Northern Exposure

The First. . .

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:05 -0900

It is that time of year again - at long last the snow has melted and the flowers are returning!

That higher path beyond. . .

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:31 -0900

Taken about 40 miles south of the Nabesna Road, in the northern part of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
We were able to snowmachine to the Copper Glacier at the base of Mt. Wrangell. This image here is taken looking through the mountains, at the peak of Mt. Sanford (16,000'+) several miles away.

The snow is melting fast here, spring is approaching, and the snowmachining days are almost over.

The Wily Coyote

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 21:25 -0900

An oh-so wily coyote up on Klutina Lake today. He didn't seem to ill, or abnormal in any way. . .just hungry. We drove right up to him, and he just watched us for a while, and then went back to digging for some buried fish. My guess is we were not the first humans he had seen, but it looked to be a young one, so who knows.

I wished I had my telephoto. . .

The energy awaiting

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:54 -0900

Taken at the traditional start of the Iditarod this past Saturday. One of the many dogs, waiting to race.

With 97 starting teams, and roughly 10 dogs per team (present) you can imagine how many howling huskies there were to start things off. . .

The Fury Beneath

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:53 -0900

Although you could hardly tell from this picture, Mt. Wrangell is one of the largest active volcanoes in Alaska. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Mt. Saint Helens is rated at around 8 cubic miles of magma underneath. . .in comparison, Mt. Wrangell is rated at around 120cubic miles?

14,000' high and nearly round, Mt. Wrangell is impressive from any angle.

Then came the wind. . .

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 22:59 -0900

After a long cold spell for several weeks, we finally had a respite last week, which terminated in a day of extreme north winds. This is a close up of the summit of 12,000' Mt. Drum, about 25 miles away. Although not visible in this image, the winds created some very unusual atmospheric conditions around some of the other mountains in the area.

The Deception of the Distance

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 22:38 -0900

Well, seeing as the last shot is growing a bit stale, I might as well prove to you all that I've not died. haha

This is somewhat similar shot of the same mountain (16,000' Blackburn), only taken from a different location and time of day.

What I find interesting about this shot is how the seemingly giant mountain seems dwarfed by both trees and sky - making it a seemingly insignificant part of the landscape. 50 miles and 50mm has a way of deceiving the eye apparently.

The Lone Watchman

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 22:39 -0900

If you have been following this photoblog long, I'm sure you recognize this scene. I've not been out much as of late, as it has finally got cold here in Alaska. . .but just a little different take on a past scene.

This is 16,000' Mt. Blackburn.

The mountain through the trees. . .

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 22:28 -0900

A shot of 12,000' Mt. Drum taken today.

The daylight is just so short now - it is difficult to photograph. . .BUT we are gaining daylight, so that is a very good thing!

Hope everyone had a happy holiday season so far!

That Land Beyond. . .

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 23:01 -0900

Taken overlooking much of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
Over 20,000 square miles of rugged land - frozen in the dead of winter.

Actually, I must say that we have had only a handful of days below -10 or so, so far this winter - which is really quite rare. Taken last week, this picture shows the state of the Copper River - much more ice-free than usual.