the system was outsmarted as they saw nothing, ”

-Christophe Girard, Anchorage City Hall Deputy

continued on pg. 57

“Thieves are becoming more brazen, more sophisticated”

Nuts&BoltsThe

he Two Roads to Courage brief case is the perfect gift for any explorer. It is rugged and weather just like those who want it. It features a 750mL bottle of Woodford Reserve Wiskey and a pair of 24 karat gold brass knuckles, elegantly inlaid in mahogany. The soft plaid lining hold together the gold inlaid letters within a Italian leather exterior. These above-listed types of American whiskey must be distilled to no more than whiskey must be distilled to no more than 80% alcohol by volume, and any addition of coloring or flavoring is prohibited. These whiskeys must then be aged in new charred-oak containers. It is a decadent present but for a modest $85.

atagonia put together this fleece lined, canvas jacket in early 2001, but it never really took steam. How ever with the help of a few new technologies, this jacket has some graduated to superb. The help of 100% recycled materials, this jacket is strong and sustainable. Backed by a rock solid life time warranty, this jacket will keep you warm even in the coldest stretches of night. Patagonia is a region located in the southArgentina and Chile, integrating the southern Argentina and Chile, integrating the southern most section of the Andes mountains to the do River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean. Sometime this is just not real body copy. In fact most of the time it’s fake. To the west, it includes the territory of Valdivia through Tierra del Fuego. The geological for landscape is in accordance with the orographic landscape is in accordance with the orographic physiognomy. This jacket, warranty and all only costs $150.

P

On the left, an American pilot gets his F-22 ready for take off at Alaska Airbase in -55 degree weather.

Above, a Raptor pilot flies at exactly the same speed as the fueling jet this photo was taken from. If either pilot makes a mistake it could leave gallons of highly flamable jet fuel all over the raptor pilot. all over the raptor pilot.

<

<

PeakPerformancepeople & machines that thrive under some

of the worst conditions known to man

The F-22 Raptor thrives in Alaska’s cold air. The jet intakes suck in the thick dense air and expell it in the form of pure power, making it possible for the raptor to reach speeds up to 30% faster than in warm climate areas. Similarly the cold air allows the raptor to pull up to 2 more G’s in high powered turns, making this jet even sportier and faster than ever before.

On the left, an American pilot gets his F-22 ready for take off at Alaska Airbase in -55 degree weather.

Above, a Raptor pilot flies at exactly the same speed as the fueling jet this photo was taken from. If either pilot makes a mistake it could leave gallons of highly flamable jet fuel all over the raptor pilot. all over the raptor pilot.

<

<

PeakPerformancepeople & machines that thrive under some

of the worst conditions known to man

The F-22 Raptor thrives in Alaska’s cold air. The jet intakes suck in the thick dense air and expell it in the form of pure power, making it possible for the raptor to reach speeds up to 30% faster than in warm climate areas. Similarly the cold air allows the raptor to pull up to 2 more G’s in high powered turns, making this jet even sportier and faster than ever before.

The Field Mouse Is

FAST,But The Owl Sees

This carved owl is a symbol of wisdom and good fortune for

Alaskan Falconers

NIGHT alconry is the art and sport of using trained raptors (birds of prey) to hunt game. The sport requires long hours, constant devotion, finesse, subtlety, and skill. The falconer must train a bird of prey to fly free, hunt under the guidance of a human being and then accept a return to captivity. Falconer’s may use different species of raptors to hunt different types of game. In the United States, falconry is legal in all states except Hawaii. Falconry is strictly regulated by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. However in Alaska, where there is plenty of both fish and small game, the finest Master falconers have begun using owls. The perk being have begun using owls. The perk being that these birds rely on sound rather than the generally preferred falcon’s notorious

eye sight. Falconry is not an "overnight" achievement. Becoming a Master falconer takes at least seven years. The beginner must learn about the various gaming birds, their stages of life, characteristics, prey, care, feeding, and suitability for the falconer and the hunting environment. Learning about proper housing for the Learning about proper housing for the birds and knowing how to use the equipment also is necessary. A raptors talons are sharp are razors and their beaks a dagger, and you must learn to tame them. It is quite the task. Falconry is the only sport that uses a trained wild creature. Falcons, hawks, eagles, and owls are essential elements of our wildlife. The competent falconer takes care to follow sound conservation principles in the pursuit of the sport. Because all raptors are protected by state, federal and international law, all potential falconers must obtain necessary permits before obtaining a hawk or practicing falconry. This includes taking a

Hunting with an owl at night is like finally taking the lense cap off your rifle...

