Plane crash claims 2 lives — Cessna 180 clips trees, crashes off South Cohoe Loop in Kasilof

Photos by Joseph Robertia, Redoubt Reporter. Above, an Alaska State Trooper, the first responder on the scene, looks for survivors in the wreckage of a Cessna 180 that crashed in Kasilof on Saturday. Two people were aboard. There were no survivors. Below, Central Emergency Services firefighters extinguish the fire sparked by the crash at about 8:11 p.m.

Jenny Neyman

Redoubt Reporter

Investigators are trying to discover the cause of a plane crash Saturday night in Kasilof that killed two local men.

Pilot Brian Nolan, 69, and 57-year-old Peter Lahndt, both of Kasilof, died when Nolan’s Cessna 180 crashed into a stand of trees about 150 feet from Cohoe Loop Road, just inland from the bluff over Cook Inlet near the mouth of the Kasilof River. The plane immediately burst into flames. The crash was not survivable, according to an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.

The plane went down around 8:11 p.m. Saturday at Mile 3.2 South Cohoe Loop Road, near Powder Keg Avenue. Dan Brown lives across the street and a little to the south of the crash site. He heard the plane throttle up, then crash a second or so later.

“Right after I heard him gun it I heard the impact on the ground. And so I knew it had crashed. It was just really, really quick. In fact at that time I was on the telephone. I said, ‘A plane just crashed I gotta go,’” Brown said.

Brown and two of his daughters jumped in his car and were at the crash site within about two minutes, where they could already see smoke rising from the trees.

“When I got there you could tell where the plane had clipped some spruce trees and where it had to have flipped over because it went into the round tail first from the direction is was coming from. So it hit trees, broke the tops of the trees off and then hit going backwards,” Brown said.

The plane was already on fire and the heat was too intense for Brown to get up to the wreckage.

“I couldn’t get close enough to it. I felt real bad about it (that) I couldn’t get in there. I couldn’t hear anything from them, there was no noise from anybody in the plane. I went around both sides of it trying to get into it and I couldn’t, it was too hot,” he said.

Within about 45 seconds the flames got even more intense.

“That fuel really got going and then the whole thing was engulfed in flames and you couldn’t be within about 20 feet of it,” Brown said.

He made about a 50-foot circle around the plane, looking to see if anyone had been thrown from the wreckage. By that time the plane’s tires burst into flames, and Brown started hearing explosions.

“I’m pretty sure they had quite a bit of ammunition on board. It sounded like a war down there,” he said.

He told his daughters to get back to the road while he made another wider loop around the plane, looking for survivors. As he did something hit him in the leg. It was smoldering and left a black mark, but didn’t penetrate the skin. Brown decided he’d better get back to the road, too.

Central Emergency Services and Alaska State Troopers from Soldotna responded to several reports of the downed plane and fire. Traffic on South Cohoe Loop was restricted until about 10:30 p.m. CES had the fire extinguished by about 8:50 p.m.

‘Something fishy’ — Protesters sign their disapproval of Kenai River Sportfishing Association

Photos by Jenny Neyman, Redoubt Reporter Demonstrators protesting the Kenai River Sportfishing Association met outside the Soldotna Sports Complex on Thursday evening while participants of the Kenai River Classic held a banquet inside. Protesters also floated with signs outside the riverfront home of founding KRSA member Bob Penney during another Classic event Aug. 19.

By Jenny Neyman

Redoubt Reporter

The hundred or so people holding signs outside the Soldotna Sports Complex on Thursday afternoon were demonstrating their opposition to the Kenai River Sportfishing Association, which was holding a banquet inside as part of its annual Kenai River Classic fundraiser. But their message wasn’t directed at KRSA. Neither were the similar signs displayed by eight boats and a kayak in front of the riverside home of KRSA founding member Bob Penney on Wednesday evening during another Classic event.

They hoped to reach community members — there were some honks and waves as cars drove by — who might not give fish politics much thought unless an issue is jumping up and wriggling in their face. And they particularly wanted to reach KRSA’s guests — the business executives, industry representatives, politicians and others who come to fish in the Classic and support KRSA with their donations.

