Meth, Skis, Soviets, and Surviving the Arctic: The Story of Aimo Koivunen As history would have it, Finland used an unconventional strategy in World War II. They started neutral, joined forces with the German Axis powers, and ultimately sided with US Allied powers. But their strategy is nowhere near as unusual as the approach one Finnish soldier took to stay alive when facing death on the battlefield. Related: 54 Days of Survival in […] Brains Nick DeRiso | August 8, 2025 1 Comment
84 Days of Daylight Begin in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, as Midnight Sun Returns The sun has officially set for the last time this season in Utqiaġvik, Alaska. The northernmost town in the United States will now experience 84 straight days of continuous daylight—an annual natural phenomenon known as the ‘midnight sun.’ Related: Valdez, AK, Heli-Skiing Report: 14 Glorious Runs on the Best Day of the Season & Mom’s Birthday On Saturday, the sun […] Martin Kuprianowicz | May 14, 2025 0 Comments
Embracing the Darkness in Longyearbyen, Norway, Where the Sun Won’t Shine Again Until March 8 On October 27, the last sunset was seen in Longyearbyen, Norway. Residents of the 2,400-resident town will not see a sunrise for another 132 days. Longyearbyen is the world’s northernmost settlement and is located on Spitsbergen island in the Svalbard archipelago. Each year, Longyearbyen experiences a polar night, much like Utqiaġvik (also known as Barrow), Alaska, does. While the true […] Brains Julia Schneemann | November 4, 2024 0 Comments
Levi Resort, Finland, Conditions Report: Exploring Stunning, Frozen Lapland Report from February 13-16, 2024 Levi, Finland, has been on my bucket list for a while, so when the opportunity arose to ski in Levi, I jumped at it. If I had known Levi was so much more than skiing, I would have stayed longer, but this way I have the best excuse to go back. Aside from the 44 […] Conditions Report Julia Schneemann | February 19, 2024 0 Comments
[PHOTOS] Northern Lights Visible Across Europe From UK to Italy An incredible display of Northern Lights was visible last night all over Europe, from the United Kingdom all the way down to Italy. Usually a phenomenon mostly occuring in the high-latitude regions near the Arctic circle, this year has seen one of the highest solar activities across continental Europe in decades, if not centuries. Northern Lights, also known as Aurora […] Brains Julia Schneemann | November 6, 2023 0 Comments
NASA: Record Summer Melting Across Svalbard, Arctic Circle Exceptionally warm air temperatures in summer 2022 have caused record melting across Svalbard. The abundant meltwater, much of which flowed to the ocean, is the latest expression of a rapidly warming climate in Norway’s ice-covered archipelago. Related: Svalbard Trip Report 2018 | Skiing & Sailing Deep Within The Arctic Circle According to Xavier Fettweis, a climatologist at the University of […] SnowBrains | August 5, 2022 0 Comments
Abisko, Sweden Trip Report: A Pulka Wish Come True in the Wild Backcountry North of the Arctic Circle Report from May 2022 and written by the Explore-Share team Abisko is a stunning village in Sweden, located north of the Arctic circle. This northern-light hotspot is famous for its gorgeous backcountry landscapes and ancient Sami heritage. It is also an adventure haven for anyone looking for something way out in wild nature, far from fidgety crowds. Related: Mt. Fuji […] Trip Report Guest Author | July 22, 2022 0 Comments
Newly Discovered Fossilized Raptor May Have Been an Arctic Resident A new species of raptor has been identified by paleontologists in the Arctic region of Alaska. This newly discovered type of dromaeosaurid, a predatory bird-like dinosaur, is related to Velociraptors and lived approximately 70 million years ago. The fossil is the tip of a jaw bone with a tooth measuring just 0.55 inches (14 millimeters). Adult raptors most likely ranged from […] Brains Alex Camerino | July 20, 2020 0 Comments
Is Your Car Abandoned in the Arctic? A Peugeot 206 has been abandoned in the Arctic Circle thousands of miles from where it was originally sold. The car was originally sold in Norfolk, England, but that is one of the only things known about the vehicle. The Peugeot was abandoned approximately 2,109 miles (3,394 km) from Norfolk in Finnvikdalen, Norway. Related: Norway’s Glacier Resorts Normally Open to […] Alex Camerino | July 15, 2020 0 Comments
Northernmost Point In The U.S. Will Not See Sunrise For The Next 2 Months Today, Monday, November 18, the northernmost point of the U.S. sees its last official sunrise until January 23. That place is Utqiagvik, formerly known as Barrow, Alaska. Although it will not stay completely dark for 24 hours out of the day, Barrow will not have a true sunrise until the end of January. This means that light will still illuminate […] SnowBrains | November 19, 2019 0 Comments
Polar Bears: The Crazy Science Behind Their Black Skin and Transparent Fur Forget everything you’ve seen and learned – polar bears aren’t actually white. What? What color are they? Well, it’s complicated… An object’s color in general is determined by what color of light it reflects. A red car is reflecting red light, and absorbing all other colors. A black object is absorbing all colors, and reflecting none. White, on the other hand, […] Brains Mike Lavery | July 17, 2018 14 Comments
Skiing Norway’s Highest Mountains: Jotunheimen | Trip Report & Photo Tour: It wasn’t that giving chase to the dark horse was wearing me through. And by no means did I feel I’d explored most of what it had to give. Sometimes, one needs to take a step back, and regain appreciation for what they already have, no matter how fickle its tendencies. Jotunheimen […] Zach Paley | May 15, 2014 0 Comments
Skiing Pow From a Boat in the Arctic Circle (editor’s note: Our good friend, Zach Paley, has been living in the Arctic Circle of Norway for the past month. He works on a boat, camps, skis, writes, and takes stunning photographs. In this entry, Zach finds himself working on and skiing from the ship Vulkana in spectacular Lyngen, Norway) I’d gotten along well with Gottfried my first time on the Vulkana [the […] Featured Article Zach Paley | June 6, 2013 4 Comments
Dream Trip: Skiing Powder from a Boat Within the Arctic Circle | Photo Tour With stability, and a bit of luck, things in Norway began to fall together nicely. I met Gottfried, a fiery ginger chef who is part Norwegian, part Russian, part world nomad, and part something else entirely while walking the docks of Tromso. I initially came aboard the Vulkana asking if he was interested in having a reporter on the boat. He politely […] Zach Paley | May 30, 2013 4 Comments
First Impressions of Skiing the Arctic Circle | Lyngen, Norway Photo Tour One way flight to Tromsø, Norway? Check. Crashing on a friends couch? Check. Job? Nope. Plans? Hike up, ski down, take photos. Life? It’s simple. I’ve never been more impressed by how cool the mountains around here are. Massive and aesthetic lines extend all the way down to the ocean. Cornices casually hang over cliff bands that drop into […] Featured Article Zach Paley | April 22, 2013 2 Comments
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