Seasonal Splendor
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Muldrow Glacier Ice Cave

Alaska Range Sunset

Fall Colors

Rooster's Tail

Alaska Range Moonrise

 

Golden Hour

Signs Of Fall

Story Of This Summer

Dark Clouds Hovering Over Alaska

Storm Over Mount Foraker

 

Triple Lakes

Eldridge Glacier Nunatak

Drive-By Shooting

Peters Dome

Above Denali

 

Seracs

North Slopes of the Alaska Range

Textures and Patterns

Alaska365 With New Content At Long Last!

Mountain Avens

 

Glacial Melt Ponds

Cache Creek, Denali National Park - Gateway To The Alaska Range

McKinley River Sunset

Happy Summer Solstice! - The tundra in the higher elevations of Denali National Park has finally greened up, just in time for the beginning of summer. With almost 21 hours of continuous sunlight, we are now in the short season of profusive growth. But the first frost is just be a little over a month away!

Happy Summer Solstice!

Storm Brewing Over Yanert Valley - It's been very beautiful lately at the park. Last weekend we got a couple of inches of rain, which helped slow down the wildfires in the interior. Towards the evening we tend to get increased thunderstorm activity with some rain showers, but by morning the skies are usually clear again. Here, a storm is brewing over the Yanert Valley, east of the Park Highway near Denali Park.

Storm Brewing Over Yanert Valley

 
Alpine Forget-Me-Not - The Alpine Forget-Me-Not is Alaska’s State flower. It grows well throughout Alaska in open, rocky places high in the mountains. I intentionally posted this picture in memory of my dad's birthday. He would have turned 82 today.

Alpine Forget-Me-Not

Riley Creek - The landscapes in Denali National Park have gained some color in the past few weeks, as the snowpack has disappeared and new vegetation has sprouted up. This aerial view shows the Riley Creek valley, which runs near the eastern boundary of Denali National Park.

Riley Creek

The Perfect Fire Storm - The combination of record-setting warm temperatures, lightning strikes and no precipitation ratchets up extreme wildfire behavior throughout the Interior. Fire crews are stretched thin as dozens of wildfires continue to grow. According to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center, fuel conditions are at 'historical maximum levels' ,which means that the potential for more intense, rapid and larger fires exists. Here, a pyrocumulus cloud rises above a fire burning near the Usibelli Coal Mine, as seen from the Parks Highway near Healy. <br>

The Perfect Fire Storm

Charred Forest - The evidence of a recent fire along the Parks Highway north of Healy serves as a reminder that the first season is upon us in Interior Alaska. Actually, evidence of fire activity is all around us. At any given location throughout the Interior, smoke plumes from various fires are visible. A large fire is currently burning just six miles northeast of Healy, and several others are burning on the north side of the Denali National Park boundary. According to the Alaska Fire Service, about 20 new fires are being reported each day, and with no rain in sight, I am afraid we are heading again for a very smoky summer.

Charred Forest

Alaska Highway - Once a rough and windy gravel road, the Alaska Highway has become a real highway connecting northern Canada and Alaska. Yet the problem of frost heaving persist no matter how modern the road has become, and despite newly upgraded portions some sections of the highway are already in bad shape again. Here, Mount Archibald in the Front Ranges of Kluane National Park in Canada's Yukon Territory rises behind the Alaska Highway near Haines Junction.

Alaska Highway

 
Fritz Cove Sunset - It has been gorgeous lately, with dramatic sunsets like here on this view from North Douglas Island.

Fritz Cove Sunset

Mendenhall Lake - Dozens of ice floes float in Mendenhall Lake recently. Many of these ice floes are pieces of larger icebergs that have calved off the face of the glacier. Some viewers of Alaska365.com will roll their eyes and say 'Oh no, not another ice floe' picture, but as I mentioned before I love ice in all its forms and shapes, and considering that in the near future Mendenhall Glacier will not calve into Mendenhall Lake anymore, I want to enjoy such scenes as much as I can.

Mendenhall Lake

The Tip Of The Iceberg - There is much below the surface on which we live our lives we cannot see, much like what is hidden below the surface of this iceberg stranded at its final resting place on the shores of Mendenhall Lake.<br> <br>

The Tip Of The Iceberg

Sunny Days - We were treated to another gorgeous weekend. No matter where one decided to be it was beautiful. I shot this picture from the top of Eaglecrest, looking down towards Point Hilda and west across Stephens Passage towards Admiralty Island.

Sunny Days

Tee Harbor & Favorite Channel - The expectations where not too high when Florian and I embarked with Uncle Sean in his Boston Whaler to troll for kings in Tee Harbor last night, even though Sean had caught a couple of kings over the weekend. But he told us that April is usually pretty slow for fishing. We didn't catch anything, but just being out on the water, enjoying each others company and taking in the views of Tee Harbor and Favorite Channel during a clear and calm evening made it totally worthwhile.

Tee Harbor & Favorite Channel

 
Gorgeous Weekend - This is probably the best weekend we have had in Juneau so far this year with clear blue skies and spring-like temperatures. At Eaglecrest, there is a ton of snow left, with nice powder up high and fine spring skiing on the lower mountain. This view looks out from Eaglecrest towards Point Louisa, Shelter Island, and the Chilkat Range.

Gorgeous Weekend

Happy Easter! - Hard to find any Easter bunny tracks or signs of spring at higher altitudes on Douglas Island, like here near the windswept summit of Mount Troy. In the distance, separated by Stephens Passage, is Admiralty Island.

Happy Easter!

Winter's Last Breath? - A fresh dusting of snow covered the upper slopes of Thunder Mountain yesterday. Spring is in the air, but signs of winter still linger around.

Winter's Last Breath?

Gastineau Channel Sunrise - The early morning sun burns away the fog lingering over Gastineau Channel in this view from near Lemon Creek towards downtown Juneau and the Douglas Island bridge.

Gastineau Channel Sunrise

Gastineau Channel - When it rains, it pours in Juneau, but when the the early morning fogs burns off and the skies clear, it's magic, like it was yesterday. A picture perfect spring day!

Gastineau Channel

 
Melting Iceberg - It's a sign of our time: An iceberg at Juneau's Mendenhall Lake is melting away, symbolic for the loss of ice at Juneau's Mendenhall Glacier that is speeding up, a scene repeated around the world's icefields, a trend that has accelerated during the 20th century.

Melting Iceberg

Pittman Ridge, Eaglecrest - There is still a ton of snow up high at Eaglecrest, and it will be a long time until the blueberry bushes will be blooming around here.

Pittman Ridge, Eaglecrest

Happy Spring Equinox! - The March or Spring equinox, the official beginning of spring season in the northern hemisphere, is here. The equinox occurred Saturday at 17:32 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), making the first day of spring. The day signals the end of winters and the beginning of warmer and longer days ahead. The Spring equinox, which occurs approximately on March 20 or 21, is the time when days and nights are equally long, meaning that there are twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of darkness. This is due to the fact that the sun is vertically above the point on the Equator. During this time, the sun spends equal time above and below the horizon at every location on the Earth.<br><br>

Happy Spring Equinox!

Fluid Motion - With all the rain the creek beds have been filling up quickly again, some even turning into torrents. It will be nice to have a break in the weather.

Fluid Motion

Favorite Channel Rainbow - A rainbow emerges through a snow squall along Favorite Channel recently. Spring is officially not quite here yet, but it feels like it's been around for some time already.

Favorite Channel Rainbow

 
Yukon Quest Photo Book - This picture of Healy musher Kris Swanguarin crossing windswept Eagle Summit at dusk was chosen as the cover of my book 'Yukon Quest Photo Journey'. Here is a blurb from Mushing Magazine:<br>'Most of us will never have the experience of running in the Yukon Quest, but to look at this book is to share, if just for a moment, the true experience of this demanding race. Photographer Laurent Dick spent six years on the Yukon Quest Trail, in sunshine and snowstorms, capturing the images for this remarkable book. A compilation of photos, poetry by Brian O'Donoghue and insightful quotes from Quest veterans, the book beautifully captures the spirit of the toughest race on earth.' If you want to read more about the book, check out my website http://www.polar-photo.com/pages/4/BOOKS/BOOKS/ and scroll down to the Yukon Quest book.

Yukon Quest Photo Book

Aurora Borealis - With is gigantic skies and dark winters, the Interior offers a great stage to view this incredible natural phenomenon.

Aurora Borealis

Northern Lights Over Alaska Pipeline - I have been missing the colorful aurora in the northern sky. That's when I came across this shot I took in Fox, looking at an outburst of the Northern Lights above the Alaska Pipeline. The intensity of the aurora was of short duration, but the memory of the event will last forever.

Northern Lights Over Alaska Pipeline

North Douglas Island Waterfall - Our favorite waterfall was for a little while a gorgeous wall of ice, but the recent warm temperatures have transformed the giant icicle into a many tiny icicles.

North Douglas Island Waterfall

Little Sheep Creek - This beautiful creek on the Bishop Point/Dupont Trail runs just a short walk from where we currently live on Thane Road. A longer exposure of 1/8 of a second blurs the motion of the water. During periods of heavy rain, this creek turns into a raging thundering torrent.

Little Sheep Creek

 
Hanging On A Thread - A massive glacial erratic, which may have originated on the Juneau Icefield, hangs in a precarious position at the terminus of the Mendenhall Glacier. Considering how active the glacier is even in winter and looking ahead to a warm week with temperatures near 40 degrees Fahrenheit, this massive boulder may likely tumble from its perilous position in the coming days.

Hanging On A Thread

Windy - Clear weather usually means windy conditions, but the wind affects different parts of Juneau with different intensity. While it can be very windy in Thane, downtown Juneau, south Douglas Island and interior passes, other places like the Mendenhall Valley may not experience any wind whatsoever.

Windy

Floating Mountains - The Coast Range near Juneau floats above a sea of fog yesterday. For those of us who love to see the mountains, it is exhilarating when the clouds and fog finally lift. It is like seeing an old friend again.

Floating Mountains

Mr Blue Sky - Nice to see the sun and blue skies again after a few days of rainy and snowy weather. Here, the fog engulfs the Mendenhall Peninsula in this view from North Douglas Island, with Mount McGinnis and Mount Stroller White looming in the background.

Mr Blue Sky

Fritz Cove - Most of Juneau was a quiet winter wonderland yesterday. Fritz Cover was one of the few places were a strong north wind created rough conditions on the water and on the land.

Fritz Cove

 
Winter Is Back - Within the last 24 hours, at least one foot of snow fell in Juneau. The combination of a cold front in Canada colliding with moist marine air made created the perfect snow storm. This shot is looking down our driveway above Thane Road last night, with the tree branches bowing under the new load of snow. The odd lighting is a combination of a white halogen light above and an orange street light below. The National Weather Service updated the storm total snow accumulation - 1 to 2 feet - more than most parts of Alaska see all winter!

Winter Is Back

Overturned Iceberg - The thick frozen skin covering Mendenhall Lake may lure skaters into believing that the icebergs scattered across the lake are frozen in place. Nothing could be further from the truth. This past weekend I skated early in the morning from Skaters Cabin to the toe of the glacier when I came across this iceberg not too far from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. I looked like someone had dropped a bomb on the berg, with ice debris and fresh water scattered all over the place. A closer look revealed that the berg had tipped on its side. Formerly submerged ice chunks, easily identifiable because of their translucent quality, had pushed through the surface of the lake ice. Hard to believe what would have happened if the berg would have overturned a day earlier, when people were climbing all over it and posing for pictures, unaware of its dangerous unstable nature. Because ice is slightly less dense than water, only about one ninth of the total mass of an iceberg projects above the water - the proverbial tip of the iceberg. The old saying 'Never judge a book by its cover' certainly applies to the unpredictable and ephemeral nature of icebergs.

Overturned Iceberg

Ice Sculpture, Mendenhall Lake - This past weekend was simply gorgeous, and for anyone who loves to skate outdoors it was simply blissful to be able to cruise around under mostly clear skies and on near perfect ice on any of the lakes around Juneau. We spent hours on Mendenhall Lake, and skated twice from Skaters Cabin to the face of the glacier. Along the way we encountered many sublime ice formations like the one pictured here, shaped by the erosional forces of wind and water.

Ice Sculpture, Mendenhall Lake

Happy New Year! - Best wishes to all of you and thanks for following Alaska365.com! May you be able to follow and fulfill our dreams in 2010. We had no fireworks in Thane last night but Taku winds gusting to well over 40 miles per hour.

Happy New Year!

Blue Moon Over Lemon Creek Glacier - A blue moon rises over the upper Lemon Creek Glacier below Nugget Peak yesterday afternoon at sunset. A blue moon is when a second full moon occurs in a month. This will be the first time in nearly 20 years there's been a blue moon for New Year's Eve, and it won't happen again until 2028. We might be in for a special treat this morning, as a partial lunar eclipse will occur as the moon will just brush past the darkest part of the Earth's shadow, never becoming totally immersed. It will, however, be deep enough into the shadow that shading and reddish color should be visible.

Blue Moon Over Lemon Creek Glacier

 
Juneau At Its Best - The combination of fog banks, low-angle sunlight and blue skies created gorgeous moods everywhere around Juneau yesterday. This shot was taken from Douglas Island, looking across the wetlands at low tide, with Thunder Mountain in the distance. And the beautiful weather is supposed to last well into the New Year.

Juneau At Its Best

 Merry Christmas! -

Merry Christmas!

Winter Solstice - It is supposed to be the darkest time of the year, though it never felt that way here in Juneau. The eternal back-and-forth-give-and-take dance of dark and light, day and night of earth and sun continues. And from now on, we will inch each day a little more toward spring. In this shot taken around 8 AM, the sun is about to rise above Admiralty Island in this view from Pittman Ridge at Eaglecrest. Happy winter solstice!

Winter Solstice

Curtains Of Ice - Frequent freezing and thawing has allowed icicles around Juneau to grow into these huge sheets of ice. We are in a thaw cycle right now, but before long a wave of cooler temperatures will solidify the ice even more. There is much more room to grow!

Curtains Of Ice

Sheep Creek Sunrise - We have been blessed with a great stretch of dry weather. There has been plenty of sun, like during this sunrise at Sheep Creek. Even though we are approaching winter solstice, there never is a feeling of oppressing darkness weighting on our shoulders like we experienced sometimes up north.

Sheep Creek Sunrise

 
Frozen Lake Ice - Mendenhall Lake - Water is a strange substance, in that as it freezes, ice forms on its surface rather than on the bottom. If water were like other substances, ice should form on the bottom of lakes and ponds because water would become more dense and sink as it cools. The reason why ice forms on the top of lakes and ponds is that once water cools below 39 degrees Fahrenheit, it becomes lighter and less dense the more it cools. This means that water expands as it freezes into ice. As a result, ice takes up more room than the water it was made from. This makes ice lighter and less dense than the water below it, allowing ice to float on top of the water, rather than sink to the bottom. This allows us to walk and skate on frozen lakes such as Mendenhall Lake while fish are swimming below the ice.

Frozen Lake Ice - Mendenhall Lake

Frozen In Time - It's been below freezing for a few days and getting colder. The sound of water running down the mountainsides everywhere is becoming less predominant, and in some places the sound of percolating water has stopped altogether - frozen in time - for now.

Frozen In Time

Sunrise At Eaglecrest - We had a gorgeous weekend. The rainy months of October and November are behind us, and I am ready to embrace the sun. What better place to go than the top of Eaglecrest, to watch the sun rise above Stephens Passage and Admiralty Island?

Sunrise At Eaglecrest

Moonrise Over Bullard Mountain - We had a great birthday party for Greta at Skaters cabin on Mendenhall Lake last night. It was a mostly clear, cool night as we gathered around the fire - it wasn't quite a bonfire, but it kept us warm nevertheless. Watching the waning moon rise above Mendenhall Lake was definitely a special treat, but mostly it was a great family get together, and it reminded me how tightly knit the McKeown family is.

Moonrise Over Bullard Mountain

Chilkat River Delta - There is little open water near the mouth of the Chilkat River, unlike further upriver. Here, jumbled ice rules, a scene reminiscent of what I have seen on a larger scale on the Yukon River.

Chilkat River Delta

 
Open Water Along The Chilkat River - The natural phenomena responsible for five miles of open water on the Chilkat River during freezing months is called an 'alluvial fan reservoir'. According to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, the Tsirku fan, which is a fan-shaped accumulation of gravel, rock, sand, and glacial debris at the confluence of the Tsirku, Kleheni, and Chilkat Rivers, acts as a large water reservoir. During the warmer spring, summer and early fall seasons, water from snow and melted glacial ice flows into the alluvial fan. The fan receives water faster than it can flow out, creating a huge reservoir of water. When winter arrives, cold weather sets in and surrounding waters freeze. However, water in this large reservoir remains from 10 to 20 degrees (F) above surrounding water temperatures. This warmer water 'percolates' into the Chilkat River and keeps it from freezing. <br>

Open Water Along The Chilkat River

Dawn Along Haines Road - I have been missing the subtle, almost dreamlike colors I had become so used to from living in Interior Alaska. So it was a great joy to witness again this beautiful light, as it was slowly pushing away the cold subarctic night along the Haines Road in northwestern British Columbia. The mountains dominating the skyline are Mineral Mountain and Copper Butte. They are both part of Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park, which is nestled between Kluane National Park and Reserve in the Yukon and Glacier Bay & Wrangell-St. Elias National Parks and Preserve in Alaska. Combined, these parks comprise the largest protected area in the world, approximately 8.5 million hectares.

Dawn Along Haines Road

Alsek Ranges - The sapphire dawn of a subarctic winter day casts a clear and crystalline blue glow over the Alsek Ranges in Northwestern British Columbia during my recent trip to Haines. The mountains in this range are part of Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park. Tatshenshini-Alsek is considered to be one of the most magnificent river systems on earth, and contains nearly one million hectares of glacier-cloaked peaks, wild rivers, wildlife habitat and unusual plant communities.

Alsek Ranges

Chilkat Range - I took the ferry up to Haines this past weekend to photograph the Bald Eagles congregating in the Chilkat Valley. The mountain scenery along Lynn Canal is breathtaking, especially when the first sun rays hit the mountains like in this view of the Chilkat Range.

Chilkat Range

Eaglecrest Ski Area - With 62 inches of snow at the top and 28 inches at the botton, there is a chance Eaglecrest might open next weekend, one week earlier than planned. We can't wait to get back on our skis!

Eaglecrest Ski Area

 
The Presence Of Trees - <br><br>by Michael S. Glaser<br><br>I have always felt the living presence<br>of trees<br><br>the forest that calls to me as deeply<br>as I breathe,<br><br>as though the woods were marrow of my bone<br>as though<br><br>I myself were tree, a breathing, reaching<br>arc of the larger canopy<br><br>beside a brook bubbling to foam<br>like the one<br><br>deep in these woods,<br>that calls<br><br>that whispers home<br>

The Presence Of Trees

Keeping Company - These two abandoned boats keep each other company as they are sitting high and dry on a beach along Thane Road. They are real fixtures on the drive between Juneau and Thane, where we currently live.

Keeping Company

Calm After The Storm - What a weekend it was! A strong storm brought high winds, heavy rains, rough seas, power outages, mudslides, road closures, and then, finally, the first significant snow of the season to top it all off. I took this picture on Douglas Island looking south towards Sandy Beach at high tide.

Calm After The Storm

Frost On Reeds - Yesterday morning dawned crisp and clear, and as I was fairly sun-deprived after several days of rain the goal was to get to a place with full sun exposure. Just a mile from where we currently live Sheep Creek drains into Gastineau Channel, and that's where Florian and I explored the beach as the high tide was moving out. The high tide during the night had flattened the grasses along Sheep Creek, and the frost that followed created an interesting pattern. It sure was a morning to remember.

Frost On Reeds

Beam Of Light - On what seems an endless conveyor belt of low pressure systems buffeting us there is occasionally a lull, and during such a window I captured this rainbow above Thane Road south of Juneau.

Beam Of Light

 
Fish Creek Estuary - A high tide pushed into the Fish Creek Estuary on Douglas Island last weekend, while the snowline dropped down to sea level. The recent rains have washed away this snow, but up high on Eaglecrest the snow start slowly to pile up, and that's what counts!

Fish Creek Estuary

Trapped By The Ice - These large icebergs floating in Mendenhall Lake will soon be frozen in place as the lake ice continues to form.

Trapped By The Ice

Termination Dust - Fresh snow at higher elevations provides a nice backdrop for this float plane as it approaches the Juneau Airport. The snowline has been slowly creeping down in the past few days and we may see the first flakes hit the ground in Juneau this weeekend.

Termination Dust

Tongass National Forest - Stretching 500 miles along the southeast coast of Alaska, the Tongass National Forest lies at the heart of the world's largest remaining temperate rainforest. With its towering groves of ancient trees, the Tongass supports vibrant populations of eagles, grizzlies, wolves and salmon. The Tongass also lies at the heart of an ongoing battle between environmental groups and the logging industry and the Forest Service. At the behest of the logging industry, the Forest Service has repeatedly tried to sacrifice this vast wilderness to clearcut logging. The Bush administration illegally exempted the forest from the landmark 2001 'roadless rule,' which bans logging and road construction in the most pristine areas of our national forests. The Obama administration has now a chance to restore full protection for the Tongass, a place that reminds us exactly how roadless areas are most valuable to us: as they are.<br><br>

Tongass National Forest

Sucker Hole - We have been riding out a series of low pressure systems lately, with the occasional break in the skies between rainstorms usually lasting long enough to get tempted to go for a hike, only to get caught in the next wave of rain showers.

Sucker Hole

 
Southeast Alaska Mushrooms - It'a amazing what grows in the temperate rainforest of Southeast Alaska. I have seen some Chantrelles, which are fantastic edible mushrooms that thrive in this climate. This isn't a Chantrelle, but one of the many other kinds of mushrooms growing in abundance on the forest floor.

Southeast Alaska Mushrooms

It's Raining Again - Last year, my naive self was taken by surprise by the rainy month of October. This year, I take the rain in stride. I know it will not last forever, and even if it would, it would turn into snow at some point, at least at higher elevations. The best way in my opinion to experience the rain is coming out of the cold hockey rink in Douglas. The warm temperatures and rain feel almost tropical!

