Bristol Environmental & Engineering Services Corporation is an Anchorage-based company with offices in Marysville, , and San Antonio, Texas. We employ more than 70 full-time persons, with additional staff during the summer field season. 'vVe participate in the U AA Career Fair each year, to meet new graduates who might become new employees. Our client list includes the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Kulis Air National Guard Base, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The occupations listed below are just some examples of the types of work you will find in a consulting engineering firm.

>- CIVIL ENGINEERING AND DESIGN • Landfills. Water & Sewer Systems. Roads. Airports >- CONSTRUCTION AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT • Field Supervision. Cost Estimating & Scheduling. Health & Safety > ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES • Hazardous Waste Management. Chemistry. Geology & Hydrogeology. Biology >- INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES • CADD • GIS. GPS • Web-based Document Management > ADMINISTRATION • Accounts Payable & Receivable. Payroll. Contracts

To express interest, please forward your resume with cover letter to the address below. You can also learn about new opportunities by logging on to our web site.

Bristol A w~ owvt.ed.t ~ of 'By~'B~ NClt"'w~Corpor-Clt"'WYlI ENVIRONMENTAL & ENGINEERING SERVICES CORPORATION Check out our job postings 2000 W. International Airport Road, #C-I, Anchorage, AK 99502 at www.beesc.com 907-563-0013 phone • 907-563-6713 fax

staff photo by Bob Martinson

While planning True North 2004, a staff member suggested running a story about urban sprawl's effect on dog mushing. We figured that as more people build homes near dog lots in the Mat-Su Valley, the newcomers would chafe at the sound of barking dogs. Bob Martinson, a True North photographer, volunteered to contact local dog mushing legend Martin Buser. Bob met Buser at a Seawolves basketball game and assured us Buser would welcome his call. But when Bob called Buser, the musher remembered nothing of Bob. When True North regrouped, we decided to change the focus of the dog mushing article to Buser's relationship with his dogs, and Bob signed up to take photos for the article. During the photo shoot, Bob and Buser hit it off so well that Buser invited Bob to the Iditarod's kickoff party. The evolution of Bob and Buser's relationship reflects the characteristic of that True North 2004 articulates. In an environment as vast as Alaska, our relationships are closely knit. Common threads bind us to each other and to our environment. Welcome to True North 2004.

Top left to right: Bob Martinson, photography' Andrew Morton, design' Aaron Edwards, photography' Brian Bublitz, co-editor & writer' Adam Paunic, "vriter, design & circulation. Bottom left to right: Gene Rachinsky, writer & photography' Chris Gillm,v, writer & photography' Paola Banchero, professor' Liz Brooks, co-editor & writer' Mai Li Kross, design. Not pictured: Jamie Kmet, advertising.

4 TRUE NORTH· 2004 FEATURES 6 Net Loss Commercial fishing in Alaska suffers as overseas farm-fishing looks to invade the purity of the fishing industry. By GENE RACHINSKY . PHOTOGRAPHS BY BOB MARTINSON & GENE RACHINSKY

8 50 Years Young Spawning from simplicity, UAA reaches the half-century mark as the largest university in the state. By WILL JACOBS

12 The Science of Growth Space is a rare commodity for students using science labs and classrooms at UAA, but plans for expansion can improve education. By BRIAN BUBLITZ

14 Extreme Sports A look at extreme sports in Alaska and the dedication it takes to support such a hardcore habit. By CHRIS GILLOW . PHOTOGRAPHS BY GABE DUMLAO & AARON EDWARDS

Transforming Colors A life of hardship and discovery leads to 19 success for a painter from Mongolia. By FUMIYO SATO . PHOTOGRAPHS BY AARON EDWARDS

UAA Grads: Where are they Now? Ever wonder what happens 22 to UAA graduates? Satisfy your curiosity with these UAA success stories. By TRUE NORTH STAFF' PHOTOGRAPHS BY BOB MARTINSON & AARON EDWARDS

Man of the Trail Experience the life of a sled-dog musher and his 26 canine team with a profile of Martin Buser. By ADAM PAUNIC' PHOTOGRAPHS BY BOB MARTINSON

Alaska: The Ultimate Proving Ground Ultra-marathon run­ 32 ners gather in Alaska to endure the Iditarod Trail Invitational, a competition that calls on racers to push themselves through the Alaska wilderness. By BILL KRIEGS . PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS GILLOW & BILL KRIEGS

A Race of Mercy The paw-powered history of the Iditarod Trail Sled 34 Dog Race. By BRANDON WILLIAMS' PHOTOGRAPH BY BOB MARTINSON

XtraTuf: The Steamy Relationship Between 36 Alaskans and their Boots Take a trek with boot lovers to find out how boots can be everyday footwear. By LIZ BROOKS' PHOTOGRAPHS BY BOB MARTINSON

Left to Right: Gillnet at sunset; Copper River King salmon command some of the highest salmon prices in the world. One reason for the high price is that they are the first run on the calendar coming in early May, and their high content of Omega 3 oils claim many health benefits, photos by Bob Martinson; Fresh Halibut are hoisted from the fishhold of a boat in Gustavus, photo by Gene Rachinsky.

