NorthRim Engineering

Two Brown Bears boxed in the Elk herd. The scene was reminiscent of African Serengeti images; predators chasing Wildebeest migration. The larger Brown Bear would periodically race along the edge of the Elk herd attempting to stampede the 70 animals, hoping to drag down a smaller animal. The Elk would not fall for this ruse. … More Alaskan Serengeti

Twin brothers Rory & Brett Marenco transformed a love of skiing, to a love of brewing in ski country. The best après-ski is a cold brew! Growing up in Lake Tahoe was the catalyst for skiing. Prospective colleges hinged on access to ski slopes. Family ski trips to Colorado, Montana, and Utah searched for a … More Powder Bros to Brew Pros

Rhythms abound in nature. Each day of winter I am acutely aware of the brief window of light; timing my daily ski to coincide to the brightest part of the day. Gardeners are tuned into the timing of the growing season. The last day of summer in 2021 found me furiously digging potatoes for seven … More The Owl Hooted

As much as I love to ski, the relentless dark & below zero exact a punishment. Jack London sympathizes with this destructive codependency; the brutality is displayed in full character in “To Build a Fire”. After reading, I am able to subjugate these feelings as being almost normal. Refuge can be found in the example … More KOHOLA BOUND

“A friendly Indian named Squanto helped the colonists. He showed them how to plant corn and how to live on the edge of the wilderness… As cultivating maize was unfamiliar to the Pilgrims, they relied on advice from Squanto, who shared with them the secret of proper maize-planting technique – sticking the seed in the … More Lesson From Squanto

Bluebird weather brings a mystical quality to the Chugach. Entering a realm, not unlike that encountered in Brigadoon. Portal to this paradise was entered through Bombardment Pass. Peeking, Raina, & Korohusk Peaks served as sentinels to our journey. Grizzly & Black Bears demanded our vigilance through their territory. Wildflowers added color to the mosaic. Kicking … More Valhalla Baptism

I was scrutinizing the couch in the Ramada Inn Steamboat Springs. Engineer professors instructed a cost/benefit analysis be conducted prior to any crucial decision. It was spring break 1979. A couple weeks earlier, University of Minnesota engineering classmate Dan Wirth suggested a Colorado ski trip for spring break. This would require skipping an engineering test, … More Spring Break ’79 – Relived