Being a creature of habit, usually when I find something that works for me I tend to stick with it. Just as I pretty much tend to stick to my usual routines. One such routine over the years has been an annual fall trip aboard one of the wildlife cruises in Seward Alaska. In particular a journey into Kenai Fjords National Park.
In the past I have had the tendency to use Kenai Fjords Tours. I have always found their ships to be clean and their staff to be friendly and efficient. Plus they have a boat called the Alaskan Explorer - so how can they be wrong? *grin* Not to mention I have found myself having the majority of my luck aboard their ships when it comes to seeing wildlife.
So when I stepped outside of my routine this last weekend I found myself reminded that such routines are not always necessarily the best thing. We can miss out on experiencing new places, meeting new people, or even experiencing great new businesses. And given that I was attenting a photography meetup as part of the Southcentral Alaska Photography Meetup, we were looking for a company that offered a group discount while we would venture south to experience the park in its glory. That discount led us to Major Marine Tours. The plan was simple. We would meet as a group down at the Seward Small Boat Harbor before boarding and undertaking a 7 hour cruise through the fjords. Kenai Fjords National Park is set amongs vast coast lines, tidewater glaciers and marine wildlife in a land where the ice age still lingers. It was my hope that once aboard we would be up close and personal with the parks marine environment and habitat. After a short two hour drive to Seward we met up with the remainder of the group and checked in at the Major Marine Office. We spent the remainder of the free time before boarding talking about photography, camera equipment, etc. Because that is of course what photographers do.
At that point I was still feeling a bit under the weather after attempting to recuperate from a virus that had plagued me and in fact landed me in the ER early last week. I had not had a chance to eat much in the past several days and I didn’t know at the time if I would even be brave enough to venture into trying the tour’s all you can eat salmon and prime rib buffet. It sounded good but everything outside of toast still set my stomach into nervous fits. I did end up paying for a meal ticket in hopes that it would show my insides the threat to straighten up and get well. Little did I know such a threat would be my downfall that day.Over smooth waters we set sail out of Resurrection Bay and was shortly thereafter met by our first wildlife sighting. A sea otter was nestled behside the boat looking at everyone casually as if to say “Hi! Where’s my lunch?!” We were able to get fairly close to him before he decided to play hard to get and dive into the waters below. We spent the short bit of time listening to the National Park Ranger on board describing the history of the park before we ventured out to photograph the first true sighing of the day. A resident Orca pod was feeding nearby and was allowing wonderful opportunities to get up close and personal. Now Orca have always been one of my favorite animals and over the years they have provided their opportunity to remain elusive. On my last year’s Kenai Fjords tour however my chain of bad luck was broken and we were able to see a pod out in Aialik Bay. The fact that this pod was visiting us so soon was in fact a good sign in my mind.
As the afternoon progress we continued to our tour destination of Aialik Bay while stopping for short stops at the Steller Sea Lion haul outs. Again we were lucky with regards to how close they allowed us to get. We reached the mouth of Aialik Bay and then lunch was served. I decided to be brave and try it. Hoping that I wouldn’t pay for that decision. Needless to say I ended up paying for it throughout the remainder of the afternoon and on into the evening. I was in fact feeling so poorly by the end of the evening I thought I would have to head to the ER again once I returned to Anchorage. Despite being ill, I was determined not to let it ruin my trip. I would quite simply, just cope with it as much as I could. 
After lunch we spent about 1/2 an hour in Aialik Bay watching the glacier calve as huge chunks of ice would fall and its thunderous and throaty rumble could be heard and felt throughout the bay. Harbor seals nestled on nearby ice packs and black bear were fishing one of the glacial fed streams on the distant shore. It was during this time I truly became impressed with Major Marine Tours. I found myself quite surprised at how close they attempted to get to the glacier while always making every advanced effort to keep us at a safe distance. They do in fact get closer to the glacier than even Kenai Fjords Tours does.
With our time drawing to a close we began to head back to Seward so we could make our evening return call. However on the way back we were met with the beginnings of a weather front that was forecasted to hit the area on Sunday. I wouldn’t have wanted to be in Seward on Sunday given they were predicting driving rain and 20 foot seas as the remnants of a typhoon passed through the area.
As we hit the Gulf of Alaska the 7 foot seas we encountered were bad enough. Now don’t get me wrong. I ‘ve never been one that has been sea sick before - until now. By the time we reached the calmer waters of Resurrection Bay I was turning green. I don’t think I have ever been so glad as I was that night to get back to the bay.
Despite the situation of me feeling ill, I will admit it was still an enjoyable day. I was quite impressed with Major Marine Tours and would recommend them quite highly to those that find themselves in the park. And perhaps, just perhaps, my Orca luck is turning from bad to good. That is after all the second year in a row I have seen them.Here’s hoping for a third.