5 tanford University researcher Josh Eagle said com­ fishermen are haVing a hard time making a profit. mercial fisheries produce 40 percent less today than in "In the last 10 years the costs went up 15 percent or 1980, when they were producing more than 99 percent of more, which includes fuel, insurance, maintenance the salmon consumed worldwide. expenses on vessels and supplies. This contributes to the In Alaska, 10 percent of the workforce is employed in amount of fish we need to catch for us to break even," the salmon fishing industry and the fact of farm-fishing said John Herschleb, 51, an owner of Pagan Fisheries taking over makes a devastating impact on commercial based in Cordova. He has been in business for more than fishing. Because of competition from salmon farms over­ 30 years and is now thinking about retiring from the seas, Alaska's share of the global market declined from business. 50 to 40 percent in the 1980s, to less than 20 percent in Not everyone is able to adapt as the industry changes, 2000. The state declared a state of emergency and offered said Gunnar Knapp, professor of economics at the commercial fisheries financial relief. Institute of Social and Economic Research at UAA. Commercial fisheries are losing their market share "It's a hard problem to deal with," he said. "People are not only to overseas competitors but also to domestic adapting by cutting their expenses. They handle fish aquaculture. Farm-fishing or aquaculture producers more carefully and get higher quality. With some people have gained the competitive edge over commercial fish­ quitting fishing, it helps others; there's more fish for eries due to cost-cutting measures, technology and those who hang on." improved logistics that make it possible to ship fresh fish Similar to the transformation that occurred in agricul­ worldwide. As a result, these producers can provide ture in the Lower 48, the fishing industry is now on the consumers with a fresh product year-round, even as verge of major restructuring as well. Alaska is planning demand for fish has surged worldwide. to start new cooperative fishing programs and reform According to the Stanford report, international com­ producer-processor relationships. petition for salmon often undermine local efforts to pro­ "The good news is the aquaculture revolution is forc­ tect environmental quality and marine resources. ing more efficiency on a sector sorely in need of such Marc Jones, executive director for Alaska Fisheries change. The bad news is that such change involves con­ Development Foundation, said that farm fishing drove siderable human suffering and community disruption," the prices of salmon down overall. explained Rosamond L. Naylor, the Julie Wrigley Senior "Farm fishing is a reality," said Jones, "and it goes Fellow at Stanford's Center for Environmental Science from this point forward. It's never going to go away. In and Policy (CESP) and lead author of the report. order to help the commercial industry, we need to restore The industry is already contemplating one response value. Quantity is there, but by producing high quality on the advertising front. product they can establish a greater margin and restore To bring back the popularity of commercial fishing, value of the commercial fisheries targeting every market the industry needs to educate the public about farm-fish­ that will pay a premium price for the product." ing products that have toxins and food coloring which Jones said he believes that commercial fisheries are cause health problems, suggested Paula Terrel, program going to survive the crisis. director at Alaska Marine Conservation Council. "They will always be there," he added, "and I am sure "A huge marketing and educational campaign about they will be there long past my figure." the value of the wild and the problem with farm fishing In light of industry pressures and added costs, local will definitely make a difference in the fishing industry." •

NET LOSS 7 by Will Jacabs This year, the University of Alaska Anchorage celebrates 50 years of public higher education in . Home to more than 21,000 students, it is a major regional university with programs ranging

from non-credit, non-degree courses to graduate degrees. UAA is now the largest of the University of Alaska

schools,and, beyond doubt, one of the most important institutions, public or private, in Alaska.

UAA had modest beginnings. The president and the campus, the core of what is now known as the West University of Alaska Board of Regents started to offer Campus of UAA, began in 1968. university courses on Alaska's military bases in 1950; in In the 1960s the Regents also began to decentralize the 1953, they began to enter into agreements with school administration of the university. They created the districts to operate community colleges. The first of these Anchorage Regional Center in 1966 to bring all UA oper­ created Anchorage Community College, the first institu­ ations in the Anchorage area under one administration tion of public higher education in southcentral Alaska. headed by Donald M. Dafoe, the first provost. Two years The college, which shared space with the new Anchorage later, the Regents enlarged Dafoe's responsibilities by High School (now West High), opened in 1954 and its creating the Southcentral Regional Center. In a single first graduate completed an associate degree in 1956. organization, it included ACC, upper-division and grad­ ACC was followed by community colleges in Palmer in uate programs, Elmendorf and Ft. Richardson opera­ 1958 - later Matanuska-Susitna Community College ­ tions, and the community colleges in the Mat-Su Valley, Kenai-Soldotna in 1964 and Kodiak four years later. at Kenai-Soldotna, and in Kodiak. This institution fore­ Throughout the 1950s, the university had offered a shadowed UAA as we know it today. few upper division courses on Elmendorf Air Force Base The '60s also saw a lively debate about the relationship and the U.S. Army's Fort Richardson. In the early 1960s between the expanding University of Alaska and Alaska this effort began to expand. The Board of Regents also Methodist University, a private school that opened in began to consider the development of a University of 1960. In 1969-70 the two universities created the Alaska campus in Anchorage, focusing as early as 1962 Anchorage Higher Education Consortium - an agree­ on property in the Goose Lake area in what was then the ment for easy transfer of students and, more important­ outskirts of Anchorage. Construction of the five build­ ly. the land, library collection, and financial arrange­ ings that constituted the Anchorage Community College ments for the Consortium Library. Since its completion