It's Raining Again

Cruising Gastineau Channel -

Cruising Gastineau Channel

Devil's Club - Devil's club is a plant with an unmistakable presence. Present throughout the Tongass National Forest, it has leaves like palm fronds, spines like daggers and red fruit that's candy for bears. From a distance, devil's club looks enticing; its foliage, balanced on top of long, leggy canes, seem to offer an almost tropical respite. But a close encounter with the plant no one is likely to forget: spines cover every inch of its stem, and punctuate the undersides of its leaves. Its big leaves turning yellow is one of the few signs of fall in the green jungle of the Tongass.

Devil's Club

Break In The Clouds - Rain and low clouds were on the menu yesterday, but a break in the clouds provided a golden lining on the horizon just before sunset.

Break In The Clouds

 
Sunrise Above Gastineau Channel - The key to successful sunrise and sunset landscape shots is three-fold. First, you have to be out there before the light happens ready with camera in hand. That means getting up before dawn or staying out after the sun dips below the horizon. Second, you need to use the cloud patterns as compositional elements in your photo. That means having a foreground landscape that is complementary to the patterns of cloud in the sky. Third, you need to narrow the contrast range between the bright sky and the darker foreground. A sunrise or sunset sky is often two to five stops brighter than the landscape foreground. Expose properly for the sky and the landscape turns black, expose for the landscape and the sky washes out. For this shot of Gastineau Channel, taken yesterday morning from Douglas, I used a neutral density grad filter. These filters are designed to hold back exposure in bright skies while allowing more exposure to the foreground.

Sunrise Above Gastineau Channel

Mendenhall Wetlands Sunset - The past three days have been absolutely glorious. Aside from the stormy Taku winds, with peak gusts up to 70 mph, the sunny weather challenged the common preconceived notion from people elsewhere in the state that it rains in Juneau all the time. True, last fall it rained almost every day during the month of October, which is like the monsoon season here, so upon our return to Juneau I braced myself for the worst. But it's been a beautiful autumn so far. I took this shot last night from the Highlands subdivision, looking out over the Mendenhall Wetlands and towards the Chilkat Range after sunset.

Mendenhall Wetlands Sunset

Mendenhall Lake Fall Impression -

Mendenhall Lake Fall Impression

Fog Above Gastineau Channel - The moods along Gastineau Channel are always changing. Here, fog lingers in the vicinity of Sheep Creek above Thane Road and Gastineau Channel.

Fog Above Gastineau Channel

Back In Juneau At Long Last! - It's been almost a week since we made it back to Juneau. We got off the ferry on a foggy morning, with veils of fog lingering in the forests along Gastineau Channel. When I mention Juneau to my friends in the Interior, the first thing that comes up in their mind is rain. To me, the first thing that comes up are the ever changing moods. It's such a dynamic place, and it feels good to be back.

Back In Juneau At Long Last!

 
Cottenwood Fall Foliage - Low angle sunlight illuminates cottenwood leaves in in the Chilkat Valley near Haines this past weekend. The vibrancy of the fall colors probably reached its peak. I was happy to experience a second fall after the early snow in Denali National Park.

Cottenwood Fall Foliage

Last Glimpse - This is my last impression of Denali National Park for this year. Fresh snow transformed the Primrose area into a winter wonderland. Just three weeks ago, I photographed the same area at the peak of the fall colors. The change of the seasons here is so fast, I never seem to get used to it.

Last Glimpse

Fall Reflection - Driving from Healy to Anchorage was like driving into a different season. Winter is already tightening its grip on Interior Alaska, while in Southcentral the fall colors are still quite spectacular.

Fall Reflection

Winter Is Here To Stay! -

Winter Is Here To Stay!

Tanana Valley And Alaska Range - I have driven the stretch of the Parks Highway between Denali Park and Fairbanks many times, but rarely were the views of Mount McKinley so beautifully framed by fall colors like during my most recent drive last week. A carpet of mostly yellow fall colors currently covers the Tanana Valley, but the snowline in the Alaska Range has started to creep down and by mid-week we may have have a dusting of snow even in the valleys.

Tanana Valley And Alaska Range

 
Specks of Color - Fall colors highlight alpine vegetation clinging to the mountain sides in this aerial view of the Polychrome Mountains in Denali National Park.

Specks of Color

Denali Fall Foliage - Fall still is my favorite time here in Denali. I love going up in the mountains in early September to see the yellows of the willows, the orange of the blueberries, and the reds of the bearberries, the purpley fireweed and the dwarf birch.

Denali Fall Foliage

Alpine Bearberry - Fall colors are fading quickly in the tundra, but the alpine bearberry, a short shrub found throughout the circumpolar north, has not lost any of its vibrant red yet. We are still waiting for the termination dust to settle in the mountains. Instead, a string of unseasonably warm days nearly broke records for the month of September in the Interior.

Alpine Bearberry

Nenana River Fall Mood - Glorious fall days keep repeating themselves to the point that I am almost looking forward to a break from the gorgeous weather. We picked cranberries near the Nenana River yesterday, and enjoyed another mild fall day. May the warm weather stay with us for weeks to come.

Nenana River Fall Mood

Shifting Perspectives - Using a fisheye lens and looking straight into the sky created an unusual perspective of the boreal forest near Park headquarters.

Shifting Perspectives

 
Another Magical Day In Denali National Park - The warm sunny fall weather continues, providing us with amazing vistas of Mount McKinley and the tundra. Some of the dwarf birch are loosing their leaves, but the colors in the tundra are still very vivid. May it continue for another few days.

Another Magical Day In Denali National Park

Happy Labor Day! - We likely will remember this weekend as the most beautiful weekend we had all summer, as clear skies coincided with the peak of the fall colors.

Happy Labor Day!

Fall Splendor - We have been enjoying a blissful weekend with fall colors at their peak and clear skies during the day, and a full moon and northern lights at night. It won't last forever, but for now we enjoy the glory of the present.

Fall Splendor

Tapestry of Color - This is my favorite time of the year in Denali National Park. The colors in the tundra explode with an intensity that is hard to capture. But its a fleeting beauty, and I wished I could make time stand still, so we could marvel at the colors for a little longer.

Tapestry of Color

Fall In Denali - We are nearing the peak of the fall colors here in Denali National Park. A drive up into the Savage River area revealed gorgeous reds and yellow everywhere. This shot is looking up toward the headwaters of the Savage River, with Fang Mountain looming in the distance.

Fall In Denali

 
Humbled - Blackstone Bay hosts seven glaciers, two of which meet the sea, the others hang high among the rocky cliffs. Hundreds of feet up the mountainsides, glaciers avalanche huge ice chunks and pour cascading Yosemite-sized waterfalls to the sea below, their waves reverberating throughout the narrow confines of the fjord. Huge house-sized icebergs calve off the tidewater glaciers, creating mini tsunamis that sweep through the bay. Throughout the night I listen to the 'White thunder' echoes as the glaciers calf in the distance. This is a humbling place.

Humbled

Insignificant - As I hiked along Lawrence Glacier for a panoramic view of the ice fields and Blackstone Bay, I slowly immersed in this wilderness sanctuary of unparalleled natural beauty. I felt pretty humbled and insignificant amidst this powerful living landscape of rock, ice and water, flanked by the verdant hills of summer.

Insignificant

Glacial Lake - Ice floes dot a glacial lake near the Muldrow Glacier in Denali National Park.

Glacial Lake

Braided River, Denali National Park - A braided river is one of a number of channel types and has a channel that consists of a network of small channels separated by small and often temporary islands called braid bars. Braided streams, such as the Sanctuary River pictured in this aerial view, occur in rivers with high slope and/or large sediment load. Braided channels are also typical of environments that dramatically decrease channel depth, and consequently channel velocity, such as river deltas or alluvial fans.<br>

Braided River, Denali National Park

Blueberry Fever - It's that time of the year again. The berries are ripening and Greta has been on the lookout for the best blueberry patches. We found some very nice areas close to Denali National Park, and did not have to drive all the way out the Stampede Trail or out to the Denali Highway as we have in years past. With the recent frosts there is a sense of urgency in the air to pick as much as possible, because the berries won't last forever.

Blueberry Fever

 
Little Utah - The sandstone formations near the abandoned Suntrana Mine along Healy Creek remind some of the canyons in Utah, hence the nickname 'Little Utah'.

Little Utah

Tundra Impression - Looking out from Primrose Ridge towards the Sanctury River to the west on a recent hike in the park, one can see how the tundra is slowly changing colors. This is also a relatively rare shot, as rain clouds have been almost absent from our skies most of the summer.

Tundra Impression

Mid-day In Nenana - Smoke from forest fires around Nenana create an eerie dark sky over Nenana around noon. With no rain in sight, the fires continue to grow in size, and nothing seems to be able to stop the inferno.

Mid-day In Nenana

Wood River Fire - Looking out to the northeast from our kitchen window, this vast cloud of smoke dominated the sky yesterday. It stems from the Wood River fire, one of the huge blazes currently burning in the state. Light winds from the south have fortunately been blowing the smoke to the north, allowing us to enjoy sunny and clear summer days.

Wood River Fire

Early Signs Of Fall - We may see an early fall this year. Much like this cottonwood tree I photographed near Nenana, leaves on trees and shrubs around the Denali National Park entrance have started displaying brilliant yellow. The arrival of fall is inevitable, but we have had such a glorious summer that we want it to last just little bit longer...

Early Signs Of Fall

 
Early Bird Special - One of the advantages of driving early to work is to watch the sun rise, and lately we have been treated with some spectacular ones. Yesterday, as winds were gusting around 50 miles per hour in Healy,the sky was on fire above Jumbo Dome to the east of Healy.

Early Bird Special

Fire Activity Intensifies - Where there is smoke there is sure to be fire. Continuous warm, dry weather and high winds stoke the largest wildfire in the nation. This fire is located just outside of Nenana, and has now grown to almost 400,000 acres.

Fire Activity Intensifies

Good Bye, Sarah! - It is interesting that when Sarah Palin was elected as Alaska Governor, she enjoyed bipartison support. Today, instead of bringing people together, she has emerged as one of the most divisive people in this country. Her resignation speech on Sunday in Fairbanks was a case in point. Her sarcastic, bitter resignation speech was a case in point and proved that while she is out of office, she is not out of words yet. She came out swinging against Washington, Hollywood and a clueless mainstream news media. According to Parlin, Washington is the home of a 'big central government' that plots the 'enslavement' of citizens who keep alive a 'pioneering spirit.' Will she be relevant in the future? As a polarizing and entertaining figure, I would say yes. Some think of her as a joke, providing continuous fodder for late night comedians. I doubt though that Palin will fade quietly back into the tundra. She will likely continue to be a political force, pandering to people who want to believe in her backward, ignorant, narrow view of the world. I would much rather her enjoying the view of Russia from her front porch in Wasilla :)

Good Bye, Sarah!

Hazy Conditions - The wildfires in the Interior continue to grow and the smoke creates poor visibility and affects air quality , but today's top story is Sarah Palin stepping down as Governor of Alaska. Stay tuned for exclusive images tomorrow from the Governor's Picnic in Fairbanks.

Hazy Conditions

Blooming Fireweed - Named for the striking blooms on tall stalks, Fireweed is probably the best known wildflower in Alaska. In mid- to late summer, fireweed begins blooming in the middle of the stalk, with each successive flower blooming just above the one before it. As the last flowers are blooming at the top of the stalk, the earliest blooms seed and turn to cotton, as seen below. When the fireweed turns to cotton, Alaskans say there are about six weeks until winter begins.

Blooming Fireweed

 
Daily Harvest - Our garden has been producing some nice greens this summer. Here is what Greta picked last night: Salad greens, carrots, kale and Swiss chard. The lettuce is particularly tender and my favorite. The carrots are still growing, so what we pick now is just to thin out the rows.

Daily Harvest

Wishful Thinking - Smoke from forest fires just a few miles to the north of Healy has created the worst air quality in the area. Needless to say that not only the air is not healthy to breathe, but visibility very poor as well. Hence one can only dream to catch a glimpse of Mount McKinley like in this shot taken from the Parks Highway south of Cantwell.

Wishful Thinking

What's In A Name - I took this image of Denali (Mount McKinley), from a lake along the Parks Highway north of Wasilla. The native Athabascan name for the mountain is 'Denali', which has the English translation of 'The Great One'. The peak to the far left of Denali is Mount Foraker, or 'Sultana', which literally means 'Denali's wife'. The mountain to Denali's immediate left is Mount Hunter. It was originally called 'Begguya', meaning 'child of Denali'. I think this a strong example of the relationship the indigenous people had with the land around them. Certainly more fitting than naming the mountain after an ex-president-elect and a Senator from Ohio.

What's In A Name

Fire On The Horizon - Although the wildland fires raging near Nenana are not visible in this image, the orange glow above the black spruce forest indicates that the flames are not too far away. Many of us appreciate the current hot and dry weather, but the trade-off is that forest fires keep growing, creating hazy conditions throughout the state.

Fire On The Horizon

Fireball - Smoke form wildfires in the Interior causes an eerie glow around the setting sun. After a damp day, the weather forecast calls for hot temperatures again this weekend, with smoky conditions persisting throughout the Interior and beyond.

Fireball

 
Minto Flats South Fire - According to the state Division of Forestry, the Minto Flats South fire about 13 miles northwest of Nenana has affected more than 126,000 acres by early Wednesday, an increase of over 25,000 acres from Tuesday. It is threatening cabins, timber and an exploratory gas drilling rig. The tallest flame in this shot is likely to be as high as 100 feet, as this shot was taken with a telephoto lens from about 20 miles from the fireline.

Minto Flats South Fire

Interior Forest Fires - Motorists traveling along the Parks Highway take a break to observe one of the main fires responsible for the smoke in the Interior and other parts of Alaska. The Minto Flats South Fire about 25 miles west of Nenana has burned about 75,000 acres. A high pressure system remains over the state and extremely dry surface conditions are receptive to new ignitions from lighting or wildfire growth. Throughout the state, a total of 350 fires have burned almost half a million acres.

Interior Forest Fires

Lunar Landscape - Portions of Denali National Park have been subjected to intense erosion through time, giving way to a landscape that is more reminiscent of a lunar landscape than the vast taiga and tundra or the glaciated mountains the park is known for.

Lunar Landscape

Sable Mountain Area, Denali National Park - One chapter of the rich geologic history of Denali National Park is told in the sedimentary rocks of the Cantwell Formation. These layers near Sable Mountain preserve remains of an ancient forest where dinosaurs walked during the Cretaaceous Period, about 70 million years ago.

Sable Mountain Area, Denali National Park

Stampede Trail Sunset - Living on the north side of the Alaska Range, we are often treated to spectacular sunsets on the northern horizon during summer. I photographed this magic sunset from along the Stampede Trail west of Healy.

Stampede Trail Sunset

 
Mount Dora - The first snow of summer fell yesterday... just a dusting, but enough to serve as a reminder how unpredictable nature can be. This shot shows some of the fresh snow on Mount Dora, one of the peaks dominating the skyline south of Healy.

Mount Dora

Happy Father's Day And Happy Summer Solstice! - Summer is officially here, this year on the same day we honor and commemorate all our father's and forefathers. This midnight impression is from the Richardson Highway near Delta Junction, looking north into the endless light of summer.

Happy Father's Day And Happy Summer Solstice!

Redoubt Fallout - A dusting of volcanic ash from the recent eruption of Mount Redoubt in May covers some snowfields in Denali National Park. According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, the eruption of Mount Redoubt continues, although on a very small scale.

Redoubt Fallout

Sable Pass - No matter how many times I have traveled into Denali National Park, every trip is unique. Even if 'the mountain' is not out, the dramatic landscape, the interplay of light and shadow, and of course the wildlife provide a memorable experience.

Sable Pass

Another Climbing Tragedy On Denali - Two American climbers died Thursday when they fell 2,000 feet on Denali's Messner Couloir. It is a steep snow gully that drops from 19,000 feet to the 14,200-foot basin, and was first climbed by Reinhold Messner. The two climbers had been ascending West Rib, so I speculate that they fell on their descent from the summit, since the Messner Couloir is not part of the West Rib route. It is also considering that most accidents on the mountain happen on the descent. This brings the number of fatalities during this year's climbing season to four, a sobering number.

Another Climbing Tragedy On Denali

 
Midnight Sun Over Alaska Range - We are getting closer and closer to the longest day of the year. I took this shot of our house and the northern slopes of the Alaska Range past midnight. Today, the sun will set in Healy at 12:13 AM and rise at 3:34 AM. As we are closing in on summer solstice, we will gain another few minutes in the days ahead.

Midnight Sun Over Alaska Range

Rainbow Over Mount Healy - The other morning I was eating breakfast at around 4 AM when this rainbow over Mount Healy appeared during sunrise. So grabbed my camera and took this shot right from our dinner table! Watching the early morning light is one of the advantages of my early morning work schedule.

Rainbow Over Mount Healy

Winter's Last Breath - The little fresh snow that dusted higher elevations last night may have been the last breath of winter. Temperatures next week are supposed to hit 70 degrees Fahrenheit every day. For those who haven't done it yet - it's time to put the garden in!

Winter's Last Breath

Forest Fire Season On Its Way - The clear views of the Alaska Range we enjoyed recently may be a thing of the past as the wildfire season has taken off. This past weekend, one thunderstorm alone caused 2,200 lighting strikes in the Interior! A couple of fires are burning near the Denali Park Boundary in the Toklat area, and some smoke has been drifting in from a large fire near McGrath. Considering how dry it has been so far, it may shape up to be a hot fire season. Wildfires are expected to consume about 600,000 acres of wildlands in Alaska this year, according to the Alaska Fire Service.

Forest Fire Season On Its Way

Mount Deborah - The big mountain in the distance is Mount Deborah, 12,339 ft, a beautiful ice pyramid with three steep ridges. Clearly visible in this shot is its most treacherous ridge, the South Ridge, which is deeply corniced. Mount Deborah and its neighboring peak Mount Hayes, 13,832 ft., are the highest mountains in the Alaska Range east of Denali, 20,322 ft.

Mount Deborah

 
Yanert River Valley - Just east of Denali National Park, across from the Parks Highway, lies this beautiful U-shaped valley which drains the Yanert Glacier. It offers spectacular hiking in a setting this is very similar to the park.

Yanert River Valley

Journey's End - Recent warm weather has transformed most of the large ice blocks sitting along the Nenana River into puddles of water. A few big ones remain, but their destiny is as clear as the water they contain.

Journey's End

Spring Or Fall? - Driving along the Parks Highway near Nenana, I was not sure if the yellow leaves I saw in the birch and aspen forest were a sign of spring or fall.

Spring Or Fall?

Back In The Ice Age - Just returned from what felt like tropical temperatures in Anchorage to the cool and snowy northern slopes of the Alaska Range. It is amazing to see just how much ice and snow is around here, like in this shot of the Nenana River. But I am hopeful that nothing can stop the green wave of spring coming our way soon.

Back In The Ice Age

Turnagain Arm - Just south of Anchorage, the Seward Highway hugs the dramatic shorelines of Turnagain Arm, arguably one of the most beautiful stretches of highway in Alaska. The tidal patterns in the sprawling, sometimes four-mile-wide flats of Turnagain Arm seem to stretch like a plain to the opposite shores of Cook Inlet, where mammoth sloping mountains abruptly stop their flat expanse.

Turnagain Arm

 
Broad Pass - Winter still lingers at this high point along the Parks Highway south of Cantwell. Summit Lake, in the foreground, will likely not be free of ice until June.

Broad Pass

And The Cycle Continues - A massive chunk of ice rests in a side channel of the Nenana River, gradually melting away and returning the frozen water back to the river.

And The Cycle Continues

Nenana River Sunset - This shot of the Nenana River in Healy was taken just before midnight, shortly after the sun had set. Soon, we will enjoy the midnight sun again.

Nenana River Sunset

Nenana River Break-Up - Last night, just a couple minutes from our house in Healy, we witnessed the tail end of the annual spring break-up on the Nenana River. It was a truly awesome sight to watch large chunks of ice float by on their journey north.

Nenana River Break-Up

Tanana River & Alaska Range - The upper Tanana River upstream from Fairbanks is largely free of ice, but the tripod in Nenana still stands. However, it may just be a matter of a few days until the ice on the Tanana River at Nenana will starting moving out. I took this shot west of Delta Junction looking south across the floodplain of the Tanana River towards the Alaska Range. The dominant peak is Mount Hayes, with 13,832 feet the highest mountain in the eastern Alaska Range.

Tanana River & Alaska Range

 
Avalanche - A fresh snow avalanche thunders down the Southeast face of Mount Foraker. The momentum of the avalanche was such that even our camp, although it was located a mile away from the base of Mount Foraker, got a dusting from the fallout of the avalanche.

Avalanche

Northern Lights - Another perspective of a dramatic aurora display we had last spring, this time looking north above our house.

Northern Lights

Northern Lights - It has been a very poor winter for aurora viewing, unlike last spring, when we had several gorgeous displays in the Interior. This shot was taken looking south down our driveway to our house in Healy. This was a rare occasion, as the northern lights are usually more commonly seen in the northern horizon.

Northern Lights

Moose's Tooth - Alaska365.com is taking a break from Southeast Alaska for a few months, as we are currently vacationing in Switzerland and then will head to Denali Park for the summer. In the meantime, I will post a few images of Denali National Park in anticiaption of our return in late April. The Moose's Tooth is a rock peak on the east side of the Ruth Gorge in the Central Alaska Range. It is notable for its many large rock faces and its long ice couloirs, which are famous in mountaineering circles, and which have seen a number of highly technical ascents through the years.

Moose's Tooth

Southeast Alaska Trolling - Commercial fishing can be tough, but it seems like a day like this at sea makes up for some of the hardships along the way.

Southeast Alaska Trolling

 
What A Season It Was - Very soon the curtain will fall on the ski season at Eaglecrest. After this amazing winter with plenty of sun and snow we already look forward to the next season, although we won't expect another stellar winter like we had.

What A Season It Was

Mendenhall Spires - This shot provides a different angle of this Juneau landmark in this view from Auke Bay.