“Awareness in our community,” said Dave Athons, a retired Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist and board member of the Kenai Area Fisherman’s Coalition — which organized the demonstration — regarding the purpose of the protest. “And what we would really like to do is have some of the folks that attend the Classic open their eyes and see that the community does not support this organization, and some of the signs point to that. So we would hope that they would question, ‘Why are we spending our money here if we’re really not doing what we think we’re spending our money to do?’”

Participants included private sport anglers, personal-use fishermen and some who don’t even fish much at all. No sportfishing guides were in attendance. Most of the participants had a commercial fishing interest.

“There’s no doubt about it there’s a fair number of commercial fishermen here. It may be the majority. But the Kenai Area Fisherman’s Coalition has no commercial fishermen on their board of directors and they organized this, so they’re getting support from a broad spectrum of people,” said Ken Tarbox, also a retired Fish and Game biologist.

Megan Smith is all of the above.

“We ice fish in the winter and we fish on the river in the fall and we set net during the summer, so I’m just like every other Kenai resident. You’ll find me behind a dip net every once in a while, too,” she said. “I’m a Kenai resident, and I feel like Kenai River Sportfish isn’t a good neighbor. And I feel like, as a Kenai resident, my voice is being drowned out by people who yell a lot louder and have a lot more money than I do.”

Demonstrators’ signs ranged from the obvious — Kenai River Sportfishing Association with a circle and over it — to more nuanced, the variety of messages speaking to the multiple complaints that motivated demonstrators to participate.

“Support Diverse Fisheries” and “We Support Our Set-Netters” references a ballot initiative to ban set nets in urban parts of Alaska — which primarily would gut commercial fishing in Cook Inlet, where there were over 730 active set-net permits in 2015.

“I like to support the diversity of fisheries, I think that’s a real good slogan. I don’t think KRSA represents me or a lot of people on the peninsula,” said Bruce Vadla, a private sport angler. “I’m totally against shutting down the set-netters just for an allocation issue.”

Kenai River Classic approach to future of fishing — Forum brings together leaders in recreational fishing industry

Photo by Jenny Neyman, Redoubt Reporter. Sen. Lisa Murkowski speaks at the Classic Roundtable on National Recreational Fishing put on by the Kenai River Sportfishing Association on Wednesday in Soldotna.

By Jenny Neyman

Redoubt Reporter

Don’t let the term “recreational” mislead you, sportfishing is serious business, and panelists at the Classic Roundtable on National Recreational Fishing made the case for it to be taken more seriously in public perception and federal fisheries management.

“We think there’s a pretty compelling case, particularly if you look at economics, as to why we need to elevate the focus on recreational fishing within our federal fisheries management system,” said Mike Leonard, policy director of the American Sportfishing Association. “If you look at finfish harvested in the U.S., there are actually more jobs supported and more of an economic impact by recreational fishing than commercial fishing. However, recreational fishing is only responsible for 2 percent of finfish harvested.”

The roundtable was put on Wednesday at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex by the Kenai River Sportfishing Association as part of its annual Kenai River Classic fundraising event. The panel consisted of various national leaders in the sportfishing community, representing Yamaha Marine, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, Center for Coastal Conservation Board of Directors, American Sportfishing Association, Alaska Oil and Gas Association, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and the Coastal Conservation Association.

Alaska’s congressional delegation participated (Sen. Lisa Murkowski in person, with Sen. Dan Sullivan sending his chief of staff, Joe Balash, as Sullivan was unable to attend), and of the 30 or so people in the audience, several were state politicians, though no elected or governmental officials representing the Kenai Peninsula were in attendance.

The two-hour presentations tackled the 20-year future of recreational fishing, with a look at current challenges and how to meet those challenges in the future to ensure that recreational fishing and its contribution to the economy and conservation continue to grow.

Martin Peters, manager of government relations for Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, and moderator of the event, detailed some of that contribution.

