As we here in South-central Alaska begin the very slow and gradual descent into spring, many would probably agree with the fact that spring deemed “breakup” in these northern regions is perhaps a time when Alaska is at its ugliest. A time when snow is beginning to melt and the ground cover resembles a patched quilt between the signs of winter that remains and the beginnings of the promised season ahead. Where mud becomes the common word in these parts and automotive windshield washer fluid is a necessity in driving.

I often find these times between breakup and the first buds of spring as a prime opportunity to engage in indoor projects. And as gray overcast skies continually plagued us this weekend I found it the perfect time to catch up on some web work - including updating the galleries on this sight from pictures since the beginning of the year. And as I found my way sorting through the wildlife section and paused when its number reached 250, I found myself shaking my head and knowing that it has reached the point where I will have to break it up into smaller sections.

There is no doubt that eagles will need their own album, as will bears — especially with all the bear photography trips I have planned for this summer. I was also finally able to get through the mass of eagle photos from last weekend and create its own smaller album. Let me tell you it was very difficult narrowing it down to under 100 when I came home with a stock of over 1200 photos.

In the end the quiet time brought productivity. Which is not always such a bad thing.

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Southcentral Alaska

Sadie, a 3 year old brown bear at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center was orphaned when her mother was shot by a hunter. Sadie, Haines and Kenai will leave the AWCC for a new home at the Minnesota Zoo this fall.

When it comes to photography I tend to stick with taking photos of subjects I know.  Those being landscape and wildlife.  Wildlife obviously more than anything.  Even landscape photography is an art in and of itself and is something very few can ever master because it’s a challenge with continuous changes in light.

One thing that I never have tried my hand at is aurora photography.  However I have seen many fellow photographers take photos of the aurora with stunning results.  Yet I know it is another art that is a challenge in and of itself.

And with the aurora forecast tonight forecasted to be active with it projected to show even all the way down to Juneau, of course I’m thinking do I make an unexpected trip out and try my hand at it. 

Decisions, decisions…

Homer Spit
Southcentral Alaska

Playing a vital part of Homer’s economy the Homer Spit is a 4.5 mile piece of land that juts out into Kachemak Bay. Offering breathtaking views of the area, it is thought that this long sand spit was either built over the millenia from sand and silt deposits or from a ridge of terminal morrain left over from retreating glaciers from the nearby Kenai Mountains.

Today the Spit is a recreational lovers paradise offering everything from a biking, rollerblading and walking opportunities down the bike path that follows the road, a launching point for kayaking Katchemak Bay, and even for some a fisherman’s favorite landing spot. Or even equestrian riding opportunities as viewed here recently.

Whatever your reason the Home Spit offers something for everyone during your next visit to Homer.

To most the phrase “the rat race” echoes the busy lives that most of us live in the era of megabytes and the constant scourge of going to and fro in today’s rapidly busy lifecycle. Few would think of it as a race against time through a mountain pass with snow berms piled along the road in excess of 12 feet high. Yet that is exactly what this phrase meant to me when I set out early on Friday morning for a weekend trip to Kachemak Bay for some eagle photography. While under sunny skies to the north in the Anchorage bowl, little did I know that the western shores of Prince William Sound was receiving a monumental snow storm with inches climbing quickly into feet. So much so that by Thursday evening the area had received close to 55 inches of snow in less than a 48 hour period. And while the region is no stranger to snow, this one was quite excessive even for that area. So that left an area with a completely unstable snow pack with continuous avalanche warnings being issued to an area that I had to travel through in order to get to my “point B” - Homer in this case.

After hearing this I quickly made a call to my friend Susan who had journeyed down from Fairbanks with her husband and were spending their weekend in Homer as well. We decided to meet for breakfast the following morning and we would follow each other in our cars one after the other for safety sakes. No one knew simply what to expect. So thus Friday rolled around and after a wonderful breakfast we set off. Of course we quickly became separated given the flow of traffic but as I approached Turnagain Pass and the Portage Valley I was happy to see clear skies. Turnagain Pass when overcast resembles what is known as the white wall. All one can see in even the luckiest times is the hint of brake lights in front of them. It can make for a steering wheel clenching drive. Luckily that day was not to be a mirror of those previous times.