Mendenhall Spires

Intertidal Zone - Plants of the intertidal zone must be tough to survive. They must withstand first the inrushing tides, then the twice-daily exposure to fierce salt winds, driving rain or drying sun. Seaweeds cling to rocks with glue-like “holdfasts” that look something like the roots of dry-land plants. Their fronds and blades are strong and leathery to avoid being ripped and torn. Some algae encrust themselves onto rocks to keep from being washed away. Here, low tide along Gastineau Channel reveals a brief view into a world of plants and animals that live most of their lives covered by sea water. <br>

Intertidal Zone

Lions Head Mountain - Towering high above Berners Bay, northwest of Juneau, Lions Head Mountain is considered sacred by the Auk Kwaan Tlingit tribe because they believe it contains the spirits of their shamans.

Lions Head Mountain

Waterfall Ice - Last fall I arrived in Juneau with great hopes of climbing waterfall ice. The conditions and geography around Juneau seem to foster perfect ice conditions, and I was not disappointed by what I saw. My shoulder injury prevented me from ever taking my ice tools out, but I am sure these ephemeral works of ice, such as this waterfall on North Douglas Island, will form again next year. By the way, thanks to those of you who commented on my April fools joke.

Waterfall Ice

 
Stephens Passage - Looking south from Pittman Ridge on Eaglecrest provides beautiful views of Douglas Island, Stephens Passage, Admiralty Island and the Coast Mountains. Here, Stephens Passage winds around the Glass Peninsula, which is part of Admiralty Island National Monument - Kootznoowo Wilderness.

Stephens Passage

Harbinger Of Spring - I could not believe my eyes when I saw these willow catkins near Mendenhall Lake yesterday. I am used to see them emerge in early May around Denali Park, so needless to say that is was a delightful sight to see them bloom this early here in Juneau.

Harbinger Of Spring

Lynn Canal & Chilkat Range - Stretching almost 100 miles from the Chilkat River Inlet to the north to the Chatham Strait and Stephens Passage to the south, and at over 2,000 feet in depth, Lynn Canal is the longest glacial fjord in North America. Lynn Canal is also one of the deepest and longest fjords in the world, and is lined by some of Alaska's most breathtaking scenery, such as the Chilkat Range.

Lynn Canal & Chilkat Range

Spring Is In The Air - We are still a couple of days away from spring equinox, but with each passing day the sun follows a higher and higher path through the sky. On south-facing slopes the warmer temperatures are quickly melting the snow pack. The few inches of snow we may get later this week will not stop the inevitable transition into spring. This picture is looking out into Gastineau Channel from the mouth of Sheep Creek along Thane Road.

Spring Is In The Air

Freedom of the Hills - What better way to start the day than head into the hills and watch the sunrise? That is exactly what Franz Muter and I had in mind as we skied up to Spaulding Meadows yesterday. Fortunately Franz brought his headlamp, as it was still quite dark in forested lower portion of the trail. This shot is looking back towards Gastineau Channel, just after we emerged from the forest into what is commonly known as the 'Third Meadow'.

Freedom of the Hills

 
Shrine Island - Gentle waves break on the shores of Shrine Island in Favorite Channel recently. The tiny island in the distance is Bird Island, with the Chilkat Range looming beyond. Shrine Island was originally called crow island, and any visitor to this island will know why. It is an annual spring crow nesting site.

Shrine Island

Alpenglow on Mount Wrather - The evening sun illuminates the upper slopes of Mount Wrather above the Mendenhall Glacier during a recent sunset. Juneau has been blessed by many gorgeous days this winter. I certainly do not take this exceptional weather for granted, and I am keenly aware that this winter may not serve as a realistic baseline for future winters to come. But it has been a real joy so far and it is not over yet...

Alpenglow on Mount Wrather

Sheep Creek Sunrise - Yesterday brought more sun and blue skies - how long will this stretch of gorgeous weather last? I am reminded by people who have lived here all their lives that this really is an exceptional winter weather wise, so I will not use it as a baseline for future winters in Juneau. Instead, I just enjoy the present moment, such as this sunrise above Sheep Creek and Gastineau Channel.

Sheep Creek Sunrise

30 Below - It's great to be back in Nome, but I had forgotten just how bone-chilling 30 below is. As I was trying to keep my equipment and myself warm as I was walking out unto the frozen Bering Sea in front of town to capture the sunrise, I realized just how easy life in Juneau really is. But to briefly immerse myself in the warm glow of the Arctic light and to look out over the vast sea ice stretching out for miles in front of me brought back fond memories of our time in this area. More than ever before though, it dawned on me just how remote of an outpost Nome is, existing precariously on the edge of the continent.

30 Below

Cook Inlet - The linear distribution of ice floes near Fire Island in Cook Inlet may be the combination of ocean current and a 27 foot high tide. The magnitude of the intrusion of oceanic current is largely dependent upon the tidal stage. The higher the tides, the further the oceanic current moves into the Inlet. I took this image just before landing at Anchorage International Airport on my way to Nome, where I will give a presenation about my trip to Antarctica as part of the International Polar Year Lecture series.

Cook Inlet

 
Mendenhall Wetlands - The first rays of the day, painting the distant Chilkat Range in warm pink, are reflected on the ice floes and icy skin covering the Mendenhall Wetlands at low tide. The low sun angle makes the colors appear in a very vivid, almost surreal way. Yesterday marked the beginning of what is predicted to be beautiful stretch of mostly clear days. For sun-deprived Juneauites, it will be a precious time to soak up some of the rare sunlight.

Mendenhall Wetlands

Winter's Comeback - The heavy rain last weekend was followed by heavy snow, and so we are back in winter, at least for the next few days, according to a very promising outlook from the National Weather Service.

Winter's Comeback

Forest Gathering - Every week on Monday, a group of parents and their kids gathers to hike the Outer Point Trail and build a fire near the beach to roast hot dogs and bake bread. The inspiration to gather on a weekly forest walk came after Greta read a lovely article of a family's experience in Switzerland with the 'Outdoor Preschool' concept. The basic idea of the gathering is to meet at the same time/day/place each week, regardless of weather conditions. The time together involves some basic rituals intertwined with unstructured play and unlimited fun outdoors. Kids and parents have fully embraced the 'Forest Gathering' idea. This shot was taken near the end of the Outer Point Trail.<br>

Forest Gathering

Frozen Ghosts - After being pounded by punishing 50+ mile an hour winds in horizontal snow on Saturday, the icy coat on these ghostly trees on the extreme edge of Eaglecrest got even thicker. Upon touching them, they feel frozen in time. But in a few weeks, they somehow will emerge alive from their icy existence in what seems to be one the most unforgiving environments around here.

Frozen Ghosts

North Douglas Sunset - The sun has been rare these days, so I was very glad to capture a few elusive rays a couple of nights ago. This shot is taken from the North Douglas Highway looking across Fritz Cove into Stephens Passage, with Admiralty Island and the Chilkat Range in the distance.

North Douglas Sunset

 
Break In The Clouds - When it snows and rains, patience is a virtue, especially for someone like myself who loves to photograph in the natural light. Inevitably the the clouds lift and the skies clear, creating stunning visual opportunities, like this in this view of the Mendenhall Towers from Auke Lake.

Break In The Clouds

Struggle for Survival - Wind plays a significant role in shaping plants at most of the world's tree lines where tree stature and shape are often strikingly different from in the protected forest. Many tree species, particularly conifers, take on flag-, hedge- or even mat-like growth forms in the windiest situations. Much of the effect of wind is due to abrasion by wind-blown snow, like in this image of Mountain Hemlock at tree line on Douglas Island.

Struggle for Survival

 Rain - Snow - Rain - Snow - Rain... - A look at the National Weather Service long-term forecast reveals the following: <br>Sunday: Rain...mixed with snow early. <br>Sunday Night: Rain in the evening...then snow and rain late. <br>Monday: Snow with rain likely. <br>Monday Night: Snow and rain likely. <br>Tuesday through Wednesday Night: Snow likely.<br>Thursday: Snow and rain likely. <br>Thursday Night and Friday: Rain and snow likely. <br>Friday Night: Rain likely<br>I think it is time for a cold spell after all this up and down, or else we may be water skiing at Mendenhall Lake by the end of the week. <br>

Rain - Snow - Rain - Snow - Rain...

Alaska Marine Highway System - The Alaska state ferry LeConte leaves Auke Bay recently on an uneventful sailing to Skagway, but it was another state ferry that made the news yesterday. High winds blew the Alaska state ferry Lituya off its mooring from a pier in Metlakatla, the southernmost city on the Alaska Panhandle. The ferry, with no crew on board, ran aground less than a mile north on a tiny island but the vessel was refloated with only a minor spill.

Alaska Marine Highway System

Nunatak, Juneau Icefield - A nunatak is a geologic term for an exposed, often rocky element of a ridge, mountain, or peak not covered with ice or snow within an ice field or glacier. The term is typically used in areas where a permanent ice sheet is present. Nunataks present readily identifiable landmark reference points in glaciers or ice caps. The word 'Nunatak' is of Greenlandic origin.

Nunatak, Juneau Icefield

 
Lion's Head - New ice sculptures emerged at Mendenhall Lake which is completely free of snow again as the result of the recent warm spell and thaw.

Lion's Head

Dawn Of A New Era - It wasn't like being in Washington among the two-million strong crowd. But being among the 1,200 Juneau residents gathered at Centennial Hall yesterday to witness the the swearing-in of America’s first African-American President felt like taking part in the historic vastness of the moment, because of the unique and unprecedented nature of the event. Here like everywhere else around the country and the world, U.S. President Barack Obama’s inauguration sparked a volcanic explosion of hope for better days ahead. I am hopeful that President Obama has the strength and wisdom to tackle the global challenges of our times and reengage the world in a new way.

Dawn Of A New Era

Foggy days - Fog banks rolling over the forest, ducks flying overhead, almost 100% humidity and drizzle - winter has been washed away in the matter of a couple of days, but I trust and hope there will be a comeback.

Foggy days

Record Warmth - No rain in Juneau yesterday, but the warm weather caused more melt, as on this creek along Thane Road. It was not looking much different further north. Rain and snow melt inundated local streets in Anchorage, where warm chinook winds paused the thermometer to a record-high of 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Fairbanks also registerd a record-high with 47 degrees Fahrenheit, where the unseasonable warmth wreaked havoc on the roadways. Further west, the start of the Kusko300 sled dog race in Bethel, scheduled for Friday, was postponed until Sunday or Monday because of warm weather and rain.

Record Warmth

Evaporation Fog - This ground-level cloud occurs when cold, dry air comes in contact with the relatively warm water, as was case near the North Douglas boat ramp during the recent cold spell.

Evaporation Fog

 
Eaglecrest - The ski resort is reporting a 132-inch base at the top, which makes it the deepest in the country and the fourth-deepest in the world - after ski areas in Austria, Italy, and Canada - according to skicentral.com.

Eaglecrest

Snow - It is very hard to keep up with all the snow falling around Juneau these past few days. We barely got to enjoy all the fluffy white stuff from the last storm as another storm is likely to bring 2-3 feet of snow through tonight. This shot was taken looking down the Mendenhall Loop Road.

Snow

Rough Seas - The past few days brought extremely windy conditions to most waterways in Southeast Alaska, such as Lynn Canal pictured here from the Glacier Highway, with gale warnings in effect for most areas. The rough seas forced another cancellation of one of the fast ferry Chenega's sailings.

Rough Seas

Happy New Year! - To all of you loyal followers of Alaska365.com: May the dawning of this New Year open up new horizons and bring new opportunities and hopes to explore.

Happy New Year!

Fragments - Translucent ice chunks, fragments of much larger ice floes, dot Mendenhall Lake near Nugget Falls. It's a bit of a mystery to me how they got to where they are. They may have been pushed to the surface during the freeze thaw process that preceeded the freeze up of the lake.

Fragments

 
MERRY CHRISTMAS! - From the magic winter wonderland above Juneau to all of you - wishing you the very happy Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Good Night, Moon - A beautiful half moon sets above Eaglecrest recently. An amazing stretch of clear weather came to an end yesterday, but I will keep posting some shots from this time - it was such a memorable stretch of crystal clear weather in a place where the sun often reveals herself only very sporadically.

Good Night, Moon

Winter Solstice - Today we celebrate the shortest day of the year, and the official beginning of winter. In Juneau, the sun will rise at 8:45 AM and set at 3:06 PM. From now on, the days will gradually lengthen again until summer solstice on June 21. Here, the midday sun illuminates a grounded iceberg on Mendenhall Lake.

Winter Solstice

Winter Moon - A near full moon sets above the Chilkat Range this past weekend. The moon's orbit reached its closest point to Earth this year, appearing 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than other full moons in 2008, according to NASA. The moon's average distance from Earth is about 238,855 miles. Friday night it was just 221,560 miles away.

Winter Moon

Lemon Creek Sunset - The last rays of the day illuminate Heinzleman Ridge above Lemon Creek.

Lemon Creek Sunset

 
Back Lighting - Yesterday morning dawned clear and crisp, with the early morning light back lighting the clouds above Gastineau Channel,Mayflower Island, Douglas harbor, with the Coast Mountains looming in the background.

Back Lighting

The Fifth Season - It has been feeling like neither fall nor winter lately, a zone in between seasons that I have never known. We have had a fleeting taste of winter here and there. But the rain always turned the white gold into puddles. But I keep hoping for cold, cold weather, and finally an arctic front may reach us and bring below freezing weather for the near future. Such reflections like Bullard Mountain in a pond near Mendenhall Lake will then finally freeze into distant memory, or at least I hope so.

The Fifth Season

Beam of Light - An ephemeral beam of light illuminates Mount Stroller White above above Mendenhall Glacier recently. This touch of light added brilliance to an otherwise overcast day.

Beam of Light

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Thanksgiving Getaway - Following a tradition that started several years ago, we joined Greta's family who gathered at the Jubilee cabin about 23 miles outside of Juneau for three days of fun, family time, and games. True to the spirit of the place, we celebrated old and new relationships. The cabin sits on a bluff with a gorgeous view overlooking Shrine Island and Favorite Channel pictured here.

Thanksgiving Getaway

 
Sucker Hole - The general origin of the term is that the tiny area of blue sky tricks some people to think that maybe the skies are going to clear up, only to duped when the hole disappears and the solid overcast returns - as in Mother Nature going: 'Sucker!' I have come to learn that Juneau has its fair share of frequent sucker holes, such as this one over Favorite Channel and Shelter Island. Needless to say that shortly after I took this image the skies turned totally gray again.

Sucker Hole

Aerial View - The Chilkat Range rises above the Mendenhall Wetlands, Auke Bay and the tip of Admiralty Island in this view from the Mount Roberts Trail.

Aerial View

Ice Art - An overturned iceberg in Mendenhall Lake reveals remarkable rounded forms on its underbelly. Sometimes, due to the corrosive action of the elements, icebergs will roll, revealing smooth sections previously sheltered by water. In the background, Nugget Falls cascades into the lake.

Ice Art

Mendenhall Towers - The Mendenhall towers are the climbing landmarks of the Juneau area. These beautiful granite spires rise sharply out of the Mendenhall glacier offering a 360 degree view from Canada and Devil’s paw to the Pacific Ocean and Mt. Fairweather.

Mendenhall Towers

Freeze up - While many creeks and rivers froze over weeks ago further north in Alaska and will not thaw until spring, down here in southeast Alaska creeks and river may freeze and thaw throughout the winter, like this little creek near Eaglecrest.

Freeze up

 
Coast Mountains - The morning sun illuminates a dusting of fresh snow covering the Coast Mountains behind Juneau in this view from North Douglas.

Coast Mountains

Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge - The morning sun burns off the last remaining veils of fog lingering above the game refuge yesterday morning. Low tide coincided with sunrise, revealing many beautiful patterns in the mud.

Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge

Admiralty Island Sunrise - Admiralty Island near Juneau is 90 miles long and 35 miles wide with an area of 1,646.4 square miles, making it the seventh largest island in the United States and the 132nd largest island in the world. Known to the Tlingit as Xootsnoowú, or 'Fortress of the Bear(s)', Admiralty Island is home to the highest density of brown bears in North America. An estimated 1,600 brown bears inhabit the island, outnumbering Admiraltys human residents nearly three to one. Angoon, a traditional Tlingit community home to 572 people, is the only settlement on the island. Most of Admiralty Island is an occupied by the Admiralty Island National Monument - a federally protected Wilderness Area.

Admiralty Island Sunrise

Hilda Point - Our boat is anchored near Hilda Point on the south side of Douglas Island as the sun rises over Admiralty Island to the south.

Hilda Point

Auke Bay Dawn - Yesterday morning the skies were clear as we headed dear hunting on Douglas Island. This shot looks back into Auke Bay from Stephens Passage at dawn.

Auke Bay Dawn

 
Evening Beam Of Light - When sunlight is rare, it is even more appreciated when it does manifest itself.

Evening Beam Of Light

Juneau View - Looking from Douglas Island across calm Gastineau Channel to Juneau and it's mountainous backdrop.

Juneau View

Mount Roberts Trail - The upper portion of the Mount Roberts Trail above Juneau leads into alpine country high above treeline. I was looking forward to making it to the top, but deep snow made my attempt at climbing Mount Roberts impossible.

Mount Roberts Trail

Early Winter Scene - Winter has definitely arrived at and above treeline. Depending on slope aspect, the treeline in the Juneau area hovers around 1,800 feet above sea level.

Early Winter Scene

Wet, wet, wet - Juneau just broke a record with 32 consecutive days with precipitation. Over 12 inches have fallen this month alone and it's not over yet! At higher elevations, some of the precipitation has been in the form of snow, but the snowline has been moving up and down, depending on ambient temperatures.

Wet, wet, wet

 
Fall Impression - Fall colors abound along a hiking trail on Douglas Island near Juneau.

Fall Impression

Ebner Falls - Hiking trails abound around Juneau. Just a short walk up from town, the Perseverance Trail passes scenic Ebner Falls.

Ebner Falls

Alaska365.com Back Online! - My apologies for the long hiatus upon returning from the Antarctica expedition. Many of you have e-mailed during that time and wondered what happened about the new image and commentary you looked so much forward to each day. For me, it was a creative break and the need to balance the needs of my family and a huge workload, among it two new books. One book about the expedition has already been published and another large format coffee table photo book is going to press this month. It is simply called 'Antarctica' and combines about 180 of my best images with captions and quotes. It is the most significant book project I have worked on so far and I am excited to share more about it at some point. In the meantime, we have moved to Juneau, and my daily images will again be a combination of personal reflection and facts about the place. As opening piece, I post a shot of Mendenhall Lake on a gorgeous late fall day earlier this week. Stay tuned for more new content to come soon!

Alaska365.com Back Online!

Muncho Lake Provincial Park - This creek, originating in Muncho Lake Provincial Park in northern British Columbia, is a tributary of the mighty and wild Liard River that drains into the even more mighty McKenzie River, which eventually drains into the Beaufort Sea in Canada's Northwest Territories.

Muncho Lake Provincial Park

Alaska Highway - Driving the Alaska Highway in the winter is a lonely experience. Miles and hours can go by with little or no traffic, so the occasional wildlife sighting like this caribou near Muncho Lake is a welcome distraction. Self-reliance is important, as many gas stations and lodges that are open in the summer are closed in the winter.

Alaska Highway

 
Alberta - Big Sky Country - I traveled across the vast plains of Alberta as I was heading north from the Canadian Rockies towards the beginning of the Alaska Highway in British Columbia. It is amazing to see for miles and miles, with no mountains to obstruct the view.

Alberta - Big Sky Country

Canadian Vs. American Rockies - The Canadian Rockies are distinct from the American Rockies in that they are older mountains, they were primarily formed by overthrusting whereas the American Rockies were primarily formed by uplifting, and they are almost exclusively sedimentary rock, whereas the American Rockies are cored with granite. Their physical appearance is different because the Canadian Rockies have been very heavily glaciated, resulting in sharply pointed mountains separated by wide, U-shaped valleys gouged by glaciers, whereas the American Rockies are more rounded with river-carved V-shaped valleys between them. This shot was taken near the border between Jasper and Banff National Parks.

Canadian Vs. American Rockies

Canadian Rockies - Without a doubt, the Canadian Rockies offer some of the most stunning mountain scenery in the world. I am glad to spend some time here again, the first time in 15 years!

Canadian Rockies

Lake Louise Sunrise - The mountains behind Lake Louise display some alpenglow as the sun rises in the east. I am glad to be back in the Rockies again, and even more so on a day like this, when light and subject are in total unity.

Lake Louise Sunrise

North To The Future! - Our time in Nelson has come to an end and I am heading back to Alaska, and then on to Antarctica. Greta and Florian will head back to Alaska soon as well. I decided to drive through the Canadian Rockies, and experience again Jasper and Banff National Parks, some of my favorite national parks in North America.

North To The Future!

 
Freeze-Up - A leaf that just a few days ago was in its full brilliance and dancing in the wind is now surrounded by new ice on the shores of Kootaney Lake.

Freeze-Up

Kootaney Lake - The remnants of an old pier reflect in Kootaney Lake near Six Mile, while in the distance a modern bridge connects the North Shore with the town of Nelson.

Kootaney Lake

'Grandfathers Of The Forest' - Native to temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest from northern California to Alaska, cedar trees are one of the oldest forms of life in the Pacific coastal temperate rainforests and on Earth. Cedar trees often reach over 800 years old, with trees over 1,000 year old not uncommon. Cedar is highly rot-resistant and has been used for thousands of years by native peoples in the region for longhouse construction, racks, baskets, boats and totems. Out of respect for these “grandfathers of the forest”, when natives cut a cedar tree, they would turn away as it fell to allow the spirit of the tree to escape back into the forest. Most cedar sold in the U.S. today is taken from the rainforests in British Columbia, as large cedar trees have been virtually eliminated from the U.S. Ninety-eight percent of logging in B.C. is in old-growth forests. I photographed these ancient members of the rainforest in an old-growth stand near Nelson.

"Grandfathers Of The Forest"

Old Growth Giants - This stand of old growth cedar is located off the access road to Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park. A lovely trail winds through the beautiful old growth forest and along Kokanee Creek.

Old Growth Giants

Signs of Freeze-Up - Recent cold temperatures have created beautiful ice formations along small ponds and creeks, such as Kokanee Creek in southern British Columbia.

Signs of Freeze-Up

 
Kootaney Lake Reflection - Fallen leaves gather in a pond along Kootaney Lake near Nelson. It will not be long until the surface of this pond will freeze over. For now though, we enjoy every fall day, as it will not last forever.

