The darkest days of winter are upon Alaska, and with that comes some extreme weather to make things interesting.  Most recently that included a powerful windstorm that lasted a few days in downtown Anchorage, causing some damage and lots of inconvenience.  Trash blew around, trees toppled and foot travel was challenging.  Anchorage has experienced icy conditions frequently in recent years with gradually warming conditions, and the current ice, combined with 40 mph winds made 

The October edition of ALO News comes to you from the Minnesota farm where autumn is ending rather quickly. October temperatures were very mild with a late freeze and colors that didn’t start changing until the middle of the month. Wildlife was very active, with deer, waterfowl and pheasants in abundance. October in Minnesota is like September in Alaska, and getting to experience both of those months mostly outdoors is a reward every year.   One daily activity on the farm is

The September news comes to you from the farm in Minnesota where news of widespread devastation in Western Alaska is slowly coming in. It appears the storm is the worst ever to hit some of the coastal communities where friends and clients reside. History informs that statement, because anytime before the last 125 years such a storm would have wiped out anyone living  there without any hope of rescue or support.  Recent studies have shown that villages have existed along the s

This edition of the news marks the end of the third season at Tikchik Narrows Lodge, and what a season it was. The biggest news was the...

The July news comes to you from the wilderness of western Alaska where dead salmon on the beach prove that summer is already winding...

Summer is half over as the June news is written in Anchorage, after a couple weeks at the Angstman cabin and Tikchik Narrows Lodge.  The...

This month’s news comes to you from the Angstman cabin on Chauekuktuli Lake where this month’s Mandatory Moose made an appearance a...

The April news comes to you from the very hot Minnesota farm where May weather has hit in the 90’s, well above the historical averages....

The last month was primarily focused on the Andy-Liz wedding in Oaxaca, Mexico. Getting there was not part of the fun, with delayed...

February news at ALO always includes Iditarod stuff. This year no Kuskokwim area teams took part and as a result ALO interest dropped to...

The 46th annual Kuskokwim 300 is in the books.  This year’s race was postponed for two weeks for lack of snow and then moved up seven...

Miserable winter weather in much of Alaska  has been the primary theme for the New Year as the ALO news looks back at 2024.  The...

Regular readers of the  ALO news remember that  massive corporations and their high paid bosses have often been the subject of criticism...

For only the second time in 20 years the ALO news missed a month, and this two month edition comes just prior to a 77th birthday which...

The August news is a bit late because of an extended cabin visit for moose hunting and fishing.  A couple of elders managed to capture a...

A very busy July spent both in rural and urban Alaska has created a wealth of news.  The rural part is a good place to start.  Fishing...

It was fifty years ago this summer when a motley outfit loaded up a post office step van, a jeep, and a 16 foot ancient camper trailer to...

The May news comes to you from Anchorage after a failed attempt to reach the Angstman cabin to open the wilderness branch of ALO for the...

The April News comes to you from Anchorage after completion of a stay at the Elk Farm in mid-May. The farm visit featured  a possible end...

This edition of the ALO news comes from the farm in Minnesota where spring started in mid-winter and is in full force.   On the farm that...

The ALO February news usually features a lot of Iditarod news which happens in March. That’s because the author of this page is also the...

The January news comes to you from snowy Anchorage where more than 110 inches of snow have fallen this winter.  Of course the snow pack...

The highlight of December was a trip into Old Faithful at Yellowstone Park. Such trips began for tourists in the late 60’s and were...

Paul Gebhardt was a former Glencoe,  Minnesota guy who became an Alaskan dog racer. He died of cancer recently and a couple of his...

This view greeted the Angstmans upon return from Minnesota to Alaska in mid-November. It is understandable that reverse snowbirds will...

The September news is brought to you from the Elk Farm in Minnesota where fall colors have just erupted. The top tree is in the front...

To say that summer is over in Anchorage is to imply there actually was a summer. There may not have been. This was a damp and cool...

It is hard to believe that 2/3 of the first season at Tikchik Narrows Lodge is already complete. Here are some impressions so far: The...

June marked the opening of Tikchik Narrows Lodge, now under the management of Andy Angstman. June also was one of the rainiest months in...

It was widely reported that the Angstman family purchased Tikchik Narrows Lodge, near the Angstman cabin 100 miles east of Bethel....

This edition of ALO News is brought to you from Anchorage after a bunch of travel ended a few days ago. The trip to Scotland was well...

The ALO news is delayed a bit this month by a two-week trip to Scotland with John McDonald and Bev Hoffman. John wanted to check out the...

This edition of ALO news is written as the Iditarod comes to a close. Two Kuskokwim 300 race committee members finished in the top three...

January is dog race month in Bethel, and this year’s events managed to squeeze in between two weather systems that could have easily...

Comfortable winter weather in Anchorage and elsewhere in Alaska is a reminder to revisit the climate issue as the calendar turns to 2023. ...

November ALO News comes to you in mid-December and with that of course holiday greetings are in order. Loyal readers of the ALO news are...

Start Spreading the News! Winter arrived a bit early by recent standards at the farm, and snow blanketed the area starting in...

The September news originates from the Minnesota Farm where fall colors are approaching their prime. Missing from the scene are the...

August rains balanced off the lack of rain in the early summer, putting out all of the fires in Alaska and turning everything a deep...

A very dry and hot start to the Alaska summer has given way to more typical rainy weather in July, putting out many of the large fires...

Record breaking heat and dry weather were common throughout Alaska in June. Anchorage has gone many weeks without significant rain, and...

An unusually dry and sunny May greeted the returning Angstman family after a cool, wet and windy visit to the farm in Minnesota. There...

It’s a rainy day on the Minnesota farm so a good day to write the news for April. This is the kind of rainy day it was for a few...

The finish of the Iditarod was discussed in last month’s ALO news, but the aftermath of the race was especially interesting this year,...

February ALO News is delayed a bit by events of early March, which in Alaska revolve around the Iditarod Race. It is difficult to explain...

January has been Kuskokwim 300 month since 1980 (with a slight change to February last year), and despite continuing Covid issues, the...

The end of 2021 couldn’t come soon enough for many but at ALO, the year was hardly a disaster. A year of COVID-19-related issues was not...

Chilly weather has been the story for November and early December in Alaska, and just now it seems to be breaking. It is troubling to...

The October news is brought to you from wintry Anchorage where early snow and cold greeted the returning travelers from Minnesota where...

The October news comes to you from the Minnesota farm where a fall visit is happening after missing last year’s visit. It seems strange...