8 TRUE NORTH· 2004 in 1973, the library has served both UAA and Alaska Whatever the financial savings (and these were dis­ Methodist (now Alaska Pacific University) faculty, staff, puted), O'Dowd intended not only to end the organiza­ and students. It is the foundation on which the new tional independence of the community colleges but to Library of the 21st Century, set to open this fall, is built. eliminate them altogether, with the exception of Prince In 1970, the Regents grouped the existing upper-divi­ William Sound Community College. Each part of ACe's sion and graduate programs into the Anchorage Senior mission was to continue, but it was to do so within the College. They also decreed that in any city where the framework of a new University of Alaska Anchorage (no University of Alaska offered those programs, the opera­ comma). An independently identified ACC ceased to tion - including community colleges - was to be exist. In the Mat-Su Valley, Kenai-Soldotna, and Kodiak named "University of Alaska, (City)." Lewis Haines, the colleges dropped "community" from their names who succeeded Dafoe as provost of the Southcentral and returned to administrative arrangements within the Region in 1969, was the first CEO of the University of new UAA similar to those that had existed under the Alaska, Anchorage. In 1976, to mark the continued Southcentral Regional Center. decentralization of the UA system, the president To some in Anchorage and outside, it appeared that appointed John Lindauer as the school's first chancellor. the community college mission could not survive the The 1970s were a complex and confusing time for the reorganization. Less visible but important was the fear new university. The statewide system and the that merging the community college and university mis­ Anchorage operation were consumed with labor dis­ sions in one house would most seriously compromise putes, organizational confusion, financial difficulties, the latter. Proposals for complete separation of the com­ and passionate quarrels about the compatibility and rel­ munity colleges resurfaced to no avail. The Regents ative importance of the community college and universi­ approved the O'Dowd plan in 1987 and the governor ty missions. This turmoil peaked in a series of leadership and legislature declined to interfere. crises. The year 1977 saw four different presidents of the Debate persists in many quarters over the necessity, University of Alaska. wisdom, and uJ timate consequences of the 1987 restruc­ Given these difficulties, it is not surprising that the turing, but there can be no doubt that the present experimental combination of the community colleges University of Alaska Anchorage, the product of crisis, and traditional university programs in a single adminis­ controversy, and compromise, has developed into a trative framework, embodied in the Anchorage and major regional university with a reputation for high Southcentral Regional Centers and the original quality programs in each part of the complex and com­ University of Alaska, Anchorage, did not endure long. In prehensive community college and university missions 1978 the University of Alaska placed all community col­ inherited from its predecessor institutions. Much is leges in an organization devoted exclusively to a com­ owed to the two chancellors - Donald Behrend and Lee munity college mission. This change effectively separat­ Gorsuch - who led the new UAA out of the turmoil of ed ACC from the fledgling UA,A -leaving the latter to the '80s and through the fiscal difficulties of the '90s to its be composed solely of the units reorganized from the present status. UAA has enjoyed almost 16 years of sta­ recently dissolved Senior College: the College of Arts ble and continuous organization and institutional identi­ and Sciences, the Justice Center, and the Schools of ty. This has allowed the creation of programs across the Education, Engineering, Nursing, Business and Public range of UAA's missions, an enlarged physical establish­ Administration. ment, a first-class electronic infrastructure, a "Library of The late '70s began a period defined by continued the 21st Century," and an Anchorage campus communi­ growth and increasing independence of all the institu­ ty based on new dormitories and a campus commons. tions in the region, supported by the increasing flow of Now the largest university in the state, with an all-cam­ state funding from North Slope oil money. Less than pus total workforce of almost 3,500 people and annual eight years into this promising era, however, the whole expenditures of $170 million, UAA is an important of the University of Alaska was threatened by the col­ Alaskan institution, vital to the continued health and lapse of state finances, caused by a decline in ,o\'orld oil development of the region and the state.• prices. In the fall of 1986, President Donald O'Dowd proposed to reorganize the university system yet again, Will Jacobs is a emeritus professor of history and political sci­ this time to consolidate all operations - community col­ ence. He was first appointed to the Anchorage Senior College leges, baccalaureate, and graduate programs - into in the department of history in 1973. He retired as associate three separately accredited regional universities head­ vice provost in 2002. He is compiling a history of the quartered in Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Juneau. University of Alaska Anchorage.

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Microscopes, plastic cups filled with rusting instruments, and bottles of Windex, alcohol and water clutter the tables of Lab 119 on the first floor of the Science Building. Incubators obscure the sunlight peeking through the back row of windows. Students file to their stations and sit on 3-foot metal stools as class begins in the cramped room. The instructor describes the day's experiment.

But her lab could just as well describe the lack of "The facilities are so crowded that if we want to do space for science research and instruction at the more in terms of upper-division work in chemistry and University of Alaska Anchorage. molecular biology we need more labs," said Don Most of UAA's science classes are at capacitYI and Spalingel~ chairman of the Department of Biological some run from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. just to keep up with Sciences. demand. And the problem is not restricted to w1der­ Without a building dedicated to laboratories, stu­ graduate classroom and lab space. dents are often forced into research labs far too small to

SCIENCE OF GROWTH 11 be effective. Science faculty, Anchorage business "The current facilities do not leaders and students want beefed-up lab and classroom space. meet demand. A new facility "The current facilities do not meet demand," said Charles Turner, a pre­ will improve education." med student. "A new facility will improve education." Turner said that space constraints are a concern for building as state support for higher education declines. students with busy schedules. Many biology experi­ On a cost-per-square-foot basis, science buildings are ments require the incubation of test samples for very expensive compared with other UAA construction proj­ specific amounts of time. However, because the incuba­ ects. For example, the proposed facilities would cost tors are stored within the labs, students cannot always about twice that of the new library, parking garage or check results at their convenience because another class dormitories. The integrated building, covering 78,000 may be in session. Turner suggests that students and fac­ square feet, would cost approximately $81 million. The ulty need a results room to store test samples outside of same space built in stages would take longer to complete classrooms. and cost approximately $120 million. The catch: The uni­ Eric Sjoden, a biology major, agreed that separate labs versity needs funding for the integrated science building for beginning and advanced classes would also be more up front. By building in stages, UAA can spread the convenient for students. spending out over a longer And even when the labs period of time. are not overcrowded, they UAA has $8.4 million in are substandard, Spalinger the bank for the project. That added. Many of UAA's can be spent at once on the lower-division labs were first phase of several build­ built in the 1970s. If remod­ ings for science instruction eled, the labs would have to and research. Or the universi­ meet modern-day codes - an ty may hang on to the savings expensive proposition. But while it waits for more fund­ merely remodeling would do ing for a single integrated sci­ little to help alleviate ence building, said Cyndi cramped conditions. Spear, Associate Vice The university is study­ Students cram into science laboratories, a situation that fac­ Chancellor for Facilities and ing two plans to add science ulty, students and administrators say compromises learning. Campus services. classrooms and lab space. Hoping for more funds, One plan calls for scientific learning and research the University of Alaska Board of Regents filed a capital space to be integrated into a single building. The build­ budget request with the earlier this ing would house all the labs, offices and storerooms for year. But due to Alaska's lagging economy and budget science departments, including biology, physics and shortfalls, money for capital spending is anything but chemistry. certain. The second plan is to construct multiple buildings in An integrated science building is now a top priority phases during a longer period of time. Each building in the University of Alaska's annual capital budget would then house one or two departments. Such campus request. voices as the Union of Students and the Department of The proposed building would center on teaching sci­ Biological Sciences are lobbying in favor of an integrated ence rather than scientific research, Spear said. building as opposed to the multiple-building option. "Teaching is our first priority right now," she said. "Having the departments scattered can inhibit com­ Additional space for science would benefit UAA, munication between departments because many of the Anchorage and Alaska, say science educators and science disciplines mix with others, such as chemistry Anchorage business people. The brochure UAA pub­ and physics," Spalinger said. "It reflects the complexity lished explaining the need for new science buildings of science today that cooperation between fields is key to puts it best: "Science education = jobs for Alaskans." discovery." The Alaska economy depends heavily on people with The challenge is finding funding for an integrated science and technical education.