Kootaney Lake Reflection

Kokanee Creek - This glacier-fed creek is a real jewel, offering not just precious little vistas but also roaring sounds as it tumbles high from Kokanee Glacier Park to Kootaney Lake.

Kokanee Creek

Kootaney Region Of British Columbia - The Kootenay region in British Columbia is a quaint and unspoiled part of the province where three different mountain ranges offer spectacular scenery. To the east are the Purcells, while to the west lie the Selkirks and the Monashees. Between these mountain ranges are deep valleys, beautiful fishing lakes, lush green forest and rolling grasslands. Pictured here is the Slocan Range of the Selkirk Mountains in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park. Established in 1922, this park is one of the most majestic in B.C. This rugged mountain wilderness is named after the glacier that sits on Kokanee Peak and the central focus of the park. More than thirty turquoise-blue colored lakes lie within the boundaries of the park.

Kootaney Region Of British Columbia

Lone Gull - A lone gull swims through the colorful ripples created by the combination of a passing boat and the reflection of fall colors along Kootaney Lake.

Lone Gull

Veils Of Fog - The mixed forest above Kootenay Lake is veiled in fog in this recent shot near Nelson. Fall in Alaska lasts usually just a couple weeks, here in southern British Columbia it lingers well into November.

Veils Of Fog

 
Late Fall Mood - The snow line creeps slowly down in the Slocan Range of the Selkirk Mountains in this view from the small town of Kaslo.

Late Fall Mood

Douglas Fir - Dew on douglas fir needles thaws along Highway 3 in British Columbia. Douglas fir is a hugely important timber crop for lumber and plywood. It can survive both droughts and forest fires and may reach ages of greater than 1000 years. Old growth specimens are vital habitat for squirrels, birds, lichens and others.

Douglas Fir

Alaska Highway - The Alaska Highway, once an energy wartime road, has developed into a vital link between the giant industrial regions of the U.S. and Canada and the natural resources of the Alaska and Yukon. But, aside from the economic aspects of the highway, it also represents a permanent monument to the durable and warm friendship between the U.S. and Canada. And driving the wide open road like here in northern British Columbia south of Fort Nelson offers plenty of time to meditate. Having now driven the Alaska Highway several times, it still is a somewhat mythical drive, and in spite of all the upgrades, the drive is still full of adventure as it crosses some of the most spectacular terrain in North America.

Alaska Highway

Low Bush Cranberry - The low bush wild cranberry are small firm berries found in Northern Canada, Alaska, Northern Europe, and Northern Asia. These grow very close to the ground in sandy soil, usually in spruce and pine forest areas. The tart-tasting red berry has been most popular in the past for the deep red sauce traditionally used with Thanksgiving turkey, or for making jam. Here, early morning frost frames the cranberry leaves.

Low Bush Cranberry

Rocky Mountains - The Rocky Mountains stretch more than 4,800 kilometers (3,000 miles) from the Liard River in northern British Columbia to the Rio Grande in New Mexico. The younger ranges of the Rocky Mountains uplifted during the late Cretaceous period, about 100 million years ago. The geology of the Rocky Mountains is a complex of igneous and metamorphic rock.

Rocky Mountains

 
Northern Rocky Mountains - Stone Mountain Provincial Park is a spectacular mountain wilderness in northern British Columbia. The defining feature of this park are the mountains: great humps of raw stone rising from U-shaped, forested valleys below. I wished I could linger here for a long time, but the arrival of winter is imminent, and so I push on.

Northern Rocky Mountains

First Snow! - It is predictable and inevitable, and never a question of 'if' but 'when'. Still, the first snowfall of winter always catches me a bit off guard. This year, I hit the first snow near Watson Lake in the Yukon Territory.

First Snow!

Vital Purpose - We often fail to see the vital purpose of a forest fire in light of the seeming devastation it creates. However, certain trees, like black and white spruce, actually need the intense heat of a forest fire to release their seeds. Forest fires alter the landscape, of course. But that changed landscape begins a new round of forest succession that benefits many wildlife species.

Vital Purpose

Forest Fire Remnant - In 1999, a 3100-hectare fire burned through the Alaska Highway community of Burwash Landing in the Yukon. Five structures were lost and 100 residents evacuated. Thousands of charred trees still stand as silent remnants of this fire.

Forest Fire Remnant

Scenic Rest Spot - Pickhandle Lake, along with Kluane Lake, is in my opinion the most scenic lake to rest along the Alaska Highway in the Yukon. The floatplane dock at Pickhandle Lake makes for a great platform for a swim.

Scenic Rest Spot

 
Alaska Highway Journey - An engineering marvel of the Second World War, the Alaska Highway stretches 2,288 km/1422 miles from Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Delta Junction Alaska. For some, driving the Alaska Highway represents a lifetime of planning and thought, while to others it is an annual journey. Over the next few days, I will share images from my recent journey down the Alaska Highway. Here, the road approaches the Alaska Range near the village of Tanacross outside of Tok.

Alaska Highway Journey

Mountains And Ridges - The mountain ranges of Alaska give their state the rugged and beautiful terrain it is known for. Hard to imagine Alaska without mountains - it would not be the same.

Mountains And Ridges

Freeze-Up -

Freeze-Up

Alaska Range - The snow line keeps creeping down as winter is just around the corner. The first snow of the season in the Interior a few days ago caused, as usual, quite a few accidents among careless drivers. This shot illustrates the Alaska Range souththeast of Delta Junction.

Alaska Range

Vast Wilderness - Except for the Park Road and a few lodges in the Kantishna area, Denali National Park is a vast wilderness, similar in size to my home country of Switzerland. Here, many mountains remain nameless, much like some of the creeks and rivers which search their way to the sea.

Vast Wilderness

 
Denali From The Air - As some of you know, I am about to embark on an expedition to Antarctica. 'In The Wake Of The Belgica' will be launched in Belgium this week, and I will participate in the first leg of the trip. If you want to know more about this expedition, please go to my new website www.polar-photo.com or log on directly to www.antarctica-sail.com<br>During this time, I will continue to upload recent images to Alaska365. The bulk of these images will be aerials of Denali National Park, depicting interesting places and landscape patterns of this vast wilderness. I am sure you will enjoy what you will see. Today's image is of the upper reaches Eldridge Glacier. This glacier flows south out of the Alaska Range and feeds the Chulitna River that drains into Cook Inlet.

Denali From The Air

Sky On Fire - We have been enjoying seeing the Northern Lights again lately, but the other evening we were treated to a lightshow in the sky of a different kind. This view of our frontyard and the foothills of the Alaska Range was taken right from our porch.

Sky On Fire

Savage River - After the peak of the fall colors, the tundra turns golden brown before the first snow blankets the land for the winter. Here, the Savage River meanders through its wide floodplain in Denali National Park.

Savage River

Denali Dawn -

Denali Dawn

Yanert Valley Sunrise - We have been treated to some spectacular sunrises and sunsets recently around Denali National Park. On another note, a severed fiber optics line prevented me from uploading this image on time. Internet service around here is not always reliable, so I apologize if the new picture is not always uploaded on time.

Yanert Valley Sunrise

 
Aspen Fall Foliage - One of the side effects of the leaf miner invasion is premature defoliation in deciduous trees such as these aspen. Repeated defoliation has been reported to cause decrease in radial growth of trees and and a progressive decline due to reduced production and allocation of photosynthates. The usual vibrant yellows in aspen are now dull and a mixture of yellow, grey and brown.

Aspen Fall Foliage

Meteor Shower - The skies were clear in the evening before the Aurigid meteor shower, like in this view of the western horizon above Healy, but during the night, when the shower was supposed to be peaking, the skies were again overcast. Too bad for those of us who wanted to witness this celestial phenomena.

Meteor Shower

Fall Colors Peaking - In the matter of just a few days, the colors in the tundra have changed to golden and red, and there are already signs of colors fading and leaves falling. Here, the fall colors are peaking along the Riley Creek drainage in Denali National Park.

Fall Colors Peaking

Ecozones - The line between the taiga and the rocky slopes of the Outer Ranges in Denali National Park is very distinct, and becomes even more pronounced in the fall time.

Ecozones

Golden Time - For just a brief time, the tundra in Denali turns all golden and red. It's too short a time, and the first snowflakes are never too far away. In fact, we already saw some dusting on the mountains last night.

Golden Time

 
Colorful Aspen -

Colorful Aspen

Fall In Denali National Park - We are quickly approaching the peak of the fall colors in Denali National Park. I never get tired of this annual feast of color.

Fall In Denali National Park

Fall Tapestry - It is still too early to tell, but an extremely dry summer may be responsible for the rusty color of draft birch leaves this fall in Denali National Park. Usually the dwarf birch turns vibrant red in the fall.

Fall Tapestry

Healy Sunrise - Clouds and early morning light perform a dynamic dance in this view east of Healy.

Healy Sunrise

Cluster of Color - Fall colors pop up everywhere, but it seems as if summer will hang in a bit longer as we still enjoy unseasonably warm weather in Interior Alaska. Usually by this time we would have had at least one good frost, but not so this year.

Cluster of Color

 
Golden Hills - This telephoto view from our house looking east reveals unnamed but beautiful hills above the Nenana River Valley.

Golden Hills

Fog Over Nenana River Valley - Morning fog is a common occurrence along the Nenana River corridor in the fall.

Fog Over Nenana River Valley

Morning Fog - The sun burns off the morning fog in this view looking east from our kitchen window.

Morning Fog

Alaska Range Foothills - In the shadow of the giants of the Alaska Range, the foothills of the range hardly draw the attention of anyone. But these hills are just as wild, rugged and beautiful as their bigger brothers.

Alaska Range Foothills

Otto Lake - This lake off the Parks Highway in Healy is favorite place for kids to play and swim.

Otto Lake

 
Reflections - A mixed stand of birch and aspen trees is reflected in the calm waters of Otto Lake.

Reflections

Fall Tapestry - Salmonberry leaves are some of the first to change colors in the tundra. These bright red patches can now be seen all over the tundra, like here along the northern foothills of the Alaska Range.

Fall Tapestry

Riley Creek - The transition from summer to fall is always a fast one - one day its summer and the next fall colors are sprouting up everywhere, like here along Riley Creek in Denali National Park.

Riley Creek

Harvest Time - Growing vegetables on the tundra is not an easy task, but by adding good soils and with the help of warm weather and water anything is possible. So now we can enjoy greens every day from the garden that Greta built just a few weeks ago.

Harvest Time

Fall Arrives In Denali National Park -

Fall Arrives In Denali National Park

 
Not So 'Dry Creek' - Heavy rains turned Dry Creek near Healy into a raging torrent yesterday.

Not So 'Dry Creek'

Rain and Fog - After an amazing summer with clear sunny skies and little rain, the short summer is making way to the even shorter fall here in the Interior. It's been raining quite a bit in August so far and there is no immediate end in sight.

Rain and Fog

Color Spectrum -

Color Spectrum

Misty Morning -

Misty Morning

Foxtail Blowing In The Wind -

Foxtail Blowing In The Wind

 
Seasonal Changes - As we are heading towards August, the cooler nights are becoming very noticeable. Berry picking is in full swing and pretty soon the fall colors will brighten up the landscape. Fog filled valleys are also a sure sign that fall can't be too far away anymore.

Seasonal Changes

Morning Fog - A thin veil of fog hangs over the hills above the Nenana River Canyon near Denali National Park.

Morning Fog

One More For The Gallery - We witnessed another beautiful display of rainbows last night along the northern foothills of the Alaska Range.

One More For The Gallery

Dora Peak - A few rays of sunshine illuminate Dora Peak east of Healy as an approaching thunderstorm darkens the sky.

Dora Peak

More Rainbows - Double rainbows were quite common during the spectacular displays of rainbows a couple of evenings ago. This image was taken from Mile 4 on the Stampede Trail looking East.

More Rainbows

 
Rainbow Magic - Last evening proved to be a fantastic evening for watching rainbows on the northern slopes of the Alaska Range. For over an hour these rays of color were dancing in the sky around us. It may not have been as exciting as watching the Northern Lights, but the dark sky provided a dramatic backdrop for this beam of color.

Rainbow Magic

Healy Sunrise - I think there is some truth behind the saying 'Red sky in the morning, Sailors take warning. Red sky at night, Sailors' delight.' Shortly after the sun rose in the eastern sky on Friday morning, the skies turned cloudy, and by 6 AM it was raining hard.

Healy Sunrise

Boreal Forest - Another view of the same birch forest scene near Healy I displayed yesterday, this time with no blur.

Boreal Forest

Birch Forest - Today and tomorrow I will provide two different perspectives into a birch forest near Healy. For today's picture, I panned my camera on the vertical axis to create a blur that enhances the abstract nature of the subject.

Birch Forest

Raindrops and Fireweed -

Raindrops and Fireweed

 
Blooming Fireweed - Named for the striking blooms on tall stalks, Fireweed is probably the best known wildflower in Alaska. In mid to late summer fireweed begins blooming in the middle of the stalk, with each successive flower blooming just above the one before it. As the last flowers are blooming at the top of the stalk, the earliest blooms seed and turn to cotton. When the fireweed turns to cotton, Alaskans say there are about six weeks until winter begins.

Blooming Fireweed

Alaska Range Geology - The range is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, and the Denali fault that runs along the southern edge of the range is responsible for a number of earthquakes. However, there are no volcanoes in the range but several large granite plutons.

Alaska Range Geology

Veils of Fog - Veils of fog envelop the Tanana Valley Forest near Fairbanks.

Veils of Fog

Midnight Drive - I was hoping to post a few shots from my recent fishing trip to Chitina, but rain, wind and blowing glacial silt made for tough shooting. The fishing was pretty good though, and I will likely return once more to go dipnetting this summer. This image was taken around midnight along the Richardson Highway between Delta Junction and Fairbanks.

Midnight Drive

Kettle Ponds - Kettle ponds dot the taiga along the Denali Highway near the headwaters of the Susitna River. A kettle pond is a fluvioglacial landform occurring as the result of blocks of ice calving from the front of a receding glacier and becoming partially to wholly buried by glacial outwash.

Kettle Ponds

 
Evening Showers - Dark clouds hang over the Alaska Range in this view from the Denali Highway.

Evening Showers

Alaska Range Snowpatches - Repeated hot summers have left their mark on the snowfields of the Alaska Range, thinning the annual snow pack and creating a checkered pattern of snow and exposed earth.

Alaska Range Snowpatches

Fog Over Outer Ranges - The Alaska Range offered a different face yesterday, as veils of fog hung over the Outer Ranges.

Fog Over Outer Ranges

Mount Healy Sunrise - Our summer continues to be blessed with mostly clear skies and sunny days. The smoke-filled summer of 2004 and 2006 are but a distant memory.

Mount Healy Sunrise

Rainbow Over Dora Peak -

Rainbow Over Dora Peak

 
Alpenglow - The smoke from the forest fires in the Mat-Su Valley and Kenai Peninsula didn't stay around for long, and we are again enjoying beautiful clear and hot summer days. As always, the evening or morning light bathes the outer ranges of the Alaska Range in a warm glow.

Alpenglow

Arnica - During the short flowering season, wildflowers like this arnica bring color and beauty into our lives.

Arnica

Evening Or Morning? - Living in the long days of summer is much like living in the twilight zone. Dawn and dusk flow almost seamlessly into each other, as in this early morning shot of the foothills of the Alaska Range near Healy.

Evening Or Morning?

Wild Rose -

Wild Rose

Summer Solstice - Happy summer solstice everyone! May you enjoy the flood of light as much as we do here in Interior Alaska. Here, the midnight sun has disappeared for a short time on the northern horizon in this view north form Healy at 2 AM.

Summer Solstice

 
Rainy Skies - Evening rain showers have so far kept the potential of wildfires at bay, and so we are cautiously looking forward to a smoke-free summer.

Rainy Skies

Rainbows Everywhere - Thunderstorms and isolated showers in the afternoon are typical during nice summer days in the Interior. Such weather patterns often also create beautiful rainbows.

Rainbows Everywhere

Beams of Light - The last rays of the evening sun illuminate portions of the foothills of the Alaska Range near Healy around midnight, creating a beautiful interplay of light and shadow.

Beams of Light

Roadside Beauty - For many Alaskans, the sight of brilliant bands of color lining the highway is a reassuring sign of summer. Mid-June is the peak for many roadside flowers, a time when days are the longest and highways are busy with visitor traffic. Most roadside plants share a common trait - they thrive in disturbed soil. The gravelly or sandy materials used for road beds present ideal habitat for plants that colonize recently disturbed areas.

Roadside Beauty

Nenana River Valley Sunset - Last night, the sun seemed to have disappeared exactly in the notch at the bottom of the Nenana River Valley 30 miles north of Healy.

Nenana River Valley Sunset

 
Labrador Tea - The flowers of this low evergreen tundra shrub just started blooming, and the spicy fragance of this low evergreen tundra shrub now fills the air. Labrador Tea leaves are still used by Native North Americans to make medicinal tea.

Labrador Tea

Sable Pass - A short trip into the park revealed just how much the snow pack has already melted away at higher elevations, like here in the Sable Pass area. It also served as a reminder that climate change is happening faster in Alaska than in almost any other place. From villages in the Alaskan interior to coastal towns, warming temperatures, melting sea ice, and thawing ground are changing traditional hunting practices, bringing new health threats, and causing never-before-seen changes to the land.

Sable Pass

Midnight Sun - As we are heading towards summer solstice, an increasing amount of daylight is illuminating our lives in Interior Alaska. Here, the midnight sun disappeared briefly behind Jumbo Dome north of Healy at around 2 AM.

Midnight Sun

Feast For The Eyes -

Feast For The Eyes

Expansion and Contraction - With every passing day the seasonal snowfields in the Alaska Range keep shrinking, while the vegetation becomes lusher as it continues its upward creep and expansion.

Expansion and Contraction

 
Greening Up - The long awaited green explosion is in full swing at lower elevations and is consuming everything in its path, like on these slopes above the Nenana River canyon. Trees and shrubs are leafing out everywhere, and the translucent green is always a welcome sight after being deprived from it for many months.

Greening Up

Spring Mood - It's not summer yet on the Stampede Trail, but it won't be long until the tundra in our backyard will be green again. The green explosion is just around the corner!

Spring Mood

Welcome Rain! - It finally rained over the weekend! A combination of lack of snow last winter and lack of rain this spring created extremely dry conditions in the Interior. The recent rain helped to cool off some of fire hazard in the Interior. Here, rain droplets dot a small black spruce tree in Healy.

Welcome Rain!

Wind - Wind is one of the more prevalent natural forces shaping life on the northern foothills of the Alaska Range. A calm day is the exception, and winds gusting up to 50 miles an hour are not unusual.

Wind

Spring Reflection -

Spring Reflection

 
Rock on Ice -

Rock on Ice

Savage River - Huge build-up of overflow ice this past winter is responsible for much of the ice still lining rivers such as the Savage in Denali National Park.

Savage River

Savage River - Shelf ice still lines Savage River in Denali National Park.

Savage River

Where Is Waldo? - A lone spruce tree dots the foothills of the Central Alaska Range in Denali Park. Can you find it?

Where Is Waldo?

Mountain Weather - Clouds spill over the central Alaska Range above the Yanert Valley near Denali National Park yesterday. The range acts as a major barrier of precipitation, and divides the more moist Southcentral Alaska from the dry Interior.

Mountain Weather

 
Checkered Landscape - Above average temperatures this spring accelerate the snowmelt across Alaska. Even in higher terrain, the snowpack is melting quickly, like here in the central Alaska Range in Denali National Park.

Checkered Landscape

Spring Is Everywhere -

Spring Is Everywhere

Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Wildlife Refuge - Watching migratory birds at Creamer's Field on their annual pass through Alaska is one of Fairbanks' most popular spring and fall pastimes. Substantial numbers of Canada geese and ducks can be seen in spring and fall during their migrations through Alaska, while Sandhill Cranes may be seen from mid-April to mid-September. Songbirds, some from as far away as South America, pass through or nest on the refuge as well.

Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Wildlife Refuge

Ready To Burst - A much-beloved harbinger of spring, these willow catkins are always a delightful sight in early May in Interior Alaska.

Ready To Burst

Caribou Tracks - These caribou tracks in Denali National Park are likely going to be gone in a few days, however the fallout of the ever widening political corruption scandal in Juneau involving Alaska lawmakers and corporate executives will be around for a long time. And I am sure the last chapter in this scandal has not been written yet...

Caribou Tracks

 
No Rafters... Yet - This image of the Nenana River flowing north of the Alaska Range in Healy will soon be a thing of the past. The ice will have melted, and hundreds of tourists will raft this section of the river on a daily basis. The first cruise ship tourists are scheduled to arrive at Denali Park on May 16.

No Rafters... Yet

More Breakup - Alaska365 visitors may be tired of yet another breakup picture, but this event, in my opinion, embodies the transition from spring to summer more than any other. And I simply just love ice! Its dynamic nature is a feast for the eye. I took this shot of the Nenana River near the Denali Learning Center at McKinley Village.

More Breakup

Nenana River - While the river ice has moved out further downstream, the Nenana River at McKinley Village appears to be only in its early stages of breakup.

Nenana River

Taiga - Taiga is a Russian term for the forest communities found south of the tundra in cold, wet climates, consisting of a mostly coniferous community (stunted spruces, firs) with birches and aspens found in drier locales, like in this view along the Denali Park Road near Teklanika.

Taiga

Spring In Denali National Park - The snow pack gradually melts away as more and more tundra patches become exposed. The rusty-colored riparian area in the center and foreground are willow shrubs lining small creek beds.

Spring In Denali National Park

 
Lenticular Clouds Over Savage River - The Denali National Park road is now open to the public to Teklanika until mid-May, but during my most recent drive into the park, I did not encounter another vehicle. The snowpack is melting slowly under the spring sun, but the rivers are still mostly frozen, like the Savage River in this early morning view from the Primrose area. High winds aloft created dramatic lenticular clouds hovering over the Alaska Range.

Lenticular Clouds Over Savage River

UFO Sighting - I spotted this lenticular cloud, that could easily be mistaken for a fluffy UFO, during a recent sunrise in Denali National Park.