-Master Falconer Steve Hermam

“

“

F

at

The Field Mouse Is

FAST,But The Owl Sees

This carved owl is a symbol of wisdom and good fortune for

Alaskan Falconers

NIGHT alconry is the art and sport of using trained raptors (birds of prey) to hunt game. The sport requires long hours, constant devotion, finesse, subtlety, and skill. The falconer must train a bird of prey to fly free, hunt under the guidance of a human being and then accept a return to captivity. Falconer’s may use different species of raptors to hunt different types of game. In the United States, falconry is legal in all states except Hawaii. Falconry is strictly regulated by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. However in Alaska, where there is plenty of both fish and small game, the finest Master falconers have begun using owls. The perk being have begun using owls. The perk being that these birds rely on sound rather than the generally preferred falcon’s notorious

eye sight. Falconry is not an "overnight" achievement. Becoming a Master falconer takes at least seven years. The beginner must learn about the various gaming birds, their stages of life, characteristics, prey, care, feeding, and suitability for the falconer and the hunting environment. Learning about proper housing for the Learning about proper housing for the birds and knowing how to use the equipment also is necessary. A raptors talons are sharp are razors and their beaks a dagger, and you must learn to tame them. It is quite the task. Falconry is the only sport that uses a trained wild creature. Falcons, hawks, eagles, and owls are essential elements of our wildlife. The competent falconer takes care to follow sound conservation principles in the pursuit of the sport. Because all raptors are protected by state, federal and international law, all potential falconers must obtain necessary permits before obtaining a hawk or practicing falconry. This includes taking a

Hunting with an owl at night is like finally taking the lense cap off your rifle...

-Master Falconer Steve Hermam

“

“

F

at

All owls are carnivorous birds of prey and live mainly on a diet of insects and small rodents such as mice, rats and hares. Some owls are also specifically adapted to hunt fish. They are very adept in hunting in their respective environ-ments. Since owls can be found in nearly all parts of the world and across a all parts of the world and across a multitude of ecosystems, their hunting skills and characteristics vary slightly from species to species, though most characteristics are shared among all of the species. Most owls share an innate ability to fly almost silently and also more slowly in comparison to other birds of prey. Most comparison to other birds of prey. Most owls live a mainly nocturnal lifestyle and being able to fly without making any noise gives them a strong advantage over their prey that are listening for any sign of noise in the dark night. A silent, slow flight is not as necessary for diurnal and crepuscular owls given that prey can crepuscular owls given that prey can usually see an owl approaching. While the morphological and biological mechanisms of this silent flight are more or less unknown, the structure of the feather has been heavily studied and accredited to a large portion of why they have this ability. Owls’ feathers are

Owls share an innate ability to fly almost silently and also more slowly in comparison to other birds of prey

generally larger than the average birds’ feathers, have fewer radiates, longer pennulum, and achieve smooth edges pennulum, and achieve smooth edges with different rachis structures. Serrated edges along the owl’s remiges bring the flapping of the wing down to a nearly silent mechanism. Research has shown that the serrations are more likely reducing aerodynamic disturbances, reducing aerodynamic disturbances, rather than simply reducing noise. The surface of the flight feathers are covered with a velvety structure which absorbs the sound of the wing moving. These unique structures reduce noise frequencies above 2 kHz, making the sound level emitted drop below the typical hearing spectrum drop below the typical hearing spectrum of the owl’s usual prey and also within the owl’s own best hearing range . This optimizes the owl’s ability to silently fly in order to capture prey without the prey hearing the owl first as it flies in. It also