12 TRUE NORTH· 2004 Anchorage, home to four out of 10 Alaskans and nearly /.'> k5.F. FUTURE PHASES half the jobs in Alaska, is the sta te's economic engine. But the engine I.S.F. PHASE I ignites with only a 2 FLOORS + MEeH. few key industries. 30,000 GSF By far the largest of these is the oil and gas industry. A 2001 study done by the Alaska Oil and Gas Association showed that In 1999 the industry employed 2,376 people in Anchorage wi th $239 million in pay­ roll. The effect of that employment rip­ ples through the economy. The industry also spent $845 million on goods and ISF PHASE II services in the Anchorage community that created an additional 6,700 jobs and $275 million in support-industry busi­ nesses, and 4,900 jobs and $156 million through the rest of the community. In total, this accounts for 13,976 jobs in Anchorage alone, and the success of this industry depends on scientific advance­ ment, said Sean Parnell, deputy director of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Oil and Gas Division. Survival in the oil and gas industry largely is about finding more oil. At the same time, the industry must develop UAA hopes to consolidate science classrom and lab space into an integrated techniques that are faster, safer and clean­ science faciltiy. Images courtesy of Facilities and Campus Services. er. To succeed, companies need scientists from a variety of fields including geology, geophysics and petroleum engineering. Anadarko Petroleum, the eighth-largest gas producer Parnell said that all kinds of scientific jobs are avail­ in North America, says this on its Web site: able within the industry, but companies prefer applicants "We hire talented people and equip them with with plenty of lab and field experience. advanced technology for finding and producing oil and Other science-oriented jobs are also available at envi­ gas." ronmental protection groups and at consulting firms that A company such as Anadarko will make use of the hire out specialists to the oil industry, said Judy Brady, most advanced technology and methods available to the executive director of the Alaska Oil and Gas Association. industry - and hire the right people to do the job. The industry makes big technological leaps as a mat­ UAA's ability to turn out well-trained scientists is ter of course. If UAA can't keep up, Alaskan jobs will go vital, Brady said, if Alaskans are to remain competitive to graduates from larger schools. Alaskans now fill many in the industry: of the jobs in the oil industry, especially in state agencies, "You'd hope that the schools here are competitive but that could change. with the quality of students that are graduating." •

SCIENCE OF GROWTH 13 by Chris Gillow

The Alaska landscape provides a natural playground that consumes outdoor enthusiasts and extremists.

Jobs and school are put on hold so two-stroke engines can be tortured, then tamed; skis can be waxed, re-waxed, then propelled into the fresh backcountry; and icefalls can be stabbed until this pulseless arctic monster is conquered or it comes alive to steal the pulse of its challenger.

Extremists are dedicated. Dead-set on a life full of country snowmachiner. thrills, spills and wills, they balance a hearty diet of "I go just as big and take just as many risks ... but I insane individual sports with a side order of school or know my limits, too." work. By their definition, extreme sports demand that ath­ "We just work, then we can play," Todd Fisher said, letes acknowledge their physical limits and push past manager of Peter Glenn Sports in Anchorage. "Work's those boundaries. not usually affected, but my play-time is." Problem is, Alaska is a place with few boundaries. The inherent risk and time-consuming nature of With so many mountains and meadows, extremists often extreme sports can only fit into the life of a few. These wonder what to conquer next. Alaskans and extremists hardcore, go-until-you-puke extremists jump at the alike have to be a lot more self-sufficient, knowledgeable chance to risk their lives for what most people can only and hardcore. see in a movie. "Everything is big up here," Fisher said, "so you go "I hate seeing that warning on snowmachine videos, big." 'These are trained professionals, please don't try this at Eventually, after all the cuts, bruises and broken home,' I mean who deems them pros?" said Nick Beasley, bones, these hardcore athletes achieve personal victory. a University of Alaska Anchorage student and back­ Victory has nothing to do with scoring points, sacking