UFO Sighting

Chena River Reflection - A lone chunk of river ice drifts down the Chena River near Pikes Landing. Although just a short section of the river is free of ice, I have already seen a canoer dip his paddles in the river.

Chena River Reflection

Long Days Of Summer Ahead - With almost 16 hours of continuous sunshine, sun-starved Interior Alaska residents are embracing the return of the longer days and it will not be long until eternal daylight of summer will be upon us. I took this shot of the Chena River around 9:30PM last night.

Long Days Of Summer Ahead

Exposure Problem - One of the rules of digital photography is to expose for the highlights. If the expose is such that the highlights are washed out like in this view of the Tanana River, there is no hope in getting them back.

Exposure Problem

 
Tanana Valley Farming - In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Tanana Valley was designated as a potential agricultural area for Alaska. The state of Alaska then made large tracts of land, portions of which are visible in this aerial view, available to future farmers for purchase. Significant was establishment of the 'Barley Project' east of the town of Delta Junction. Plans were made to grow barley, ship it to Valdez via a future rail terminal, and from there ship it overseas to Asia. Though farms were established and a storage facility constructed in Valdez, the railroad never came, essentially resulting in the failure of the project. Political pressure and growing costs resulted in the project being defunded upon change in governors. Today, these original farms are primarily used as pasture or for hay production though barley, potatoes, carrots, and even wheat are still grown with limited commercial success.

Tanana Valley Farming

Windy Day In The Alaska Range -

Windy Day In The Alaska Range

Moose Mountain Ski Area -

Moose Mountain Ski Area

Meandering Wood River -

Meandering Wood River

Supercub Powder Take-Off -

Supercub Powder Take-Off

 
Light And Shadow -

Light And Shadow

Tanana River Sunset -

Tanana River Sunset

Northern Lights Over Chatanika Valle -

Northern Lights Over Chatanika Valle

Aurora Borealis Over Trans-Alaska Pipeline -

Aurora Borealis Over Trans-Alaska Pipeline

Eagle Summit, Stees Highway -

Eagle Summit, Stees Highway

 
Aspen Forest In Winter -

Aspen Forest In Winter

Aspen Reaching Into The Sky -

Aspen Reaching Into The Sky

Tanana River Winter Mood -

Tanana River Winter Mood

Tanana River Sunrise At Forty Below -

Tanana River Sunrise At Forty Below

Aspen Forest -

Aspen Forest

 
Frosty Sunrise - The morning sun illuminates steam rising from an open lead in the Chena River near Pioneer Park in Fairbanks and coats the trees lining the river with a thick layer of frost.

Frosty Sunrise

Alaska Range - This view towards the Alaska Range and its northern foothills reveals wind-scoured ridges that resulted from the recent warm weather and high winds.

Alaska Range

Yukon Quest - 28 mushers participating in the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race, a 1,000 mile mushing marathon from Whitehorse to Fairbanks, took off from the starting gate today. I was hoping to photograph the race again this year, but events have conspired in favour of me photographing the Iditarod in March. And for those of you wondering, this shot was not taken on the Quest trail but during the sprint races in Fairbanks this weekend.

Yukon Quest

May in February? - Temperatures are back to more seasonal levels, as the frost on the trees in this view of the Nenana River Valley shows. But this is a deceiving picture, as it does not show the lack of snow cover on the ground. The recent warm spell caused widespread snowmelt in some areas of the Interior. In Healy, for instance, almost all the snow has melted away, and conditions resemble more what one would expect to see in early May.

May in February?

Evening Splendor - Ester Dome has become a favorite destination of ours lately for watching sunsets. The 2,400-foot high dome is the highest point near the city of Fairbanks and provides a stunning 360-degree view of interior Alaska. This unique location also explains the number of telecommunication transmitters and antennas that clutter the top of the dome. The bulky mountain on the horizon, about 160 miles to the southwest, is Mount McKinley.

Evening Splendor

 
Alaska Range - We were treated to yet another beautiful spring-like day yesterday under partly cloudy skies. This view of the Alaska Range was again taken from Ester Dome.

Alaska Range

Warm Spell - A flow of warm air has pushed temperatures to near record highs in some places in Interior Alaska. When I took this shot on top of Ester Dome loooking west last night, it felt like around 45 degrees Fahrenheit above, very unusal for this time of year.

Warm Spell

Ester Dome Sunset - We were treated to a gorgeous sunset yesterday as the sun was setting in the southwestern horizon. This shot of Ester Dome was taken from the Goldstream Valley, where our hockey-crazy son doned his skates for the first time to cruise around on a little pond. Needless to say that he had a great time. We were the last ones to leave, long after the sun had set and all the other people had left.

Ester Dome Sunset

Every Minute Matters - For sun-starved Alaska residents, the month of January marks the slow shift towards longer days. A week ago, Barrow residents saw the sun for the first time after over two months of winter darkness. The lack of sun was not as extreme here in the Interior, but with a gain of about seven minutes every day, we feel the return of the sun in a very tangible way.

Every Minute Matters

Heat Wave - Sunnier and warmer days are on the menu for the next few days, with temperatures climbing to near 30 degrees Fahrenheit in the hills. Here, a stand of cottenwood trees is backlit by the mid-day sun in downtown Fairbanks.

Heat Wave

 
Tracks - Walking along the Tanana River in the winter, I always see evidence of activity on the frozen river, like in this set of moose tracks. It appears the moose crossed the river in the last couple of days. Without such evidence of animal tracks along a winter trail, the nature of a walk would change dramatically. Often, I see prints of voles darting between trees and popping up from under rocks. Or snowshoe hare tracks, the hind feet much bigger than the front, hopping along the trail and then off into the woods. Sometimes, the straight track of a fox shows evidence of an animal that is traveling on business, not pleasure, focused intently on its immediate survival. Each tracks provides me with a glimpse into the life of these wild animals.<br>

Tracks

Chena River - Two rivers run through Fairbanks: the Chena and the Tanana. Because of its proximity to where we live the Chena is my favourite place to photograph, primarly because it's not frozen all the way and the moods along this quiet body of water seem to be changing daily.

Chena River

River Reflection - Is the Chena River ice advancing or receeding in this portion of the river? You be the judge!

River Reflection

Heavy Snowload - Although the current snowpack in the Interior is only about half the normal season average of around 50 inches, trees in and around Fairbanks, such as these birch trees, seem to be collapsing under what appears to be a heavy snowload.

Heavy Snowload

Beam Of Light - A few rare sunrays pierced through an otherwise cloudy sky yesterday to illuminate portions of Fairbanks, like this stretch of the Chena River near downtown Fairbanks.

Beam Of Light

 
Cold Beauty - The sun pierces through the ice fog in Fairbanks at around noon. Because there is no wind to speak of, the snow clings to everything from trees to powerlines, creating a beautiful winter wonderland.

Cold Beauty

Smoke Signals? - The intense cold spell finally snapped yesterday as temperatures rose about 40 degrees in the matter of a few hours. The cold air moved to Canada and was replaced my much warmer ocean air. Here, steam and smoke rises from houses in Fairbanks.

Smoke Signals?

Frosty Cottenwood - Snow and hoarfrost cling to the branches and trunk of this cottenwood tree on the banks of the Chena River in Fairbanks. Because of the current coldspell, Junior dog races scheduled on Saturday were cancelled. The cut-off temperature is 15 below at 8 AM, but the temperature at Fairbanks International Airport was reading 29 below.

Frosty Cottenwood

Piece of History - An old abandoned tractor rests near the Chena Hot Springs Resort.

Piece of History

Happy New Year! - Fireworks displays lighten up the sky above Fairbanks on New Year's eve. Thousands of cars lined the highways to get a good view. Some enthousiasts didn't let the 30 below temperatures deter them from having a tailgate party with grill and spirits. To all of you out there around the globe following Alaska365.com, thank you for your support and all the very best in 2007.

Happy New Year!

 
Thin Snowpack - Another quick trip to Denali Park revealed a thin snowpack similar to Fairbanks, with barren ridges in places as a result of the high winds often funneling through the mountain passes. I took this shot off the Parks Highway near Cantwell.

Thin Snowpack

Night Light - Even during subarctic nights, it never gets truely dark, as ambient light from the city, the moon or the northern lights illuminates the landscape in multiple ways. I loved the backlighting on the snow-covered spruce trees in this shot taken in the heart of the city of Fairbanks.

Night Light

Winter Solstice Celebration - We celebrated winter solstice Alaskan-style at Becky and Donovan's house off Chena Hot Springs Road. The parents would huddle around the bonfire only as long they could resist another trip inside to fill their plates with the amazing potluck fare. Never to be forgotten will be Becky's molasses krinkles - yum! With only five hours of daylight, it didn't stop the children from sledding under the light of the enormous bonfire. What a wonderful night.

Winter Solstice Celebration

Unpredictable Maze - The Bering Strait may be an unpredictable maze of sea ice and open water, but after hearing round-the-world traveller Karl Bushby last night, it sounded like crossing the Dorian Gap between Columbia and Panama was even more unpredictable and dangerous, primarily because of the infighting between druglords and paramilitary troops, as well as the many challenges of travelling through its jungle environment.

Unpredictable Maze

Winter Solstice! - For those of us who live near or inside the Arctic Circle, solstice day is an important dawning of a new annual era: this is the day the sun starts coming back. If one lives well north of the Arctic Circle, the fruits of the change at solstice are a bit slow in coming. On the North Slope the sun does not even come up until the latter half of January or early February. In the more heavily populated areas, the day lengthens by less than a minute just after solstice. The pace quickens in a few days, and after a month, the sun is above the horizon several minutes longer than on the day before. The rapid change in length of day continues on through the spring equinox and then again slows as summer solstice approaches. Here, faint morning light illuminates icycles on a stranded chunk of sea ice near Nome.

Winter Solstice!

 
Twilight Zone - Some of the most beautiful winter light we experience at northern latitudes is at dawn and dusk. Our days may be short, but this precious time before and after sunset is a long drawn out affair. I never get tired of photographing in this twilight zone. Here, a couple of ice floes have docked along East Beach near Nome.

Twilight Zone

Floating Island - Another fata morgana creates the illusion of Sledge Island southwest of Nome being afloat above Norton Sound.

Floating Island

Fata Morgana Sunrise - A beautiful sunrise on Norton Sound greeted me upon my return to Nome yesterday. Although this is going to be a relatively brief visit, I enjoyed reconnecting with this dynamic world of light, ice and water. On the horizon, ice floes appear to float above the ocean in this optical illusion created by alternating warm and cold layers of air near water surface. Instead of traveling straight through these layers, light is bent towards the colder, hence denser, air. The result can be a rather complicated light path and a strange image of a distant object. A fate morgana actually is a superposition of several images of one object. Typically one image is upright more or less above two inverted images that may be mingled together. The images may undergo rapid changes as the air layers move slightly up and down relative to the observer.

Fata Morgana Sunrise

Ice Fog - Ice fog is a common phenomena in Interior Alaska. It happens when water vapor meets bitter cold air below 30 degrees Fahrenheit that cannot hold any more water. The biggest culprits contributing to the buildup of ice fog are cars and trucks. For example, when water vapor exits a car tailpipe when it is minus 40, the water vapor temperature drops from about 250 degrees to minus 40 in less than 10 seconds. Water cooled that fast forms tiny ice particles, and millions of these particles take form as ice fog.

Ice Fog

Visual Illusion - The sun drops below Mount McKinley and Mount Foraker in this view from Ester Dome near Fairbanks, about 160 miles northeast of McKinley. Because of the curvature of the Earth, we should not be able to see the mountain from Fairbanks. The Mount McKinley we see on the Fairbanks horizon actually is an illusion. Atmospheric density changes and local air masses act like fun- house mirrors, causing the mountain to look distorted and stretched out. It never looks exactly the same twice. <br>

Visual Illusion

 
Upcoming Sports Events - Heart of Darkness Snowshow Race, Fahrenheit Be Darned Winter Training Runs, Frozen Toes and Froze Face Skeet Shooting, and the list goes on and on. Fairbanksans have chosen some ecclectic names for their sports events. I am looking foward to participate in some myself. In the meantime, I am content to enjoy the wintery landscape of Interior Alaska, regardless of its thin snow layer.

Upcoming Sports Events

Tanana River - The open lead in the river on the western edge of Fairbanks is not the result of some unusal climate phenomena, but rather warm treated sewage being released into the river. So, as sometimes is the case, all is not as it appears.

Tanana River

Winter Coat - Snow and frost covered birch trees line the Tanana River near Fairbanks.

Winter Coat

Overflow - Only about 7 inches of snow have fallen in Interior Alaska so far this winter, turning many ski trails into hockey rinks. This is the third lowest snowfall in almost a century, and an end of it is not in sight. The lack of snow cover combined with cold temperatures have created some wild overflow conditions, like in this black spruce bog north of Fairbanks.

Overflow

Frozen In Time - In the bitter cold, much of the life in nature stops moving to conserve energy. Even the movements of these birch branches seem to be frozen in time. I am sure they look forward to some warmer days like all of us do.

Frozen In Time

 
Stampede Winter Impression - North access to Denali National Park has been a hot issue for years, and an extension of the existing Stampede Road has been one of the options, although hotly contested by local residents. Now outgoing Governor Frank Murkowski is trying to do just that, although most local residents would like to see the money redirected to other road improvements, bike paths and trails. This image was taken from near mile 5 on the Stampede Road west of Healy, looking south towards the boundary of Denali National Park.

Stampede Winter Impression

Kigluaik Mountains - The true dimension of much of Alaska is only perceivable from the air, like this view of the Kigluaik Mountains near Nome. Hard to believe that the Seward Peninsula offers such alpine scenery reminiscent of high mountain ranges elsewhere in this world.

Kigluaik Mountains

Kigluaik Mountains Sunrise - The first rays of the day illuminate the Kigluaik Mountains north of Nome in this view from Anvil Mountain.

Kigluaik Mountains Sunrise

Nome River Freeze Up - Repeated episodes of overflow and freezing have created beautiful ice patterns on the Nome River near its mouth at Fort Davis.

Nome River Freeze Up

Bering Sea Coast - Large pans of ice accumulate near Safety Sound along the Bering Sea Coast at sunset. Soon, all the pieces in this jigsaw puzzle will lock together.

Bering Sea Coast

 
Snake River - The Snake River meanders through the vast tundra as it searches its way for the Bering Sea in this aerial view taken just a few miles west of Nome. The Snake River eventally drains into the ocean right at the port of Nome.

Snake River

Cold Spell - The weather forecast from the National Service for Denali Park and Healy for today... 'Partly cloudy. Lows 10 to 25 below. North winds 10 to 20 mph. In passes...winds gusting to 35 mph with blowing snow and wind chills to 45 below.' And there is no end in sight...

Cold Spell

Boreal Forest Ecosystem - Interior Alaska is part of a boreal forest ecosystem that also stretches across Russia, Canada, Scandinavia, and parts of the Korean Peninsula, China, Mongolia and Japan. Boreal forests represent the single largest terrestrial ecosystem on earth, making up one third of the forests in the world. The trees like here in the Nenana Basin are small and hardy, able to withstand winter temperatures that sometimes drop to -50 degrees or colder. Common species include white spruce, black spruce, birch, aspen, and balsam poplar (cottonwood).

Boreal Forest Ecosystem

Healy Weather - Located right on the north side of the Alaska Range, Healy is one of those places that seems to get the brunt of the wind that funnels through the mountain range during storms. Winds have little consequence on temperature in the summer time, but this weekend for instance 15 mile per hour winds combined with an ambient temperature of zero degrees Fahrenheit will create dangerous windchills of 20 degrees below Fahrenheit.

Healy Weather

New USPS Stamps - The United States Postal Service just unveiled their new stamp series, and a souvenir sheet highlights the International Polar Year 2007-2008, when scientists around the world will conduct research and field observations to increase understanding of the roles that both polar regions play in changing ecosystems, coastal erosion and other phenomena. The sheet features two international rate stamps. One is a marvelous photograph of the aurora borealis. The second is an equally eye-catching photograph of the aurora australis. This shot was taken north of Healy on a night when the aurora was particularly active.

New USPS Stamps

 
Sun Burn - The sun burns through fog that fills the Nenana River valley near Denali National Park. The sun is definitely shining for Republican Sarah Palin today, who was elected Governor by Alaskan voters last night. While the political landscape in Alaska continues to be controlled by Republicans, America is waking up to a changed political landscape, with Democrats taking control of the House and possibly even the Senate.

Sun Burn

Dora Peak - Rising fog is illuminated by the first rays of the day and provides a nice contrast to the backlit west face of Dora Peak near Healy.

Dora Peak

Fading Daylight - The sun rises in the eastern horizon above the Yanert Valley near Denali National Park as we approach the shortest day of the year. Now that we have moved back to Alaska Standard Time, the sun rises a bit earlier but darkness sets in noticably earlier. The sun rises just before 9 AM and sets just before 5 PM, giving about 8 hours of sunlight, with a loss of about 6 minutes every day.

Fading Daylight

Winter Along Denebola - Denebola is the second brightest star in the constellation Leo, approximately 43 light years from Earth. It is also the name of the street off the Stampede Trail in Healy that we have been living on all summer. This is the view to the east from our frontyard on Denebola.

Winter Along Denebola

Tanana Valley State Forest - About two percent of state-owned land in Alaska is in two designated state forests. In 1982, the legislature established the 270,410-acre Haines State Forest in the Chilkoot , Chilkat, and Ferebee river drainages. The next year, it created the 1.8 million-acre Tanana Valley State Forest that stretches from Manley to Tok. In addition to these two designated state forests, much of the public domain land in Alaska is available for multiple use, including forest management.

Tanana Valley State Forest

 
Parks Highway - Driving this road in the winter time is a real pleasure. There is very little traffic and frosted trees are lining the road for miles on end, as in this section in the hills between Nenana and Fairbanks.

Parks Highway

Winter Coat - The recent snowfall has given the landscape a whole new dimension. Trees and branches that blended in with their environment suddenly stand out, like these stands of spruce and birch trees along the Parks Highway near Fairbanks.

Winter Coat

Floating Mountain - This mountain near the Eliott Highway appears to be adrift as fog fills the valley below. In the winter time, temperature inversions are very common in Alaska's Interior. The city of Fairbanks experiences one of the most extreme temperature inversions on the planet. During a temperature inversion, hilltops are warmer than valleys as warm air traps cold air beneath it.

Floating Mountain

Tanana River Valley - The mighty Tanana River meanders through the Interior with the Alaska Range rising in the background in this view from the Parks Highway between Nenana and Fairbanks.

Tanana River Valley

Northern Delight - The aurora has been visible almost every night recently, mostly dancing above the northern horizon.

Northern Delight

 
Winter Wonderland - Snow covered spruce trees dot the view in our frontyard in Healy. This first blanket of snow was long in coming, and is appreciated by some, while others dread the long, long winter ahead.

Winter Wonderland

Pink Sunrise - As we head towards winter, the quality of the light is changing rapidly. This sunrise near the Denali National Park entrance reminded me that the time of pink and pastel colors is upon us.

Pink Sunrise

Nenana River Fog - The Nenana River valley north of the Alaska Range has been filling up with fog almost every day, before being burned off by sunshine around mid-day.

Nenana River Fog

Curling Up - The recent cold weather seems to have sent chills up the spines of these frost-covered leaves in Healy as nature is slowly preparing for the long winter.

Curling Up

Freeze-Up - A couple of clear and cold nights have marked the beginning of freeze-up on smaller creeks such as Hornet Creek near Denali National Park.

Freeze-Up

 
Daylight Dwindling - The long days of summer are long gone, and with a loss of about 6 minutes every day, daylight is disappearing quickly as we move towards the shortest day of the year. Right now, the sun rises at 8:41AM and set at 6:58PM. By December 21 the sun will barely make it above the Alaska Range. Here, the sun rises east of Healy above the Outer Ranges of the Alaska Range.

Daylight Dwindling

Fire In The Sky - I shot this aurora the other day at around midnight near the Nenana River in Healy with a 20mm wide-angle lens at F2.8. Because of the long exposure of around 10 seconds, I used a tripod and shutter release.

Fire In The Sky

Crazy Weather - Mudslides in Southcentral Alaska blocking roads, high winds downing the power grid in Prudhoe Bay and slowing down production of the oilfield to a few thousand barrels, and Chinook winds leading to near-record temperatures of over 60 degrees in Fairbanks - the weather continues to be an unpredictable force this fall throughout the state. Here, a lull in the storm caused a nice atmosphere on this hillside along Healy Creek.

Crazy Weather

Windy Again - The Jetstream is influencing much of the weather in this week, creating winds gusting to 80 mph through Alaska Range mountain passes yesterday.

Windy Again

No Sign Of Freeze-Up - Like most creeks in the Interior, this creek still flows free of ice. Normally at this time of the year, freeze-up is in full swing, instead the daytime temperatures are at about 50 degrees Fahrenheit and there is no sign of winter, yet.

No Sign Of Freeze-Up

 
Healy Coal Seams - Coal seams like these are visible from many locations in the Healy area. It is coal that encouraged development and brought the railroad in 1916. By the early 1920s many small coal mines were operating in the Healy Valley and shipping coal on the newly constructed railroad. Seventy years later, coal mining is still a prominent industry in Healy. The Usibelli Coal Mine is the only operating coal mine in Alaska, providing coal for Alaska and international markets.

Healy Coal Seams

Indian Summer - The long fall this year in Interior Alaska has often been labeled an 'Indian Summer'. There are several theories or possibilities of the explanation and origin of the term 'Indian Summer', yet it seems that no one theory has actually been proven. The most popular belief of Indian Summer is that it is an abnormally warm and dry weather period, varying in length, that comes in the autumn time of the year, usually in October or November, and only after the first killing frost/freeze. There may be several occurrences of Indian Summer in a fall season or none at all.<br><br>

Indian Summer

Frosty Nights - Bearberry leaves display a frosty lining in the tundra along the Stampede Trail west of Healy. The temperatures are definitely cooling, but fall lingers and we are all happy for it!

Frosty Nights

Mountains Moods - The recent high winds have created conditions in the Outer Ranges of the Alaska Range like I am only used to at higher altitudes on Denali or other tall mountains. It's a real treat to watch the interplay of light and weather from Healy. No two days are the same, the moods are always changing.

