About This BlogBears. Salmon. Volcanoes. Wilderness. Culture. These are the terranes of Katmai. Each is distinct, but in combination these features create a place like no other. Read about the uniqueness of Katmai in this blog. Ashes to Ashes
October 28, 2016
A backpacking trip in Katmai’s Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes can humble humans by bringing them face-to-face with the power and destructive force of the landscape. Volcanic Leftovers at Brooks Camp
June 22, 2015
Most of the time when a volcano erupts, it does not send avalanches of fifteen-hundred degree surging volcanic rock across the landscape, completely burying whatever might lay in its path. Nor does a volcano typically send a column of ash twenty miles into the sky, turning day to night and blanketing a hundred plus mile radius of land in a foot or two of ash. Katmai's volatile young volcano, Novarupta, erupted in such a manner in 1912, and it left behind compelling proof of its explosive might. Explorers of Katmai Country: Robert F. Griggs (1881-1962)
December 10, 2014
Explorers of Katmai Country: In this continuing series of posts, we’ll highlight different people tied to Katmai’s varied history. Today, we focus on Robert F. Griggs who led the charge to protect the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. No single individual has made longer lasting impacts on Katmai's modern history. Deciphering the Novarupta-Katmai Eruption
November 26, 2013
In the early 20th century geologists had a limited understanding of volcanoes. Plate tectonic theory was still half a century away. Radio communications in remote, volcanically active areas were unreliable or non-existent. Eyewitness accounts of volcanic eruptions were difficult to gather. Seismographs, an essential tool for contemporary volcanologists, were almost unheard of in Alaska. For many years, little was known or understood about what happened in early June 1912 on the northern Alaska Peninsula. |
Last updated: April 14, 2015