ALASKA. Abundant rain in July makes for full buckets in August and September

smStroubThe rains that torment Anchorage residents through the month of July can have had a berry, berry silver lining.

All over the Chugach and Kenai mountains, hikers, climbers, hunters and, yes, even berry pickers have been reporting all that moisture bore fruit.

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Alaskan Moose

smMooseRdApproximate estimation is 200,000

The moose is the world’s largest member of the deer family. The Alaska moose race is the largest of all the moose. Moose are generally associated with northern forests in North America, Europe, and Russia. In Europe they are called “elk.” In Alaska, they occur in suitable habitat from the Stikine River in the Panhandle to the Colville River on the Arctic Slope. Moose are most abundant in recently burned areas that contain willow and birch shrubs, on timberline plateaus, and along the major rivers of southcentral and interior Alaska

Feral and Stray Rabbits

FeralRabit3Feral rabbits are domesticated rabbits that have been abandoned or escaped outdoors and in the rare case have thrived and created a colony. Feral rabbits are different than wild rabbits that belong in nature. Typically, an abandoned rabbit does not have a high chance of survival due to the lack of survival skills and camouflaging coat. When feral rabbit colonies occur in populated areas, they become a public pest and nuisance and are usually controlled by killing them all. If there is funding, then local rabbit rescues may come into the picture and try to catch and adopt out as many as they can

Best Nordic Centers in North America, Kincaid Park, Alaska

Kincaid Park, AlaskaDon't throw snowballs at the moose; they might just charge you. Follow that rule and you should enjoy your ski at Kincaid Park. When it comes to cross-country ski trails accessible to a major urban area, Kincaid is unsurpassed. Of course, your frame of reference has to be downtown Anchorage, Alaska.

It takes a mere 10-minute drive from downtown Anchorage to get to Kincaid's trails. If you don't have wheels, you can ski there along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail for an extended 15-kilometer warm-up.

Of Autumn in McCarthy, Alaska

smAutumnInMcCarthyAlaskaThe seasons of McCarthy, Alaska are dramatic and extreme in several ways. The amount of daylight ranges from twenty-four hours on the summer solstice to a mere peak at the sun as it sneaks over the horizon and immediately sets again on the winter solstice. Summer gives birth to thick jungle-like forests, springing forth with a rainbow of wildflowers, sweet wild berries, and the hum of mosquitoes; long full days of summer jobs, hiking, dinner parties, and sitting around campfires drinking beer and socializing; and rivers and creeks flowing full and fast with the melting of glacial ice and snow. In winter the bare trunks and branches stand starkly like rickety ladders reaching for the quiet sky; a blanket of sparkling snow covers the frozen waterways and earth; and the short days are spent tending to fundamental chores like splitting firewood, keeping the fire stoked, hauling water, refilling kerosene lamps; and visiting with the remaining locals over coffee and tea. Around and around the seasons cycle, and like a leaf shutter in a camera the darkness closes in only to open again to the brightness of summer.