Mountains Moods

High Wind Warning - It's been windy lately in Healy, but last night the winds funneling through the Alaska Range were gusting to 70mph, enough for the National Weather Service to issue a 'High Wind Warning'. The high winds are supposed to continue today and tonight. Here, high winds creates drifting snow along the Outer Ranges of Alaska Range south of Healy.

High Wind Warning

 
Dynamic Aurora - Curtains of the Aurora Borealis fill the northern horizon behind the Big Dipper north of Healy. Active aurora displays were visible this past weekend as far south as Prince Rubert and Montreal.

Dynamic Aurora

First Breath of Winter - Our landscape changed in a dramic way this past weekend, as the first snow fell over the Interior. The snow will likely stay at higher elevations, but in the valleys I feel that it will be a few more days until the white fluffy stuff will stay for good. Here, Dora Peak east of Healy shows its winter face.

First Breath of Winter

One More Trip Into The Park - The Denali Park Road is still open to the public to Teklanika, and the vistas are as spectacular as ever, as in this view near Cathedral Mountain. The road will close with the onset of winter, but for now that seems a distant possiblity. Fairbanks recorded on September 25 the second-latest freeze in history, and warm, dry weather allows those of us involved in building to finish our projects.

One More Trip Into The Park

Nenana River Canyon - This is how the canyon looked just a few days ago, a magic sea of yellow and green, before a massive windstorm pretty much blew all the leaves off the trees and shrubs. Now, the wait begins for the first snow.

Nenana River Canyon

Interior Aurora - The Geophysical Institute in Fairbanks predicted intense aurora displays over the past three nights, but overcast skies prevented us from seeing much of the action, except for a few fleeting moments shown here.

Interior Aurora

 
Fall Colors Fading Away - The yellow willow shrub leaves along stream drainages in the Primrose area outlasted all the other fall foliage in the tundra, but now even they are quickly fading away. In a few days the color of the tundra will change to brown or possibly even white.

Fall Colors Fading Away

Sky On Fire - This recent sunrise over Dora Peak east of Healy treated us to an intense interplay of color and spectacular cloudscapes. The snowline is currently at around 3,000 feet, and we are holding our breath that winter will not arrive here for another few days or even weeks.

Sky On Fire

Fall Equinox - Fall equinox marks the day when the sun crosses the equator, and the day and night are of approximately equal length. At the autumnal equinox, today at 12:03 A.M. EDT, the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, from north to south; this marks the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Here, the sun rises in the eastern horizon above the Alaska Range in Healy.

Fall Equinox

Fleeting Moments - Fall is such a short season here in Alaska, one day the leaves turn yellow and red, and the next moment they are all but gone. I wished this season would last forever. Here, aspen fall foliage constrasts with spruce trees near the Denali Park entrance.

Fleeting Moments

Tourism Season Coming To An End - The last train carrying cruise ship passengers is leaving Denali today, marking the end of the tourism season. Many places are already all boarded up, and in a few days one won't even be able to get a glass of water along the Parks Highway between Healy and Cantwell.

Tourism Season Coming To An End

 
Polychrome Pass - Millions of years ago volcanic activity occurred in what today is known as Denali National Park, and produced red, yellow and brown basalts, rhyolites, and other volcanic rocks. These rocks can be seen along the park road, particularly at Polychrome Pass area, named for the colorful volcanic rocks exposed there.

Polychrome Pass

Sea of Color - Some of the fall colors have peaked at higher elevations, but the colors around the park entrance, especially the aspen leaves, are still very vibrant, as visible in this view of the Nenana and Yanert River valleys.

Sea of Color

East Fork Toklat River - Polychrome Valley seen here from Polychrome Pass includes several glacier fed streams including the East Fork Toklat River. The high mountain in the distance is Mount Pendleton at 7840 feet.

East Fork Toklat River

Dawn At Wonder Lake - This is probably one of the most coveted shots in Denali National Park, the reflection of Mount McKinley (Denali) in Wonder Lake. I was lucky the other day to have near prefect conditions on a clear, calm morning with the quality of the light before sunrise being quite amazing.

Dawn At Wonder Lake

Denali At Its Best - Fall is my favorite time to travel into the heart of Denali National Park. Over the weekend, my friend Terry Wayne Boyd and I headed to Kantishna. It turned out to be the most productive photo trips in a long time. Clear, crisp skies and vibrant fall colors made for a journey that I will remember for a long time. I took this shot from the Eielson Bluffs near the confluence of the McKinley and Thorofare Rivers.

Denali At Its Best

 
Harvest Time - One of the favorite fall activities in Alaska is to pick berries. Blueberries are a favorite of many people. The plump blue berries are great in pies, jams, and with ice cream. The native people use the berries in their own kind of ice cream. Traditionally the ice cream was made of bear fat, sugar, fish, and berries. Berry picking is also a feast for the eyes, as the leaves of the bushes display their beautiful fall foliage, like here in Denali National Park.<br><br>

Harvest Time

Fall in Denali - Fall colors near their peak greeted us upon our return to Denali. Here, alpine slopes near Primrose Ridge display a beautiful tapestry of reds, greens and yellows.

Fall in Denali

Kachemak Bay Sunset - The sun setting over the western horizon and the Alaska Peninsula created a wonderful display of light over Kachemak Bay the other night.

Kachemak Bay Sunset

In the Company of Trees - Perhaps because of their constant presence, most of us rarely lend much thought to the importance of trees in our lives. We may take them for granted, or see them as mere decorations. Trees, however, are a vital and nurturing force, even when they are reduced to mere fractions of their former selves, like this tree trunk along McDonald Spit in Seldovia.

In the Company of Trees

Mount Iliamna - The view to the west from our cabin is just as stunning as the view to the east, where Mount Iliamna towers over Cook Inlet, about 70 miles away. Earthquakes have rattled within the snowy dome of the 10,000-foot volcano in past years, but it may remain quiet for another 100 years. However, it is just as likely to explode in clouds of ash and spit up molten rock in a few weeks or months. Such is the mystery that makes the science of predicting volcanic eruptions a constant challenge.<br><br>

Mount Iliamna

 
Kasitsna Bay - A boat is moored in the protected waters of Kasitsna Bay along McDonald Spit near Seldovia at dawn. We are greeted to this view every morning as we look out to the east from Greta's parents cabin. What a treat!

Kasitsna Bay

Heading to Seldovia - The crossing of Katchemak Bay was the last leg in our journey from Denali National Park to Seldovia. The sea was fairly calm, and the skies had cleared to offer some beautiful views of the bay and the Kenai Mountains. It will be nice to kick back for a few days from the bustle at the park and enjoy life off the road system with family and friends.

Heading to Seldovia

Jellyfish - Jellyfish are not fish at all. They are invertebrates, relatives of corals and sea anemones. A jelly has no head, brain, heart, eyes, nor ears. It has no bones, either. To capture prey for food, jellies have a net of tentacles that contain poisonous, stinging cells. When the tentacles brush against prey, thousands of tiny stinging cells explode, launching barbed stingers and poison into the victim. They look like blobs when washed up on the beach. But in the water jellies are graceful. They range in size from about 1 inch to 200 feet long. They have been drifting through the oceans of the world for more than 650 million years. Scientists estimate there may be 2,000 species of jellyfish, with a range from icy polar seas to tropical Pacific shores.

Jellyfish

Winter's Knocking! - No matter how long one has lived in Alaska, and no matter how much one loves winter, the first dusting, like on this mountain in Denali National Park, always comes as a somewhat of a shock. There are still so many things that need to be done, buliding projects need to be completed, berries need to be picked, the hunting season is about to start, salmon running up the rivers and gardens still need to be harvested. There definitely is a sense of urgency in the air.

Winter's Knocking!

Termination Dust - It is more than just a dusting a snow that has fallen in the Alaska Range over the past couple of days, like in this view of the northern flanks of Mount Healy. I have been watching the snowline drop every day a little closer to the road. The recent record rainfall and the early arrival of snow at higher elevations once again remind me that Mother Nature has her own, unpredictable way.

Termination Dust

 
Torrential Rains Continue - The rain has not stopped here at Denali Park, but it has stopped much of the tourism activities around here. For instance, all rafting trips on the Nenana River have been suspended for the time being, as the river carries about four times the volume it usually does. The main artery of travel between Anchorage and Fairbanks, the Parks Highway, as well as the Denali Highway, is still closed because of washed out bridges. And a cut in a fiber optics line in Willow caused outages in Internet and wireless telecommunicatoins along the Parks Highway north of Talkeetna. Here, Iceworm Gulch, a tiny stream near Denali Park, has turned into a little torrent.

Torrential Rains Continue

Flooding - Floodwaters Friday night have closed the Parks Highway north of Trapper Creek, cutting off the main highway link between Anchorage and Denali park and Fairbanks. The Mat-Su Borough is reporting that the road “is expected to be closed for a number of days due to severe road damage.”<br>The Alaska Railroad has also stopped running between Anchorage and Denali National Park because of washed out railbed and several slides. Here, the recent heavy reains have caused the Nenana River to run at flood stage near Denali Park.

Flooding

Healy Backyard - Weaving my way through some of the canyons east of Healy, the geology is so utterly different from what most of Interior Alaska has to offer. Fossilized plants and insects are easily found in these canyons, and coal seams are exposed throughout the area. Because its proximity to Denali National Park however, this area is completely ignored by travelers, but for those willing to step outside of the beaten path, a unique world shaped by erosional forces of wind and water awaits...

Healy Backyard

Reflection Pond - Reflection Pond is one of the many special places of Denali, located near Wonder Lake. It’s a bit off the beaten path yet still near the road, but beyond where most visitors to Denali travel to. Over time, many photos of Mount McKinley’s reflection in the pond must have been taken on clear days.

Reflection Pond

Photograph or Painting? - I always aim for sharp images, but the slighly soft focus of the mountains in this picture creates its own mood. Though unintended, this picture of the Savage Valley almost suggests to be a painting.

Photograph or Painting?

 
Savage River - Returning from our summit flight gave us some nice glimpses of the north boundary of Denali National Park, including the braided Savage River, as it meanders towards the great rivers of the Interior, the Tanana and Yukon. The Savage River still has a very wild character, so its name, which means 'wild' in French, is very appropriate.

Savage River

Signs of Fall - In the blink of an eye: Was that summer? It sure was an unseasonably cold summer. I never broke into the shorts, never wore sandals. And now the signs of fall are showing up everywhere, like along Riley Creek near Denali National Park.

Signs of Fall

Midnight Sun - Crossing the Alaska Range northbound in the evening on the Parks Highway is often a journey towards the setting sun. Even if the midnight sun is not visible anymore, a flood of light still continues to illuminate the sky into the late hours of the night.

Midnight Sun

Reality Check - 89% of Alaska’s income is from oil revenue, and central to that cash flow is Prudhoe Bay, the nation’s largest oil field. As much of Prudhoe Bay is being shut down for weeks or even months to replace miles of corroded pipelines, the State of Alaska looses about $6.4 million in oil taxes and royalties every day. Maybe it’s time to look for revenues from renewable resources, because the non-renewable oil cash cow that Alaskans have taken for granted for several decades will not last forever. Considering the incredible blueberry crop we are experiencing here at Denali Park, the question is how much jam would have to be produced to offset the millions of dollars lost because of the Prudhoe Bay shutdown. Because it’s safe to say that long after the last barrel of oil has flowed down the oil pipeline, the blueberries will continue to be a vital renewable resource in the life of most Alaskans. <br><br>

Reality Check

Iditarod Champion Susan Butcher Loses Fight - As the reality of Susan Butcher’s passing away is slowly settling in, I am still in shock and disbelief. I knew that her health challenges were immense, but if anybody could overcome them, I thought it would be her. Her fighting spirit and enthusiasm earned her four Iditarod Championships and the respect of thousands of fans. She leaves her husband Dave Monson, their two daughters Tekla, 10, and Chisana, 5, and an incredible legacy as an icon and ambassador for the sport of dog mushing. This image of fireweed is a combination of a long exposure and a camera rotation. It reflects the cyclical nature of all life. Mush on, Susan!<br>

Iditarod Champion Susan Butcher Loses Fight

 
U-Shaped Valleys - It wasn’t that long a go in geologic time when huge glaciers covered much of Alaska. Numerous glaciers still flow down out of the high mountains in the Alaska Range, and currently cover more than one-sixth of the land area of Denali National Park. Much of Denali's landscape was shaped by more extensive glaciation during the Pleistocene. This U-shaped valley near the park entrance was formed by the process of glaciation, when a glacier traveled across and down a slope, carving the valley by the action of scouring. When the ice receded or thawed about 10,00 years ago, the valley remained.

U-Shaped Valleys

Arctic Poppies - Subarctic tundra covers much of Denali National Park. Although mostly covered in stunted vegetation, it’s teeming right now with wildflowers such harebell and Arctic poppies like in this view along Primrose Ridge.

Arctic Poppies

Space - As I was hiking across the broad plateau near Primrose Ridge in Denali National Park, I was reminded how wild spaces are critical - spaces for animals to roam and for people to wander. I could spend my whole life exploring Alaska and still never see all its different areas.

Space

Signs Of Fall - It's been fairly rainy and cool lately, with fall feeling right around the corner. The colors are already starting to change in the upper elevations in the park, and it won't be long until the the first snow dusting will cover the tops of the peaks. It feels as if summer never really arrived this year. Here, mist hangs on ridges leading up to Sugerloaf Mountain near the park entrance.

Signs Of Fall

Hiker's Curse - Anyone hiking in Southcentral Alaska in mid-July likely will encounter all the hazards of Alaska's backcountry: bears, river crossings and a tall, stalky plant called cow parsnip. Cow parsnip has hairy stalks that can grow almost 9 feet tall. When in bloom, the stalks are topped with umbrellas of white flowers. People who get in contact with the plant often develop a rash. The source of the rash is a chemical called furanocoumarin, found in the sap and outer hairs of cow parsnip. The other necessary ingredient is sunlight. If the sun doesn't hit the chemical, it doesn't react. Someone exposed to the chemical while in sunshine could develop a rash of blisters, redness or darkened pigmentation. So while it may seem like a beautiful plant, especially when framed by blooming fireweed, cow parsnip has become the curse of many hikers.<br>

Hiker's Curse

 
Cook Inlet-Susitna Lowlands - Many ponds and lakes dot the Cook Inlet-Susitna lowlands, a broad basin with local relief of 50 to 250 feet. The retreating glacier which occupied the Susitna Valley left a topography dominated by such glacial features as ground moraines, drumlin fields, eskers, outwash plains, and kettle ponds. At one time this glacier may have been 4,000 feet thick in the valley center and 50 miles wide. The areas adjoining Cook Inlet are not well-drained, and lakes and swamps are plentiful.

Cook Inlet-Susitna Lowlands

Midnight Sky - The sunsts on the north side of the Alaska Range have been quite spectacular lately, as in this view west off the Stampede Road. With the shorter daylight we have, for the first time in weeks, seen the moon again. In a couple of weeks the night sky should be dark enough to view stars again.

Midnight Sky

Vast Wilderness - On any summer day in Denali, Alaska’s most popular national park, hundreds of people see sights that will stay with them the rest of their lives. The drama is always there. The farther into the park one goes, the more one sees, as the subarctic landscape opens up as big as the sky and the animals move through it with wild, ancient rhythms. Here, the lush ridges above nameless valleys near Cathedral Mountain are illuminated by the last rays of the day.

Vast Wilderness

Pyramid Peak - On our way home from the Denali Foundation last night, we saw some beautiful light on the hills along the Yanert Valley. From further south along the Parks Highway, Pyramid Peak truely looks like a pyramid. This shot was taken closer to the park entrance.

Pyramid Peak

Summer in Full Swing Again - Sunshine has returned to Denali, burning off the mist lingering on ponds such as this one south of the Park entrance. I am sure this duck enjoyed the return of warmer temperatures as much as I did. Summer seems to be making a comeback. <br><br>

Summer in Full Swing Again

 
Lapland Rosebay - All tundra vegetation consists of a mosaic of different plant communities, each reflecting a direct and often intimate relationship with environmental conditions so that the details of the mosaic vary in a most complex manner with variations in exposure, shelter, snowline or soil disturbance. As the environment becomes more severe towards the high arctic, so certain components in this mosaic are eliminated. Tundra shrubs such as this Lapland Rosebay are one of the major elements in this mosaic along with grass sedge tundra, heath tundra, bogs and marsh, as well as fellfields and arctic barrens.

Lapland Rosebay

Misty Mountains - A veil of fog gradually lifts on the outer slopes of the Alaska Range as a break in the weather brings some respite from the rain. Fresh snow was visible yesterday on some of the sourrounding hills, a reminder of the unpredictable nature of the weather around here.

Misty Mountains

Morning Fog - Early morning fog engulfs a stand of birch trees north of Healy. Wet and cool conditions persist throughout much of Alaska, with maybe some breaks in the clouds later this weekend. Yesterday felt already like fall. Summer never really seemes to have arrived this year.

Morning Fog

Double Rainbow - We were treated by some spectacular light shows in the form of rainbows yesterday. A traditional rainbow is sunlight spread out into its spectrum of colors and diverted to the eye of the observer by water droplets. The sun was behind me when facing this rainbow near Panorama Mountain, and that the center of the circular arc of the rainbow was in the direction opposite to that of the sun. The rain, of course, was in the direction of the rainbow. What made this rainbow even more memorable was the presence of a second rainbow on the outside of the first, brighter rainbow. This is the 'secondary rainbow' which occurs when raindrops high in the atmosphere refract and reflect light back to the viewer.<br><br>

Double Rainbow

Our Frontyard - The Outer Ranges of the Alaska Range and Dry Creek Ridge rise behind the taiga in this view from near our cabin on the Stampede Trail near Healy. It's a quiet and peaceful setting, quite in contrast to the'Glitter Gulch' area at the entrance of the park, which is packed with tourists during the summer.

Our Frontyard

 
Mount /healy - Because of its proximity to the Parks Highway, this mountain is the most popular one to climb near the East End of Denali National Park. I hope to take Greta and our little son Florian up there before the arrival of the first snow...

Mount /healy

Cotton Grass - The number of plant species on the Alaska tundra is few, their growth is low, with most of the biomass concentrated in the roots. Typical arctic vegetation comprises cotton grass, sedge, and dwarf heath, together with associated mosses and lichens. These plant communities are adapted to sweeping winds and to soil disturbance from frost heaves. They carry on photosynthesis at low temperatures, low light intensities, and long periods of daylight. The seed heads of cotton grass, like in this clump in a bog along the Stampede trail, are covered in a fluffy mass of cotton which are carried on the wind to aid dispersal.<br><br><br>

Cotton Grass

Exquisite Beauty - The Wild Iris is found throughout Alaska in bogs and meadows and along lakeshores, except north of the Brooks Range. Unfortunately, in spite of all of its beauty, the Wild Iris has no scent. The 3 large, droopy, colorful parts that you would normally expect to be the petals are actually sepals. The 3 small, narrow, erect petals are in the center of the flower. Irises bloom in June and July. They form cup like seed pods that can be harvested in August after they are dry and brown. Wild Iris' roots are highly poisonous and will cause vomiting! <br><br>

Exquisite Beauty

Sean Penn Goes Into the Wild - Sean Penn is currently directing a new screenplay for Paramount in our area. The project is based on Penn's adaptation of Jon Krakauer's bestseller ‘Into the Wild’. Emile Hirsch portrays Christopher McCandless, who graduated from college in 1992, abandoned his possessions and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness and return to nature. He died four months later in an abandoned bus at a remote campsite along the Stampede Trail, about 40 miles west from where this image was taken.<br>

Sean Penn Goes Into the Wild

Sunshine among Rainy Skies - The few rays of sun illuminating the Alaska Range were the exception as flash flood warnings remained in effect yesterday when a large, slow storm system moved over the Interior, dumping nearly 2 inches of rain in the Delta area within 24 hours on Monday. The National Weather Service said the system will remain stationary. Forecasters are warning the rainfall could flood small streams around the Alaska, Richardson and Taylor highways.<br><br>

Sunshine among Rainy Skies

 
Into the Wild - It is in this setting on the north side of the Alaska Range along the Stampede Trail that in April 1992, Christopher Johnson McCandless, a young man from a wealthy family, travelled after he hitchhiked to Alaska. He had given twenty five thousand dollars savings to charity and rid himself of all his worldly goods, motivated by his reading Leo Tolstoy. Tolstoy believed in the ideals of work and rejected the physical comforts of the larger society. McCandless, an idealist who had recently graduated from Emory University, sought to put Tolstoys ideas into practice by living alone off the land in the Alaskan wilderness. In the wild, he read, foraged for food, and hunted once, but found himself unable to kill and eat the animal. He kept a written record of his thoughts and feelings. Four months later his dead body was found in an abandoned bus by a moose hunter. An autopsy suggested that he had starved to death. John Krakauers bestseller 'Into the Wild' is the story of McCandless time in the wilderness. In the book, Krakauer explains how he would have been able to survive had he not made a few simple mistakes.

Into the Wild

Evening Glow - Almost every evening, we are treated with some spectacular rainbows spanning the vast landscape and long sunsets on the north side of the Alaska Range. Here, a beam of light shines in front of the mountains east of Healy.<br>

Evening Glow

First Day of Summer - Our first day of summer was overcast and rainy. Some early morning fog was rising from the ponds, like in this view along the Parks Highway. Shallow root penetration because of permafrost causes these spruce trees to be leaning in different directions. This is often also called a drunken forest.

First Day of Summer

Happy Summer Solstice - I experienced the most memorable summer solstice 10 years ago, when I was climbing Denali (Mount McKinley). We had reached the summit right around summer solstice, and on the descent we had this incredible warm glow of the midnight sun illuminating our path up high on the mountain. Of course, this flood of light will start to wane ever so slowly now, until in six months we will be back to just a few hours of sunlight a day. But I doubt that this reality is on anyone's mind right now, as we enjoy over 20 hours of sunshine in Interior Alaska.

Happy Summer Solstice

Happy Father's Day! - I would like to wish all of you dads out there a great day. A special hello to my father Jean-Pierre, who is also celebrating his birthday today. His beautiful Black and White images have inspired me in more ways than one, and how he ‘saw’ the world through his lens instilled an appreciation for photography as a medium to express myself. Merci, Papa! As we approach summer solistice and the longest day of the year, we are now enjoying over 20 hours of continuous sunshine. Here, the sun just set around midnight along the Parks Highway north of the park entrance.

