Like most places around the country the ebony of night brings with it a step into another world. A time when most people truly come alive and begin their ventures outdoors - whether it be celebrating the night life of the city or even perhaps attending a theatre performance. There is an electricity that sparks us when we journey into that witching hour.

Those hours around dusk are one of my favorites as well but of course for different reasons. Because those moments bring with it an increase in wildlife activity. It is no secret that moose are more active around dusk and dawn as are many other Alaska mammals. With the darkness those animals you don’t normally see become active as well. The red fox emerge from their den for hunting or porcupine begin to wander the local woods.

As the hours flowed into dusk last night I found myself back up at the Glenn Alps overlook in an attempt to capture a view of the city lights. Of course I wasn’t able to capture the image i wanted because my wide angle lens chose that night to be tempermental. So after a few hours I decided to call it a day and head home.

No sooner had I pulled into the back parking lot of where I live and took some things over to the garbage can when I began to hear some chirps emitted into the air. Chirps that brought back memories of my time at McNeil River. You see I was all too familiar with the animal they were coming from. So I took a few steps forward and looked into the darkness. I found some amber colored eyes staring back at me.

It appears we have a red fox family living in the woods bordering the Campbell Creek where I live. As I allowed my eyes to become used to the darkness I watched her bound off through the trees as if in search for prey.

To me it was a good omen and a reminder of on of my favorite times this year. I hope she will come visiting again.

Cook Inlet Sunset
Anchorage, Alaska

After living here over 30 years - low and behold I found out Anchorage actually has a place called Strawberry Hill. Didn’t find any strawberries. Nor did I find any bull moose when I went up to Powerline Pass. But I did find a gorgeous sunset.

Going through a rather rough patch as of late. Hoping things normalize in my life and soon.

When traveling to Alaska many search for a unique opportunity that will provide memories that last a life time. Whether it’s the dog sled ride up at Godwin Glacier out of Seward or even something as simple as a wildlife cruise and tour — Alaska is full of these types of opportunities. Perhaps one particular that many don’t give thought to is the Denali Road Lottery held every September. The road lottery consists of a 4 day period where 400 vehicles per day are allowed to drive their vehicles on the park road into Denali Natioanl Park. Considered the “end of the season” the road lottery offers some amazing views into Alaska at a time when fall colors can be at their peak and wildlife is in prime shape.

I have been one of the lucky participants of the road lottery for the last 3 years running. For the cost of a $10.00 ticket I toss my name into the hat each July in hopes of finding my name appear on that list of winners once they are announced in August. It’s a opportunity that even as an Alaskan has allowed me some very memorable experiences.

The 2008 Denali Road Lottery was held on Friday September 12th through Monday September 15th. Through a series of luck and chance I was able to attend 3 of the 4 days of this event. My own winning ticket was for that Monday. But with a system that allows each pass to be transferred in the event the original winner was not able to use their pass, I found myself lucking out and receiving an additional two passes this year.

I left Anchorage bright and early on that Friday morning. Of course as has been the case for the majority of this summer the weather was less than desirable. Driving rain made for some miserable driving conditions in some points, especially when I was encountering continuous road spray from the semi trucks I was sharing the road with. However once I passed Broad Pass and began to pull closer to Denali the skies opened up and the sun began to show itself. After driving into the park to check the colors and then moving on to check into my hotel I encountered my first obstacle of that weekend.

Unfortunately the reservation system for the hotel I was staying at had a glitch that had allowed me to obtain reservations well past their season ending. Quite simply I was scheduled to stay through Tuesday of the following week but they closed for the season on Monday. As a result I was left without hotel accommodations for that Monday night. Now normally this wouldn’t be an issue. But during road lottery weekend it is typical for every hotel in the area to be booked well in advance. Saturday night found me on the phone for hours on end and luckily I was finally able to find a room at one of the local Aramark hotels.

Saturday morning arrived and I met my friend C at the Wilderness Access Center to begin our drive into the park. The taiga forest that encompasses the first 20-30 miles of the park were well past peak colors. But once we passed Stony Hill overlook the colors begin to change. Early on our wildlife sightings were few and far between. It was only after Stony Hill that we saw a pack of caribou lingering off in the distance. We pulled over for awhile and hiked down to an area that would offer us some great opportunities to photograph them. Throughout the day we were lucky to encounter caribou, Dahl sheep and a few grizzly bears that were foraging the hillside eating berries. However those “up close and personal” encounters with animals that I have been lucky to have in the past were very few and far between.