Being the largest state in the union encompassing over 656,425 square miles Alaska is by no doubt a land of extremes. Not only in temperatures but also in terrain. Filled with the heavily wooded forests and peninsulas of South-Central and Southeast Alaska to the sweeping tundra of Northern Alaska. There is literally something for everyone here when it comes to grand sweeping views of this great land and the experiences it offers. And this perhaps has always been one of my favorite “selling points” about this great state.
One of my own personal favorites when it comes to majestic views is only a short 90 minute drive from Anchorage. In a glacial sculpted valley offering stunning mountain views and a historical walk into the yesteryears of the Gold Rush, Hatchers Pass is home to Independence Mine Historical Park and offers a plethora of activities. From hiking and snowshoeing to skiing, snowjouring, and dog mushing. Hatchers Pass will literally sweep you up into its grand scale adventures.
On my recent return from Denali National Park, we decided to take a side trip up over the back of Hatchers Pass which is accessible from Willow, Alaska on the George Parks Highway. This 49 mile gravel road climbs through high tundra in the Talkeetna Mountains and up and over Hatchers Pass before traveling to the Willow Creek Mining District and Independence Mine. Often closed during the winter months due to heavy snow and unsafe terrain, there are only a few months in which one can access and truly experience this marvel.
We had only just entered the area when I felt my eyes snap open at the sights in front of me. It was quite obvious at that point that whereas Denali National Park had already entered its journey into winter, Hatchers Pass was entering its journey into fall by offering majestic views intermixed with prime fall colors. Coupled with a light dusting of snow hugging the upper peaks, it was a site to behold.Though I had just driven this road in a year previously, I found that it is always the case that the road constantly changes. We had no sooner passed an old rickety wooden bridge over the Susitna River and decided to stop for some photography when we were met by a hunter ambling down the road with a rifle grasped in his hands. He would so often raise its scope to scan the horizons in front of him. No doubt in search of his prey - in this case moose. He stopped and talked to us for awhile before continuing on his way. A few minutes later, we decided to continue on our way as well.
By the time we reached the crest of the pass and Summit Lake, snow had once again begun to fall. It certainly didn’t surprise me given snow seemed to be following us home after our experiences in Denali. We continued on through the Summit Lake recreation area before coming down the front of the valley in which we were met with signs of the nearby lodges being closed for the season. Indeed a reminder that summer season passes all too quickly in the north. But also serving as a reminder that the area will be bustling with activity in the coming months when the area is a prime spot for recreational opportunities of winter.
Our journey through the area wasn’t long and in fact only served as a short cut, but served as a reminder how different Alaska can change from one moment to the next. And indeed when I journey back in the coming months as well it too wil serve as my winter wonderland.
On that particular day however, Hatchers Pass was my mecca for fall foliage.
It is a given that everything in nature changes. Just as the sun and moon rises and sets, the seasons change, so to does the tides ebb and flow. It is in this same mode of thinking that exists the standing joke that if you don’t like the weather in Alaska to wait a few seconds because there are no doubts that it too will change.
However when I signed up and won a slot for the 2007 Denali Road Lottery I didn’t exactly have this mode of thinking lingering in the back of my mind. I knew that Denali and Alaska in general were having a particularly strange fall. The taiga forests at the front of the park had already peaked and passed their fall colors when I was last in the park only weeks ago. Just as the tundra around Wonder Lake at the end of the park road were only just nearing its peak. The blueberries at that point were fat and juice and ripe for the picking. Other areas of Alaska have been experience these same kind of symptoms. For instance, we here n Anchorage are in fact just beginning to peak in our own fall colors - nearly a month behind. So when I was planning for my sojourn into Denali for the 2007 Road Loattery, I certainly wasn’t expecting to have to deal with the one element that I hoped would hold off. That being snow. Yet that is exactly what the biggest challenge we faced that weekend.
I started out early in the afternoon on a Friday to head up to Denali National Park. The plan at the time was that I would meet my travel companion C up there and we would then camp out Friday and Saturday night and return to Anchorage on Sunday. Since we had passes nito the park for both Saturday and Sunday, I was constantly checking the weather forecasts. Which is something I normally do when traveling. Forecasts indicated a potential for rain showers but it showed otherwise cloudy. I arrived at Denali late in the afternoon and checked in at the Wilderness Access Center and then headed over to Riley Creek Campground to pick out a camp spot. “Campground full - must have reservations” was a common sighting among the roads around the campground. Finally I found a space and began to unload and set up camp. Given C had come down the night before and was in fact in the park een at that time with a friend of his, I didn’t know how long I would be waiting. I entertained myself by watching the chipmunks bustling from tree to tree and a snowshoe hare scurrying through the underbrush. The first drops of rain began to fall at that time and by the time C had arrived some 3 1/2 hours later, it was a constant steady stream of rain falling from the sky. Now given my previous weekends had been filled with constant driving rain and the fact that I had been continously camping in it, it was something I was becoming used to. So we settled in for the night with plans to be up bright and early to begin the drive into the park.
