Steve Kahn

From the Shishmaref Cannonball to Sarah Barracuda to Captain Zero, some monikers are meant to stand the test of time.

Hardcore hiker, woodworker, author, historian and guide John Branson isn’t slowing down much — even at age 70.

Few people are more observant than my neighbor up the lake, so how is it he didn't notice those rocks in our bay?

Air drops have practical — even lifesaving — aspects when emergency gear like sleeping bags, clothing, medical supplies, radios and food are dropped to needy people on land and sea.

The old proverb about hunger being the best sauce certainly holds true when you're adrift in the Alaska wilderness.

LAKE CLARK — Three years ago in late March, Anne and I cut down several birch trees near our greenhouse. The following morning we were amazed to see the sap-wetted stumps covered with moths — so thick it almost looked like a brown-gray cloth was covering the fresh cuts. At the time, we marveled at … Continue reading Battling a blitzkrieg of bugs

LAKE CLARK — Blue skies, a calm lake and warm air punctuated the summer morning. Anne and I couldn’t ask for a nicer start to our 24th anniversary. I had just returned to the lake, following a three-day supply run to town. Anne had stayed home, scything and clipping grass, tending garden and greenhouse, working … Continue reading A special, not-so-special Alaska anniversary celebration

  LAKE CLARK — Living in Alaska provides ample opportunities for off-the-grid, unconventional ways to clean the body. Whether the need arises because of camping, remote work situations, travel or simply that your four days are up — there are times when finding a high-pressure, hot shower is about as likely as stumbling upon a … Continue reading The unusual art of bathing in the Alaska Bush

LAKE CLARK — An image from early school days always stayed with me: an illustration of a Native American assisting the pilgrims, showing them how dead fish buried alongside maize seeds help the plants grow. To a kid it was an interesting and romantic notion, but not something I related to flourishing gardens in general. … Continue reading Rotting salmon carcasses yield bumper crop of veggies

I once thought that living in the Alaska Bush depended mostly on such skills as how to butcher a moose, fillet a salmon or fell a tree. Just as important, it turns out, is knowing that condiments are in Aisle 10 or that dark rye bread has one heck of a shelf life.

When nothing goes wrong, a rental property seems like a dream come true. But the second the plumbing or electric goes on the fritz, it's a nightmare.

Lake Clark is still home, and who knows, we may winter there again someday. But for now, we’ve found another place to hang for the dark months.

Even if we had a television we wouldn’t watch any reality TV, and we sure as heck aren’t going to enter into a conversation with a TV producer ever again. We have more important stuff to do in the Alaska Bush.

Brown bats loose in the house can be a nuisance, but they're part of our landscape, too.

The migratory patterns of Alaska bats are largely a mystery. Some species hibernate in Southeast. Their hibernation cycle can last four to six months. Banded bats have lived in the wild for more than two decades.