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Recounts French adventurer Emeric Fisset's ten-month hike from Barrow to Cold Bay, Alaska. Leaving Barrow on August 1, 1990, Fisset, 28, arrived in Cold Bay on June 9, 1991, becoming the first person to complete a Barrow-to-Cold Bay hike. Scenery and wildlife; Hardships and narrow escapes; People who helped him during the trip; Winter spent in Grayling, Alaska.

Discusses the medicinal properties of the devil's club plant. Use by Native Alaskans; Member of the ginseng family; Spines, leaves, berries; Bitter-taste; Description of the plant and its growing range; Use in cooking; Kodiak teacher Ron Gibbs' investigation of the plant's possible commercial value.

Tells how Joe Levitch, owner of Flying Pie Pizzeria on Boise, Idaho, delivered three large pizzas by air to Walter Shane and Julie Shane of St. Paul Island, Alaska. Levitch decided to fly the pizzas to the Shanes after reading an Associated Press story about their long-standing habit of ordering from Anchorage, Alaska, even though delivery takes three days and costs $23.

Discusses `Operation Whiteout,' a federal and state sting operation that resulted in the arrest of 29 Alaskans, who were charged with trading walrus ivory and other animal parts for marijuana, cocaine, and cash. How the US Fish and Game and Wildlife Services and other federal and state agencies set up the sting; Ivory-for-drugs trade; Violations of the Federal Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

Discusses the Native programming available on Television Northern Canada (TV NC) which made its debut on January 21, 1992. Based in Iqaluit, Northwest Territories, Canada, the nonprofit publicly funded network is a consortium of six northern aboriginal broadcasting stations, Yukon College (Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada) and the Northwest Territories government. Television produced by Natives; Children's and other programs.

Discusses University of Alaska (Fairbanks) researchers' use of microbes to combat toxic mining waste and black scruff fungus, a potato disease. Experiments with the `Trichoderma' fungus conducted by Dr. Jenifer Huang McBeath of the university's School of Agriculture; `Rhizoctonia solani,' the black scruff fungus; Research conducted by Dr. Peggy J. Arps and Dr. Michael Nelson of the university's School of Mineral Engineering; Naturally occurring bacteria that destroy cyanide.

Discusses the Alaska Department of Fish and Games' new regulation defining the physical differences between `bairdi' and `opilio' Bering Sea tanner crabs. Eye color and mouth shape; Hybrids of the two species; Citations against fishermen taking undersized crabs.

Discusses recent questions about the safety of Alaska's seafood. Levels of spoilage-causing bacteria and cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); Article in the February 1992 issue of `Consumer Reports' magazine; Results of test performedby the US Food and Drug Administration laboratory in Seattle, Washington; Article in the `Los Angeles Times.'

Reports that the first annual Iditarod Collector Cards Sets are expected to be on sale by mid-March, 1992. The Iditarod Trail Committee hired Motor Art Inc. (Orlando, Florida) to create the Full-color cards. Where to obtain more information; Description of the cards; Prices.

Discusses preparations for this March's Alaska-Chukotka Great Dog Sled Race from Nome, Alaska to Anadyr, Russia. Describes last year's race called Hope'91. Last year's winner Kate Persons of Kotzebue, Alaska; International group of racers, including Russians, American, Canadians, Swiss, and Norwegians.

Gives results of a one-year survey conducted to determine Alaska Natives' attitudes toward tourism. The survey was conducted by Alaska's Division of Tourism and the Community Enterprise Development Corp. of Alaska. The 12 regional Native corporations; Sealaska's high interest in tourism; Regions with moderate to good and fair or poor rankings.

Examines Alaska's need to be prepared for accidental rat invasions caused by ship groundings or wrecks. Recent concern about the grain ship `Hyundai 12,' grounded off the Shumagin Islands south of the Alaska Peninsula; Comments by US Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Ed Bailey; New Zealand's rat control plan; Rat populations in the Aleutian Islands.

Tells how Anchorage, Alaska, resident Doug Tanner, Sgt. Art Paul, an Anchorage Fish and Wildlife Protection officer and Ken Pitcher, an Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist, freed a young bull moose that had become entangled in the swing set from Tanner's backyard. The fall rutting season; Use of a tranquilizing gun.

Reports that a weak world market for pink salmon led to salmon giveaways in Anchorage, Whittier and other southern Alaska cities. Salmon given to the former Soviet Union and the Food Bank of Alaska; Hard times for local fisherman.

Describes the capture of `Einstein,' a wily beaver living at the Sand Lake, Alaska, residence of Jim and Vicki Wickersham. Successfully eluding all trapping attempts, Einstein was finally outsmarted by part-time trappers Tom Lessard and Allen Dubord who used leg-hold traps to catch him. Release at Eagle River; Efficacy of leg-hold traps.

Reports on the First Great International Overland Expedition's July 1991 round-trip drive from Fairbanks, Alaska to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska on the Dalton Highway. Purpose of the trip; Alaska Governor Walter J. Hickel's plans to open the state-owned road to public travel; The US Bureau of Land Management; Reaction of Native leaders.

Discusses Alaska Governor Walter J. Hickel's proposed plan to build a water pipeline along the ocean floor from rivers in southcentral and southeastern Alaska to drought-stricken California's Lake Shasta. Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn's recent meeting with Hickel; Study by engineering firm Fluor Daniel Inc.; Scientists' concern about the environmental impact; Costs.

Describes the destructive antics of the ravens that live near the Soldotna airport. Pilot Jerry Holland, who found holes pecked through the fabric covering his Piper Pacer airplane; Comments by Kenai raven-expert Boyd Shafer; Other raven antics in various Alaska locations.