14 TRUE NORTH· 2004 the quarterback or getting the fastest time. It has every­ gap, but as friends watched they could tell there was, thing to do with beating a personal best or going bigger "Too much throttle." than a buddy off the 100-foot cliff that lies ahead. Beasley cleared the gap, and his landing, placing him "Sometimes," Fisher said, "it's just about bragging on flat ground where he came down sideways. rights." Beasley lay motionless, with a shattered ankle and broken back. NICK BEASLEY, 23, and University of Alaska He could have died or been paralyzed. Anchorage engineering student, grew up riding snow­ "But I didn't die and there is a lot more riding to do," machines. "One of those old white Tundras," said Beasley he said. with a slight laugh. In all actuality, the sport of snow­ Today, Beasley rides as much as ever. He credits the machining came to him as a surprise when his dad rush produced from clearing a gap or climbing hundreds picked him up from school with the Tundra. of vertical feet in a matter of seconds and the serenity he He continued riding, eventually leaving behind ski­ feels when turning a crisp 360 degrees, white-topped ing, his first winter sports Jove. mountains and the engine's rumble keeping him company. "Skiing limits you to going down-hill, but you can take snowmachines almost anywhere," Beasley said. As SEAN CAHOON, 21, etched his way up the frigid Beasley came to find out that being able to go any­ icefall, he looked back to check on his climbing partner. where might not be such a good thing. Everything was going great. It was a beautiful, lively day Buying his first snowmachine at 16, a $2000 Polaris to be teaching a friend how to lead climb, or was it? XLT Special, Beasley was well on his way to be carving Eight feet from the closest screw to hook into, he reached through chest-high powder at Turnagain Pass. Little did up to work his way closer. As he stretched his 5-foot­ he know, seven years later, he would experience the most eight, 135-pound body, he felt his shoulder pop, then extreme risk-taking event in his life, a near death jump hang out of socket. With a dislocated shoulder and eight over the Turnagain Pass parking lot. feet to go, he only had two things he could do. Jam his It was going to be a sick ending to an even sicker day shoulder back into place and keep climbing. of riding, Beasley said. The camera was ready and he At five years old Cahoon skied on his first pair of thumbed the throttle. He soared over the parking-lot Snoopy skis. While most kids his age were watching Sesame Street, Cahoon was at Kissing Bridge Ski Resort in Buffalo, N.Y., showing off his new skis and developing a lifelong love for extreme sports. He had just become an adrenaline-driven extremist. Cahoon is an all-around extremist. He goes rock and ice climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing, whitewater rafting and mountain biking. It's hard to choose one sport as a favorite, but mountaineering would have to be it, he said. "1 have a drive for it," he added. This drive keeps Cahoon on the fast track to personal accomplishment. To excel at anything it takes time, but extreme sports are a little different, he said. "Sports like these have a lot of different aspects, it takes a lot more dedication," Cahoon said. "There is a Nick Beasley soars through the aIr after launching off a shitty balance between the amount of dedication you put Jump at Turnagain Pass. photo by Gabe Dumlao in and the reward you get out of it. But 1 always get something out of it."

EXTREME SPORTS 15 The reward is the rush, the feeling of accom­ plishment "when you get fresh lines out of a sweet gully." Unlike other sports, there isn't the compet­ itive nature that distorts the reason why people are there, its all about having fun, said Cahoon. The biology major recognizes that the dedica­ tion required to participate and excel in these sports is very time consuming. His solution for balancing extreme sports, work and school is sim­ ple: he blows off school. "It's not really a tough choice when there is two feet of snow or two hours of lecture," he said.

KRISTINE LAUGHLIN, 22, walked up to the Susitna 100 start line knowing she had seen better days. She was nauseated, hadn't eaten much and was about to run a laO-mile race through Alaska's bitter cold winter and unforgiving wilderness. Laughlin thought she might be getting old. Her mind and body unprepared and worn out from running marathons in Boston, Chicago and Lincoln, Neb. Marathons, an Eco-Challenge and racing on the Armed Forces Marathon Running team. Unknown to her, it wasn't age or the com­ mon cold that was affecting her performance. She was running for two. Kristine Laughlin's The University of Alaska Anchorage math vibrant personality major found out that she was pregnant a few days shines through during after the race when she took a home pregnancy a relaxing run on the test she said. Laughlin and her husband were Tony Knowles Coastal going to wait until after the race to have a child, Trail. photo by Aaron but, their plans accelerated. Edwards Despite feeling ill and, in her eyes, running a less than perfect race, Laughlin finished with her hardcore Alaska mentality intact. "Alaskans are tougher," she said, "a lot of the time we're more hell-bent on finishing." The runner, her blond hair pulled back in a neat ponytail, relishes discipline. She wound up finish­ ing the race in 41 hours, earning her a fourth ­ place finish among women. Laughlin's dedication to her sport is limited by her busy lifestyle, she said. She keeps her training schedule flexible so she can go to school and work. "I don't take as many naps as I'd like to," she said. "Sleep is what takes the beating." Laughlin has lived for distance running since she was 16 years old when a friend introduced her to the sport, she said. Ever since, when she does­ n't run for a while she feels extremely guilty. "I feel like I need it," Laughlin said, "It's some kind of natural high." •

16 TRUE NORTH· 2004

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:1 L PHOTOGRAPHS BY AARON EDWARDS

When you enter Khulan Bataa's room in her west Anchorage home, notice the bright red colors.

The red is vivid and passionate. Several paintings on the wall are portraits of women, children and flowers.

"Color means a lot to me," Bataa said. She wears a red Her grandmother found a newspaper ad for an exchange shirt, black pants and red lipstick. "But I was afraid of program with an American high school. using colors because I thought I might ruin my draw­ "My grandmother said, 'You are going to go to ing." America,'" Bataa recalled. Bataa was born and reared in Mongolia, between Bataa's parents emigrated to Korea for better wages to China and Russia. Unlike some nomadic Mongolian peo­ support their daughter's education. She lived with rela­ ple, Bataa is a city girl who grew up in Ulan BatOl~ the tives in Mongolia for a year after her family had left. capital. She was 17 when she came to Anchorage as an Living in the United States had been a family dream. exchange student at Dimond High School. Knowing little