On that day I found the roads quite manageable especially for having experience in driving in winter weather. However as soon as I did enter the pass I found my mouth agape at the extreme amount of snow in the area. The snow plows had built the snow berms up on each side and they easily measured 12 feet in height. You felt like you were driving in a maze. I have only seen this amount of snow one other time in my 30 plus years of living here and that was during the mid-90s. Despite this I found myself making good time and pulled into Homer in a little over 4 hours. I headed down to the Homer Spit to scope out the eagle situation and later checked into my hotel before meeting up with Susan and her husband and Ken and Chris from Emerald Air Service for dinner. It was great to see Ken and Chris again and I look forward to seeing them again in June when I fly back to Katmai on the solstice for a bear photography trip. After a wonderful dinner at the local eatery Fat Olives, I headed back to the hotel for an early night. Because the photography would begin the next day in earnest.

As Saturday dawned I picked up Susan and we headed down to the spit a little after 7:00 a.m. in an effort to procure a choice parking spot before the days eagle feeding would commence. The parking lot was quite full already and we sat in the car chatting for a few hours before the first piece of fish was tossed a little after 9:15. As we exited the car we were met with a blustery cold wind. Luckily I had prepare ahead and brought my balaclava with me. The conditions in fact quite mirrored my shooting conditions in February with that cold northerly wind. But I still continued to shoot away and quickly filled one 4GB memory card to capacity. A little after noon I dropped Susan off and retired for a few hours of rest before I headed out again for a drive. The remainder of the afternoon ended up being very quiet and by that time I had already decided I would be leaving a day early and would head back to Anchorage after the eagle feeding on Sunday morning. Sunday morning brought warmer temperatures but worse lighting conditions. But again I filled another 4GB card to capacity and reminded myself that when I got back to Anchorage I would have to pick up several more for future trips.

In the end it was a low key weekend. It was a great time to share with friends and it left me for a hunger for spring and the opening of the Denali Park Road.

Now, we will see how quickly I am able to make it through processing the 600 plus eagle shots I got this weekend.

There are those times when we all dream of vacations and have things to look forward to. But if there is ever a time where I have a season to remember it is this summer.

Not only will I be doing extensive photography trips in Southeast Alaska as well as a trip to Kodiak. In addition to my “regular” trips to Denali National Park and Katmai. I had thought I really lucked out when I was able to get my permit to Anan Wildlife Sanctuary.

Then came the creme de la creme today. And that is prime viewing territory in Katmai National Park in August.

I’m going to McNeil River as I won the luck of the draw with the permit lottery.

American Bald Eagle
Eagle River, Alaska

Definitely NOT your typical wildlife view when it comes to an eagle. But after a day out shooting with my new Canon 40D, I thought what better way to celebrate it than to add a little humor to an otherwise beautiful day.  And after my past 2 weeks, I definitely need humor.

Very few books about Alaska could be deemed as a literary work of art; one whose very images lend to wondrous learning’s of Alaska’s very beginnings. From its rich Gold Rush heritage to the beginning of the now world famous Alaska Pipeline.

Yet recently when I found myself paging through the images in “Historic Photos of Alaska” by Fairbanks author Dermot Cole, I was literally swept away in a path back to Alaska’s very beginnings in which I learned local history and culture and gained true insight into the historic nature of this beloved state. Historic Photos of Alaska portrays the history and awe-inspiring beauty Alaska through rarely seen black and white photographs. Author Cole whose background is as a columnist for Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and author of five books on Alaska says:

Usually by the time March 1st rolls around the majority of Alaskans have their eyes turned towards the impending spring. As if willing Mother Nature to “get a move on” and melt all the snow that is plaguing area streets. And with temperatures today in the low 40s it serves as a reminder that indeed spring is not so far off.