It was a little after 5:00 a.m. when I was awakened by the “call of nature” and decided to get up for the day and head down to the restrooms to change clothes, etc. It was still raining at that time, but as I was nearing the restrooms I began to notice what looked like snow beginning to fall. I groaned inwardly at knowing what challenges this would bring. What I certainly wasn’t expecting to hear once we pulled up to the Savage River Ranger Station was that the road was only open to Teklanika at that point given snow had fallen in higher elevations overnight making the road impassable. They simply didn’t know if the road would even open past Teklanika at all. We decided to chance it and continue on to wait and see what the outcome would be.
We arrived and parked and over the next several hours a log jam of cars began to line the road behind us. Tempers were short and disappointment was obvious on the faces of many surrounding us. We continued to relax in the truck and wait to see with the masses if the road would in fact open. Finally a little after 11:30 p.m. after a 4 hour wait we were notified by the ranger that the road was only open to Tolkat - some 20 miles further down the road.
Many in the parking lot had turned around by this point to begin their trek back to Anchorage and Fairbanks. So the reality is we were lucky we stayed. We began thedrive to Toklat and were constantly met with a driving rain, low lying clouds and fog. There was very little wildlife prevalent. When we reached Toklat we spoke to yet another ranger and were pleasantly surprised to be informed the road would be opening to Wonder Lake within the next 1/2 hour. We of course decided to wait.
After the road opened we continued our journey. As we began to near the mountain passes we could see where the snow had fallen overnight. After we reached Thoroughgood Pass there was a line of cars parked off to the side of the road - always an indication that wildlife is near. And in this case the wildlife sighting of the moment was a large grizzly bear up on a hill that was digging through the snow in an effort to catch one of his last meals of the season. We stopped for awhile and took photos and continued on. We made rather good timing in reaching Wonder Lake and continued on to Kantishna. The tundra in the area was filled with jeweled tones of plums, reds and oranges giving us a true spectrum of color.
After stopping at Wonder Lake for awhile before beginning our journey back out of the park, we had no sooner reached the surrounding foothills when it began to snow in earnest. With several mountain passes before us I do admit to being a little nervous. After all, the road into Denali Park has no guard rails. And some of the vertical climbs on that road also lead to severe vertical drops. And for a girl scared of heights? Well you get the idea.
What further led to my hesitation was the white out conditions that were everywhere around us. You could only see a few feet in front of you. C knew I was nervous at that point given I had a death grip on the door handle. So he spent his time trying to keep my mind off of the conditions around us by cracking jokes and generally trying to lighten the mood by being the smart ass he is notorious for. It worked.
By the time we reached Stoney Hill we were met with another fantastic sight alongside the park road. That of a very large bear. But in this case the bear was a snowman. Its great to see so many people had a sense of humor and decide to have fun the conditions. It became apparent even later on that the rangers too were having fun with the snow - when we found yet another snow man with a park ranger hat nestled atop its head.
After we made the descent out of Stoney Hill we were metby the sight of a herd of bull caribou foraging up on a nearby hill. Again we stopped to take pictures and watch them before moving on. The caribou were eventually scared off by a truck that had pulled up with a barking dog in the back. By the time we neared the park entrance this time it was snowing in earnest even at the lower elevations. We drove out of the park to gas up the car and then set up camp at Savage River for the night under the falling snow. Only to hope that once we woke up we would find the road open the following morning.
But alas luck was not on our side. After rising early to find the tent covered with several inches of snow, we drove into Teklanika to find the road closed one more with the indication tht the road would not even open that day. I heard one park ranger telling the other that Stoney Hill had received in excess of eight inches of snow overnight.
It was at that time that we decided to head back to Anchorage early. Given I was starting to not feel well at the time, I agreed to it. And thus ends my experience with the 2007 Road Lottery. Quite different from my experiences in 2006. Will it stop me from entering again next year? Certainly not.
Just as everything in nature changes, living in Alaska one must learn to adapt and change with it.
Yearling Brown Bears at Play
Southcentral Alaska
It seems my time here has been few and far between for September. In between a few trips here and there that I have been able to attend, I have found the majority of my month spent being laid up with one illness or another. Needless to say this hasn’t been a month of joy for me as I had originally anticipated. Plus I have found a way to lose 22 pounds in one month. Though I certainly wouldn’t recommend it.