TRANSFORMING COLORS 19

English, Bataa said high school life was miser­ "Here people don't care about what able. "People just asked other people think about them. me questions like, 'I like your clothes and shoes, People understand about me now." where did you buy them?' But they didn't really talk to me," she said. theme to her artwork, she has a sense of color. Bataa graduated from Dimond in 2001. She wanted to Warm pinks, oranges and reds surround the images ­ stay in Alaska and decided to attend the University of mostly of women and children - in the paintings. Alaska Anchorage. A small girl sits in a chair in one painting with a Bataa, who turns 21 soon, has drawn ever since she woman sitting next to her. The woman is hiding her face. could remember. After taking a painting class, she knew "This is my mother and me," Bataa said. "When I she wanted to be an artist. started painting, ] was trying to express my sad feelings. UAA Associate Professor Kat Tomka says Bataa is My mother hides her face because she is crying." quiet and dreamy, but works hard. In another painting, Bataa is on a bridge on which she Her painting has a definite style: "It's got a soft and used to walk with an old love. She wears a bright satin sweet feel, but not sappy," said Tomka, who teaches dress. Behind the bridge is a mountain marred by power painting and drawing. lines. The surface of the river reflects the mountain. Bataa's early life was colorless. When she thinks of Sweeping color defines the sky. her native land, she thinks in black, "This is my dream picture. I gray and white. never had a satin dress. I've never "] have a lot of sad memories," had long hair." Bataa said. "People always watch you Bataa paints from memory or in Mongolia. It's a small community. I from snapshots, an exercise that can was always afraid of being different." compound the longing she feels for Bataa differed from her peers. She her old life. pierced her eyebrow and ears. She "It's nice to see the picture, but used to smoke. Having an abusive you cannot see the person," she father, Bataa saw her mother crying explained. frequently. Nearly four years have passed After coming to the United States, since Bataa left Mongolia. Now she Bataa found colors in her life. She has friends and knows what she saw people in different clothes and wants to do. But Bataa realizes that hairstyles. her heart is divided by her love for "Here people don't care about her homeland and her affinity for what other people think about them," Alaska. she said. "People understand about She has not returned to Mongolia me now." since coming to Anchorage. She sees Bataa changed her style. She start­ herself living here for a long time. ed wearing bright colors, especially "] don't want to be in Mongolia, pink and red. Colors lift her up and ~ but it doesn't mean I don't love make her happier. Yet Bataa is still Mongolia," Bataa said. "Because my afraid of expressing her true colors. parents have been working so hard "I always paint one person. I am for me in Korea. It has been four alone in my space." years. I would feel guilty if I just Tomka says Bataa is evolving and decided to go back." so is her artwork. Wherever she settles, Bataa's "She is finding her individual home will crackle with color. voice," Tomka said of her soft-spoken "I don't know if my future hus­ student. Real feathers are attached to this painting band can handle the colors," she While Bataa is still developing a to give it a unique 3-D look. said with a smile.•

TRANSFORMING COLORS 21

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Buser's team 6f 1 s appear fit and ready to compete before the 2004 (J Trail Sled Dog Race.

The unforgiving trail It's called the last great race. Where the roads stop, the Iditarod begins: the trail spans the from Anchorage to Buser has competed in 20 Iditarods and every race Nome. Mushers spend all year entering smaller compe­ has been a challenge - some days more than others. He titions and training for long-day rides to prepare for it. remembered that night, one of his first trips to Nome. The Iditarod Trail began in the 1880s, serving as a "A musher's greatest fear at night is being tied down conduit for mail, supplies and prospectors eager to get away from his dog team." he said. their hands on Alaska's gold. He's had moose run over his team, braved bad snow­ Spanning a distance of 1,150 miles, the Iditarod is storms, and even driven his sled out onto thin ice in the nearly half the size of the historic Trail. The trail Bering Sea. A musher's life. includes some of the toughest terrain in the world. He has been doing it for more than 20 years. Today the historic trail is used primarily for competi­ Experience has refined him into a better musher and a tion. The thrill of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race brings local skilled competitor. Buser has also learned from other and foreign dog teams to Alaska for the chance to mushers about what not to do and what to avoid on the become the next champion. But the odds are against trail. them. Out of 50 to 80 mushers who start the race to "You can learn a lot from other's mistakes," he said. Nome nearly half have no chance of finishing in the top

28 TRUE NORTH· 2004 20. Yet they come - some simply with the goal to finish this place is not the ceremonial start in Anchorage - it's the race. Big Lake. The race is still weeks away, and this is just one of many training runs Buser's dog team will take before To Nome from home the start of Iditarod XXXII in March. Located 25 miles north of Anchorage, Big Lake's It is a clear day, a good day to run. Buser eyeballs his small community of 2,700 enjoys quiet seclusion from team and makes a last-minute check on their harnesses the rest of the world. before giving the command to go forward. The 16 dogs Buser and wife, Kathy Chapoton, moved to Big Lake look intently at their master, watching his body lan­ in 1987 so he could train and she could continue her guage, his every movement. They yip and bark; they career as a teacher. squirm with excitement and anticipation of the run before "Big Lake has excellent trails and it's not too cold," them. For Buser, this will be his 21st push across the Buser said, "you can go from here to Nome without a Iditarod Trail. In 2003 his team came in fourth, a day road." behind first-place winner Robert Sorlie of Hurdal, Buser and Chapoton met in 1979, while both partici­ Norway. pating in Alaska's Remote Partial Staking Plan, a pro­ Today, howevel~ is not the start of the Iditarod, and gram that allowed residents to go out and claim their

MAN OF THE TRAIL 29 own land by staking it with a marker and recording it thinking what am 1 going to do as a single mom raising with the state. Chapoton had returned from staking the two kids," she said. land in Big Lake and was waiting patiently in the state Her anxiety abated when she learned that her hus­ office, while noticing Buser arguing over a plot he had band was not lost, but instead taking a calculated risk to claimed out in Trapper Creek. push through the storm. That risk paid off. "He had such a strong accent back then," she remem­ The determined musher was testing a new breed of bered. fastel~ shorter-haired dogs that year. Buser had heard a Born and reared in New Orleans, Chapoton moved to good deal of skepticism from the media and other mush­ Alaska to feel what cold is like. Buser moved for dog rac­ ers about whether his new dogs could make the long ing. haul and finish. They finished all right, second right She never imagined having so many dogs before behind Rick Swenson. meeting Buser, she said with a laugh, "1 grew up in the Chapoton believed her husband went into that storm city. I never owned a dog in my life." to prove he and his team could. "I think he gained a lot Chapoton worries about Buser every time he goes of confidence from that race." out, but feels the race has improved greatly through the years with increased media coverage and the Internet. Raising a large family She recalled one Iditarod that was particularly unnerv­ ing. The Buser family moved to Big Lake because it's a In 1991, Buser got lost in a storm and she received a perfect place to train, but also to raise their two sons, telephone call from a race official in the middle of the Nikolai and Rohn, who are both named after check­ night. The official told her that out of 22 mushers, her points along the Iditarod. Buser is close to his boys. This husband was the only one unaccounted for. year both of them have entered the , "It was pretty scary. 1 remember going to bed and though Buser said the boys are not interested in