allows the owl to monitor the sound output from its flight pattern. Another characteristic of the owl which aids in their nocturnal prey capture is their eyesight. Owls are part of a small group of birds that live nocturnally, but do not use echolocation to guide them in flight in low-light situations. Owls are known for their disproportionally large eyes in comparison to their skull. An apparent comparison to their skull. An apparent consequence of the evolution of an absolutely large eye in a relatively small absolutely large eye in a relatively small skull is that the eye of the owl has become tubular in shape. This shape is found in other so-called nocturnal eyes, such as the eyes of prosimians and bathypelagic fishes. Since the eyes are fixed into these sclerotic tubes, they are unable to move the eyes in any direction. Instead of moving eyes in any direction. Instead of moving their eyes, owls swivel their head to visualize their surroundings. The swiveling

radius of the owl’s head is around 270˚, easily enabling them to see behind them without relocating the torso. This ability keeps bodily movement at a minimum and thus reduces the amount of sound the owl makes as it waits for its prey. Owls are regarded as having the most frontally placed eyes amongst all avian groups, placed eyes amongst all avian groups, which gives them some of the largest binocular fields of vision. But owls are farsighted and cannot focus on objects within a few centimeters of their eyes. While it is commonly believed that owls have such great nocturnal vision due to their large (and thus very light-gathering) eyes and pupils and/or extremely sensitive rod receptors, the true cause for their ability to see in the night is due to neural ability to see in the night is due to neural mechanisms which mediate the extraction of spatial information gathered from the retinal image throughout the nocturnal

luminance range. These mechanisms are only able to function due to the large sized retinal image. Thus, the primary nocturnal function in the vision of the owl is due to its large posterior nodal distance; retinal image brightness is only distance; retinal image brightness is only maximized to the owl within secondary neural functions. These attributes of the owl cause the nocturnal eyesight to be far superior to that of its average prey. Owls exhibit specialized hearing functions and ear shapes that also aid in hunting. They are often noted for the asymmetrical ear placements on the skull in some genera. Owls can have either internal or external ears, but the genera exhibiting asymmetrical ear geometry only have external ear placements. only have external ear placements. Asymmetry has not been reported to extend to the middle or internal ear of the owl. The asymmetrical ear placement on

Falconry is the only sport that uses a trained wild creature.

continued on pg.37

the skull allows the owl to pinpoint the location of its prey. This is especially true with the strictly nocturnal species such as the barn owls Tyto or Tengmalm’s Owl. With the ears set at different places on the skull, the owl is able to determine the direction in which the sound is coming from by the minute difference in time that from by the minute difference in time that it takes for the sound waves to penetrate the left and right ear. The owl turns its head until the sound reaches both ears simultaneously, at which point it is directly facing the source of the sound. This time difference between ears is a matter of about 0.00003 seconds, or a matter of about 0.00003 seconds, or 30 millionths of a second. In coordination with this left to right calibration, some owls (like the barn owl) have slightly asymmetrical ears up and down that allow the owl to recognize whether the sound being received is higher or lower in vertical space by the volume of the in vertical space by the volume of the sound in each ear. If the sound is louder in the ear facing more upwards, then the prey is higher up than the owl’s focus. Like the eyes, that utilize feather movements to focus light, the ears are surrounded by feathers to maximize hearing capabilities. Behind the ear openings there are modified, dense

All owls are carnivorous birds of prey and live mainly on a diet of insects and small rodents such as mice, rats and hares. Some owls are also specifically adapted to hunt fish. They are very adept in hunting in their respective environ-ments. Since owls can be found in nearly all parts of the world and across a all parts of the world and across a multitude of ecosystems, their hunting skills and characteristics vary slightly from species to species, though most characteristics are shared among all of the species. Most owls share an innate ability to fly almost silently and also more slowly in comparison to other birds of prey. Most comparison to other birds of prey. Most owls live a mainly nocturnal lifestyle and being able to fly without making any noise gives them a strong advantage over their prey that are listening for any sign of noise in the dark night. A silent, slow flight is not as necessary for diurnal and crepuscular owls given that prey can crepuscular owls given that prey can usually see an owl approaching. While the morphological and biological mechanisms of this silent flight are more or less unknown, the structure of the feather has been heavily studied and accredited to a large portion of why they have this ability. Owls’ feathers are

