Winter in Alaska is a magical place. Students, staff, and faculty thrive under the Northern Lights with a variety of strategies. They hunker down reading, watching movies, studying, and flexing one’s creative mind. Many, however, also embrace winter by getting outdoors. Nordic skiing, ice skating, snow shoeing, “fat” mountain biking, and simply walking in the…
Outdoor Studies
APU on the Web: Candela explains icefield study for LinkTV viewers
Glacier science undertaken by double-major Sal Candela is showcased in a short film that takes viewers to one of the world’s largest non-polar masses of snow and ice. Candela, ’15, is completing bachelor’s degrees in Outdoor Studies and Earth Science and was selected for summer 2013 fieldwork by the Juneau Icefield Research Program. It recruits…
OS Faculty Profiles: Steve Rubinstein
Steve Rubinstein directs the master’s program in Outdoor and Environmental Education. Based at the University’s community service agriculture farm, his vantage extends far beyond the next harvest. People who call us here at Kellogg Farm Campus often want to know how to live more sustainably. They ask how to help their children spend more…
OS Faculty Profiles: Eeva Latosuo
Moving through snowy backcountry mountains is sheer joy for Finnish-born Eeva Latosuo. But amid all that high-latitude athleticism, her APU students quickly learn that there’s a more to an OS degree than navigating safely from Here to There. OS students often are attracted to the degree because they envision an active life, packed with climbing,…
Outdoor Studies Marks 20 Years
With its roots in an outdoor education program begun more than 20 years ago by venerated University ski coach Jim Mahaffey, the Outdoor Studies degree that helps define APU today is a textbook example of capitalizing on strengths. Mahaffey (see profile Page 24) was offering popular courses at Alaska Methodist University, precursor to APU; his…
Spring Creek Farm Journal Week 1
The trail wound its way up into the hills, around small, weed-edged ponds, and across a shallow stream. It was lined with spruce trees and berries, and the smell of leaves beginning to decay filled the crisp air. It was perfect country for grouse and moose and bears. – John Elvis Smelcer, author of Alaskan…
Academics, affordability add to APU’s ranking on Outside magazine’s Top 25
Alaska Pacific University is among Outside magazine’s top 25 colleges for students seeking affordable wilderness outings as well as academic courses that require outdoor fieldwork. In rankings released Aug. 14, APU placed 16th on a list that includes powerhouses like Stanford, Bowdoin and University of California campuses at Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa…
Mountain Rescue, Outdoor Studies
Mountain Rescue students deploy at Kooteney Highline with a Norwegian Reeve, used for slot canyon and water rescues. These students are in the third week of four weeks of training. The course begins with improvised rescue systems during week one, pick offs during week two, highlines during week three, and deflection and guiding lines during…
Snow shoe pretzels
Snow science 2 students are working vigorously on analyzing their field data from this winter. One of the projects focuses on snow anchors. Snow anchors are commonly used in plethora of mountaineering situations to make alpine and snow climbing more protected or rescue possible. On his field days OS sophomore Sal Candela buried objects of varying…
Expedition Mountaineering
APU Outdoor Studies department Expedition Mountaineering course spent three weeks on Ruth Glacier during the May Block of 2011. This upper level expedition experienced 14 straight days of sunshine and no real storms at all, unbelievable conditions for the Alaska Range! Ten students kept busy learning about glacier travel, steep snow climbing, ice climbing, alpine…