30 TRUE NORTH· 2004 following in their father's of the midnight sun - the place where the sun never sets, footsteps as a result of growing people live in igloos and everyone rides around on dog up around mushing. teams to and from work. "They both have diverse "In Europe, just as in the United States, the miscon­ interests," Buser said. ceptions are still there about Alaska," Buser said. The extended family - the Buser's planned trip to Alaska was going to be tem­ dogs - live in the backyard. porary, but once he arrived he quickly fell in love with Chapoton described her hus­ the state. In 2000, he proudly became a U.S. citizen. band's commitment to mushing "1 planned to come here for a year and I am still here as, "Intense. Martin really loves for that year," Buser joked. the outdoors and loves the dogs." Buser has won dozens of Dogs and champions awards for his above-and­ beyond care for his four-legged The Iditarod is always a challenge. Buser once said companions, including the his dogs were the true heroes of the trail. Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian "We are connected in a symbiotic relationship. The Award four times. His wife com­ dogs can't do it without me and 1 can't do it without pared him to a horse whisperer, them," Buser said. one who is uniquely in touch The most rewarding thing for Buser is building his with animals. team, training them and watching them go on to win a "He just knows them, knows championship, "It's not the racing, it's the raising of my all their individual little quirks team," Buser admitted. and knows what to say to each This year he has already raced at three large events to one," she said. keep himself and his dogs on that competitive edge. He Buser's care for his dogs is placed second at the Kuskokwim 300 in February. The second nature. His objective is temperature dropped to 40 below during the course of always to design better care for the race. his dogs. Buser's mushing career has led to many victories. At "Having a group of dogs is age 46, Buser shows no signs of retiring and still has "a sort of like children.... It's like few goals." One goal he holds firm to is beating veteran raising children," Buser said. musher, Rick Swenson's number of Iditarod wins. The couple started their business, Happy Trails "1 have four and Swenson has five, but nobody has Kennel, in 1987. Though Buser doesn't consider Happy six," Buser paused, "But for right now I am just working Trails a business - the majority of his dogs are trained for for five." his own team. "We try not to call it a business, it's a lifestyle," he said. "1 don't breed for sale; I breed to replenish my The light from his headlamp fluttered about; he teal11." could barely make out the trail ahead of him. Then he saw it. His snow hook (a large, steel hook used as a A passion for mushing brake to keep the sled and dogs from running off when stopped) dangled from a nearby tree limb, and the line Buser's love for animals began at an early age. attached to it, led away into the darkness. He grabbed at Growing up in Zurich, Switzerland he became fascinat­ it. The line was taut. A great weight was pulling at it ed with dogs in his early teens. He recalled his parents from the other end. Hand-over-hand he followed it into having a variety of animals around the house. the black abyss, until he finally reached his dogs. Pairs of "There were always critters around and 1was coached green-yellow glowing eyes stared at him. They were in animal husbandry very early. 1 had reptiles and ready and anxious to continue the race. Buser could not amphibians," Buser said, "I had lots of turtles, yeah, I was have been more relieved that his team hadn't traveled a pretty big turtle expert." more than a few yards away. Buser started training sled dogs in his spare time "Afterward, it was stiU 40 below outside, but I felt like while at school in Switzerland. And in 1979, he decided it was 40 above," Buser recaUed. to move to Alaska to gain more experience in competi­ "We don't count close calls because we'd be counting tive dog mushing. In Europe, Buser heard about the land all the time." •

MAN OF THE TRAIL 31 A LAS K A

THE ULTIMATE

I

photo by Chris Gillow

32 by Bill Kriegs People thought him crazy.

Edward R. Jesson sold his store and bought a bike for $150. Having never rode a bike in his life, he learned in eight days, before heading out on a 1,OOO-mile ride across Alaska. It was the middle of winter and he survived temperatures of 48 degrees below zero. The year was 1900.

Alaska draws and inspires people toward extraordi­ 1,100 miles across Alaska. They struggle to survive the nary adventures. A century ago, gold was an incentive. most inhospitable weather while willing their bodies Today it is something else. Implausible beauty, vast land­ and spirits across a distance that equals the trip from scapes sheltered by rippling northern lights, or low-lying Chicago to Portland, Me. sunlight spreading across Alaska's wild and rugged inte­ "It is the longest, least-supported ultra-mara thon race rior. in the world," Merchant said. But talk about biking, skiing or running 1,000 miles "There is just nothing else like it," said Pat Irwin, a across Alaska in sub-zero weather and people shudder. cyclist and former champion of the Iditarod Trail "People tend to get glazed looks on their faces," said Invitational. Irwin fell in love with Alaska after his first Bill Merchant, the race director of the Iditarod Trail race and moved here from . Invitational. "It's the most satisfying and rewarding experience In the invitational, racers run, ski or bike either 350 or I've ever had," said In-vin.