While most people around the country are already experiecing spring like conditions no matter what the calendar may tell them, here spring takes a bit longer in coming. March tends to be a transition month and April usually brings the first REAL indications of spring.

With the Iditarod started and March beginning, I am no different in finding my wish for spring to venture here. After all, didn’t I begin voicing that wish back in February?

But the reality is the first real signs of spring didn’t hit me until I read the following notice from the National Park Sevice concerning the status of the Denali Park Road

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The National Park Service says a road crew will clear and prepare the Denali National Park Road beyond park headquarters at Mile 3 for vehicle access by park visitors. The work is scheduled to begin Sunday.  Besides snow, there’s usually overflow ice on portions of the road.  The road crew will steam open culverts. The crew also will make road repairs. The Park Service says the park road could open for travel to the Savage River at Mile 15 by late March. Agency officials say the road to the Teklanika Rest Stop at Mile 31 could be open by mid April.
 

And with the coming weeks including an extended weekend trip back to Homer for Eagle Photography, I patiently await the road’s opening. Plus the acquisition of a new macro lens and Canon 40D doesn’t hurt either.

Now if I could only let go of the animosity I feel towards the Pebble Mine Public Relations Manager that felt the need to hit my car yesterday. However, that is another story for another time.

Considered “the Last Great Race” and a true testament to the will of its mushers, the Iditarod ceremonial start in Anchorage signifies to most the beginning of the end to winter and the journey into spring. And under partly sunny skies and considerably warmer temperatures than 2007 when Anchorage was plagued with 15 below zero for its start, the 2008 Iditarod ceremonial start in Anchorage on Saturday began with a bang.

A race of over 1,150 miles from its start in Anchorage to Front Street in Nome, the Iditarod has won worldwide acclaim and interest among its fans. The ceremonial start winds 22 miles from Downtown Anchorage through the city to Eagle River, Alaska. However the true test doesn’t begin until the following day when the restart is held on the frozen shores of Willow Lake. It is a race in which both men and women compete. Each with their own racing tactic. Each with their own strategy. And indeed each fan has their favorite musher and in some cases favorite dogs.

Surrounded by hundreds of fans I found myself swept up in the excitement of the ceremonial start bright and early. Rather than fight the crowds I journeyed over to one of my favorite viewing spots in midtown Anchorage - i.e. the trail behind the Alaska Native Medical Center. A place which offers up close and personal views both with the mushers and the dogs. Most mushers by that time are over the excitement and stress of the crowded start in downtown Anchorage and will allow themselves to begin to relax and in some cases even have fun with the crowds.

Or completely ignore them as the case may be. Such in case would be four time Iditarod champion Jeff King from Denali Park who mushed by playing with his iPod while completely oblivious to the crowds. No doubt he will be hearing many songs over the hundreds of miles that lay ahead of him. His Iditaride Rider on the other hand had a huge grin on their face.

The Iditarider program was launched in the late 1990s as a means of auctioning off seats in front of mushers sleds for the start of the race. The extra weight allows the mushers to slow their dogs down and not tire them out before the races really begins. Plus the Iditarider program has raised nearly $56,000 for the Iditarod by bidders around the world. It is quite simply an experience unlike any other.

Throughout the morning I continued to watch and photograph the mushers coming through. And watched the broad smiles of 2007 champion and cancer survivor Lance Mackey, and other mushers like fan favorite DeeDee Jonrowe, Zack Steer, and Mitch Seavy. 

Then one of my own personal favorites (Martin Buser) came through. Martin just has the type of personality that shines in photographs and indeed that day he had a broad smile on his face.  In some ways a perma-grin has come to be expected from Martin. Teller musher and mayor Joe Garnie was talking to the crowds and thanking everyone for coming while his handler settled a tangle amongst the dogs. The next ten days shall indeed prove challenging for each of the mushers. Some will finish while obviously others will not. But there is one thing that is for certain.