Happy Father's Day!

 
Signs of Summer - Cool spring weather throughout the state has slowed down the growth of new vegetation, but finally even the higher elevations are showing signs of greening up, like in this aerial view of the Boundary Ranges in Denali National Park. Hard to believe though that in a couple of months the first frost will shut down the short growing season.<br>

Signs of Summer

Home for the Summer - Some of the last residences along the Stampede Trail north of Healy are on Denebola Road, and this is where my dear friends Jeff and Lori Yanuchi, their eight-year-old twins BJ and Stony, and their 40 sled dogs live. This summer, Florian, Greta and I are staying in a guest cabin next door to them. The cabin is the first structure on the left along Denebola in this aerial view. I meet Jeff and Lori 10 years ago, when they were still working as rangers for Denali National Park. Today, they operate the last dog freighting business in North America, hauling climbing gear from Kantishna to the Muldrow Glacier in the spring with their dogs.

Home for the Summer

Fire Danger - A few hours after I took this shot of the Alaska Range east of Healy last night, the winds shifted and smoke obscured the mountains around us. By early morning, visibility was down to just a few miles. It's an eerie feeling to imagine that the wildfire about 40 miles north of here may suddenly shift path and be at our doorstep in the matter of a few hours.

Fire Danger

Climbing Tragedy - As a half moon was rising over Mount Healy’s slopes, I thought about the fate of the missing women climbers on Mount Foraker. Their disappearance certainly has shocked the climbing community as the grim reality that they may never be found is slowly settling in. What happened to them on Mount Foraker may always be a mystery.<br>

Climbing Tragedy

Fire in the Sky - When I saw this fiery sky over the Alaska Range the other night, I thought of the raging wildfire just 40 miles to the north. Caused by a careless resident who threw some hot ashes into the woods, the fire has grown to over 30,000 acres and burned several houses in its path. It is also threatening the town of Nenana, which has already began to evacuate. <br>

Fire in the Sky

 
High Winds Aloft - Beautiful evening light illuminated stormy skies on the north side of the Alaska Range in this view from our cabin on the Stampede Trail north of Healy. From our vantage point near treeline, we enjoy 360 degrees of almost unlimited views, and the vast horizon give us a lot of space to breathe.<br>

High Winds Aloft

Hidden Gem - This little lake near Denali National Park is a real gem, yet travelers along the Parks Highway are likely to miss it, as it is not visible from the road and no trail leads to it. People are often in such a rush to get to the park entrance that they barrel down the highway at 65 mph with tunnel-vision, thereby missing those special spots that do reveal themselves to travelers who take time to travel at a slower pace.

Hidden Gem

Rainbows Everywhere - Typical early summer weather patters at Denali Park are clear, cool nights, sunny mornings, then a buildup of cumulus clouds in the afternoon with isolated showers in the evening. The evening showers always create an abundance of rainbows like I have never seen anywhere else before.

Rainbows Everywhere

Alaska Range - The Alaska Range is home to some of the wildest mountain environments on earth. Dwarfed by the southeastern flanks of Mount McKinley (Denali), this mountain off the Great Gorge in the Ruth Amphitheater would be a significant peak in any other state, but here it’s just another peak in this vast mountain range that extends for over 400 miles across southcentral Alaska.

Alaska Range

Contrast - Contrast is an important term in the language of light. A bright, clear sunny day produces high contrast lighting. Low contrast appears on an overcast day. Clouds scatter the light, so it's more evenly distributed and it's not so bright. High-contrast light, like this scene in Denali National Park, is intense and directional, casting shadows with a hard edge. It's sometimes called 'hard' lighting. In low-contrast light, shadows have a soft edge, and it's often referred to as 'soft' lighting. Also in low-contrast light, differences between tones blend gradually. These gentle shifts from light to dark areas create a more delicate mood.

Contrast

 
Treeline Migrating Northward? - A gradual lengthening of the snow-free season in the tundra, and a corresponding northward progression of the growth of shrubs and trees, may be creating a cycle of warmer and longer summers in the Alaska. Several studies suggest that spring thaw in the tundra country is arriving an average of 2.3 days earlier each decade. As a result, plants in the region now 'leaf out' about 2.7 days earlier than in previous decades. Likewise, the first freeze each year is arriving slightly later, allowing plants to extend their growing season. The longer growing season is allowing shrubs and trees to slowly migrate northward. The increasing woody vegetation is further warming the near-surface atmosphere by absorbing rather than reflecting incoming solar radiation. Will northern Alaska ever see such scenes like these aspen and birch trees “leafing out” along the Parks Highway near Denali State Park? Maybe not in the near future, but the northward march of trees and shrubs is definitely a reality here in Alaska.

Treeline Migrating Northward?

Spring Reflection - Most of the lakes in the Alaska Range are now mostly ice free, while on the lower slopes snow patches will linger for a few more weeks before they melt off. Nature will soon go into overdrive, trying to accomplish its seasonal growth cycle in very short time. In a three months, the leaves that are not even visible along this pond near Broad Pass will again start falling, thereby marking the end of the growth cycle.

Spring Reflection

Rainbow Magic - Light and water meet in the sky near the park entrance for a few moments, causing this rainbow to appear. This phenomena of the atmosphere appears during or immediately following local showers, when the sun is shining and the air contains raindrops. We cannot follow the arc of a rainbow down below the horizon, because we cannot see those droplets in the air below the horizon. But the higher we are above the ground, the more of the rainbow circle we would see. That is why, from an airplane in flight, a rainbow will appear as a complete circle with the shadow of the airplane in the center.

Rainbow Magic

Broad Pass - Ice still covers portions of this pond along the Parks Highway south of Cantwell. Summer is late in coming in much of Alaska. This area, also known as Broad Pass, marks the eastern boundary of Denali National Park. To the south, the pass is drained by the Susitna river, which flows into Cook Inlet. To the north, the Nenana River drains into the Tanana River and Yukon Rivers, which empty into the Bering Sea.<br>

Broad Pass

 Primrose Ridge - It's quite a shift to return to Denali from Nome, especially leaving the 'frontier' behind. I always enjoyed the raw- and ruggedness of Nome. The civilized portion on the outskirts of Denali Park, also referred to as 'Glitter Gulch', seems lightyears away from that frontier feeling. Access to the land in Nome also was very easy, with the tundra and ocean literally at our doorstep. Here, at Denali Park, getting to places often involves getting into the car. Here, the evening light shines on Primrose Ridge in the eastern portion of Denali National Park. The hike up Primrose Ridge is probably one of the most popular hikes in the park.

Primrose Ridge

 
New Growth - In the matter of a few days, the Tanana Valley around Fairbanks turned from brown to green. Everywhere, new growth is visible, like on these willow branches. It’s as dramatic a transition, similar to when the first snow hits the ground in late fall.

New Growth

Time for Action - Although the Earth system has always been in a constant state of change, ozone depletion, increases in atmospheric greenhouse gases, large-scale pollution and changing patterns of natural resource use demonstrate that human activities are altering the Earth system at an accelerated pace. In the Arctic in particular, global warming has produced dramatic, across-the-board effects on both the climate and the land. Once solid tundra or permafrost has turned ever soggier, while animal, fish, and plant species that have thrived in the region for millennia are either moving northward or dying out. As the sea ice like here in Norton Sound slowly melts away, it seems that the time for action is now or never. We have the knowledge of what’s going on, but what are we doing with it?

Time for Action

Sea Ice Melting Away - The beautiful sea ice sculptures I have admired all winter along the Bering Sea coast are gradually disintegrating. Increasingly warmer and sunnier days are causing the shore-fast sea ice to melt at a quick pace. It is hard to believe that in a few weeks this wild landscape of ice will be just a distant memory.

Sea Ice Melting Away

Spring Has Arrived! - The evening sun filters through some atmospheric haze, creating a eerie sunset that backlights the sea ice beyond Sledge Island west of Nome. What is more important about this picture though is that the ice pack is slowly breaking up. Spring is definitely here, and the signs are everywhere. People are hunting seals near Cape Nome, where open water is only a mile or two out. Sea gulls are bringing new life to our skies. As soon as the lakes will thaw, migratory birds will crowd the open water by the thousands.

Spring Has Arrived!

Sawtooth Range - I got some nice views of the Sawtooth Rage in the Kigluaik Mountains north of Nome on the flight up to Shishmaref. Many people wouldn't believe that Nome has such beautiful togography right in its backyard. Many of the ridges and peaks in the range have never been climbed, and likely never will.

Sawtooth Range

 
Aurora Borealis over Anvil Mountain - A photographic recording, whether on film or digital, has a different sensitivity to colors than the eye, therefore one often sees more red aurora on photos than with the unaided eye. According to the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, there is more atomic oxygen at high altitudes. Therefore the red aurora tends to be on top of the regular green aurora. The colors that we see are a mixture of all the auroral emissions. Just like the white sunlight is a mixture of the colors of the rainbow, the aurora is a mixture of colors. The overall impression is a greenish-whitish glow. Very intense aurora gets a purple edge at the bottom. The purple is a mixture of blue and red emissions from nitrogen molecules. The bluish emissions visible in this shot of the Northern Lights over Anvil Mountain near Nome appear to be on top of the aurora, but they are actually at the bottom, as the aurora was almost overhead. (NB The faint red tint in the bottom right corner is light 'pollution' from street lights)

Aurora Borealis over Anvil Mountain

Aurora Borealis over Anvil Creek - Last weekend we were treated to some really incredible displays of Northern Lights. The lights started dancing shortly after sunset, and for several hours magical curtains of light illuminated our night sky. It was truly an unforgettable night, to be out near Anvil Creek west of Nome, and watch this incredible display of motion and color.

Aurora Borealis over Anvil Creek

Continental Divide - Layers of fog partially hide the ridges and mountains along the Continental Divide in the Central Seward Peninsula. I took this photo sometime after take-off from Brevig Mission on my way to Shishmaref. On the north side of the Divide, rivers drain into the Chukchi Sea, while on the south side rivers drain into the Bering Sea. It is very peaceful to let my eyes wander across nameless valleys and wide open, wild country, and follow frozen rivers as they search their way for the sea. The villages and seasonal camps seem like tiny specks in an otherwise vast wilderness.

Continental Divide

The Blue Planet - In my explorations of the sea ice near Nome, I often think of the Blue Planet, even though the richness of life from the deep is hidden from me. But this frozen blue world above the surface reveals its own extraordinary beauty through its unique forms and shapes.

The Blue Planet

Global Warming - The Real Question - We are getting bombarded with reports about global warming. Just the other day an article by an international research team in the journal Science pointed out how the warming trend imperils life in the Bering Sea. Whales, walruses, seabirds and fish are struggling to survive the changing climate of the Bering Sea, their northern feeding grounds perhaps permanently disrupted by warmer temperatures and melting ice. Now, this isn’t fresh news. So the real question is not whether climate change is happening or not, but how can we adapt to the changing climate? The challenges are clear; the real question is how are we going to deal with those challenges today and in the very near future? In the meantime, the sea ice keeps melting away, like here in the Bering Sea.

Global Warming - The Real Question

 
Dusk - The cracks in the sea ice near Cape Nome are not a sign that break-up is imminent. They form as a result of the incredible pressure exerted by the tidal action. The frozen skin over the Bering Sea is constantly expanding and contracting, which also explains the presence of pressure ridges. I used a tripod, as the sun had set and the available light was dwindling. Shooting with a tripod allowed me to use stop down and use a slow shutter speed for greater depth of field and increased sharpness.

Dusk

Evening Glow - After all the Iditarod excitement, I enjoyed going out on the sea ice yesterday to clear my mind away from all the clutter and chatter of town. The wild world of snow and sea ice, as raw and rough as it may appear, is very soothing for my spirit, especially when the last rays of the day cast a warm glow on this otherwise cold world.

Evening Glow

Polar Desert - Some may consider the ice covered Bering Sea a frozen wasteland, for me it's a dynamic, living organism, always changing and shifting. Of course, very few animals roam around on the ice pack. One of the few exceptions are foxes, whose trails are visible in this picture.

Polar Desert

Avalanche Danger - With all the recent snowfall, the slopes around Nome are extremely unstable, as the new snow layers have only poorly bonded with the previous layers. Travel in avalanche prone terrain is not safe right now. I will avoid potentially hazardous terrain for a few days until things have settled down. Here, an old snow slide on Mount Newton near Nome is a testmaent of slope instability.

Avalanche Danger

Desert Landscape - Looking at the shifting dunes of snow on the sea ice near Nome, I am reminded of a journey to the northern edge of the Sahara. Both are such extreme places, where cultures are scattered in an unforgiving landscape, seemingly huddled against the overwhelming power of the elements. We may have all the amenities of modern life here in Nome, but during storms I realize that we live a very tenuous existence in this polar desert.

Desert Landscape

 
Unforgiving Place - As I am writing this caption, I hear the rotor of an Air National Guard Blackhawk Helicopter humming about a mile away. I am not sure if there is another rescue going on, but there have been a couple in the past few days, both involving European adventurers trying to walk around the globe. First, Englishman Karl Bushby, on his quest to circumnavigate the globe, and his partner Dimitri Kieffer, from Seattle, had to be rescued by helicopter two weeks ago when the sea ice they were camping on broke loose and drifted out to sea. The adventurers were trapped on drifting sea ice 28 miles off shore and 61 miles west of Nome. The ice they were stranded on was blowing southwest. Kiefer had to be treated for severe frostbite on two of his fingers. It was the second time in 33 days Bushby drifted off on loose ice. Then on Sunday, British adventurer Rosie Swale-Pope on her trek around the globe was rescued from an island in the Yukon River. She is currently treated for frostbite at Providence Hospital in Anchorage. These rescues serve as a reminder just how unforgiving Alaska in the winter can be, and how little room there is for mistakes, like on the sea ice pictured here near Nome.

Unforgiving Place

Nome's East Beach - Huge chunks of ice are stacked up along Nome's East Beach, pushed up on shore by a combination of open water and high tides. Dwarfted in the distance is one of the many fish camps. Now that the blizzard has cleared, I look forward to explore some of the new sea ice formations. Along Nome's West Beach, there are mountains of ice of a scale more likely to be seen around Barrow than Nome. Stay tuned!

Nome's East Beach

Sea Ice Changes and Traditional Knowledge - There is little doubt that the accumulated knowledge about sea ice held by local elders is less applicable today because of environmental change. Today's hunters may find the old lessons about currents, wind, and ice conditions less useful than in the past, because the ice and environmental conditions today differ from those studied by their elders. That is, generations ago the ice may have been more stable and consistent from year to year (owing to cooler, less stormy conditions) and therefore more predictable. Instead, today's hunters have added their own experience to the old and created a new information base that better reflects modern ice conditions. Here, on the edge of the shore ice south of Nome, a portion of Norton Sound appears to be ice free, at least for the time being.<br>

Sea Ice Changes and Traditional Knowledge

Cape Nome Moonrise - We are bathing in light right now. Besides the actual sunlight getting longer each day (the sun rises currently just after 10 AM and sets a little after 6 PM), the moon illuminates our white world out here. With the snow cover reflecting the light of the moon, it becomes unnecessary to even wear a headlight at night. It is one of the most memorable experiences to silently glide on skis or by dog team across the vast white expanses of northwestern Alaska at night, guided by this huge celestial beam of light.

Cape Nome Moonrise

Sea Ice Ridges and Sastrugi - The real beauty of the Bering Strait lays in the details, like in this combination of sea ice ridges and sastrugi. The ridges form when wind, ocean currents, and other forces push sea ice around into piles that rise and form small 'mountains' or ridges above the level sea ice surface. Sastrugi are complex, fragile shapes of snow on top of sea ice that resemble sand dunes and that form parallel to the prevailing wind direction. This vertical topography can make travel very awkward or difficult, especially when the sastrugi is as hard as ice. To me, this world of jumbled sea ice is a forest of a different kind, and just as beautiful.

Sea Ice Ridges and Sastrugi

 
Winter Beauty - Winter is the longest season in the Chugach Mountains. Freezing temperatures and snow are an important part of the weather for up to ten months of the year. In higher elevations, snow can fall anytime in August and remain on the ground through May. Cold, harsh winds contort the trees, and they grow to one side, rather than upward, like here at treeline near Glenn Alps. Fortunately, the challenges of winter are accompanied by many rewards for those of us venturing out to explore this cold and fragile beauty: bright snowy days, tracks left by wandering wildlife, the frozen beauty of ice crystals, whole frozen waterfalls, lingering alpenglow, northern lights...

Winter Beauty

Chugach Mountain Range - The Chugach Range stretches for 300 miles, between the Copper River to the east all the way to Anchorage to the west. The southern boundary is the cold ocean waters of Prince William Sound. The highest peak of the Chugach is Mount Marcus Baker (13,176 ft./4016 m), located in the west-central portion of the range. The climate of this coastal range is strongly influenced by its position so near the coast. These mountains intercept moisture from the Gulf of Alaska and as a result more snow falls here than in any other location in the world, over 600 annual inches. The peaks in the western half of the range originally attracted little attention from mountaineers because of their relatively low elevations, averaging less than 7,000 feet. Because of their nearness to populated areas, however, their popularity has increased in recent times. Since 1991, the World Extreme Skiing Championships have been held in the range, an annual Spring event in which skiers challenge the steep, rugged, undeveloped slopes.

Chugach Mountain Range

Turnagain Pass - Fresh snow accumulates in the Chugach National Forest in the Turnagain Pass Area south of Anchorage. After a stretch of beautiful, cold weather and good snowpack stability, avalanches will again be a concern in this area as a strong storm rolling by will change the conditions. The primary avalanche concern will be new snow on top of a weak layer of surface hoar. Most of the avalanches catching people are triggered by people, and the same mistakes are being made repeatedly. While some accidents are a result of not recognizing potential hazards, most accidents occur because the victims either underestimate the hazard or overestimate their ability to deal with it, often exercising poor route selection or choice of timing.

Turnagain Pass

Above the Clouds - Augustine Volcano was quiet yesterday, but the sun finally came out again above a sea of clouds blanketing Kachemak Bay - need I say more?

Above the Clouds

Bishop's Beach - Bishop's Beach has been the center of fun and function in the Homer area as long as people have been coming to its shores. Visitors can hike, walk their dogs, beach comb, gather coal, launch sea kayaks, ice climb along the bluffs or just pause to enjoy Kachemak Bay and gaze out at the 'Pacific Rim of Fire' volcanoes Augustine and Douglas, rising above the waters of Cook Inlet. During the last major glaciation, the ice extended into Kachemak Bay along Bishop’s Beach. When the ice retreated about 16,000 years ago, it left incredibly steep bluffs that are prone to failure. The extensive erosion gullies along the bluff are a testament to the erosion that has shaped this area over the last few thousand years. Today, I think Bishop’s Beach is one of Homer’s greatest treasures. At low tide, you can leave from Bishop’ Beach and walk for miles along the coast; all the while, never worrying about walking on someone’s private property. In this part of the state, that's a rare treasure indeed!

Bishop's Beach

 
Twilight Troll - A troll vessel returns to the Homer Harbor at dawn. These vessels catch salmon, principally king, silver, and pink salmon, by “trolling” bait or lures through feeding concentrations of fish. The word “troll” comes from a medieval German word, “trollen,” and refers to the revolving motion of the bait or lures used in this type of fishing. At a time when farmed fish are flooding the markets, discriminating diners look for Alaska wild salmon, knowing it means an all natural product free of antibiotics. Personally, my biggest concern is that escapees from salmon farm pose a problem as they may ultimately compete with and displace precarious native stocks. I also think that wild salmon simply tastes better and has better texture than farm-raised fish.

Twilight Troll

Reflecting on 2005 - As I look back on this past year, I remind myself that I have a choice in what I reflect on and in what I choose to remember. I know we all have things that we have accomplished, both external and internal. While the external accomplishments have their own meaning, it’s the personal feats of courage, beauty and integrity that to me are the real accomplishments of life. Even during challenging times, I try to stay positive and see the silver (or golden) lining on the horizon, like in this view of the wetlands around the Homer Airport during an otherwise cloudy day. I wish you all a Happy New Year’s Eve and a smooth transition into the New Year. See you in 2006!

Reflecting on 2005

Low Tide, Kachemak Bay - The enormous variation between high and low tides in Kachemak Bay is caused by the distance the water has to push up Cook Inlet and the underwater topography which squeezes the water as the inlet narrows and becomes shallower. Offshore, in the deep ocean, the difference in tides is usually less than two feet. Much like in Nome, where the variation between high and low tide is around a foot or two. But in shallower water, these waves collapse upon themselves as they come in contact with the sea floor. The surf grows when it approaches a beach, and the tide increases. In bays and estuaries, this effect is amplified. In the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, tides have a range of over 44 feet. Cook Inlet, where tidal ranges have exceeded 40 feet, experiences the second largest tides in the world. The current variation between high and low tide in Kachemak Bay is around 30 feet.

Low Tide, Kachemak Bay

Birch Trees - Around Christmas time, as we bring evergreens into our homes, we are reminded of the power trees can have in our lives. A tree that has often captured my imagination is the birch tree. Birch is one of the first trees to grow on bare soil and thus it births the entire forest. I know it’s an incredibly useful tree - nearly every part of it is edible, and it's sap was an important source of sugar to Native Americans and early settlers. Some of my friends in the Interior still tap the birch for its sap. The inner bark provides a pain reliever and the leaves are used to treat arthritis. It's bark is commonly used for baskets, and axe handles are also made from Birch. Beyond all its practical uses, birch trees just have such an incredible presence, especially in fall, when their leaves turn golden. But even now, with a little dusting of snow covering its crown and branches, this birch tree on the shores of Kachemak Bay radiates a special meaning, especially considering our treeless existence in Nome, where the closest trees are about 70 miles away.