Better than fair — Kenai Peninsula Fair adds new events, entertainment to already-popular format

Photos courtesy of Ed Kobak. The Kenai Peninsula Racing Pigs continue to be a favorite of the Kenai Peninsula Fair, held over the weekend in Ninilchik.

By Ed Kobak, Redoubt Reporter

A heavy dose of sunshine merely gilded the full slate of fun offerings at the Kenai Peninsula Fair over the weekend.

Music is a draw of the fair, and though there were bands playing all weekend long, it was the atmosphere that brought the listeners to Ninilchik, in keeping with this year’s theme, “Country Nights and Carnival Lights.”

Executive Director Lara McGinnis is continuing her vision of adding new events and entertainment to the perpetual fair favorites, keeping the successful, down-home country feel.

Friday was Kids Day, with free admission for youth with a donation to the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank. Nearly 400 kids were treated to cotton candy, compliments of the fair. Sunday was Senior Day, with anyone 60 and older getting in for $3, which was a popular draw judging by the long line at the entrance gate.

The first day was also billed as Red Shirt Friday. Everyone wearing that color was invited to the rodeo grounds in the afternoon, where they stood in formation of a heart to honor servicemen and women for their dedication and sacrifice.

The Alaska’s Got Talent performance entertained the lively crowd Friday evening as the night got in full swing with the swelling crowd.

The addition of a midway has been particularly popular, with throngs gravitating to the games and rides all weekend to experience carnival thrills on the Zipper, Flying Swings, Tilt-a-Whirl, Tea Cups, Merry-Go-Round, Super Slide and a Ferris Wheel.

The agriculture and horticulture exhibit areas held to the theme of “Sow It, Grow It, Grow It,” with a variety of displays of vegetables, flowers and more.

Night Lights: As summer wanes, night’s lights return

Graphic courtesy of Andy Veh.

By Andy Veh, for the Redoubt Reporter

We had a great summer with many sunny and warm days, probably not taking a look at the one star that was visible almost every day. That’s a good thing, because at a distance of only 94.5 million miles, it so close that it is just too bright — our sun.

Now that nighttime has increased appreciably, a lot more stars can be seen and safely viewed. They’re much farther than our sun, at distances of 50 trillion miles and more, so they appear as small and more or less faint (or bright) points of light when compared with the sun.

During late evenings last month some prominent bright stars, such as Arcturus, Vega, Deneb and Altair, were already visible. Now it’s easy to find constellations, such as the Big Dipper low in the northwest. Take the distance between the Big Dipper’s last two stars and extend it five times towards the zenith (the point straight up) and you get to Polaris, the North Star, which is a semibright star at the end of the Little Dipper’s handle. It also marks our latitude on the Kenai Peninsula at 60 degrees above the northern horizon.

Next, find the constellation Cassiopeia, in the shape of a W, on the other side of the Little Dipper, high in the northeast. High in the sky, as well, almost in the zenith, is Cygnus, the swan (it also looks like a cross). Its brightest star, Deneb, connects with two other bright stars, Vega and Altair, in the constellations Lyra, the harp, and Aquila, the eagle. Together they make up the prominent summer triangle.

Just left of that is the Great Square of Pegasus, high in the southeast. Turning to the west we can see bright red Arcturus setting, a sign that summer is over. It can also be found by following the Big Dipper’s handle’s arc.

Plugged In: Rebooted lenses worth another look

By Joe Kashi, for the Redoubt Reporter

Six or seven years ago, Japanese after-market optics maker Sigma had a deservedly poor reputation for mediocre lenses which, if not exactly good, were at least affordable. Fast forward to 2015 and the emergence of Sigma as one of the three or four best lens makers in the world.

Between 2012 and 2015, Sigma introduced a wide variety of greatly improved optical designs, prograde construction and quality control that’s among the best in the industry. Despite the considerable upgrade in versatility and quality, Sigma’s lenses remain relatively affordable yet routinely exceed the optical performance and construction quality of more expensive comparable lenses made by name brands like Zeiss, Canon and Nikon.