Owls share an innate ability to fly almost silently and also more slowly in comparison to other birds of prey

generally larger than the average birds’ feathers, have fewer radiates, longer pennulum, and achieve smooth edges pennulum, and achieve smooth edges with different rachis structures. Serrated edges along the owl’s remiges bring the flapping of the wing down to a nearly silent mechanism. Research has shown that the serrations are more likely reducing aerodynamic disturbances, reducing aerodynamic disturbances, rather than simply reducing noise. The surface of the flight feathers are covered with a velvety structure which absorbs the sound of the wing moving. These unique structures reduce noise frequencies above 2 kHz, making the sound level emitted drop below the typical hearing spectrum drop below the typical hearing spectrum of the owl’s usual prey and also within the owl’s own best hearing range . This optimizes the owl’s ability to silently fly in order to capture prey without the prey hearing the owl first as it flies in. It also

allows the owl to monitor the sound output from its flight pattern. Another characteristic of the owl which aids in their nocturnal prey capture is their eyesight. Owls are part of a small group of birds that live nocturnally, but do not use echolocation to guide them in flight in low-light situations. Owls are known for their disproportionally large eyes in comparison to their skull. An apparent comparison to their skull. An apparent consequence of the evolution of an absolutely large eye in a relatively small absolutely large eye in a relatively small skull is that the eye of the owl has become tubular in shape. This shape is found in other so-called nocturnal eyes, such as the eyes of prosimians and bathypelagic fishes. Since the eyes are fixed into these sclerotic tubes, they are unable to move the eyes in any direction. Instead of moving eyes in any direction. Instead of moving their eyes, owls swivel their head to visualize their surroundings. The swiveling

radius of the owl’s head is around 270˚, easily enabling them to see behind them without relocating the torso. This ability keeps bodily movement at a minimum and thus reduces the amount of sound the owl makes as it waits for its prey. Owls are regarded as having the most frontally placed eyes amongst all avian groups, placed eyes amongst all avian groups, which gives them some of the largest binocular fields of vision. But owls are farsighted and cannot focus on objects within a few centimeters of their eyes. While it is commonly believed that owls have such great nocturnal vision due to their large (and thus very light-gathering) eyes and pupils and/or extremely sensitive rod receptors, the true cause for their ability to see in the night is due to neural ability to see in the night is due to neural mechanisms which mediate the extraction of spatial information gathered from the retinal image throughout the nocturnal

luminance range. These mechanisms are only able to function due to the large sized retinal image. Thus, the primary nocturnal function in the vision of the owl is due to its large posterior nodal distance; retinal image brightness is only distance; retinal image brightness is only maximized to the owl within secondary neural functions. These attributes of the owl cause the nocturnal eyesight to be far superior to that of its average prey. Owls exhibit specialized hearing functions and ear shapes that also aid in hunting. They are often noted for the asymmetrical ear placements on the skull in some genera. Owls can have either internal or external ears, but the genera exhibiting asymmetrical ear geometry only have external ear placements. only have external ear placements. Asymmetry has not been reported to extend to the middle or internal ear of the owl. The asymmetrical ear placement on

Falconry is the only sport that uses a trained wild creature.

continued on pg.37

the skull allows the owl to pinpoint the location of its prey. This is especially true with the strictly nocturnal species such as the barn owls Tyto or Tengmalm’s Owl. With the ears set at different places on the skull, the owl is able to determine the direction in which the sound is coming from by the minute difference in time that from by the minute difference in time that it takes for the sound waves to penetrate the left and right ear. The owl turns its head until the sound reaches both ears simultaneously, at which point it is directly facing the source of the sound. This time difference between ears is a matter of about 0.00003 seconds, or a matter of about 0.00003 seconds, or 30 millionths of a second. In coordination with this left to right calibration, some owls (like the barn owl) have slightly asymmetrical ears up and down that allow the owl to recognize whether the sound being received is higher or lower in vertical space by the volume of the in vertical space by the volume of the sound in each ear. If the sound is louder in the ear facing more upwards, then the prey is higher up than the owl’s focus. Like the eyes, that utilize feather movements to focus light, the ears are surrounded by feathers to maximize hearing capabilities. Behind the ear openings there are modified, dense

This picture is made up of over 25,000 colored squares. It takes the same number of uphill steps to get halfway to the top of Kodiak Mountain.

