One of the more common questions that the staff at Alaska is peppered with year after year goes something like this: “I’ve got two weeks in Alaska. Where should I go and what should I do?”

It’s a tough question, given the size and variety of landscapes, experiences and opportunities found here, but you’d be hard pressed to fi nd another group of Alaskans better suited to answer. Because mixed with the tedium of editing comes the requirement to get out into the Alaska backcountry to stay in touch with the place we cover.

That’s a complicated way of saying that we get paid to travel across Alaska to see cool places and meet interesting people. I could gloat, but the reality of it isn’t always that glamorous. For every day spent watching for whales on the edge of the icepack, there is the night on the gymnasium fl oor of a village with no public accommodations. And every evening spent watching the setting sun paint snowy peaks with alpenglow is offset by anxious, tent-bound mornings waiting for clear weather and a plane ride back to civilization.

Upon refl ection, even those negatives aspects of travel here are adventures in and of themselves. Tim Woody’s Cordova bike ride (See “The Long and Windy Road,” page 24) sounds at times like a forced march but, soggy or not, who can complain about falling asleep to the thunder of calving glaciers?

Rebecca Luczycki’s polar bear viewing adventure was a bittersweet one, for with the wonder of experiencing the Arctic’s primary predator in its element (See “Last Chance,” page 32) comes the knowledge that the bears are gravely threatened by the warming trend that is shrinking the ice cap. And Serine Halverson’s Chilkoot Pass hike (See “In the Steps of Stampeders,” page 28) is a reminder that, sometimes, an exceptional destination, good companions and fi ne weather can fall into place to make a trip extraordinary. 

Of all the issues we put out each year, February is the one that we enjoy the most. This one is no exception: From Kaktovik to Skagway and the wide space in between, we’ve chose a few travel experiences that indulge our own interests and, we hope, offer you a feel for the variety of experiences one might have here. Whether you’re visiting from the Lower 48 or looking to explore your own backyard, we hope you fi nd something to your liking. And if nothing matches your interests, let us know. We’re already making plans for next year.