Sigma now matters to every photographer using an interchangeable-lens camera because it’s becoming the first and best choice when upgrading from the inexpensive kit lens that usually ships with an interchangeable-lens camera. Most newer Sigma lens designs are made in a variety of lens mounts to natively fit nearly every popular camera brand. That makes a comparative discussion easy because variations of the same basic lens can be purchased to natively fit many different cameras.

Our discussion this week is limited to the newest Sigma designs. Older models remain as mediocre as ever. If you’re not sure, check online reviews of the exact name of the lens, omitting no groups or letters. The naming difference between old and new Sigma lenses is subtle, at best, so be careful that you’re getting the newest models. Generally, the more recent models are optically stabilized and thus include an “OS” grouping in the longer name.

Hunting 2015: Ready, set, wait to start — New regs postpone peninsula general season to September

Photo by Joseph Robertia, Redoubt Reporter. New regulations delayed the general hunting season until September on the Kenai Peninsula this year, but the qualifications for a legal moose remain the same.

By Joseph Robertia

Redoubt Reporter

Before hunters set their sights on the upcoming season, they should direct their eyes to hunting regulations, because some have changed this year.

First and foremost, the season dates have changed. Instead of the general season running from Aug. 20 to Sept. 20, the general season now opens Sept. 1 and closes Sept. 25. The archery-only general season in Game Management Units 15A and 15B also is later this year, from Aug. 22 to 29.

But the requirement for legal bulls remains the same for the general moose hunt in GMUs 7 and 15 (which encompass the entire peninsula). A bull must have a spike on one side, have antlers with at least four brow tines on one side, or have an antler spread of 50 inches or greater.

“There was confusion over what a spike and a fork were and we had a lot with a fork on one side and more than a fork on the other. It’s only legal if it has a spike on one side. If it has two forks it’s not a spike-fork, it’s a fork-fork. People need to really be sure what they’ve got in front of them before they pull that trigger,” said Jeff Selinger, area management biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

In GMUs 7 and 15, antlers must be sealed within 10 days of taking the animal. This can be done during business hours at Fish and Game offices in Soldotna, Homer or Anchorage, or at an Alaska State Trooper Division of Wildlife office by appointment.

“The other big change to the moose hunt season is that the Homer cow hunt, DM 549, will also be shifted to Oct. 20 through Nov. 20, rather than running from Aug. 20 to Sept. 20,” Selinger said.

Selinger said he was optimistic that hunting a little later in the year would yield extra opportunities. Last season, 1,350 hunters took to the field and several of them came home with meat for the freezer.

In GMU 15C, the bulk of which encompasses the Homer and Caribou Hills areas, 128 bulls were taken last year, as well as 18 females in the Homer cow hunt. Since it has been several years since the more than 55,000-acre wildfire of 2007, some areas are regenerating in a way that will help moose.

“We should see some benefits there. A lot of the area came back grass, but a lot of areas had good willow regeneration,” Selinger said.

Administrators race to break red tape — Battle of Binkley draws healthy participation

Photos by Jenny Neyman, Redoubt Reporter. Battle of Binkley organizer Bobbi Lay shows competitors Paul Ostrander, center, and Sean Dusek how much coffee they must use in the first round of the challenge.

By Redoubt Reporter

There was still a score to be settled when the Salmon Run series of community races finished up Aug. 5, but this one didn’t require running, except for running a coffee maker.

Participation was better than ever in the fourth year of the Salmon Run Series, with each of the five weekly races topping 120 participants, and one week nearly drawing 170.

That’s thanks, in part, to increased participation from Kenai Peninsula Borough and school district employees who squared off in the Battle of Binkley participation challenge. Each Salmon Run, the number of school district vs. borough employees was tallied. Whichever side of the borough administration building — located on Binkley Street in Soldotna — tallied the most participants in all five Salmon Runs would win. The prize? Bragging rights. But also the health benefits that come from being active.