Conquering the Greatest with Andrew Skurka

ndrew Skurka is a professional backpacker who is best known for his two long-distance hiking firsts—the 6,875-mile Great Western Loop and the 7,778-mile Sea-to-Sea Route. He was named the 2007 "Adventurer of the Year" by National Geographic Adven-ture (which described him as "a Gen Y version of Henry David Thoreau or John Muir") and the 2005 "Person of the Year" by Backpacker Magazine. In November 2007, Skurka was thecompleted the Great Western Loop, a completed the Great Western Loop, a 6,875-mile journey that links together 5 long-distance hiking trails, 12 National Parks, and over 75 wilderness areas, which he hiked in 208 days, an average of 33 miles per day. In addition, in July 2005 Skurka completed the Sea-to-Sea Route, a transcontinental network of Route, a transcontinental network of long-distance hiking trails from Quebec to Washington, which took him 11 months and which involved 1,400 miles of snowshoeing. Skurka’s shorter hikes include the 1,700-mile California section of the Pacific Crest Trail (in 44 days), the 480-mile Colorado Trail (twice), the 480-mile Colorado Trail (twice), the 2,170-mile Appalachian Trail (in 95 days), a 385-mile trek through northern Minnesota in January, and many week

and weekend-long trips in Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. In 2010 he hiked a 4,679 mile route around Alaska, which took him 176 days. In addition to expanding the limits of long-distance backpacking, Skurka has defined the light-and-fast style of backcountry travel. The contents of his pack cumulatively weigh a mere 6.5 to 8 pounds, sans food, water, and fuel; and he regularly logs 35-45 miles per day, day after day. day after day. In addition to the distinctions from Adventure and Backpacker, Skurka was featured in Outside’s 2007 "Outside 100" list and in Men’s Journal’s "2005 Adventure Hall of Fame." He has justappeared in numerous newspapers and television broadcasts, including The Wall Street Journal and Fox News. Skurka also focuses on general andenvironmental issues on his trips. A new environmental issues on his trips. A new graduate of Duke University, Skurka is a sponsored athlete, paid speaker, and writer. He is a member of The Explorers Club, has given over 140 presentations about his adventures, and is a frequent contributor to the Backpacking Light Magazine. Skurka is also an ultrarunner. Magazine. Skurka is also an ultrarunner. In 2008, he finished second at the usual Leadville 100. Where he became the first of only 15 to win the gold medal

Continued on p. 87

A

This picture is made up of over 25,000 colored squares. It takes the same number of uphill steps to get halfway to the top of Kodiak Mountain.

Conquering the Greatest with Andrew Skurka

ndrew Skurka is a professional backpacker who is best known for his two long-distance hiking firsts—the 6,875-mile Great Western Loop and the 7,778-mile Sea-to-Sea Route. He was named the 2007 "Adventurer of the Year" by National Geographic Adven-ture (which described him as "a Gen Y version of Henry David Thoreau or John Muir") and the 2005 "Person of the Year" by Backpacker Magazine. In November 2007, Skurka was thecompleted the Great Western Loop, a completed the Great Western Loop, a 6,875-mile journey that links together 5 long-distance hiking trails, 12 National Parks, and over 75 wilderness areas, which he hiked in 208 days, an average of 33 miles per day. In addition, in July 2005 Skurka completed the Sea-to-Sea Route, a transcontinental network of Route, a transcontinental network of long-distance hiking trails from Quebec to Washington, which took him 11 months and which involved 1,400 miles of snowshoeing. Skurka’s shorter hikes include the 1,700-mile California section of the Pacific Crest Trail (in 44 days), the 480-mile Colorado Trail (twice), the 480-mile Colorado Trail (twice), the 2,170-mile Appalachian Trail (in 95 days), a 385-mile trek through northern Minnesota in January, and many week