Birch Trees

Living in the Twilight Zone... - If you think there's not enough daylight where you live, look on the bright side: you don't live in Alaska! Right now in Southcentral Alaska the sun shines for only about six hours a day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). It’s not easy, but when the skies are clear, the sunrise can be spectacular, like yesterday morning over the Kenai Mountains and Kachemak Bay. Better yet, most of us don’t live in Barrow, on the northern tip of Alaska, where residents endure nearly two full months of winter darkness each year, when the disc of the sun doesn't climb above the horizon for roughly a month on each side of the winter solstice. Despite not actually seeing the sun, Barrow residents donn't live in total darkness during these two months, as is the rumor. At noon on the winter solstice the sun's upper rim is only about 4 degrees below the horizon, and that's bright twilight as far as astronomers are concerned. I wonder how many astronomers live in Barrow? Of those that live there, it would be interesting to learn how many of them suffer from seasonal affective disorder despite all of that bright twilight!

Living in the Twilight Zone...

 
Climate Change - This may not be an exceptional picture of Homer. However unremarkable, this image does a great job illustrating a point that is being made by scientists around the globe. While this is not the first snow-less winter solstice Homer has seen, the latest record-breaking temperatures are in sync with what scientists tell us is happening in the high Arctic, deep in the Atlantic, or in Africa: climate change is unfolding before our eyes. We are told that global warming could thaw the top 11 feet of permafrost across the northern hemisphere by 2100, altering ecosystems across Alaska, Canada and Russia. We are further told that the atmosphere now holds over one-third more carbon dioxide than it did before the Industrial Revolution. European scientists reported last month that analysis of ice cores from Antarctica shows that today's level is 27 percent higher than any previous peak looking back 650,000 years. We are being warned of shifting climate zones, ocean levels rising via heat expansion and glacial melting, and more extreme weather events if emissions are not reduced. The question then is: should we continue business as usual or is it time for action? If you were to ask the Inuit of the circumpolar Arctic, they would say that the basis of their existence is melting away. With this in mind, happy winter solstice!

Climate Change

Light Therapy - For a lot of people, winter can be downright depressing. As we approach winter solstice, there are a number of Alaskans who experience the ‘Winter Blues’, also known as ‘Cabin Fever’ or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). We don't want to get out of bed, and about the only things we do feel like doing are eating, sleeping, and watching the tube. Although SAD's exact causes aren't fully understood, experts say the condition is related to the decline in light during winter. Less light reaching the eye's retina triggers an increase in the brain's production of melatonin, a natural depressant. In other words, the shorter days throws one's natural sleep cycle into chaos. For some people the effects are mild. But for others, the effects can be dramatic. Some try to cope through medication, light therapy, tanning booths, drugs, or simply by fleeing the state. My own coping mechanism involves staying active outdoors as much as possible, and taking in all the natural light I can possibly get, like during this sunrise over Kachemak Bay. You don’t need a prescription for this. All it takes is some time and self-motivation.

Light Therapy

The Kenai Mountains - So close, yet so far away! - Every mountaineer dreams to live in a place where mountains rise to the heavens and glaciers spill down into the ocean. The Kenai Mountains across Kachemak Bay are right in Homer’s frontyard. My mountaineer’s heart longs to climb its faces and ridges, but this appearance of proximity is an illusion. In reality, these mountains are not easily accessible. Much like all mountain ranges in Alaska, it takes at least one day or more to get there, unless one just gets dropped off by aircraft. Considering the approach time and the unpredictability of coastal weather, any trip into the Kenai Mountains is likely to turn into an expedition of at least a few days if not several weeks.

The Kenai Mountains - So close, yet so far away!

Anchors on the Shore - Each storm reshapes Bishop’s Beach, shifting sand and gravel, and depositing driftwood such as this one. Driftwood, logs and rye-grass roots all act as anchors to stabilize and protect the storm berm here. The berm protects Beluga Slough from most storms, creating a quiet place for feeding waterfowl and juvenile fish. The beach rye-grass along the storm berm also provides important nesting cover and food for birds such as sparrows and common eiders.<br>

Anchors on the Shore

There is no place like 'Nomer'... - Standing water at low tide picks up the reflection of the afternoon sun over Kachemak Bay. It rained during much of yesterday, but we took advantage of a break in the clouds to take our little son Florian on a stroll along the beach. Greta coined the term 'Nomer', a fictional community combining the best attributes of Nome and Homer. Of course, that perfect community is just a fiction of our imagination - a place existing only in our minds.

There is no place like "Nomer"...

 
Break-up... in December - In interior, western and northern Alaska, break-up usually happens in the spring, when warmer temperatures make the frozen skin that covered the land for months more and more brittle. Here in southcentral Alaska as well as other southern or coastal portions of the state, warm spells of weather are not uncommon in the middle of winter. A place can transition from winter to spring and back to winter in the matter of a few days. Warmer weather makes travel on ice unsafe, like here on the shores of Kachemak Bay. By the way, this photo was taken in color and not in black and white. The monochromatic scene simply reflects the mood of the day.

Break-up... in December

Rainy Day - A fishing vessel plows the waters of Kachemak Bay under a rainy sky. A warm spell caused temperatures to soar to over 40 degrees F. overnight. This, combined with light rain, caused most of the snowpack to melt into a puddle of water. For those of us who love winter and the cold, it is hard to trade our Bunny Boots for Xtra Tuffs, and to store our skis away as we watch our winter trails disappear.

Rainy Day

Storm Signals - I am not sold on living in Homer yet, but I have come to appreciate living in the 'Banana Belt', of which Homer is a part. While the temperatures here were a mild 25 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday, Nome registered 25 below, without windchill! And the storm clouds spilling over the Kenai Mountains are are supposed to bring snow and... rain. We'll keep our fingers crossed in hopes that the forecast is off by a few degrees. The rain will have to wait until a time more appropriate for spring showers.

Storm Signals

Beluga Slough - Large chunks of ice float around Beluga Slough, an intertidal wetland in Homer providing vital shorebird habitat in the spring and summer. It is hard to imagine that during the spring shorebird migration, the tidal flats of this area are used by tens of thousands of migrating shorebirds.

Beluga Slough

A Taste of Winter - A new layer of powder snow blankets the hills around Homer, and inspite of cold temperatures and short days, this is a wonderful time of the year. Most Alaskans who decide to stay for the winter embrace this season and don't fight it. There are so many activites - from ice fishing to snow shoeing. And on the travels through the forest, it's hard to beat the sight of snow-laden limbs of spruce trees, the beautiful hues of dawn and dusk.

A Taste of Winter

 
Bishop's Beach - The evening light above the Kenai Mountains across from Kachemak Bay is reflected in pools during low tide along Bishop's Beach in Homer. The small town of Homer is known by many as the most beautiful spot in Alaska. We will be here for the next five weeks and see for ourselves if this statement is true.

Bishop's Beach

Chugach State Park - Alaska is known as a land of extremes. The juxtaposition of the Chugach State Park and Anchorage, the largest metropolitan area in the state, illustrates this contrast. Located beyond the foothills on the eastern edge of Anchorage, Chugach State Park is the third largest state park in America - a half-million acres of glaciers, rugged mountain peaks and wild valleys next door to a city of a quarter million. Here, the evening sun sets over Turnagain Arm in this view from the Chugach Mountains above Bear Creek Valley.

Chugach State Park

Fire in the Sky - As the rising sun casts its magical light over Norton Sound, we are heading down to Homer on the Kenai Peninsula to explore that part of the state. We are looking forward to spending a few weeks in this quaint little town on the shores of Kachemak Bay.

Fire in the Sky

Norton Sound Freeze Up - Freeze up continues its course, tightening its grip over the sea and the land. Like huge pieces in a jigsaw puzzle, large sheets of ice in Norton Sound are gradually shifting into place. One day the fracture lines are still fluid, the next they are frozen solid.

Norton Sound Freeze Up

Overflow Ice - Strong enough pressure causes water to break through and overflow a frozen surface, even a thick ice layer over river or ground water. If it is cold, the water breaking through will soon freeze before flowing far. Thus, peculiar glacier-like formations are built up, layer upon layer. These effects are visible in this view of the mouth of the Nome River, with the silhouettes of the fish camps of Fort Davis on the horizon.

Overflow Ice

 
Where the Mountains meet the Sea - Contrary to popular belief, Nome and the Seward Peninsula are not just flat tundra devoid of any topography. In fact, this region offers quite a diversity of terrain. The western flanks of the Kigluaik Mountains, the most prominent feature in the region, are pictured here in this aerial view south of Cape Rodney. This wild mountain range is about 70 miles long from east to west. Its flora and fauna, glaciated, U-shaped valleys, alpine lakes and clear streams remind me a lot of the Brooks Range to the north.

Where the Mountains meet the Sea

Icing on the Cake - I doubt a French chef or an ice sculptor could do better than this - the Norton Sound shoreline near Cape Nome is a feast for the eyes and a wedding cake for the gods!

Icing on the Cake

Frozen in Time - As freeze up progresses, our world out here on the Bering Sea Coast goes through an incredible transformation. Every day, new patterns of ice and snow emerge, and the icy skin stretches further and deeper over the land, consuming everything in its path. Rivers, lakes, and wetlands suddenly become major arteries of travel. On the ocean, things are still in transition, a lot of slush ice has formed, making travel by boat challenging. Still, it might be a few weeks until the ocean will have completely frozen over.

Frozen in Time

Ocean Spray - It's cold enough by now that even the ocean spray seems to freeze almost instantly to the seawall that protects our city from storms. Because the sea ice is forming later than in the past, residents are worried that another major storm will hit the coast before the Bering Sea will be covered by a frozen skin.

Ocean Spray

Snow Squalls - The evening light in this view to the south from the new Nome Harbor entrance illuminates snow squalls over Norton Sound. The storm season is not over yet in the northwestern Alaska, and we may yet see another big storm hit the coastline before the sea ice will pull a tight skin over the Bering Sea and Norton Sound.<br><br>

Snow Squalls

 
Tracking - The tracks of a red fox are is all that remains of his passing through this winter landscape near Nome. The fresh snow is making spotting animals and their tracks much easier. Reading animal tracks is like reading a page in the book of their lives.

Tracking

Sledge Island - The evening sun casts a beautiful warm glow in the southwestern horizon above Sledge Island and Norton Sound in this view from Anvil Mountain near Nome yesterday evening. The warm glow could not distract from the fact that the days are getting noticably colder and shorter, with the loss of daylight being almost seven minutes each day.

Sledge Island

Safety Sound - After spending almost a week in the city of Anchorage, it feels so good to be back on the Seward Peninsula, to enjoy those very last days of autumn, and to reconnect with the stillness and power of this vast place. Here, clouds gently drift over Safety Sound. It was totally quiet, except for the rythmic rolling of the waves unto the beach opposite the lagoon.

Safety Sound

Signs of Winter - Looking out at the Kigluaik Mountains on my return flight to Nome, I noticed how winter already holds a tight grip on the summits in the range. Pretty soon, the snowline will reach the valley bottom, and the Kougourak Road that winds along the mountains will start drifting in until it becomes impassable. The about 300 miles of road system around Nome doesn’t get plowed, and snowmachines will become the most important means of transportation into the backcountry.

Signs of Winter

Cook Inlet - The tidal plain is exposed at low tide in the view of Cook Inlet from downtown Anchorage. Across the Inlet towers the Tordrillo Range. Anchorage is near the northernmost tip of the Cook Inlet, which produces one of the largest tide ranges in the world because its long, narrow finger-like shape channels the tide into a surge traveling at 12 miles per hour having as much as a 40 foot range between low and high tide. <br><br>

Cook Inlet

 
Wild Places - As early morning fog layers drift over a lake near Anchorage, I ask myself how wild places impact the human spirit? For some of us, including myself, being in nature is crucial in restoring or maintaining the link to the world that sustains who we are.

Wild Places

First Snow - Snow greeted me upon my arrival in Fairbanks yesterday. Even after living 15 years in the North, the onset of winter always stirs a lot of emotions within me. It is such a sudden, dramatic transition. One day it is fall, and the next it is winter. And winter will likely stay here in Interior Alaska for more than half a year.

First Snow

Storm Dying Down - Although the seas are still choppy, the storm that pounded Nome and other western Alaska communities has whimpered down to a light rain. Yesterday, for the first time in days, a few sun rays even broke through the clouds. Residents and businesses are still assessing the damage caused by the storm. Our main road to the east, the Nome-Council Highway, is closed after it washed out at Mile 17 near Safety Sound.

Storm Dying Down

Wild Fruit - The berry picking season is pretty much over out here in northwestern Alaska, but yesterday I came across a nice patch of fat and firm blueberries, and I lingered for some time in the warm afternoon sun, enjoying harvesting this incredible abundance of wild fruit on the land. Blueberries are one of about 50 species of wild berries found in Alaska.

Wild Fruit

Termination Dust - A dusting of fresh snow covers the northern slopes of the Kigluaik Mountains behind the large stands of cottenwood trees in this view from Pilgrim Hot Springs north of Nome. In Alaska this first sprinkle of snow is called 'termination dust,' for it signals the termination of summer. Out here on the Seward Peninsula, it may just as well mean the end of fall! This dusting of snow is unlikely to go away, and while some of us cannot wait for winter to be here, others will watch the snow line with trepidation inch its way downward toward the valley bottom.

Termination Dust

 
Fall in Denali - The birch and blueberry shrubs in the taiga at the base of Healy Ridge in Denali National Park display vibrant red colors. Sometimes I wish I could freeze time and make fall last forever, or at least make it last a few more days or even weeks. At their peak the colors are often so intense yet they seem almost impossible to absorb as my senses are overloaded by the sheer beauty of it all.

Fall in Denali

Light and Shadow - Sunrays pierce through an overcast sky and illuminate the tundra in the foothills of the Kigluaik Mountains along the Teller Road. The Teller Road leads about 70 miles northwest of Nome to the village of Teller. The scenery along the road is some of the most breathtaking I have ever experienced in the North.

Light and Shadow

Burst of color - The tundra is ablaze in a sea of vibrant colors along the Bluestone River Canyon near Teller. We are reaching the peak of the fall colors here in Northwestern Alaska, and sometimes I wished I could freeze this short season and make it last forever. The land is just so alive with color right now, it is such a feast for the eyes and the spirit. Pretty soon, though, winter will return and hold a tight grip on the land for many weeks.

Burst of color

Stormy Skies - A storm system just moved through our area, but there is no comparison to the staggering devastation that Hurricane Katrina inflicted on the Gulf Coast. Still, the Seward Peninsula is one of the harshest environments I have ever experienced. I am often on edge in this place that can be so unforgiving in its rawness and roughness.

Stormy Skies

Changing Seasons - It is hard to imagine just how short summer is out here on the Seward Peninsula. Only a couple months ago the ice finally melted from the lakes, and now as the colors in the tundra are changing the arrival of winter seems imminent. The sudden departure of the many songbirds that filled the tundra with beautiful melodies has left a silent void in a space that just a few weeks ago was teeming with life.

Changing Seasons

 
Flow of light - I got lost in a sea of magic light last night among the fish camps along Nome’s East Beach. A lull in the stormy skies allowed a few sunrays to pierce through and illuminate the land in warm colors. I let myself get carried by the flow of light and enjoyed absorbing the interplay of the warm glow of the light along the beach with the rainbow above Norton Sound.

Flow of light

Ultimate destination - To see huge tree trunks in this part of the world where there are no trees puzzles my imagination. Where did they come from? How long did it take them to get here? It quite likely that some of this driftwood originated in the Interior, hundreds of miles away from the Bering Sea Coast. The trees may have eroded from the banks of the Yukon River and floated down to its mouth and from there across Norton Sound to their final resting place along the beaches of the Northwestern Alaska.

Ultimate destination

Blooming Fireweed - It won’t be long until the inevitable transition of summer into fall in the eternal cycle of the seasons happens here in Northwestern Alaska. The roadsides around the Seward Peninsula are still awash in fireweed, but the fiery red blossoms will soon turn white as fall approaches. According to an old saying, 'when the fireweed turns to cotton, summer is forgotten.”

Blooming Fireweed

Nome River - Early morning fog blankets the Nome River near its mouth. The Nome River is one of several Seward Peninsula rivers that has seen surges of salmon in the past few days.

Nome River

Misty moods - Clouds lift after one of the frequent showers drenched the Nenana River valley. Multiple daily thunderstorms have added another level of intensity to the area. It remains to be seen if the recent rains dampened the fire danger somewhat, or if the vast array of lighting strikes triggered a whole new series of wildfires.

Misty moods

 
Evening rainbow - A beautful rainbow unfolds above Otto Lake near Healy. There is no doubt in my mind that Alaska's geology and weather are among its most defining forces. Those of us who travel much outdoors get attuned to the weather and its frequently changing moods.

Evening rainbow

Midnight dance - Everything about Alaska is dynamic: its geology, wildlife populations, industries, and most importantly its weather. Gazing into this ‘night’ sky, I want to join in this midnight dance among these vast and ever-changing cloud formations along the northern slopes of the Alaska Range near Healy. <br>

Midnight dance

Burst of life - Wildflowers can be found in some of the most surprising places throughout the state... Colonizing every inch of fertile ground, these cinquefoils have ecked out an existence in a tiny crevice of a rock in the alpine tundra. The orange crust covering the rock are lichens, which are two living things in one: A fungus providing a protective surface for an algae, which in turn manufactures food for the fungus.

Burst of life

Safety Sound - It's hard to imagine that this spot can be one of the most unforgiving places on earth during a blizzard in the winter. The high frequency of Iditarod trail markers along Safety Sound is a good indicator that visibility in this area can be a great challenge during blinding storms.

Safety Sound

Spirit of a place - Every place in nature, every creek, tree, mountain, or valley, has a felt quality of their own. This physical presence is what I call spirit of place.

Spirit of a place

 
Snake River Valley - Wilderness is an essential part of who I am and what I do. There is something elemental about being in a wild place. It's like going back to the source.

Snake River Valley

The original diaper - Large bundels of cottongrass are said to have been used as absorbent linings in the trousers worn by infants of northern peoples. This may have been the worlds first disposable diaper!

The original diaper

Morning splendor - Early morning fog gradually lifts on a pond in Nome. In these morning hours, I experience a purity of feeling and joy of being in the right place, and appreciate having wilderness right at my doorstep. Wild places sustain my spirit like nothing else does.

Morning splendor

Summer solstice - Today marks the longest day of the year. It's a day of great significance to anyone living in Alaska. Here in Nome, the sun rises at 4:19 AM and will set at 1:49 AM tomorrow, giving us 21 hours and 30 minutes of visible sunlight.

Summer solstice

Cape Nome - The tides are of little significance out here along the Bering Sea Coast, but high winds can create some significant waves. During storms, the thunderous sound of the rolling waves crashing unto the golden beaches of Nome can be heared from far away.

Cape Nome

 
Lakside beauty - Wild Iris (Iris setosa) are a common sight in bogs, meadows, and shores of lakes and streams throughout most of Alaska. Also referred to as Blue Flag, it is a poisenous plant.

Lakside beauty

Morning reflection - The calm returns to Ballaine Lake after a thounderstorm passed by earlier during the night. Ballaine Lake is stocked with rainbow trout and ranks as one of the most popular fishing holes in Fairbanks.

Morning reflection

National treasure - Denali National Park is a vast and wild expanse of wilderness – six million acres, which makes it almost the same size as Switzerland. The only ribbon of road (dirt that is) to weave deep into the park crosses the braided Toklat River in this aerial view. <br><br>

National treasure

Nature's breath - A thin veil of fog gradually lifts at dawn near Denali National Park. No sounds interrupted the tranquility of this early morning scene. It was just total silence - it was as if I could feel the heartbeat of nature.<br><br>

Nature's breath

Interior sunset - I love the long days of summer when even south of the Arctic Circle the sun doesn’t set until around midnight. I took this photo around 1 AM along the shores of Otto Lake near Healy.

Interior sunset

 
Evening magic - Last night, the interplay of the sun and evening showers again created a series of spectacular rainbows that graced the skies in the vicinity of Denali National Park.

Evening magic

Blossoming Birch - A tender birch sapling grows alongside mature birch trees in the boreal forest outside of Nenana. The word birch is thought to derive from the Sanskrit word “bhurga”, meaning a tree whose bark is used for writing.

Blossoming Birch

Symphony of Colors - Spring marks the explosion of the spring foliage of aspen and birch trees, such as this vibrant symphony of translucent greens near the Denali National Park entrance.

Symphony of Colors

Evening Splendor - I followed this Rainbow along the Park Road for several miles last night. Denali’s moods are always changing--rising and falling with the time of day and with every season.

Evening Splendor

Broad Pass - Snow continues to linger in the taiga around Broad Pass. The word “taiga” means “land of little sticks” in Russian, and it marks the transition zone between the boreal forest and the treeless tundra.

Broad Pass

 
Nome Dredge - An old gold dredge sits abandoned near the West beach outside of Nome. Several dredges around Nome are silent reminders of the heydays of gold mining on the Seward Peninsula.

Nome Dredge

Shore Ice - Open water is now visible just about 1 mile outside of Nome. With changing tides, a huge lead has opened up between the shore ice and the moving ice pack. Few creatures venture to this extreme edge. The exception is a lone fox, whose tracks bear witness of his passage. Out in the ocean, I saw a couple of seals taking advantage of the lead as their head popped up through the glassy surface to catch their breath.

Shore Ice

Yukon Breakup - Huge sheets of ice are drifting down the mighty Yukon River during breakup. Breakup is recognized as an Alaska mini-season when river and sea ice breaks apart as temperatures warm and water levels rise. A few years ago, I left Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, in my solo canoe right after breakup and paddled for 75 days the 2,000 miles to the mouth of the Yukon. I eventually ended my journey in the Yukon Delta community of Pitkas Point, just 70 miles short of the Bering Sea.

Yukon Breakup

Norton Sound Sunset - As we move closer to summer solstice, the sun’s trajectory on the horizon becomes longer and longer. But this flood of light is deceiving, because much of the land fast ice may be here for weeks to come.

Norton Sound Sunset

Sastrugi - I came across these dune-like ridges of hard-crusted snow on my daily ski on the sea ice. These patterns form wherever the air is frigid and strong winds blows snow over a relatively flat surface. These sastrugi may look permanent, but they are constantly reshaped by the wind.

Sastrugi

 
Sea Ice - The endless labyrinth of jumbled ice outside of Nome is a great place to loose myself in the magic light of the Arctic. The sun sets later every day, and her magic warm evening glow illuminates the jungle of ice formations.

Sea Ice