In an added twist, there were five extra points in play, and it was up to the administrators of the borough and school district to settle which side got them. That was determined Aug. 12, prior to the Fountain of Youth run at Tsalteshi Trails, as school district Superintendent Sean Dusek squared off against borough Mayor Mike Navarre’s proxy, Chief of Staff Paul Ostrander, as Navarre was delayed in Anchorage testifying in a hearing.

The tally was neck and neck as the administrator challenge came to a head.

“The borough actually had more people participate, but the school district had more repeat offenders, so it is extremely close, and these gentlemen have a chance to win five points for their team,” said Mike Crawford, with Tsalteshi Trails Association and creator of the Battle of Binkley with borough co-worker Bobbi Lay.

As Crawford explained, the score would be settled through bureaucratic, rather than athletic, prowess.

“First off, they are going to make an entire pot of coffee, because, as we know, caffeine is an integral part of any meeting,” he said, as Lay demonstrated how the coffee pots worked and how much grounds must be used.

Multitasking was the order of the day. While the coffee brewed, the competitors moved onto the stiff collar competition — unrolling and putting on a frozen t-shirt — and the Ding-Dong challenge.

“Sustenance. What bureaucratic meeting does not need sustenance? So here we have Hostess snack cakes, enough to power you through any meeting,” Crawford said. A brief conference ensued to determine the number of snack cakes to be consumed. “How many do you guys want to eat? One?”

“OK, they’ve decided to eat one Ding-Dong,” Crawford announced to the crowd.

Newly fueled, the competitors would find a stack of 10 cards bearing names to be alphabetized. Finally, once enough coffee was brewed, it was to be poured into a cup, the lid secured and the vessel carried through a series of barriers strung with flagging tape — red, of course. Whoever cut through the red tape with a full cup of coffee first, would win.

“Are the administrators ready for the bureaucratic beatdown?” Crawford intoned. “OK, timers are you ready? Racers are you ready? Let’s go!”

Common Ground: Don’t mind man’s best friend

Photo courtesy of Christine Cunningham. Remember — man’s best friend doesn’t have the mind of a man, though he won’t mind of you forget the distinction.

By Christine Cunningham, for the Redoubt Reporter

Dog behaviorists caution us not to assign human thoughts and feelings to our canines. It’s dangerous, they say in books on the subject, to treat dogs as if they have human reasons for doing things.

As I read the examples recently, I realized that a dog behaviorist could get a lot of material at my house. Not only did I practice all of the examples, I had a few more that were even more ridiculous. My anthropomorphism (the projecting of human characteristics on nonhuman entities) was difficult for me to realize at first. Ironically, I had to think like a dog in order to not think my dog was thinking like a human.

My favorite motive to falsely assign to my unsuspecting dogs is revenge. If they do something bad, such as poo in the house while I’ve been gone too long, it is because they want revenge. Upon further investigation, it turns out that dogs do not think of poo as a disgusting tool of revenge. They think of it as a wonder of nature, a secondary food source in survival situations, and an object of fascination for dogs and humans alike. The fact that I go into their yard and collect poo tells them that it is highly valuable. What I think of as a disastrous mess, they think of as presents. I do not know what to do about this revelation.

I also tend to think my dogs feel guilt when they do something wrong. Why else would the guilty party make the classic guilt face when I ask, “Who ate the entire ham?”

Plugged In: Shed some light (or dark) on the subject

Photos courtesy of Joe Kashi. Each of these images is of same subject, one at the intermediate base calculated exposure, one photo bracketed at -.7 EV exposure less than the base exposure, and one photo bracketed at an exposure of +.7EV brighter than the calculated base exposure, showing how a JPEG file would look in different lighting conditions when exposed at base, brighter and darker.

By Joe Kashi, for the Redoubt Reporter

As I wrote this week’s article on a rainy Sunday evening, I found myself reviewing dozens of intensely colorful fireweed photos taken on sunny high-summer days. I’m not ready for winter after such a nice summer, but reviewing those photos and remembering those lovely days is the next best thing. Isn’t that reason enough to photograph?