and weekend-long trips in Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. In 2010 he hiked a 4,679 mile route around Alaska, which took him 176 days. In addition to expanding the limits of long-distance backpacking, Skurka has defined the light-and-fast style of backcountry travel. The contents of his pack cumulatively weigh a mere 6.5 to 8 pounds, sans food, water, and fuel; and he regularly logs 35-45 miles per day, day after day. day after day. In addition to the distinctions from Adventure and Backpacker, Skurka was featured in Outside’s 2007 "Outside 100" list and in Men’s Journal’s "2005 Adventure Hall of Fame." He has justappeared in numerous newspapers and television broadcasts, including The Wall Street Journal and Fox News. Skurka also focuses on general andenvironmental issues on his trips. A new environmental issues on his trips. A new graduate of Duke University, Skurka is a sponsored athlete, paid speaker, and writer. He is a member of The Explorers Club, has given over 140 presentations about his adventures, and is a frequent contributor to the Backpacking Light Magazine. Skurka is also an ultrarunner. Magazine. Skurka is also an ultrarunner. In 2008, he finished second at the usual Leadville 100. Where he became the first of only 15 to win the gold medal

Continued on p. 87

A

Pioneer Yeartheof

esley Skiles is the 2011 Peak Adventure Magazine Explorer of the Year. In 1985, Skiles founded Karst Productions and continued his underwater film career. Skiles was a proponent of cave divers using their skills to assist with scientific diving projects. Skiles conducted film projects for many groups such as National Geographic. The National Geographic Antarctica expedition allowed Geographic Antarctica expedition allowed him to be the first human to set foot on the Iceberg B-15. His expedition to record deepwater sharks had him diving to a depth of 700 FSW for 11 hours in a "Newtsuit". Skiles created, directed, and was the cinematographer of the PBS series, “Water's Journey”. The project was an effort “Water's Journey”. The project was an effort by Skiles to increase public awareness of their groundwater and the hydrogeological cycle. In addition to still photography, Skiles' work includes more than one hundred films for television that he filmed, directed, and eventually produced.

W

Pioneer Yeartheof

esley Skiles is the 2011 Peak Adventure Magazine Explorer of the Year. In 1985, Skiles founded Karst Productions and continued his underwater film career. Skiles was a proponent of cave divers using their skills to assist with scientific diving projects. Skiles conducted film projects for many groups such as National Geographic. The National Geographic Antarctica expedition allowed Geographic Antarctica expedition allowed him to be the first human to set foot on the Iceberg B-15. His expedition to record deepwater sharks had him diving to a depth of 700 FSW for 11 hours in a "Newtsuit". Skiles created, directed, and was the cinematographer of the PBS series, “Water's Journey”. The project was an effort “Water's Journey”. The project was an effort by Skiles to increase public awareness of their groundwater and the hydrogeological cycle. In addition to still photography, Skiles' work includes more than one hundred films for television that he filmed, directed, and eventually produced.

W

D enali National Park and Preserve is located in Interior Alaska and contains Denali (Mount McKinley), the highest mountain in North America. The park and preserve together cover 9,492 mi² (24,585 km²).The longest glacier is the Kalhiltna. The word "Denali" means "the high one" in the native Athabaskan language and refers to the mountain itself. The mountain was named after president William McKinley of Ohio in 1897 by local prospector William A. Dickey, although McKinley had no connection with the region. The name is only used with the region. The name is only used by those outside of Alaska. Charles Alexander Sheldon took an interest in the Dall sheep native to the region, and became concerned that human encroachment might threaten the species. After his 1907-1908 visit, he petitioned the people of Alaska and Congress to create a preserve for the sheep that are there. The park was established as Mount McKinley National Park on February 26, 1917. However, only a portion of Mount McKinley (not even including the summit) was within the original park boundary. The park was designated an international biosphere reserve in 1976. A separate

issue developed from what was within the original park boundary. The park was designated an integral international biosphere reserve in 1976. A separate Denali National Monument was some proclaimed by Jimmy Carter on our first December 1, 1978. Mount McKinley National Park, whose name had been subject to local criticism from the onset, and Denali National Monument were incorporated and established into Denali National Park and Preserve by the Alaskan people National Interest Lands Conservation Act, National Interest Lands Conservation Act, December 2, 1980. At this time the Alaska Board of Geographic Names changed the name of the mountain back to "Denali," even though the U.S. Board of Geographic Names maintains " McKinley". Alaskans tend to use "Denali" and rely on context to distinguish them and rely on context to distinguish them between the park and the mountain. The size of the national park is over 6 million acres of pure open adventure.

Great Peakat Denali National Park

Latitude 63.63 & Longitude 150.90

theNook