Caribou and Denali

DIGITAL COMPOSITE IMAGE: Herd of caribou walks along the tundra by Wonder Lake with alpenglow on Mt Denali in the distance, Denali National Park, Alaska (© Patrick J Endres / www.AlaskaPhotoGraphics.com) This photo was shared on social media recently and received some attention so I thought I’d explain it beyond the short caption. I created…

Bush planes

Bush plane on floats is transported through the streets of Fairbanks on a flatbed truck, Fairbanks, Alaska. (© Patrick J Endres / www.AlaskaPhotoGraphics.com) Alaska is a huge land with very little road development. Access to many remote roadless locations is done via small bush planes. I have several friends who are pilots, and there is…

Snowshoe Hares in Spring

Snowshoe hare feeds on fresh spring grass in Fairbanks, Alaska. (© Patrick J Endres / www.AlaskaPhotoGraphics.com) Late May in Fairbanks, Alaska is an infusion in fresh lime green. The boreal forest explodes with shiny new leaves and new grass is growing under the increasing light and sunshine. In particular, this year there is an abundance…

Denali in Summer

Pink fireweed blossoms and Denali, North America’s tallest mountain. Denali National Park (© Patrick J Endres / www.AlaskaPhotoGraphics.com) It is likely true for most Alaskan’s, that after 8 months of white, the urge to both see and feel color and heat ramps to an all-time high at the beginning of May. At least in Fairbanks, the…

Gulf of Alaska Stoftuk Bar

Aerial of waves rolling on the long the sandy shores of Softuk bar, Gulf of Alaska, southcentral. (© Patrick J Endres / www.AlaskaPhotoGraphics.com) Alaska’s southern shores vary from lush temperate rainforests to rocky cliffs, giant boulder beaches, and broad, flat sandy bars. In the Gulf of Alaska, huge beaches receive the fury of the mighty Pacific Ocean…

Western Sandpiper Migration

Flocks of shorebirds, dominated by Western sandpipers gather along the shores of Hartney Bay, Copper River Delta, Prince William Sound, Alaska, to refuel during their migration to summer nesting grounds. (© Patrick J Endres / www.AlaskaPhotoGraphics.com) The small community of Cordova, Alaska hosts a shorebird festival in early May to commemorate the epic bird migration through…

Alaska’s Rustic Log Cabins

The aurora borealis arcs over my rustic log cabin in the boreal forest of the Alaska Range mountains in Interior, Alaska. (Patrick J Endres / AlaskaPhotoGraphics.com) The rustic log cabins found throughout Alaska are a diverse demonstration of how many Alaskans still stay connected to a more “simple” life. Some log cabins have historic significance,…