Dan's Outside

I go, I see, I do, I walk, I think, I like…

LynnCanalSunsetSmall

LynnCanalSunsetSmall

Sunset. Lynn Canal near Juneau, Alaska. Copyright Dan Mitchell.
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June 25, 2005 Posted by | Commentary | Comments Off on LynnCanalSunsetSmall

The Race to Alaska Before It Melts

LynnCanalSunsetSmall: Sunset. Lynn Canal near Juneau, Alaska. Copyright Dan Mitchell.New York Times: The Race to Alaska Before It Melts

A product of the late ice age, the glacier looked old and tired on this hot day. There was a sense of loss, some people said, at watching this giant recoil. There were oohs and aahs but also more hushed tones, expressions of fear that the big land was somehow diminished, a little less wild. Just a few years ago, the spot where these tourists stood, on dry ground marked by Park Service signs, had been under ice.

Alaska is changing by the hour. From the far north, where higher seas are swamping native villages, to the tundra around Fairbanks, where melting permafrost is forcing some roads and structures to buckle in what looks like a cartoon version of a hangover, to the rivers of ice receding from inlets, warmer temperatures are remaking the Last Frontier State.

Photo: Sunset, Lynn Canal near Juneau, Alaska. Copyright Dan Mitchell
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June 25, 2005 Posted by | Environment | Comments Off on The Race to Alaska Before It Melts

Summer is Here!

I know that summer actually started early last week, but today marks the beginning of my summer. I gave my last final exam yesterday and, although there is a bit of work left to do, I’m pretty much off now until mid-September.
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June 25, 2005 Posted by | Commentary | Comments Off on Summer is Here!