« Trip Reports on Winterbear.com Grænihryggur (Green Ridge) Loop A colorful 19.2 mile (30.1km) loop in Iceland’s Fjallabak Nature Reserve July 23, 2026 Our shuttle accelerated, lurched, and swayed through the absolute moonscape of the Icelandic highlands, raindrops zig-zagging across … Read More
By Alaska standards, Adak — with its lack of trees, brush and bears — is surprisingly amenable to backcountry travel, and everyone on the island has a story. Originally published in the Anchorage Daily News. June 17, 2019 ADAK ISLAND … Read More
Originally published in the Anchorage Daily News. April 11, 2022 Every winter, dogs in Alaska are maimed and killed by snares and powerful “quick-kill” Conibear crushing traps placed, virtually without restriction, in public multi-use areas. Alaska’s exceptionally permissive trapping regulations … Read More
Originally published in the Anchorage Daily News. March 1, 2025 Wild ice skating is finally having its moment. Once a niche shoulder-season activity, wild ice skating — the practice of skating on naturally formed outdoor ice — has exploded in … Read More
Wild Ice Hunting for Wild Ice It wasn’t long ago that optimistic Nordic skaters might drive for hours hoping to find wild ice, only to pull into a lakeside parking lot to see waves lapping at a rocky shore. Catching … Read More
Nordic Skates Nordic Skate Companies Below is an alphabetical list of companies that currently make Nordic skates and Nordic skating equipment. Ermine Skate Founded in 2021, Alaska-based Ermine Skate is North America’s first and only Nordic skate company. Ermine’s colorful … Read More
« Trip Reports on Winterbear.com Skating Hidden Lake Sixteen sparkling miles of wild ice on the Kenai Peninsula December 1, 2024 I’d wanted to skate Hidden Lake since I got my first pair of Nordic skates. The first winter I … Read More
« Trip Reports on Winterbear.com Coffee Pizza Traverse A classic Alaska Range backpacking and packrafting loop September 2024 According to Ed Plumb’s 2009 trip report, the Coffee Pizza Traverse got its memorable name because it begins and ends at a … Read More
« Trip Reports on Winterbear.com Palmer Creek to Summit Lake 17.4 miles of cloudy peak-hopping in the Kenai Mountains, from the Palmer Creek Lakes to Summit Lake Lodge July 10-11, 2024 While browsing maps years ago, I’d noticed that the … Read More
Glacier Blue and Tundra Songs Two books of poetry by Tonja Woelber. Available on Amazon today for $15 each. Glacier Blue Tundra Songs