Went to the Woods: Big deal or little deal? - Juneau Empire

“Went to the Woods: Big deal or little deal?” centers on a RivGen installation on Alaska’s Kvichak River and how people interpret risks. The apparatus uses the river’s current to generate energy, and the writer describes passing it during low water without making contact. They question how “catastrophic” can be used to amplify fear, contrasting dramatic worst-case thinking with real-world experience and risk management. The piece also references a Bristol Bay fishing trip and notes a fishing disruption after losing a “Dolly Llama” lure, followed by switching tactics. It adds that the writer’s family history includes buying land in Bristol Bay after more than 40 years of work, while a bear incident is recalled as a true disruption.