Properly exposing any image is critical, particularly with JPEG files, which have little or no capability for later correction of slightly off exposures. As little as 1/3 EV (1/3 f stop to traditional film photographers) can make or break a JPEG image. When using JPEG files directly out of the camera, you need to really nail the exposure and bracket the exposure of each important shot.

Several factors affect the accuracy of any exposure. Virtually all cameras expose a bit differently despite allegedly being set to the same ISO sensitivity, shutter speed and lens aperture. Look at images made by several different cameras and you’ll find a noticeable variation in the amount of light reaching the sensor, with each image brighter or darker than those made by other cameras.

This generally results from how each camera manufacturer decides to calibrate and set their cameras. For example, my Olympus E-M5 Micro Four-Thirds cameras generally require that I set a -0.7EV exposure compensation for best results in most circumstances. If I had used that camera at its factory default settings, most of the images would seem overexposed and too light directly out of the camera.

That’s not a fatal problem with correctable RAW images, but results in serious degradation of JPEG images. Even with RAW files, though, overexposing the image reduces the amount of highlight detail salvageable in post-processing. With the E-M5 cameras, there’s less margin to recover overexposed highlight detail while more detail can be salvaged from dark shadows.

With these Olympus cameras, then, using less than the metered exposure works best. Conversely, my high-end Pentax K-3 handles overexposure better than underexposure.

Because each camera meters differently, you should do some informal tests with your own cameras to find the exposure compensation settings that produce the best results, particularly when using JPEG files straight out of the camera. Use those settings when encountering similar situations. Exposure compensation can be adjusted on most midtier and better cameras by turning the wheel control or arrow control that’s dedicated to exposure compensation. It’s likely different with each camera model, so you’ll need to check your manual.

Your optimum exposure will also vary depending on how you or the manufacturer set the camera’s metering. For most casual photographers, the default multiarea metering works best in typical circumstances. The camera simultaneously meters many different areas of the photo and then calculates the exposure that best fits the overall situation. It’s a compromise approach, but often a very workable compromise.

Ripe for the brain picking — Berry walkers harvest abundant knowledge

Photos by Jenny Neyman, Redoubt Reporter. Janice Chumley, integrated pest management technician for the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service office in Soldotna, points out low-bush lingonberries, pictured below, to a crowd of participants in a berry identification walk Monday afternoon at Tsalteshi Trails in Soldotna. The event was held as part of the Harvest Moon Local Food Festival, ongoing through Saturday.

By Jenny Neyman

Redoubt Reporter

Thirty-four people combed the forest floor Monday afternoon, eyes peeled, attention piqued, senses alert. Their quarry was stationary and abundant but the hunt still held challenges. Not so much in the finding, but in telling one specimen from the wide variety of others.

“What’s this?” “Here’s some red ones!” “Are these any good?”

Variations of those comments formed a background of chatter for the hour-and-a-half walk on Tsalteshi Trails, ebbing and flowing like waves on a shoreline, quieting as the hunters became engrossed in their task and crescendoing when someone found something new, exciting and hopefully delicious — or at least safely edible.

“Alaska is blessed with many varieties of berries that are good to eat and very few that are bad for you,” said Janice Chumley, integrated pest management technician for the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service office in Soldotna.

Chumley served as guide for the berry walk, one of a slate of talks, workshops and other activities offered as part of Harvest Moon Local Food Festival. The 26 adults and eight kids who participated Monday did so to expand their knowledge of local edibles, or start to build it from scratch.

“I’m a Native from Arizona and I relocated here and I was very active in my community, which is the Sonoran desert, because our survival in all the hundreds of years depended on that we knew — the plants and the system and what we could eat and what we couldn’t — and so I’m going to do that here in my new home,” said Elizabeth Spinasanto.

She was looking forward to harvesting berries to use in healthy breakfasts — smoothies or with homemade yogurt, which she had learned about in a previous Harvest Moon workshop.

Elizabeth Spinasanto compares a photo she took with her cellphone to a printout Chumley brought along. The convenience of camera phones make them a great tool for berry identification.