Sunday brought the same sort of experiences. We were definitely lucky when it came to weather. Early weather reports predicted rain for the area. But narily a raindrop was seen that weekend. Each day I drove into the park to pretty much encounter the same wildlife. After my wonderful experiences this summer on other trips that allowed such up close and personal experiences with bears, I instead found myself beginning to focus on taking photos of the park’s landscapes. After all, Mt. McKinley was out in her glory for each of the days we were there. Definitely a rare event.

If you are traveling to Alaska and want to experience an event outside of the norm, give lady luck a chance and throw your name into the hat. Who knows, you may just be one of those lucky few to experience Denali at her best!

Trumpeter Swan at Dusk
Potters Marsh, Southcentral Alaska

As fall journeys to Alaska bringing with it cooler temperatures and darkened skies during the evening it also brings with it one of my favorite times of year and great opportunities for photography. 

I have spent my last week attempting to get out more during the evenings and enjoy the season before it ends.  In between that time has also been spent on building a business.

2008 has brought many challenges and changes to it. But it began with a journey into creation for me when I published my first calendar known as “The Alaskan Explorer”. Of course when it comes to attempts such as this one never knows if it will be a bomb or successful in its own right. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was a positive attempt for me as I sold out of my entire stock.

Because of continued requests I have once again forged ahead with plans to create a 2009 version of The Alaskan Explorer and am pleased to announced I am now accepting orders for shipment in the next few weeks. The calendar comes on a nice heavy stock paper and features clearly printed photos of Alaska and its wildlife.

The 2009 Alaskan Explorer calendars are available for purchase. The price is $15.00 each with $4.60 flat rate postage (USPS Priority Mail) though I will ship them free of charge to those that live in Alaska. I will also ship overseas but will need to provide you a shipping quite. I will accept payments via Paypal. If you are interested, please contact me with the quantity you are interested in and your location and I will send you an invoice.

If you are interested in seeing what images will appear, a summary can be viewed here.

Denali Road Lottery 2008
Denali National Park, Alaska

The weekend wasn’t quite what I expected. Hit some snags including having to scramble to find a hotel for my last night there after I found out the hotel I was originally planning on staying at was closing for the season on Monday. They had some kind of glitch with their reservation system that allowed it to accept reservations after their closing date.

Despite some headaches though there was definitely some high spots on the weekend. Including hanging out with a friend that I haven’t seen much this summer.

And as Interior Alaska begins to plan for the winter ahead, so too do I take a page from that book. No major trips planned at this point but I do have a potential road trip on tap this weekend if the weather cooperates.

“The Hug”
McNeil River
Kamishak Bay, Alaska

Wanda’s spring cubs engage in rest and play while awaiting their mother’s return from fishing at McNeil River Preserve.

While many may think I’m referring to myself in third person here or even crooning the lyrics to the Rolling Stones song (don’t ever sing that to me - bad memories), it instead refers to perhaps one of my favorite memories of McNeil River and that is my interaction with the red fox named Angie and her fellow brothers and sisters. Angie quickly came known to me within moments of my arrival on the shores of Kamishak Bay. I had known early on that there were red fox born at the campground that spring — given a fellow photographer friend of mine had photographed them during his time there in June.

I knew before going there remained the possibility that they had abandoned their den. And indeed I was right. The den was abandoned by the second day of my arriving. Instead the kits began to spend an innate amount of time in the campground itself. Often sunning themselves in the campground or even pouncing on each other in play. I soon began the observation role and noticed a particular female with a diamond shape black mark above her tail was the one that began to follow me around in earnest and hang around by my campsite.

It was she whose eyes I found staring in one night when she crept under my rain fly and up against the back wall of my tent. Just as it was she that began to pounce on my tent my last night there. I think at that point she was in play mode and was trying to give chase the rain drops that were working their way down my tent. It was only with a stern “knock it off!” that she stopped. I seriously thought she would take down my tent that night with her exuberance.

The entire family would often await our return on the spit each night. But it was she that was often separated from the rest of them and would glance over each of us until her eyes settled upon mine. At the end of my trip it was Tom that jokingly said “We’ll name her Angie for her antics.” It’s a name that stuck and a memory I shall always hold.

And thus concludes my time at McNeil River.

With the Chugach Mountains here in Anchorage are peppered with the yellows and reds of the coming fall, some would say we’re at the end of summer. An ending of barbeques and foraging through Alaska’s backwoods and roads. And indeed for me it is a time to get back to reality. A time when my vacation season has ended and my trips out of town shall be few and far between.