ALASKA: THE ULTIMATE PROVING GROUND 33 Doug Dunlop, who biked the race two years ago, describes it as phenomenally fun and breathtakingly beautiful. "I did my descent of the Dalzell Gorge at night by the light of the moon," he recalled. "The icy walls of the gorge reflected shades of purple, green and orange, giving a surreal glow to the snow and trees. It was like riding through "vhat the cover of a fantasy novel tries to look like." The race serves as the ultimate test for most racers - both physically and mentally - attracting competitors from several coun­ tries each year. "Even if you consider the fastest time to Nome on foot, as 22 days - that is like run­ ning a 50-mile marathon each day," said Merchant. When you add potential temperatures of potentially 55 below zero, and no safety net - it becomes a much greater challenge. The race starts the week before the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Knik Lake and runs 350 miles to the town of McGrath. Racers doing the tlOO-mile race continue to Nome. No support vehicles are allowed. Racers are allowed two 10­ pound drop bags to McGrath and are responsible for their own drops to Nome. The race is limited to 50 participants. Some qualify by racing in the Susitna 100. Race organizers admit other participants based on their experience in endurance sports. Mike Curiak, a seven-year veteran of Alaska winter ultra-marathons, set the overall time record of 15 days for the tlOO-mile race on a bike in 2000. "It has become a heartthrob for me," said race director Merchant. "It truly is a life-changing experience, you never quite fit in to your day-to-day routine again and the whole rat-race thing seems a lot less significant." People still think the racers crazy. But endurance athletes are lured to the trail every year, escaping modern life, inherit­ ing an adventurous fortitude long unique to Alaska. To racers, the Iditarod Trail Invitational offers an experience as pre­ cious as the fabled gold nuggets of Alaska's past. • p'hoto by Bob Martinson

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by Liz Brooks photographs by Bob Martinson Beatriz Muse parked in a puddle on a rainy

autumn day. Muse, a nursing student at the University

of Alaska Anchorage, opened her car door and peered

dov,rn at the mud.

"I really wished I was wearing XtraTufs," said Muse, referring to her favorite brand of rubber boots. Muse's first XtraTufs were handed down to her from her older brother, Benny, when he outgrew them. Ever since, Muse has been loyal to the chocolate brown boots bearing the XtraTuf name. Like many Alaskans, Muse knows the value of a good pair of boots. Alaskans rely on boots to protect their feet from cold weather, falling objects and deep puddles. When we find a pair that can survive the conditions we live and work in, we don't experiment with other brands. Right now, Alaskans prefer XtraTuf boots, which have achieved cult-like status here and come highly rec­ ommended by those who wear them. Larry Shafer, an employee at Anchorage's B&J Commercial, has been selling XtraTuf boots in Alaska for 20 years. At work, he wears a white short-sleeved polo shirt with the red and blue XtraTuf logo embroidered in the upper-left hand corner, right next to his heart. Shafer attributes XtraTuf's popularity to the boot's chevron sole. "These boots will not slip on a wet [boat] deck," said Shafer. he teamy With deep grooves, the tread on the bottom of XtraTuf boots is rugged. The patented design incorporates sev­ eral chevrons, which give the pattern its name. lationship Because XtraTufs have traction on wet decks, they are the standard boots of the Alaska fishing industry. "Ninety-nine percent of all [Alaskan] commercial fish­ between ermen wear them," said Shafer. "Sometimes, captains put it in their contracts that anyone working on their boat has to wear XtraTufs." Alaskans XtraTufs are hand-made neoprene boots. Neoprene is a synthetic rubber that resists damage caused by flexing and their and twisting, and can withstand a wide range of tem­ peratures. Out-of-the-box XtraTufs smell like fresh tires because of the fresh neoprene. Used XtraTufs smell like boots sweat, wood smoke, and fish guts because of wool socks, camping trips and successful fishing outings. Plus, neo­ prene is waterproof. XTRATUF 37 "XtraTufs are a function over fashion thing that has spawned into a culture thing."

Tom Good, owner of Good Enterprises, distributes mining and drilling equipment is used daily. XtraTufs in Alaska for the boots' manufacturer, Norcross "XtraTufs are a function over fashion thing that has Safety Products. Good revealed the technique for water­ spawned into a culture thing," said Eric Carpenter, a proofing XtraTufs. German major at UAA. "The secret is in the seamless construction," said "And they go well with Carhartts," added Sarah Good. Wells, an engineering major at UAA. First, boot linings are dipped three times in liquid neo­ "When I was at the post office yesterday," said Good, prene. Between each dipping, boots are hung to dry. "I saw a man wearing XtraTufs. I asked him why he was Then, they are dipped in a saltwater bath and baked in wearing XtraTufs and he asked me, 'Why are you wear­ an oven to congeal the neoprene. The last step is tracing ing socks?' I said, 'Because I always wear socks.' And he "vhite banding along the top and bottom of each boot. said, 'Well, I always wear XtraTufs.'" "When you buy a pair of XtraTufs, you'll notice a Declines in the fishing industry haven't affected white powder on the outside," he said. "That's the salt XtraTuf boot sales yet, said Good. He credits the boot's left over from the saltwater bath." staying power to the expanded market and the creation XtraTuf boots, which cost about $70, are made in an of different styles of XtraTufs. 80 year-old building in Rock Island, Ill., Good said. This year is the first year that Norcross Safety Products The boots were first developed in the'60s by BF is selling XtraTufs in a color other than the traditional Goodwrench for fishermen on the West Coast. Now, chocolate brown. The company now sells a 12-inch boot five styles are on the market. One style, the steel-toed in navy blue designed for sailing. XtraTuf, which comes with and without insulation, is While commercial fishermen and industrial workers approved by the American National Standards Institute swear by XtraTufs, regular folks use them, too. Muse, the for industrial use. nursing student, wears hers for hiking. For approval, the standards institute requires boots to "They are more comfortable than hiking boots," Muse pass several tests. The ANSI label on XtraTufs means the said. "They don't give me blisters." steel-toe built into each boot can withstand up to 75 Wells wore XtraTufs every day during the summer pounds of pressure per square inch. Steel-toed boots when she worked as a kayak guide in Whittier. The com­ protect feet from falling or rolling objects. ANSI also pany she worked for required its employees and cus­ requires the tread on approved boots to be able to push tomers to wear XtraTufs. water on the floor aside so the boot can make direct con­ Carpenter wears his to class. Would he consider buy­ tact with the floor. Direct contact increases friction and ing a different brand of rubber boots? decreases the chance of slipping. Steel-toed XtraTufs are "No," said Carpenter. "You get shot for saying things popular on Alaska's North Slope oil fields where heavy like that around here." •

38 TRUE NORTH· 2004

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