But there have been a few trips including the Denali Road Lottery and a weekend trip this past weekend to Seward for a wildlife cruise in the Kenai Fjords. Wildlife was prevalent and we lucked out weather wise. Write ups to come.
But in the meantime I’m still trying to find my bearings.
To some the concept of looking forward to 2008 might be a bit strange. But when you have an avid interest in photography like I do and live in Alaska the tours and guides tend to book up well in advance. Sometimes as much as a year in advance.
For this reason I have found myself beginning to plan some get aways for photo trips next summer. Not to mention I’m building the basics of these trips with hoping some fellow photographers will join me. Right now on the agenda?
+Katmai 3-4 day guided trip.
+ANWR Fall Caribou Migration
+Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
If some of my local friends might be interested in one of these, by all means let me know. There can be some cost breaks if there is enough people. Most guides want confirmation of 4 people or more.
Here’s to looking forward.
With fall beginning its crest and in some places already winding down, we here in the north have begun to see the glimpses of snow begin to appear in the long term weather forecast. While here in the Anchorage bowl colors are deepening, they have not yet reached their full spectrum.
As a result, I’m finding myself scrambling to put in as many trips as I can before snow begins to fall in earnest. That includes this weekend in Denali National Park for the annual road lottery. Luck has claimed me on this as I will not only be in the park on Sunday for my own lottery pass, but alas I was lucky to secure a spot for Saturday as well through a friend.
Next weekend includes a wildlife cruise in Kenai Fjords National Park and then the following weekend will be a last fall hurrah as several of us celebrate fall up at Byers Lake in Interior Alaska and begin our quest for the aurora borealis.
Many changes have flowed my way the last few weeks and many more coming in the weeks ahead. Once it is finalized I will announce perhaps the biggest change for me yet.
Today has been simply been one of those days I feel like I should have never gotten out of bed. Realizing that your digital SLR camera has been lost or stolen is never an easy thing. Realizing that you don’t have a functioning digital camera to use 5 days before the Denali Road Lottery is even more numbing. You should not have to declare your days to be $1500 days.
I’m waving the white flag. I surrender.
Peak Fall Foliage
Denali Highway, Alaska
Even under dreary dark rainy skies, Alaska brings out her best with the fall foliage explosion along the Denali Highway in Interior Alaska.
Growing up I can remember shuffling through its entrance and always being captivated by the sights in front of me. The texture and colors of the hair, their graceful movement, the claws that encapsulated some of their feet or even the piercing eyes gazing back at me. Trying to decide if I was fellow predator or prey.
One of my favorite times was always going to the Alaska Zoo. It even went as far as being a part of a third grade class that “adopted” the Cougar Tasha who is no longer living. The memories are many as is the animals that have graced them. There was Tasha the Cougar. Anabelle the Elephant. Binky and Nuka the polar bears.
I have always been a staunch supporter of the zoo until recent years. I liked the fact that they only took in orphaned or abandoned animals and didn’t go out and capture animals from local wildlife habitats strictly to put them on show. My support went down a notch or two when they did that and started the Dahl Sheep exhibit using captured animals from the local Turnagain bluffs. It’s obvious I haven’t been there in years. Well before the Siberian Tigers and even the Snow Leopards arrived. So I’ve been sitting from the sidelines watching the tug of war when it comes to Maggie the Elephant and moving her down to the Lower 48 in an attempt to give her a better life. To mesh with fellow animals. To live out her final days in a climate more to her liking. I am probably one of the few that saw Maggie the first day she ever came here and was on “display”.
Being an animal supporter I’m waiting for the zoo to make the right choice. I for one am not pressured by outside interests coming in and telling us what we should and shouldn’t be doing. But making the right choice for the welfare of Maggie and her well being. That is always what is the most important factor in my mind.
So when Bob Barker of the Price is Right fame made an appearance here in the last few weeks and with the aide of PAWS in Northern California offered what appears to be a solid home for Maggie, fellow Alaskans and I waited. Yet still no word emerged from behind those closed doors. So not to be deterred Mr. Barker upped the ante by offering to donate $750,000 of his own money towards her care. Obviously the price is right on that one. But yet, still nothing.
Okay Alaska Zoo board. What gives? Something smells off and I’m not talking the smell emitted from the animal house. At which point do you put the welfare of the animal first instead of stroking those egos at the fact that you hold such a vital decision in your hands.
From this Alaskan’s standpoint you are in fact failing in your goal and mission to provide animals the best possible care in the best possible environment.
Signed,
A Concerned Alaskan