But in the meantime I shall of course end this season with a bang by taking an extended weekend and driving up to Denali National Park on Friday for 3 days in the park for its annual fall road lottery. Through a series of inherited actions I have managed to obtain two more road lottery passes in addition to my own. Thus giving me the opportunity to experience the park on Saturday, Sunday and Monday

I am told the Toklat wolf pack has once more become active and in fact have taken down a Dahl Sheep ram within 1/2 mile of the Toklat stop. And if one is willing to walk 1/2 mile and wait, perhaps we too can experience watching their pups playful antics. One can only hope. Indeed this is my favorite season in Alaska. I love the continuous color that graces our eyes. The chill in the air.

While I’m not quite content with the notion that winter will visit us in the coming months. I am content in all this summer has entailed for me. Indeed next summer shall be no different. For I’m beginning my planning for potential trips to Round Island to photograph the walruses, back to Anan Creek for more bear photography. And perhaps if I’m so lucky a trip to Kaktovik / Barter Island for polar bear photography.

Tis the season for adventure after all.

This is a series of posts that will document my first trip to McNeil River State Game Sanctuary in Southwest Alaska. Given the extent of information here I am breaking it down into three different posts. The beginning which includes my early planning. The day I arrived and what daily life at camp entailed. And the finish which will hold information on what worked and what didn’t. I hope you enjoy this series on McNeil River. It truly is a miraculous place

Ah, McNeil. I’ve been told by many it would be a once in a lifetime thing and that I would come back a different person. I don’t know per say if I’m different but I definitely have much more appreciation of things. Say - indoor plumbing. I readily admit I have become spoiled and taken it for granted. I don’t know how those with dry cabins do it. The thing is I’m used to camping. I have been camping for extended periods a lot. But a week without a shower is just nothing I care to live through again. No thanks. Oh and by the way - those no rinse camping shampoos are not worth it. They don’t work. So back to the drawing board there.

Thinking back there are several things I would change. Namely the food. I was living on the dehydrated camping food for a week supplemented by nuts, trail mix, cereal bars, etc. While some of the food was good (namely any of the Mary Jane Farms Organic Food rocked) I was craving nothing more than fresh food by the end of the week. It’s pretty hilarious when one of the guides decided to bring a turkey sandwich on the last day for viewing and I honed in on it and was totally salivating. So many of us were saying what we would have when we got home. Dianna was saying a steak and baked potato. Mine was a salad. When I returned to Homer the first real food I ended up getting was a vegetarian pizza and some salad to go. It hit the spot. So food - yes that will be rethought next time.

Other things that didn’t work were the chest waders. Next time I get better quality hip waders. Thank god they had some spares out at camp otherwise I would have been confined to camp the rest of the week.

There are three guides out there that work for the state - Doug, Ian and Tom. I honestly have a tremendous respect for them. Not only do they get the amazing experience but I don’t know how they do it to be honest. Three months would be a long haul to be in a camp like that. It really is such a remote location. When you go to McNeil it is normal to click with one of the guides more than another. I totally clicked with Doug. Ian was nice. He’s younger and the total outdoor type. He’s married and grew up in Wrangell. In fact Ian is the only married one of the group. I will admit there was one particular guide that I had the tendency to butt heads with. He had this habit of “roving” when he was guiding and meaning he would wander around and not let us stop much.

No problem for me but some of the others in the group were getting tired. So the next time he was our guide I suggested that perhaps we could stop a bit more and simply watch the bears? I was actually very friendly about it and placed it simply as a suggestion. Needless to say it didn’t go over very well and I received a very short comment to the tune of “We’ll go where I think we should go.” He had many people upset with him that day because the way he treated me. But he did later apologize and that night tried to offer me a beer to break the ice. But by the end of the trip all was well. There were just some things we didn’t see eye to eye on. But that is okay. Their job is to make it safe for the visitors. That is first and foremost their main goal. And I completely respect that.

The people in my group though were just amazing. Many of us clicked right away. They are in fact what made this trip for me. Equipment wise I had the most luck of anyone in the group. My REI T3 tent withstood everything I put it through and more. Despite the fact we had very heavy rain several nights and generally rotten weather.

On the way out the guides asked us if we would do it again. And yes, we absolutely would. In fact our same group hopes to enter again in two years and hope to all win the same time slot again.

McNeil definitely was a learning experience. But it was an amazing experience I would suggest to everyone. You truly learn so much about yourself when you’re out there.