“I’m taking the fermentation class, as well. I have not missed any of the classes. I’m kind of excited about it,” she said.

Prior to the walk in the woods, the group met at the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank for a quick course on berry processing with Linda Tannehill, health, home and family agent with the Cooperative Extension Service. Processing doesn’t need to be time-intensive, she said. Berries are usually good to eat straight off the plant — the key word being “usually.”

“You don’t have to wash them depending on where you pick,” she said. “But if it’s a place where there is a lot of dogs or traffic, you might want to rinse them off.”

Pick as cleanly as possible to save work later, but removing detrius from most berries is generally a simple affair. Some people pour their harvest from one bowl to another on a windy day or in front of a fan to blow off any leaves, stems and other debris. Tannehill prefers more control in her cleaning method. She rubber-bands a terrycloth towel onto a cutting board, rolling the edges to form a channel down the middle of board, then holds the board at an incline and pours the berries down it and into a baking pan with raised edges. The knap of the towel grabs the litter while the berries roll down into the pan — and hopefully no farther.

“I have to have bumpers,” she said. “I’ve chased blueberries across the floor and my dogs get there first. And so I’ve learned to put bumpers on my towel here.”

Sometimes berries contain insects. They aren’t harmful, but soaking firm berries in a solution of salt water can draw out any creatures that might be lurking inside.

“If you’re grossed out by bugs then maybe you want to soak them. It’s all your own comfort level,” Chumley said.

Frozen berries keep for a few years, especially when vacuum-packed in a good-quality bag with a good seal. But freeze the berries first to avoid a squished mess, spreading them in a baking pan and putting them in the freezer for a few hours.

“Do not try to vacuum-package berries unfrozen. There’s no problem if they’re frozen. It’s a big problem if they’re not frozen,” Tannehill said.

View from Out West: Bad conditions ripe for good stories — Lack of control leads to lack of limitations

Photos courtesy of Clark Fair. Yvonne Leutwyler fishes for lake trout on the western end of Nishlik Lake in the Wood-Tikchik State Park, near Dillingham.

By Clark Fair, for the Redoubt Reporter

If I had the power to command all aspects of an outdoor adventure — ensure my safety and good weather and avoid biting insects and unwanted surprises — I doubt I’d use it. It’d be tempting, sure, but adventures wouldn’t be very adventurous if I wielded full control. Spontaneity would vanish, as would conflicts, which would be too bad. After all, uncertainty is part of the allure.

Besides, conflict gives survivors a story to tell.

Some of my best outdoor stories involve lousy weather, poor judgments and bad luck — from hiking 60 miles on a sprained ankle in western Canada to trying to outrun a lightning storm in the Mystery Hills east of Sterling.

In fact, the time I joined the Kenai Peninsula Outdoor Club for a February slog in a

This blizzard march, during an unfortunate Kenai Peninsula Outdoor Club trip to Portage Lake in February 2012, spawned the Portage Scale.

blizzard across the overflow on Portage Lake, in a vain attempt to locate the glacier, became the measuring stick by which I now calculate the level of all outdoor misery. We called that hypothermic death march a 10 on the Portage Scale, and we’ve been out in nothing worse than an eight since.

Fortunately, I am not a masochist — I do not require misery to have fun. Not all conflicts require tragedies, and good stories sometimes emanate from good fortune. Also, I am pleased to say that I have rarely allowed irrational fear to dissuade me from opportunities, even some that I originally believed had major Portage Scale potential. Usually, the actual experiences turned out far more pleasant than they had appeared in my imagination.

And it was my imagination, mainly, that nearly caused me to back out of an eight-day outing with Yvonne Leutwyler into the northernmost reaches of the massive Wood-Tikchik State Park, near Dillingham.

The plan called for us to be flown on July 27 to the western end of Nishlik Lake, to camp, fish, hike and paddle our way eastward down six miles of shoreline to the headwaters of the Tikchik River, and then to float that 60-mile stream to its terminus at Tikchik Lake, where we’d be picked up Aug. 3 and flown home.