Winds of Skilak is one of the Alaska books that traces a young couple’s adventurous move from the suburbs of Ohio to a remote island on ill-tempered Skilak Lake. PAULSEN: It's insane to do it. I'm working on a book about it now. And it's like writing about madness. My wife says you got to kind of crank your IQ down to about 13. PAULSEN: I think it was. I didn't - it's kind of an interesting dichotomy here. I didn't - it was just stultifying work. I mean, they work until they drop - you know, those people did. It was just - and they had joy and great happiness. But they also worked very hard. And mostly what I remembered for many years was the hard work.

A Malanees’ coat will often be the same bright white as that of a Great Pyrenees. Especially around the eyes and on the nose, they frequently acquire some of the darker markings of an Alaskan malamute. Depending on how the parent Malamute’s coat looks, you may see varying hues of brown, silver, and red on their coat. Train or trolley: Explore the quaint cities of Alaska on a train or trolley tour; the ability to hop on and hop off at your leisure is a great way to see the sights at your own pace.PAULSEN: No, it was way after the drinking. I'd been sober 10 years when - and working kind of construction, different things for 10 years. And then we wound up in Minnesota. And that's where real poverty set in. I mean, we really went broke up there. PAULSEN: I didn't. I was a poor student. At first, I flunked the ninth grade, pretty much. I had to take it over and probably graduated from high school with, like, a D-minus. I mean, I was a really miserable student. And a librarian turned me on to reading when I was about 15. And we didn't have television. And I read to escape. I would hide in the basement of this kind of apartment we were living in when they were drunk. And they were drunk all the time. They drank every day. I published my memoir, “True North, Hunting Fossils Under the Midnight Sun” (2017), to document my unusual and adventure-filled life as a paleontologist who spent thirty-four summers in the Alaska bush. Prior to that, I had spent most of two years working on oil platforms in Cook Inlet to pay for my PhD in geology. In my experience, I have a unique and unusual take on Alaska that I have not read anywhere else and that I believe your readers would appreciate.

Gill, a past Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race participant and the author of best-selling children’s books about Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, introduces young children to heroic tales of 19 courageous Alaska canines. Accompanied by James’ captivating illustrations, the stories of how dogs in Alaska have accomplished feats such as warding off bears and finding lost children will thrill young readers.” Although they weigh about the same, Alaskans tend to be somewhat smaller in stature. The temperament of the two, though, is what genuinely distinguishes them. Alaskan huskies were raised with the sole purpose of hauling sleds. Because of their greater endurance, Alaskans are usually the breed of dog utilized in long-distance competitions. In a single day, they can run 100 miles! MOSS-COANE: When you were out running with these dogs and trapping and working together, was that when the idea of the Iditarod came to you?

Anchorage Trolley Tours – One Hour Trolley Tour

PAULSEN: I - we had 17 years of way below poverty. I mean - and we didn't take any money from the state. So we lived - we had four gardens and a few goats. And we lived up in the north woods. And then I got into sled dogs (laughter). And I wound up running the Iditarod twice - went up and ran that thing. And all of that seemed to just be part of that set piece of life - about a 10-year period. This book really has the most unfortunate title but it’s a strong read if you can get past it. While many books focus on the leaders of dogsledding, those that finish first or second, O’Donoghue is a journalist who decides to run the Iditarod…and takes last place. It’s a hilarious and entertaining read. This Much Country by Kristin Knight Pace

London's story is a tale of survival and a return to primitivism. Pizer writes that: "the strong, the shrewd, and the cunning shall prevail when...life is bestial". [33] PAULSEN: At the time, I called two different people. One of them told me to wear mukluks and then hung up, which is... It only takes one day at their new school for Parker and Sven to become mortal enemies. Parker’s had a terrible summer and just wants to be invisible, while Sven is desperate to make an impression and be known as anything other than ‘that kid with epilepsy.’ In this moving testimonial to the preservation of the Arctic wilderness, Mardy Murie writes from her heart about growing up in Fairbanks, becoming the first woman graduate of the University of Alaska, and marrying noted biologist Olaus J. MurieBetween 1915 and 1955 adventure-seeking Frank Glaser, a latter-day Far North Mountain Man, trekked across wilderness Alaska on foot, by wolf-dog team, and eventually, by airplane. Follow a young couple as they spend the summer traveling the "mighty Yukon." Stories of adventure, romance, and history combine with breathtaking photos to give us a very personal view of one of the last and greatest wild, unspoiled rivers in North America.