On the Arctic photo tour that I guide each year, our departure from Kaktovik, Alaska was delayed a few hours due to mechanical problems with the airplane. This resulted in a different plane showing up about three hours later. It was a Caravan, and the first time I’ve flown in one. It is a fantastic…
Each October, my friend, colleague and fellow guide Hugh Rose and I lead a trip of intrepid photo enthusiasts into Alaska’s arctic to chase its magical light. The aurora borealis, polar bears, arctic wildlife and other grand landscapes prompt many shutter clicks. The sights vary every year, in an amazing diversity of subject material. However,…
Polar bears congregate along Alaska’s north coast when the scent of the bowhead whale carcasses show up from the autumn indigenous whale hunts. Barter Island, located just off the Alaska mainland, is bordered by the Beaufort Sea to the north. It is growing in popularity as a destination to view polar bears, an amazing experience…
Nellie Juan Glacier in western Prince William Sound is a magical place, and remains one of my favorite destinations in all my years of travel to the Sound. The Glacier is fed by the Sargent Ice Field above, and often harbors chilly winds that blown down over the ice and into the Lagoon. This day…
Late September and early October bring the first snow to Fairbanks, generally. A light dusting on the trees which still retain a few of the autumn leaves offers a beautiful contrast of soft white and colorful autumn colors. This frame was taken in the undulating hills on the north west side of Fairbanks, just a…
After waiting out a few days of rain in southcentral Alaska, I worked my way to the Harding Ice Field and Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park, on the Kenai Peninsula. The Exit Glacier flows out of the Harding Icefield, and terminates at a popular walk up viewing point accessible by road near Seward,…
Turnagain Arm in south central Alaska is a shallow inlet which drains at low tide to reveal an ever changing landscape of channels in the mud and silt. Surrounded by the Chugach mountains, there are many picturesque views along the rather busy Seward Highway, which borders the Arm. At sunrise one morning in September, I…
On a short excursion in Prince William Sound (courtesy of Discovery Voyages), a group of us basked in the sunshine on a tremendous hike through the lush and verdant hillsides of Western Prince William Sound and the Chugach National Forest. It was an area I longed to trek in given a clear day. The granite…
Winter is pressing in quickly on the Alaska landscape. I’ve been chasing the autumn remnants to the south, as snow falls on the high country across the state. Along this journey, I did a small day hike at the X-Y lake trail near Talkeetna about a week ago. The colors there were still rich, as…
There are two summits on Denali, or Mt. McKinley, the north and the south. The South Summit is the higher one (20,320 ft), while the North Summit has an elevation of 19,470 feet. You can see the South Summit clearly in the view, taken from the McKinley overlook along the Parks highway (note the north summit…